I’ve said this before, but I always feel the need to reiterate: I am not a baker! But now that I’ve made these muffins so many times, I might revoke that statement. I’m not even really a huge baked goods person. Honestly, the ingredients in baked goods used to really freak me out – added oils, refined sugar, white flour, oh my! Those ingredients weren’t “safe.” I’ll admit, I used to have major fat-phobia and was terrified of using added oils or eating even healthy foods with a high fat content. Trust me, my life has only improved with large amounts of avocado on the daily.
Back to muffins. These are gluten-free, sweetened with honey (maple syrup works too if vegan,) and have a deliciously rich cocoa and warm spiced flavor. Oh, and coconut oil. A few tablespoons of it. It adds texture and moisture without an overwhelming coconut flavor.
I’ve been experimenting with different ratios of gluten-free flour. I’m not regularly gluten-free, but I happened to have a large amount of oats, quinoa and ground flaxseed on hand and was feeling inspired. If you’ve never made quinoa flour at home, I used this article from Super Healthy Kids and it was really helpful!
Also, can we talk about what a MAGICAL ingredient ground flaxseed is? I used it both as an egg replacement and as part of the dry mixture in this recipe and it’s amazing. It adds a subtle nutty undertone to the deep cocoa powder. Plus, I love that it adds ALA (an Omega-3 fatty acid) along with plant-based protein and fiber. I used Manitoba Milling Co. Smooth Whole-Milled Flaxseed and it was a total game changer.
So, my combination of ground flaxseed, ground chia seeds, oat flour and quinoa flour makes for a muffin packed with those heart healthy Omega-3 fatty acids, plant-protein and fiber. Sounds healthy right? Don’t be fooled! They’re delicious, and once you get the ratio down for the base, you can experiment with other add-ins like berries, nuts, or your favorite spices.
*Disclaimer: I was provided with product from Manitoba Milling Co. and by posting this, am entering into a recipe contest. All opinions are my own.
Chocolate Chai Muffins: Gluten-Free, Vegan & Delicious!
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup rolled oats
- ½ cup uncooked quinoa
- ¼ cup Manitoba Milling Co. ground flaxseed
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp allspice
- Pinch of black pepper
- 3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
Wet Ingredients
- 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flaxseed mixed with 6 tbsp water.)
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- ½ cup liquid sweetened (maple syrup, honey or agave work)
- 3 tbsp liquid coconut oil
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 F and line a muffin tin with liners. Set aside.
- Prepare your flours. In a food processor, process oats into a fine flour. Set aside.
- For the quinoa flour, toast quinoa in a skillet until the seeds begin to pop. (super helpful quinoa flour tutorial.) Grind the quinoa and chia seeds into a fine flour using a coffee grinder, and add to the processor with the oat flour.
- Add the remaining dry ingredients to the food processor, and pulse a few times until everything is well combined. Add all dry ingredients to a large bowl and set aside.
- Add lemon juice to almond milk and set aside to curdle. Combine all wet ingredients in the food processor and process until frothy, about 3 minutes.
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients, and pour in the liquid mixture. Mix with a wooden spoon until the flour is just saturated. Be careful not to overmix!
- Fill muffin liners until almost full, and bake for about 15 minutes until the tops begin to brown and your kitchen is fragrant. Let the muffins cool completely before removing. Enjoy!
