Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins are healthy enough for breakfast and decadent enough for dessert. They contain no flour, no oil, and are refined sugar-free but still have the irresistible chocolatey flavor of oatmeal chocolate chip bakery muffins. My kids’ all-time favorite muffins!
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When I was pregnant with my daughter I was obsessed with double chocolate muffins. Could eat everyday obsessed. Just need to make a quick run to the bakery obsessed. See you in my dream OBSESSED.
There was just one problem with my pregnancy induced chocolate chip muffin habit >> the pregnant women need-to-eat-healthier problem, and also the my-toddler-is-watching-me-eat problem.
Ah, the trials of motherhood.
Lunch Bag Dilemas
Fast forward a few years and I’ve used my chocolate muffin obsession to solve another trial of motherhood… packing healthy lunches my kids want to eat.
We’re pretty healthy eaters so packing healthy lunches is not a huge problem… until lunchtime arrives at school.
My kiddos definitely get lunch box envy when their classmates pull out snack bags of chips, prepackaged cookies, soda, and candy. They come home from school full of “why can’t we” questions and complaints.
And I get it… homemade hummus pales in comparison to Oreos!
And I love to make my kids happy… but I don’t want to sacrifice healthy lunches.
What’s a mom to do?
Enter healthy chocolate oatmeal muffins, the perfect solution for lunch box envy. They look delicious and tempting (hello, chocolate chips!) but they are healthy!
Healthy Muffin Substitutions
Each of my healthy oatmeal muffin recipes are made with no flour, no sugar, and no oil. While this might sound like a recipe for cardboard, it actually produces amazingly delicious muffins!
- Toasted oatmeal replaces flour (use gluten-free oats for gluten-free muffins) for a smooth muffin with a slightly nutty favor.
- Bananas are used instead of oil or butter to produces tender, moist muffins.
- Honey replaces refined sugar to add just a touch of sweetness.
- Unsweetened cocoa and chocolate chips make the healthy chocolate oatmeal muffins CHOCO-rific.
These home baked treats rival the huge chocolate chocolate chip muffins in bakeries and coffee shops… with a fraction of the sugar and calories.
With or Without Chocolate Chips?
I’m 100% pro chocolate chip, but the decision is up to you! The chocolate oatmeal muffins are delicious with or without chocolate chips.
I stir 1/2 cup of chocolate chips into the batter and press the remaining ½ cup onto the top of the muffin batter before baking to produce a super tempting display of chocolate on top of each muffin.
Favorite Chocolate Chips Brands
To keep the muffins extra healthy I buy chocolate chips that use as few ingredients as possible. My favorites are Trader Joe’s semi-sweet chocolate chips and Enjoy Life chocolate chips, both are made with three limited ingredients: cane juice, chocolate liquor, and non-dairy cocoa butter.
If you’ve never tried these delicious chocolate chips you are missing out! They are much tastier than most chocolate chip brands.
Other Mix-Ins
You may omit the chocolate chips altogether or use dried fruit, nuts, or fresh fruit instead. Limit your mix-ins to 1/2 cup per batch for best results.
Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups old-fashioned oats (1.5 cups ground, 1 cup unground)
- 2 Tbsp unground oats for muffin tops (optional)
- 2-3 large overripe bananas (1 c. mashed) or 1 cup applesauce
- 2 eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 -4 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips (divided into two ½ cup portions, optional)
Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins Directions
- Preheat oven to 325℉. Place oats on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, stirring once (about 4 to 6 minutes). Let cool to room temperature. (You can skip this step, however the toasting adds flavor.)
- Place 1.5 cups of the oats in a food processor and blend/pulse until they reach a rough, flour like consistency.
- Mash bananas well, they should have no lumps. Add eggs, honey, milk and vanilla. Mix to combine.
- Add dry ingredients (including both 1.5 cup ground oats and 1 cup unground oats) to wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Allow batter to sit for 10-15 minutes to soften the oats.
- Fold in approximately 1/2 cup chocolate chips (if desired).
- Scoop batter into muffin tins lined with paper wrappers until 3/4 full. The recipe makes approximately 14 muffins. (Optional: Spray the bottom of the liners lightly with oil to make the muffins easier to remove from the wrappers.)
- Sprinkle muffin tops with reserved oats and remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips, press down lightly.
- Bake at 350 for about 20 -23 minutes, a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean. (Tip: Cut one muffin in half to check doneness.)
Tips for Making Healthy Muffins
Healthy muffins are more dense than typical muffins. These tips will help you get the best results.
- Use parchment paper baking cups to keep the muffins from sticking. The healthy muffins tend to stick to other paper muffin liners. (Tip: If your muffins are already stuck to the liners wait overnight and they should easily peel off.)
- Press lightly on the top of a muffin when checking for doneness. It should spring back. If the muffin top stays indented or feels mushy the center is probably underbaked.
- To get your muffins to look like my photos fill the baking cups very close to the top. Add 5-10 minutes of baking time. (This makes about 12 muffins instead of 14.)
More Healthy Muffin Recipes to Try
1 – Healthy Oatmeal Muffins – My original recipe is sweetened with bananas, no flour and no oil. Easy to customize with your favorite add ins.
2 – Healthy Pumpkin Muffins Recipe – Delicious pumpkin spice flavor, no oil, no gluten and dairy free. They taste like pumpkin pie.
3 – Apple Cinnamon Blender Muffins – This easy recipe mixes in the blender for no mess but delicious cinnamon apple flavor. Still no flour, no sugar and no oil.
4 – Healthy Zucchini Muffins Recipe – Zucchini and spices give these muffins classic zucchini bread flavor. A fall favorites with no guilt.
5 – Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins Recipe – These muffins are full of chocolate peanut butter flavor. Classic flavor combo that is better for you.
Print
Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 14 1x
- Category: Breakfast
- Cuisine: American
Description
Healthy Chocolate Oatmeal Muffins Recipe: Toasted oats replace flour, bananas & honey provide a bit of sweetness, cocoa & chocolate chips make them irresistibly chocolaty. Ingredients
Ingredients
- 2 ½ cups old fashioned oats (1.5 cups ground)
- 2 tbsp oats (for muffin tops)
- 2–3 large bananas, very ripe (1 cup mashed or 1 cup applesauce)
- 2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1/3 cup honey
- 3/4 cup milk
- 2 tsp vanilla (pure)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 3 –4 Tbsp cocoa powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips (divided into ½ cup portions)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325. Place oats on a baking sheet and toast until lightly browned, stirring once (about 4 to 6 minutes). Let cool to room temperature. (If you are in a hurry you can skip this step and use plain old fashioned oats, however the toasting adds flavor!)
- Place 1.5 cups of oats in a food processor and blend/pulse until they reach a rough, flour like consistency.
- Mash bananas well, they should have no lumps. I use my mixer to mash them before adding the other wet ingredients.
- Add eggs, honey, milk and vanilla. Mix to combine.
- Add dry ingredients (including both ground and whole oats) to wet ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Allow these to sit for 10 minutes to soak the oats.
- Fold in approximately 1/2 cup chocolate chips, if using.
- Scoop into muffin tin, lined with muffin wrappers (makes 14 muffins). You can spray the bottom of the liners lightly with spray oil to make the muffins easier to remove from the wrappers.
- Sprinkle muffin tops with reserved oats and remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips, press down lightly.
- Bake at 350 for about 20 -23 minutes, a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean.
Notes
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 190
- Sugar: 19.6
- Sodium: 162.7
- Fat: 5.6
- Carbohydrates: 32.7
- Fiber: 2.7
- Protein: 4.4
- Cholesterol: 25.5
Keywords: healthy chocolate muffins, chocolate oatmeal muffins
Healthy Cookies
Can’t get enough healthy chocolate baked goods? Check out these healthy cookies . My kids love them for breakfast!
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Concerned
Terribly misleading to call this “No-sugar.” There’s probably 20-30g of sugar per serving here, between the honey and the chocolate chips. It is healthier than most muffins, but you really have to wonder…
★★★★
Angie McRobie
Great recipes.
Javeria
Can I use quick cooking oats in this recipe? That’s the only kind we have where I live.
★★★★★
Bren
Yes, quick-cooking oats work great.
Amra
Awesome recipe! I blended up some oat milk and substituted some oats for oat milk pulp and they’re delicious! How long will these muffins last?
★★★★★
Diane
Do you know how many calories a muffin has?
Bren
If you make 14 muffins they have 190 each.
Maram
Can I make them with flax eggs instead of eggs?
Bren
Yes. To make the flax eggs stir together 2 tablespoon ground flax seed (flaxseed meal) with 5 tablespoon warm water in a small dish and let rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Add to recipes in place of eggs.
HARSHITA MENGHANI
My son didn’t like the taste of banana in the Muffins. Since they are replacing oil, if I were to use oil how much should I put?
★★★★★
Melissa McConnell
Applesauce is a replacement option. See her recipe.
maya
I’ve made this recipe maybe like 10 times and they turn out soooooooo good everytime! my son loves em. so moist and has a nice slight chew to it that I much prefer than regular muffin. super duper easy too and hard to mess up. so thank you so much for this recipe!!
★★★★★
sania shehzad
How long can the batter be stored in the fridge?
Bren
I wouldn’t store it for more than a day or the rise of the muffins will be affected.
Karen
Delicious!
★★★★★
Danah
Omg i just made these for breakfast and they are moist and delicious. I love it 🙌🏾
★★★★
Eleni
Can I replace honey with agave sirup or maple sirup?
Bren
yes
maria
I LOVE THIS RECIPE! I substituted the eggs with apple sauce and my muffins come out great but after they have cooled, they get flat. Why is this? Is it the applesauce?
Lori
Thank you for this recipe! I made some muffin today and they turned out delicious.
★★★★★
Cecilia
Hi! These look great! I ran out of choc chips – thoughts on whether or not they will still be tasty w/o them?
★★★★★
Bren
They will still be tasty just not have as much chocolate flavor.
Deb Russell
It says preheat the oven to 325 and then later it says bake at 350, which is correct?
Bren
Deb, you toast the oats at 325 then turn the oven up to 350 to bake the muffins.
Caroline
Does the 1.5 cup of oats come from the original 2.5 cup amount, or are they separate measurements? And do you toast all the oats before blending 1.5 cups of them?
Bren
The 1.5 cups ground is measured from the original 2.5 cups. Yes, I toast all the oats before blending 1.5 cups.
Finia
What kind of milk that you use? Can i use a skim milk?
Bren
I use whatever milk I have on hand. Skim milk works great.
Summer
Will adding coffee help intensify the chocolate flavour even more?
Bren
It could, I’ve added 1/2 to 1 tsp of instant coffee to other chocolate recipes. Let me know if you try.
Abbie
I just made this recipe the other day because I wanted something sweet but healthy and these are perfect. They are chocolately and delicious! I will definitely be making them again. Thank you!
★★★★★
June
What can I use instead of choc chips and honey.Thank you June.
Bren
You can use maple syrup in place of honey and use raisins, nuts, dried cranberries, etc in place of the chocolate chips. You might like my original healthy muffin recipe it’s easy to customize.
Zoey
Can I use oat flour instead of processing the oats in a food processor? (or would that ruin the texture?) If I did use oat flour would it be 1.5 cups or a different amount?
Bren
Yes, it takes approximately 1.25 cups of old-fashioned oats to make 1 cup oat flour so add 2 cups of oat flour in place of the old-fashioned oats in this recipe. Add an extra 1/4 cup of oat flour if the batter is too thin.
Anjeni
May I replace oat flour with almond flour
Bren
I’ve never made the muffins with almond flour so I am not sure it would work.
Kari Mayer
I really like this recipe. The chocolate flavor is strong enough to make the banana flavor disappear, Good thing in my book. Just for kicks I have added I/2 teaspoon of mint extract for a different pop. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
★★★★★
Lana
Made these last night. They’re delicious! Great for PMS chocolate cravings. Much more filling than a whole box of cupcakes! My husband ate 3 after dinner! I love that there’s minimal added sugar in this recipe.
★★★★★
Em
Tried this with quick cooking oats. I didn’t grind nor toast the oats. I soaked the oats in the wet ingredients for 30 minutes just to make sure they’ll cook evenly. These turned out great! Thank you for the recipe!
★★★★★
PS
Much loved recipe!! Tweaked it for isolation and quarantine times. I have no bananas left. So I soaked 6 dried figs in water. Blended them (without soaking water) with the milk in the recipe. I increased the milk to 1 cup. The end result was the same – same sweetness & moistness and no hint of fruit!
★★★★★
Karen Kent
I tried these muffins for the first time today. They are incredibly delicious and healthy.
Tiffany
The recipe says to preheat to 325, but then later says to bake at 350. Hopefully it’s 350 since that’s what I’m baking them at. Looking forward to the end result!
Bren
Tiffany, the recipe has you toast the oats at 325 then turn up the oven to bake the muffins at 350. Hope this helps!
Erin Wilburn
How long will these stay fresh after baking?
Bren
Erin, they’ll stay fresh on the counter for 2-3 days, a week in the fridge, and several months in the freezer. Make sure to store in an airtight container.
Sarah
This recipe is so delicious!! And it works. Sometimes I worry these healthy- substitute recipes won’t rise properly but this is truly the best muffin recipe, guilt free! Thank you.
★★★★★
Tracy
Will quick oats work with this recipe?
Bren
Yes
Steph
These were really good! I made 12 regular size ones and then used my mini muffin pan to use up the rest of the batter and baked 13 minutes. I greased the muffin tins and they popped out just fine. THank you.
★★★★★
Karen
This is by far the best muffin recipe I have tried. I have lost 25 pounds and this muffin has helped me do it when I need a little something. I used only a 1/2 cup Chocolate chips to lesson the calories a bit so great! I can not wait to make the others!
★★★★★
Bren
I’m so glad you’re enjoying the recipe, Karen!
Lynda
Can I use almond milk
Bren
Yes
Reshma
Hi
This seems to be a very healthy muffin recipe for weight watchers. Though I am yet to try the recipe,just curious to know the texture of it. Dense or soft enough like normal cupcakes???
Bren
It’s a little denser than a regular oatmeal muffin.
Sammy Castro
Do you have to use a blender?
★★★★★
Bren
No, just give the batter a bit more rest time.
Maimonah
Hello, i try the recipe before less than week and i like it but there is one problem I dont like the taste of banana on cakes and muffin so can I use any thing else insted of banana for examples coconut oil
Thank you🖤
★★★★
Bren
You can try using apple sauce in place of the banana.
Jayne McLeod
yummy in the tummy !
J K
I plan to try your wonderful recipe this weekend. Can I add protein powder(My dietician wants me to add more protein to everything.)? If so, would I need to increase a liquid?
Bren
Readers have successfully added protein powder to the batter. Since protein powders vary greatly I cannot specify an amount or promise good results. My Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins get extra protein from your nut butter of choice.
Joanne
Very good. as written except I soak the oats in the milk instead of soaking the finished batter . The reason for this is because once milk is combined with the baking soda and baking powder it starts to react right away especially the baking soda. Then I treat the oat mixture as a wet ingredient. Then stir the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients . Then fill muffin cups and bake right away. I found i got a better rise this way.
I am also thinking of making a double chocolate chip muffin using this as a guide. For that one, I may add in 3.5 T unsweetened coco powder…. BUT I may use 1/3 C. of dark brown sugar in place of honey b/C the coco may need some sugar to level out the bitterness. ?? I wiil post IF I try that version. It would not be quite as healthy, but it is for an older man with a MAJOR sweet tooth who claims to hate oat muffins But is totally addicted to all things double chocolate. LOL
★★★★★
Bren
Thanks for the tip!
Rebecca
The recipe has two different temperature settings, Preheat to 325, and then bake at 350. Which is best?
Bren
The lower temp is to toast the oats, the higher temp is to bake the muffins. If you follow the steps it will tell you when to increase the heat.
Candice McKee
Could I substitute applesauce for the eggs? My grandson is allergic to eggs. Thank you!
Bren
You can use “flax eggs” in place of eggs. Stir together 2 tablespoon ground flax seed (flaxseed meal) with 5 tablespoon warm water in a small dish and let rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Add to recipes in place of eggs.
Danae
Do you think I could bake these in a 9×13 pan and make this into a bar? I hate filling muffin pans 😂.
Bren
I’ve not tried baking in a 9×13, sorry!
CRYSTAL DAWSON
Yummy yummy yummy, I have been looking for something like this for so long. Family loves them, even though they are healthy. Thank you so much
★★★★★
Bren
I’m so glad they were a hit, Crystal!
Linda
I don’t have parchment paper muffin cups. Can I spray the muffin tins with oil instead?
Bren
Yes, you can grease or spray the tins. Hope you enjoy!
Cherie
Do you think these would work well as a small cake? Or do you think something like this only works well in small portions? I’m wanting to make some kind of smash cake for my food-sensitive daughter’s first birthday. We recently made the “healthy oatmeal muffins” and they were incredible! Just curious what your thoughts were on it.
Bren
People have made the muffins as a loaf so a small cake might work. I would definitely try making them in several shallow layers not one huge cake. Let me know if it works!
Nerissa
Can I use quick cooking oats for the recipe
Bren
Yes
Cyara
Curious, if I was to do a combo/mashup of this and your zucchini muffin recipe, should I omit the milk? The rest of the ingredients look similar enough, just wondered about overdoing the liquid. I am not an experienced baker so any help is appreciated!
Bren
Cyara, I have never made the muffins this way. If you want chocolate zucchini muffins I would use the zucchini muffin recipe and add 3 -4 Tbsp cocoa powder and increase the chocolate chips to 1 cup. Good luck!
Cyara
I did what you suggested and just added 4 Tbsp of cocoa to the other recipe. Amazing and toddler-approved! I think next time I’ll only do a half cup chocolate chips but that’s mostly because of the time I spent wiping chocolate off tiny faces… 😉 Thanks for sharing a sneaky way to get more greens into my kids!
★★★★★
Bren
Woo hoo! Glad it worked great for you.
Lori S.
I enjoyed these muffins a lot and they were great for my chocolate cravings. Liked the oatmeal flour and used a little less honey since my bananas were pretty sweet. If I did not make the muffins myself I would have never thought they were healthy for us. Next time will give the applesauce a try! Made and reviewed for the Alphabet Tag game.
★★★★★
Bren
Thanks, Lori!
Kelly
I have made these muffins 2 weekends in a row, they are unbelievably delicious given the healthy ingredients! These will be in heavy rotation in my meal prep moving forward. Thanks!
★★★★★
Bren
I’m so glad they were a hit, Kelly!
Mona Patel
I just made a batch and they turned out amazing! I used dates and lessened the honey. Just the right amount of sweetness. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
★★★★★
Bren
Mona, I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins!
Zehrha
Can i use cacao powder instead of cocoa?
Bren
Zehrha, I’ve never made the recipe with cacao powder so I’m not sure how well it would work. Let me know if you try!
Brooke
I haven’t tried these yet but curious if almond, cashew, or oat milk would work in this recipe?
★★★★★
Bren
Yes, you can use any type of milk you desire.
Patti Yick
I made these today. I didn’t have quite a cup of banana so added a bit of apple sauce. I like that it is just oatmeal in it. I bake with flour all of the time, so it’s nice to change it up. They are delicious. Thank you for posting.
Bren
I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins, Patti!
Cheryl Monroe
I ca’t wait to try these, thanks for all the tips on different substitutions!! Thank you so much!!!
Bren
Hope you enjoy, Cheryl!
Julie Geyer
I LOVE these muffins! Made them twice now. The first time I toasted and processed the oats on my own. Second time I just toasted the whole oats and used Oat Flour. Both times they came out great. First time a little less moist than the 2nd time, maybe because the 2nd I split evenly between banana and applesauce (first time used more applesauce than banana). At any rate, I’m addicted to these. Doubled the recipe and froze half for a quick snack. Can’t wait to to try one of the other combos! Thanks for creating such a healthy recipe!
★★★★★
Bren
I’m so happy you’re enjoying the recipe, Julie! I love hearing from happy readers!
Patti
I made the healthy chocolate oatmeal muffins, made a couple of changes – I used 1-1/2 cups of spelt flour with the 1 cup of OATS, and 1/2 cup 2% milk with 1/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt and added 1/2 cup walnuts with the chocolate chips – EXCELLENT
Also I used 1/4 cup maple syrup and 2 tbsp coconut sugar instead of honey
★★★★★
Bren
Sounds delicious, I love walnuts and chocolate! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Patti
I made the healthy chocolate oatmeal muffins, made a couple of changes – I used 1-1/2 cups of spelt flour with the 1 cup of OATS, and 1/2 cup 2% milk with 1/4 cup 2% Greek yogurt and added 1/2 cup walnuts with the chocolate chips – EXCELLENT
★★★★
Sarah
I made them and they’re delicious! But i want to make them sweeter, can I add more honey?, I am afraid it might thicken the batter.
★★★★★
Bren
Yes, you can increase the honey. Decrease the milk by half the amount of honey you add (for example: add 4 tbsp of honey, decrease the milk by 2 tbsp).
Julie
The beginning says 325 for oven. But at the end it says 350. What is it?
★★★★★
Bren
Julie, you toast the oats at 325 then turn the oven up to bake the muffins at 350.
Wendy Watkin
Help! I tried the chocolate ones but they came out rubbery and dry? Is this the texture they are meant to be?
Bren
No, they are a bit dense but should not be rubbery. They tend to be very moist.
Cherlyn
Can I replace honey with brown sugar
Bren
Yes, it should work.
rose
hi bren , its me again. i tried the recipe again following exactly at each step. i even toasted the oats. but this time they turned out salty. im more than sure i added the specified amount of salt. you said toasting adds flavor but it gave the muffins a burnt taste. no my oats werent burnt. they tasted burnt and salty , more like weird popcorn. and when the oats were toasted they gave out a weird taste? why do you think they tasted that way? and i saw a video of your recipe on youtube and it seems everyone else has had much good time with this recipe but me. neither did my muffins rose as much as yours nor did they taste sweet but salty.and also had a weird burnt taste and smell. can you suggest if theres anything i can improve.? i bake them at 180C in my convection oven and other recipes ive tried work, but idk whats been happening lately with these….. heres the link to the video incase you were wondering… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMTyPXfoTPA
Danielle
Can you use flax eggs instead of regular eggs with this recipe? Looks so delicious!! Would love to make them vegan!
Bren
Yes, I’ve used flax eggs as a substitute in my oatmeal muffins with success. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Rose
Hi bren, thank you for your healthy recipes.ive made your oatmeal banana muffins thrice already and also haw made this one recently.but this recipe really disappointed me . I wanted to ask you something. The first time when I made the banana muffins , they were perfect, fluffy and nice. I made a change in the recipe of grinding 1cup oats into powder and adding a 1/4 more as whole ( since it was my 1st time I tried half the recipe) , I also didn’t roast the pats but they were still yummy, but I also made a mistake of using 1/2 a tsp baking soda rather than a1/4.the 2nd ad 3rd time ,they turned out to be really dry and not at all fluffy despite me following the recipe exactly except using half part water and half part milk . They did rise in the over but deflated soon after and became more like cooked batter cups with air pockets inside . I was really disappointed by that.i also had replaced the honey with jaggery mixed with water, yet it didn’t work.i don’t know hat went wrong. I really like that recipe and it helps me have a easy to go real fast for school but the muffins aren’t just quite appetising , could you pls help?
Now , I was extremely excited to try this chocolate recipe . Due to bad past experience with chocolate and banana together I used applesauce instead. And again jaggery ( not with water since Jagger’s has a lot of moisture already and I didn’t want the muffins to be sticky like the banana ones) . I also added 3/4 tsp of instant coffee to the half part water . the muffins again had risen – if not as much as yours – quite well and had a domed top but after letting them cool , that domed top went and they again became flat topped cooked batter cups with air pockets. Unlike my very first attempt , all the other attempts have given me dry muffins which are hard to swallow alone by themselves. The chocolate ones are also extremely dry and rubbery too even when I took extra care not to over mix the batter and only fold . Also gave them 20-30 mins to rest for a softer muffin and cooked for 18 mins until the toothpick was clean and yet this result. Unlike the comment , they aren’t chocolatey either . ( which I kind of figured since it only has like 4 tbsp of coco powder but since you said they would be I thought okay maybe they might be chocolatey). I had especially made applesauce to try this recipe since where I live it isn’t readily available but I’m quite disappointed . Could you pls help.
★★★★
Bren
Hi Rose! I’ve never baked with jaggery so I am not sure how that will change the recipe. “The Hot Air Balloon Effect” you’re describing (when baked goods rise and then deflate) can be cause by high altitude, raising the recipe temperature (my temperatures are in Fahrenheit), or using too much leavening agent (baking powder or baking soda in this recipe). Hope this helps! If you want extremely chocolaty muffins you should add the optional chocolate chips. Hope this helps!
RSG
Since coming across your oatmeal muffin recipes, the warehouse club size old fashioned oats we buy lasts us maybe a month(instead of one year).
★★★★★
Bren
Glad the recipe is so popular!
Jorge
These things look AMAZING in the pictures!! I’ve already texted this to my GF, knowing her she’ll go to market right now just so we can bake these up tonight. Great recipe!
★★★★★
Bren
Thanks, Jorge!
Melissa
I have made either this version or your original oatmeal muffin every week since I found your website. This is such an easy recipe and so consistently yummy- even if I make some substitutions. I make it a little easier on myself by doing the whole thing in my Vitamix and it still comes out great.
Thank you for sharing!
★★★★★
Bren
Thanks for commenting, Melissa. I’m happy to hear that the muffins are a hit. The Vitamix idea is great. Mixing in a blender does make it easier!
David
I inherited my love for cooking from my mother who coached my brothers and I from a very young age. One of my mother’s rule’s I have always followed is to make it according to the recipe the first time and then modify if you need the next time. I followed your recipe to the tee and I wouldn’t change a thing. The muffins came out great. Bananas, chocolate and oatmeal, what a great combination. I din’t encounter a soft or uncooked middle so I was delighted.
Thanks for sharing
Bren
I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins, David!
Susan Frank
Yum!
★★★★★
Joy
Must one use the paper liners , or can they be placed in the muffin tin directly for cooking?
Bren
You can make them directly in the muffin tin if it is greased well.
emily
Would it be possible to substitute yogurt for the apple sauce or banans?
Bren
I’ve never made the muffins with yogurt but I think it would be too much dairy and not enough fruit to provide sweetness.
Nikki
Hi, I just made these because my 3 year old has an intense sweet tooth and I wanted something healthier. I used brown rice syrup instead of honey, applesauce because my bananas weren’t ripe enough for baking, and 2% milk. I used a half cup of mini chocolate chips mixed in and no toppings. I also split the batter (which was much wetter than a normal muffin batter) amongst 12 muffin cups because 14 is impractical. Anyway, I don’t know what modification made it go wrong, but they barely raised and even after much longer than suggested, they were goopy inside. We still ate them though because you can’t tell a 3 year old who has been waiting patiently through the whole process and extended bake time that she can’t have one, and I knew they were hot enough for the eggs to be safe to eat. Actually it did taste quite good! Definitely not muffin-like and we had to put it in a cup with a spoon, but it was like a hot dessert porridge or something. I think maybe I needed to let the batter sit longer before putting into the muffin cups, and banana probably would’ve worked better, but I’ll be trying your other recipes soon. Thank you for the healthier muffin ideas! Toddler-approved.
Bren
Thanks for commenting, Nikki. I’ve never used rice syrup in the recipe but I do know that some applesauce is runnier than mashed bananas so this can change the wetness of the batter. The batter is very thick after resting, even thicker than “normal” muffin batter. I’m glad you enjoyed the flavor and hope you try another version!
Rosemary
Can you sub black beans for the bananas?
Bren
I’ve never made the muffins without bananas. Let me know if you try. 😉
Stacy L
I hae made the chocolate ones and my kids loved them. I am going to try the pumpkin today.
Have you thought about making a savoury muffin with cheese?
★★★★★
Bren
Woo hoo! I’m so glad the muffins were a success, Stacy. Hope you enjoy the pumpkin. I’ll start thinking about a savory versions. I make ham, egg & cheese muffins but they are not gluten free.
Marilyn McCorriston
Just made these muffins and they are absolutely delicious! I can enjoy muffins again.
★★★★★
Bren
Hooray! I am so glad you like the recipe, Marilyn!
Angela Church
Hi, do you know the carbs, protein and fat per muffin? I only see calories. I’m trying to find high carb/low fat muffin recipes for my soccer players.Thanks!
Bren
I just updated the recipe card! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Angela
Thank you. In the oven now. Can’t wait!
Bren
😉
Paula
Hi Bren, Your muffins look so delicious!!!! I can not decide which ones to make first!!!! I would Ike to make the chocolate ones but with the zucchini added. Do you think that woul work and what do you think I will need to do different. Thank you for your time.
Bren
Thanks Paula. You can add 3 -4 Tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder to the zucchini muffins to make them chocolate. You many have to add a few tablespoons of milk to make the mixture the correct consistency. (You might want to try the recipe once as-is so you can see the texture/batter thickness.)
natalie
Hi Bren,
Is it possible to bake these in a cake pan or loaf pan? If so, same amount of time??
Thanks!!
Bren
I’ve never baked it as a loaf, but a reader mentioned that she used a loaf pan rather than muffin pan and it turned out great. She baked the load at 350, and added 10 minutes to the baking time. Let me know if you try it.
Crystal
HI! Just in the process of making your healthy chocolate banana muffins. Thanks for all the other healthy muffin recipes, I will definitely be trying those as well. Just hoping you have a good breakfast bar recipe. Something with nuts, dates or prunes etc. Thanks and keep up the great work!
★★★★★
Bren
Thanks Crystal! I don’t have a breakfast bar recipe but we do make Crispy Energy Balls or Healthy Cookies for breakfast.
Jessie
Delicious! I used them as my birthday cake – still indulgent but not obnoxious in calories! I will admit that I used too much ground oatmeal because when following the directions paired with the pictures, it says 1.5 cups of ground oats, not 1.5 cups of oats, ground. I’ll remember next time.
★★★★
Bren
I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins!
Maria
I LOVED this recipe! I first tried your just banana oat muffins and personally they were a bit to plain for my taste but this recipe added just that extra bit of chocolate and sweetness my sweet tooth craved! I actually halved the amount of chocolate chips and added half an apple instead and i think it added a little extra healthy sweetness so I still felt good about eating it for breakfast! So thank you for sharing this recipe, it’s now apart of my muffin repertoire!
★★★★★
Bren
Thanks, Maria! I’m so glad you found the recipe that fits your taste. Between the plain, chocolate, zucchini, apple, and pumpkin versions I think I have most tastes covered! The chopped apple sounds great too! 🙂
Jim
Hi Bren.
This sounds like a terrific recipe and I plan to give it a try.
However, I want to make them in a mini-muffin pan for a bite-sized snack.
How would you suggest I adjust the temp/time for the mini pan?
I’m not much of a baker, but trying to find tasty healthier snacks and these sound perfect.
Thanks in advance.
Jim.
Bren
Jim, I would set the timer for 5 minutes less than the original recipe calls for, so bake for 15 minutes and then check to see if the muffins are done. They may need more time if they are still moist in the middle. Good luck!
Maya
Thanks for sharing.. tried both the chocolate muffin and the banana plain oat and both are super yummy and easy to prepare.. my kids love it.. a recipe definitely to repeat
Bren
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipes, Maya! Thanks for commenting.
Carlie
Is it 325 or 350? It says both
Bren
Hey Carlie, you toast the oats at 325 at the start of the recipe and then turn the oven up to bake the muffins at 350. If you read the entire recipe you’ll see where you should use each temperature. Enjoy!
Libby
I just came across your blog and I’m hooked! This is the third time I’ve made these and my husband and 3 year old gobble them down every time! We are dairy-free so I always use almond milk and dairy free chocolate chips. I also useapplesauce instead of bananas because they don’t last long around here! An added plus is that they come out perfectly every time despite us living at 7,000 feet elevation! Thank you so much for the recipe, I am excited to try the apple cinnamon ones next!
★★★★★
Bren
Thanks, Libby! I am so glad you (and your whole family) enjoyed the recipe.
Sobana
I made these muffins and I liked them better than regular muffins! The best part is I do not have to feel so guilty after eating them. I added a little almond butter and it turned out very moist and fluffy. Love this recipe! Thanks so much:)
★★★★★
Bren
Thanks Sobana! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Chloe Giesbrecht
How much cals and nutritional information per 1 muffin!
Bren
Chloe, the nutrition information is at the end of the post. It’s 242 calories per muffin. -Bren
Rosalynd
I’m very excited to try this recipe! Will the muffins still be as moist if I use sugar instead of honey? How much sugar would you suggest? Also, can I simply use 1.5C whole wheat flour in place of the ground oats? Thanks in advance 🙂
Bren
Hi Rosalynd, you can substitute honey, maple syrup or agave for one another but I have never made them with sugar or whole wheat flour. Sorry! if you want to use those ingredients I would go to the healthy banana bread recipe and make that into muffins. It uses sugar and whole wheat flour.
Yosefa
How long do these last? Do I store in fridge or pantry?
Bren
I store in the fridge. They last a week. I freeze any we cannot eat in one week and defrost when needed.
Hannah
I’m looking for the nutritional information. Is it posted somewhere and I just can’t see it? Please help! Thanks!
Bren
I added it to the bottom of the post just for you, Hannah! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Rebekah Gomez
I made these today and 3 scoops of used vegan chocolate protein powder and 1 scoop of coco powder. Made them even healthier and sooo yummy!
Rebekah Gomez
*and used 3 scoops of vegan protein powder….
Bren
Thanks for the idea, Rebekah! So glad you like the muffin recipe.
Connie
Can i use almond milk instead of skim milk?
Bren
Yes
Christopher
I used date sugar instead of honey!
Bren
Great suggestion, Christopher! Hope you enjoyed the muffins.
Stephanie (@geezopeezos)
Thanks Bren for the recipe! I just made these delicious muffins for my healthy on-the-go breakfasts and found that I didn’t have chocolate chips, but only white chocolate chips! Flavor wise, that’s OK by me! However, a bit of caution to anyone else who is interested in using white chocolate chips, I had a difficult time getting the muffins baked to completion (clean toothpick) without the white chips about burning. I got it to work, albeit the muffins are a tad under but I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it…
★★★★★
Bren
Thanks for sharing, Stephanie! I rarely bake with white chocolate so this is great to know.
Melanie
Hi, is it possible to make these muffins vegan by substituting applesauce or (?) for the eggs? They sound fabulous, and look, fabulous!
Bren
Melanie, I’ve never tried subbing applesauce for the eggs. I have used flaxseed as an egg substitute in other muffin recipes. Let me know if you try.
Daniela
I made the blueberry muffins and the chocolate ones. Both yummy. My kid and partner loved the chocolate ones in particular. They are just as divine as normal ones but guilt free!
Bren
Daniela, I am so delighted that your family loves the muffins. The chocolate is a favorite around here too!
Cassandra Scott
Thanks for this great recipe!!! I have to limit myself because I could eat the whole batch! We have to be dairy free so I made the recipe with water instead of milk and dairy free chips and it worked perfectly. (Then I made them again with coffee instead of milk and it’s delicious too!!!)
Bren
Cassandra, I am so glad you like the recipe! The coffee option sounds amazing. I will be giving it a try!
Lena
Thank you so much Bren! They turned out amazing 😀 I halved the ingredients and still got 9 cupcakes. Will definitely make more next time 🙂
Bren
Thanks Lena! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Lena
Hello!
I’m very excited to try this recipe! It looks delicious for a healthy+chocolate addict like me 🙂
I want to ask you though, would using low fat milk completely ruin the taste?
Also, I’m very new to baking but I know that 14 muffins are too much to handle! Is halving all the ingredients to make about 7 muffins a reasonable idea?
Thanks 🙂
Lena.
Bren
Lena, skim milk will work just fine in the recipe. I generally use non-fat or 2%. Yes, you can halve the ingredients and make half a batch. They also store well in the freezer if you want to make a full batch and save some for later. Happy baking!
Malory
These are absolutely fabulous!! I LOVE them!!
Bren
Thanks Malory! They are a favorite in this house too. My daughter made some on Saturday for weekend visitors and they were a huge success.
Krystle
Could I substitute agave syrup for the honey? Any help appreciated! 🙂
Bren
Yes, you can sub agave for the honey.
nat
Great muffins! I needed to prepare this week’s snacks for my kids, and good thing I came by your website to compare your healthy muffins–which I always make with blueberries– vs. a South Beach recipe I’d just found. Realizing you’d just posted this recipe, I had to give these a try. I didn’t even process or toasts the oats as the plain muffins (with blueberries) are awesome without those steps. 1/2 cup (+) of chocolate chips mixed in the batter resulted in muffins that are chocolatey enough… And delicious! Wonderful job, Bren!
Bren
Thanks Nat! I am so glad you enjoyed the new version of my healthy muffins. We love the original version too, bit it is fun to mix it up a bit in the snack department!
Jody @ Because I'm Me
Wow, those do not look healthy, but they sure look good! I can’t wait to try them out with the kids. 🙂
Bren
Jody, it’s one of my favorite tricks… making healthy food look as appealing as unhealthy treats! Hope your family enjoys them!