Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins (No Added Sugar)

How about a chocolate muffin for a healthy snack? These gluten-free chocolate chip muffins are not only decadent but also nourishing. They’re easy to make and suitable for various diets—low-carb, sugar-free, lectin-free, grain-free—while being packed with protein, fiber, and essential nutrients.

The Inspiration: The Olympic Chocolate Muffins

The idea for these gluten-free chocolate muffins came during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, when a decadent Olympic Chocolate Muffin became the talk of the Olympic Village and beyond! That’s when I realized I didn’t have a chocolate muffin recipe in my repertoire.

The Olympic muffin looked fantastic, and I’m sure it tasted amazing, but as I examined the recipes circulating online, I noticed that about 80% of it was just sugar in various forms. The process was also more complicated than I prefer—I love simple, easy-to-make recipes.

So, I set out to create my own version: a chocolate muffin that’s gluten-free, lectin-free, and contains no added sugar or sweeteners.

The mild sweetness in these muffins comes from a few dates and the baked pumpkin or sweet potato (you can use either one). The blend of almond and tigernut flour also adds a natural sweetness that works wonderfully in sugar-free desserts.

While these muffins do contain natural sugars, they’re still relatively low-carb. Having quit sugar over seven years ago, my palate is quite sensitive to sweetness. To me, these muffins have the perfect taste, akin to 85% dark chocolate. If you prefer a sweeter muffin, feel free to add more dates or a natural sweetener.

Each muffin provides 5.4 grams of protein and 6.7 grams of fiber, making them not only delicious but also a nutritious treat, rich in micronutrients. For the complete nutritional breakdown, check out the label after the recipe card.

Now, let’s get to the recipe!

Ingredients You Need

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour, packed
• 1 cup tigernut flour, packed
• 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
• 1/3 cup raw cacao powder
• 2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
• 1 teaspoon gluten-free baking soda

Wet Ingredients:

• 350 grams baked pumpkin or baked sweet potato (about 1 1/3 tightly packed cups)
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 4 pastured eggs
• 80 grams dates (about 5 Medjool dates), pitted
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• Pinch of salt

Add-ons: about 100g of chopped dark chocolate or dark chocolate chips (I use 85%), divided

How to Make Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins

Preheat the oven to 350°F / 180°C and prepare a muffin tin by lining it with paper liners. 

Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. 

Blend the wet ingredients in a blender until creamy. 

Mix the creamy wet ingredients with the dry ingredients until you have a thick and smooth batter. Then, stir in 80 grams of chopped dark chocolate or chocolate chips (I use 85% cacao).

Scoop the batter into a muffin pan lined with paper liners and sprinkle more chopped chocolate (or chocolate chips) on top (about 20 grams).

Bake at 350°F for about 35-40 minutes, or until the muffins are set and don’t feel soft when you touch them. Remove from the pan and cool on a rack. Enjoy them warm or cold.

A Healthy Sweet Treat

These muffins are decadent yet nourishing, and easy to customize if you prefer a bit more sweetness. Soft, moist, and packed with protein, fiber, and micronutrients, they’re the perfect healthy treat.

Store them in the fridge for a few days or freeze them for longer. I recommend making a double batch to keep in the freezer, so you always have a healthy snack ready when a craving strikes—you’ll thank me later!

They thaw perfectly at room temperature, but if you’re short on time, warm them up in the oven. Place the muffins in a cold oven, set to convection at 350°F, and let the oven reach full temperature. Bake for about 5 minutes, then turn off the heat and leave them in the oven until they’re soft to the touch. This way, you’ll have a warm, delicious chocolate muffin.

Enjoy!

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