These amazing gluten-free double chocolate muffins use gluten-free flour, cocoa powder, and chocolate chips for a double chocolate punch! With sky-high rise that doesn't fall after baking and a moist texture, no one will suspect that these fluffy muffins are gluten-free.
This post includes all the best gluten-free muffin making secrets to get a bakery-style treat every time.
Gluten-Free Double Chocolate Muffins can be enjoyed year round! With only 15 minutes of baking time, they won't heat up your house in summer. Plus, we believe chocolate has no season!
Enjoy them for breakfast, brunch a lunch treat, or a snack. We think they're best enjoyed anytime you want to make the moment a little sweeter, because they are guaranteed to put a smile on your face!
For more gluten-free muffin recipes, check out our Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Muffins, Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins and Gluten-Free Strawberry Muffins with Chocolate! And if you're new to gluten-free, be sure to check out our best tips for going gluten-free.
If you're a chocolate-lover like us, make sure you also visit our indulgent Thick Hot Chocolate Recipe and easy Microwave Hot Chocolate for a quick fix!
Ingredient Notes
A classic recipe, these gluten-free chocolate muffins can be made with simple ingredients from your pantry!
- gluten-free flour - Pick a gluten-free 1-to-1 or measure-for-measure flour for best results. These gluten free flours are usually rice blends which most closely mimic traditional flour. Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Flour is my personal favorite for muffins, and Pamela's Gluten-Free Flour also works well in this recipe.
- milk - Regular milk or any dairy-free or plant-based milk will work great in this recipe (we used almond milk in our dairy-free trials). Check out the substitutions below or in the recipe notes for how to make these dairy-free.
- vinegar - I only recommend using apple cider vinegar or white wine vinegar. Vinegar is regularly used in baking for extra rise and fluffiness. You won't taste the vinegar at all after baking. You can also omit this ingredient entirely, but you will not get quite as much rise in your muffins.
- sugar - White sugar and coconut sugar both work great in this recipe! I've tried both, and generally prefer coconut sugar because you're less likely to have a strong blood sugar spike afterwards since it is refined sugar-free.
- chocolate chips - If making this recipe dairy-free, don't forget to check that your chocolate chips are dairy free too. I recommend Enjoy-Life brand since they are guaranteed dairy-free and gluten-free.
- cocoa or cacao powder - You can use cocoa powder and cacoa powder interchangeably. The difference between them is that cocoa powder is made from roasted cacao beans and cacao powder is made from beans that are not roasted. The BEST gluten-free double chocolate muffins we've made used this cacao powder and it made such a difference! I highly recommend it.
See the recipe card for the complete list of ingredients and quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
The following are all variations of this recipe that we have tried in our own kitchen and love!
- Egg-Free - Replace the egg with 1 tablespoon of potato starch or corn starch and 3 tablespoons of water. To do this, mix the starch with the dry ingredients and add the water with the wet ingredients.
- Dairy Milk - You can make this recipe with traditional butter and milk! Any milk will do - skim, 1%, 2%, or whole milk. Follow the instructions exactly as listed and please include the vinegar as listed for best rise and texture. However, if you substitute traditional buttermilk, omit the apple cider vinegar from this recipe completely.
- Dairy-Free - Any dairy-free milk substitution will work well. We used and love almond milk in this recipe. For butter, use vegan buttery sticks or something similar.
- Extra Fancy - We love substituting the chocolate chips with chopped dark chocolate! Use the same amount, chopped into roughly chocolate-chip-size, and make sure it is gluten-free and/or dairy-free as needed. I used the Endangered Species Brand Bold and Silky 72% dark chocolate when making this variation.
- Vegan - We used both the egg-free and dairy-free substitutions listed above successfully together for a vegan gluten-free chocolate muffin.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Making perfect gluten-free chocolate muffins is easy with these one-bowl instructions and step-by-step photos!
Step 1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease six cups of a muffin pan.
Step 2. Vinegar, Milk & Dry Ingredients: Mix the milk and vinegar together and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk together until well mixed.
Step 3. Make the batter: Add the milk and vinegar mixture and wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until just mixed, with some flour lumps still remaining. Add the chocolate chips and stir gently until just mixed.
Step 4. Muffin tin: Spoon the batter evenly into the 6 muffin cups. Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips if you like.
Step 5. Bake: Bake at 425 degrees F for 7 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, drop the temperature to 400 degrees F and bake for 8 minutes. They should be perfectly cooked at this point, but you can insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin to make sure it comes out clean or with a dry crumb.
Step 6. Cool: Allow to cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before gently removing and transferring to a cooling rack.
Hints: Always grease the top of the muffin tin in addition to the cups so the muffin tops don't stick. Using an ice cream scoop or measuring cup helps to make spooning the batter into the tin easier and faster.
Expert Tips
Follow these tips to get the BEST gluten-free double chocolate muffins:
- Wait for the oven to fully preheat. The first 5-10 minutes of baking is when most of the rise happens. High heat at the start is needed for maximum rise.
- Bake at a higher temperature at the beginning for a rapid rise cycle. More heat at the beginning creates more rise. And turning the heat down after that rapid-rise cycle keeps the centers soft. These instructions are listed in the recipe -- make sure to read them carefully and set your timer to get the baking times just right.
- Measure ingredients carefully. An extra tablespoon or two of gluten free flour can make the difference between muffin tops rising successfully or collapsing after you take them out of the oven.
- Use a gluten-free flour with xanthan or guar gum. These gums help the batter stick together, replacing the role of gluten in gluten-free flour.
- Add flaky sea salt at the end. A little bit of maldon salt sprinkled on after baking takes these muffins from delicious to mind-blowing. I highly recommend it!
Recipe FAQs
Store gluten-free muffins in an airtight container or freezer bag on the counter for two days or in the refrigerator for up to five days. Place a paper towel in the container or bag to absorb extra moisture. These muffins can also be frozen for up to six months and thawed at room temperature.
While cocoa powder is naturally gluten-free, not all dark chocolate is gluten free and dairy free. You will need to check the ingredients to look for any additives that could contain gluten and dairy. In general, dairy is more common in dark chocolate than gluten.
I recommend Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips for this recipe. They are gluten and dairy free.
If you are concerned about your chocolate ingredients, check our free printable list of hidden gluten ingredients.
Muffins rise in the oven and then fall after removing them when there is too much baking soda or baking powder (leavening) compared to flour. Reduce the amount of leavening or increase the amount of flour to fix this.
If you follow this recipe exactly, the tops of your muffins will stay nice and high after baking.
Since this recipe is measured in cups of flour, it's best practice to spoon the flour into the cup rather than making one big scoop in the bag. This ensures the flour is not too packed and matches the amount in this recipe exactly.
Gluten-free muffins can last up to two days if left on the counter or five days if kept in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They can also be frozen for up to six months and thawed at room temperature when ready to eat.
Most baking powders contain only gluten-free ingredients. Sodium bicarbonate and cream of tartar are gluten-free. The starch in baking powder is usually corn starch, which is also gluten free.
Since there can be cross-contact with gluten in corn starch, it's always best to choose a well-known gluten-free brand like Rumford or Clabber Girl.
To get a traditional muffin texture, the best gluten free flour is a rice flour blend with xanthan or guar gum. Bob's Red Mill one-to-one gluten free flour is the best for traditional muffin taste and texture. Pamela's all-purpose gluten-free flour is also very good for muffins, but it will give them a very smooth waxy top that does not affect the taste but will look different than traditional muffins. If you choose to make your gluten free chocolate muffins paleo, I recommend using cassava flour. Otto’s Cassava Flour has tips for substituting in this post.
Other Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes to consider...
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the comment section or recipe card below. Thank you!
Gluten Free Double Chocolate Muffins
Ingredients
Milk and Vinegar
- ½ cup + 1 tablespoon milk
- ½ tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Dry Ingredients
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon gluten-free all purpose flour with xanthan gum
- ¼ cup + 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup + 3 tablespoons granulated sugar
Wet Ingredients
- 1 egg
- 3 tablespoons butter melted but not hot
Mix-ins
Instructions
- Prep: Preheat oven to 425 degrees F and lightly grease 6 cups of a standard muffin pan.
- Milk, Vinegar, & Dry Ingredients: Mix the milk and vinegar ingredients in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients and whisk together until well mixed.
- Make the batter: Add the milk and vinegar mixture and wet ingredients to the bowl of dry ingredients and stir until just mixed, with some flour lumps still remaining. Add the chocolate chips and stir gently until just mixed.
- Muffin tin: Spoon the batter evenly into the 6 muffin cups. Sprinkle with extra chocolate chips if you like.
- Bake: Bake at 425 degrees F for 7 minutes. Then, without opening the oven door, drop the temperature to 400 degrees F and bake for 8 minutes. They should be perfectly cooked at this point, but you can insert a toothpick into the center of a muffin to make sure it comes out clean or with a dry crumb.
- Cool: Allow to cool in the muffin tin for 10 minutes before gently removing and transferring to a cooling rack.
Deb
Delicious!!!! Not what I expected. I’ve just gone gluten free to some extent and this is the first thing to normal baking I’ve found!! It’s moist and soft.
Jamie
Thank you so much for the feedback Deb! I'm so glad you enjoy these too 🙂
Liana
Wow, such a delicious, moist, quick, convenient recipe!
I discovered this recipe when looking for muffins to make in a hurry for my son so he didn’t miss out on birthday celebrations at kindy (his teacher forgot to let me know until 1hr before he needed them). He has intolerance to gluten, dairy & egg and I was able to deliver in the short time frame we had! Thank you for this recipe - I made another double batch tonight - the single batch didn’t last the day 😉
Jamie
I'm so glad you enjoyed them and thank you so much for sharing this story! It's why I do what I do 🙂
Brooke
My 12 year old daughter loves chocolate muffins and just learned she has celiac disease. These gave us all hope that she can eat normally! We also made
Them dairy and egg free. Looking forward to trying more recipes on this blog!
Callie P.
These are divine! I never thought a gluten free muffin could be the best I’ve ever had. Totally blown away by the vegan option (I made them dairy free and egg free). My boyfriend thought I was baking with gluten again because they were so good.
Tiegan
Don’t hesitate to try these! We bought the cacao powder recommended in the ingredients section and I think it really does elevate them. Thank you for the recipe and tips!
Amanda
Wow this recipe is really spot on! My non gluten free friend now makes these but substitutes wheat flour. Great recipe! We’ll be making them many times I’m sure.
Molly
I can't imagine a tastier muffin--the texture is perfect! I want these all the time and they never last long when I make them.