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.
- 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)
- 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 unground 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.
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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Healthy Chocolate Peanut Butter Muffins Recipe
Jody @ Because I'm Me says
Wow, those do not look healthy, but they sure look good! I can’t wait to try them out with the kids. 🙂
Bren says
Jody, it’s one of my favorite tricks… making healthy food look as appealing as unhealthy treats! Hope your family enjoys them!
nat says
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 says
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!
Jennifer Miller says
Why did you not have these at your house when I was there? I would have sampled them too!
Bren says
Next time you visit, we’ll make them!
Krystle says
Could I substitute agave syrup for the honey? Any help appreciated! 🙂
Bren says
Yes, you can sub agave for the honey.
Malory says
These are absolutely fabulous!! I LOVE them!!
Bren says
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.
Lena says
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 says
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!
Lena says
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 says
Thanks Lena! I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe.
Cassandra Scott says
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 says
Cassandra, I am so glad you like the recipe! The coffee option sounds amazing. I will be giving it a try!
Daniela says
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 says
Daniela, I am so delighted that your family loves the muffins. The chocolate is a favorite around here too!
Melanie says
Hi, is it possible to make these muffins vegan by substituting applesauce or (?) for the eggs? They sound fabulous, and look, fabulous!
Bren says
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.
Stephanie (@geezopeezos) says
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 says
Thanks for sharing, Stephanie! I rarely bake with white chocolate so this is great to know.
Christopher says
I used date sugar instead of honey!
Bren says
Great suggestion, Christopher! Hope you enjoyed the muffins.
Connie says
Can i use almond milk instead of skim milk?
Bren says
Yes
Rebekah Gomez says
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 says
*and used 3 scoops of vegan protein powder….
Bren says
Thanks for the idea, Rebekah! So glad you like the muffin recipe.
Hannah says
I’m looking for the nutritional information. Is it posted somewhere and I just can’t see it? Please help! Thanks!
Bren says
I added it to the bottom of the post just for you, Hannah! 🙂 Thanks for stopping by and commenting.
Yosefa says
How long do these last? Do I store in fridge or pantry?
Bren says
I store in the fridge. They last a week. I freeze any we cannot eat in one week and defrost when needed.
Rosalynd says
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 says
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.
Chloe Giesbrecht says
How much cals and nutritional information per 1 muffin!
Bren says
Chloe, the nutrition information is at the end of the post. It’s 242 calories per muffin. -Bren
Sobana says
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 says
Thanks Sobana! I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Libby says
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 says
Thanks, Libby! I am so glad you (and your whole family) enjoyed the recipe.
Carlie says
Is it 325 or 350? It says both
Bren says
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!
Maya says
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 says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipes, Maya! Thanks for commenting.
Jim says
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 says
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!
Maria says
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 says
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! 🙂
Jessie says
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 says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins!
Crystal says
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 says
Thanks Crystal! I don’t have a breakfast bar recipe but we do make Crispy Energy Balls or Healthy Cookies for breakfast.
natalie says
Hi Bren,
Is it possible to bake these in a cake pan or loaf pan? If so, same amount of time??
Thanks!!
Bren says
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.
Paula says
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 says
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.)
Angela Church says
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 says
I just updated the recipe card! Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Angela says
Thank you. In the oven now. Can’t wait!
Bren says
😉
Marilyn McCorriston says
Just made these muffins and they are absolutely delicious! I can enjoy muffins again.
Bren says
Hooray! I am so glad you like the recipe, Marilyn!
Stacy L says
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 says
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.
Rosemary says
Can you sub black beans for the bananas?
Bren says
I’ve never made the muffins without bananas. Let me know if you try. 😉
Nikki says
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 says
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!
emily says
Would it be possible to substitute yogurt for the apple sauce or banans?
Bren says
I’ve never made the muffins with yogurt but I think it would be too much dairy and not enough fruit to provide sweetness.
Joy says
Must one use the paper liners , or can they be placed in the muffin tin directly for cooking?
Bren says
You can make them directly in the muffin tin if it is greased well.
Susan Frank says
Yum!
David says
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 says
I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins, David!
Melissa says
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 says
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!
Jorge says
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 says
Thanks, Jorge!