Simple Paleo Double Chocolate Chai Muffins – Dairy-Free, Vegan, Gluten-Free, Grain-Free, Refined Sugar-Free Recipe

Chocolate and Halloween go together like Peanut Butter and Jelly

Happy Halloween ya’ll! Here’s a riddle for ya: what’s scarier than Halloween…? A Halloween without chocolate! Can’t even imagine. Add a craving for baked goods with some fall spices and bam you’ve got double chocolate chai muffins. So good it’s scary. Pure magic.

I’ve been away for weeks now and while my volunteer trip in South Africa was amazing (more on that at a hopefully sooner than later date) and actually full of delicious food, when I got back I realized how much did miss whipping up my own treats. I decided to go full-on witch in the kitchen and stir up some magical chocolate yumminess in the form of these paleo chocolate chai muffins.

Why you need these Paleo Chocolate Chai Muffins in your Life Now

Even in Miami, fall is in the air – for the past couple days since I’ve been back anyway the morning temperatures have been low 70s. Downright chilly! And Whole Foods has obligingly set up haystacks with pumpkins and gourds and the scent of spices to get us in the mood regardless of the temperatures outside. So obviously fall baking is now on my radar.

These chocolate chai muffins came about partially because I wanted all the fall feels – baking and spices and squashes. And partially because my roommate said ‘chocolate!?’ at the first utterance of the word muffins.

So while pumpkin was initially on the radar, it can wait. Because Halloween demands a chocolatey treat of some kind. Chocolate wins, always.

I have seen some chocolate chai muffins recipes that require you to brew some actual chai tea, add vinegar, and like 80 different dry ingredients, and that was just way too fussy for me. Who has the time, patience, or energy for that? I certainly don’t right now; I just wanted my muffins and I wanted them without too much fuss.

So I stuck with a simple paleo flour base and added plenty of dry spices and mixed them up with two flax eggs, coconut oil, homemade almond milk (regular is obviously fine haha!), and maple syrup.

The Nutritional Benefits Hiding in these Paleo Double Chocolate Chai Muffins

Maple syrup – beyond being delicious – is a paleo sugar substitute because it is an all-natural unprocessed food that has been available to humans since before the days of mass agriculture. While the actual sugar content of maple syrup is high, the overall grams are minimal in each serving.

Plus, pure maple syrup contains impressive quantities of some trace minerals. One serving of maple syrup is actually an excellent source of Manganese, providing 100% the recommended daily value. It also provides over one third the recommended about of Riboflavin (B2), nearly one fifth the daily requirement of zinc – a key mineral for immunity – as well as some magnesium, calcium, and potassium. So now you have another good excuse to invest in some delicious, high quality syrup for your pantry!

The flax eggs provide Omegas and fiber, while coconut flour adds additional fiber as well as healthy fats, and added bonus, helps to lower the glycemic impact of food and supports stable blood sugars – a major bonus when we’re talking about baked goods! The warming spices also pack in a host of benefits, including blood sugar balancing and improving digestion.

Double Double Toil and Trouble – Top Off the Paleo Double Chocolate Chai Muffins with Avocado Chocolate Frosting

Double the chocolateyness? That’s always a yes in my book. So I decided to whip up a spiced version of my avocado chocolate frosting. The muffins are delicious on their own, but the avocado frosting keeps em nice and moist and just adds that much more rich chocolate flavor to each bite.

Best of all? This is a frosting you can actually call healthy! All it contains is avocado, cocoa powder, vanilla, cinnamon, cardamom, a dash of salt, and ad maple syrup or monk fruit plus almond milk. Easy and delish!

Similar to my mocha avocado chocolate mousse, but a bit different!

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Paleo Double Chocolate Chai Muffins

A delicious, chocolatey spiced muffin recipe that is dairy-free, vegan, grain-free, gluten-free, and refined sugar free! 

Course Breakfast, Dessert

Prep Time 20 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

Total Time 33 minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

Dry Ingredients

• 1 cup all purpose gluten-free flour I use Bob's Red Mill
• 1 cup coconut flour
• 1/2 cup cacao powder heaping cup
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground cardamom
• 1/4 tsp ground ginger
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1/4 tsp allspice
• 1/2 tsp fine sea salt

Wet Ingredients

• 2 flax eggs mix 2 tbsp ground flax with 6 tbsp pure water and let sit for 5 minutes until it thickens
• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
• 1/2 cup melted coconut oil
• 1/2 cup almond milk I used homemade chocolate almond milk, so feel free to use a chocolate version to enhance the chocolateyness, but any almond milk will do!
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract

Optional

• 1/2 cup chocolate chips
• 1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nut of choice

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Line your muffin tin with liners.

2. Make flax eggs in a small bowl and set aside. Add flax and water to bowl and give it a quick stir. 

3. In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients. 

4. In a medium bowl, combine all wet ingredients. Add wet ingredients to dry and fold them together until just combined and no dry pockets remain. The batter will be on the dry side – if you feel the dry bits aren't combining well enough, add more milk one tablespoon at a time. 

5. Fold in chocolate chips and then fill the muffin liners all the way. The muffins will not really rise. 

6. Bake for 13-15 minutes. Remove from oven, allow to cool, and enjoy! Option to top them with avocado frosting for a real treat 😉 

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Avocado Chocolate Frosting

A simple and healthy yet decadent chocolate frosting – paleo, vegan, refined sugar free, plus a sugar-free keto option! 

Course Dessert

Ingredients

• 2 ripe avocados
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp cardamon
• dash sea salt
• 6 tbsp maple syrup

Sugar-Free Version

• 1/8-1/4 tsp monk fruit sweetener
• 4-5 tbsp almond milk

Instructions

1. Add the ingredients to a blender and blend until there are no chunks and the  mixture is smooth and creamy. Best to use immediately for aesthetic purposes, however will store in the fridge for a few days. 

Can’t get enough of fall flavors? Check out the following:

• Creamy Ginger Turmeric Squash Soup 
• Paleo Stuffed Delicata Squash
• Warm Kale Squash Salad with Rosemary Vinaigrette