These double chocolate muffins are infused with lots of orange flavor and of course pack tons of rich chocolate flavor! Made with almond flour, they have a texture like traditional wheat flour muffins but are totally grain free, dairy-free, and paleo friendly. Great for snacks, breakfast and brunch!
I couldn’t decide whether to make this a muffin recipe or COOKIE recipe. So of course I turned to the kiddos, who voted muffins!
We got our cookie fill back in December and really, it’s the greatest excuse to eat chocolate for breakfast.
I think I made the right choice – these double chocolate orange muffins are craaaazy good. Lately my kids have been all about full on judging any recipes I make the minute they get home from school. Nothing held back – but these muffins passed all the tests!
Loaded with chocolate but still with a good dose of orange flavor from the juice in the muffins AND the glaze! I know the glaze is optional, but please – make it if you can. The citrusy sweetness is the perfect complement to the dark chocolate.
What You Need to Make Double Chocolate Orange Muffins
It’s all about simple ingredients as usual for these paleo muffins! Here’s what you’ll need:
- blanched almond flour
- raw cacao powder
- baking soda
- fine sea salt
- Eggs
- pure maple syrup
- freshly squeezed orange juice
- grated orange zest
- refined coconut oil
- pure vanilla extract
- almond extract (optional)
- dark chocolate chips, or chopped dark chocolate (Hu Kitchen brand is paleo!)
- powdered maple sugar (see recipe notes) or organic powdered sugar (optional, for the glaze)
How to Make Paleo Double Chocolate Orange Muffins
First, preheat your oven to 350° F and line a 12 cup muffins pan with parchment liners. Parchment liners are soooo helpful to prevent any sticking!
In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, cacao, baking soda, and salt. In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, orange juice and zest, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Fold in the chocolate, then spoon the mixture into muffin cups about 3/4 of the way up (you’ll make 12-14).
Bake in the preheated oven for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of 1 comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
While cooling, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk tighter the powdered sugar (see recipe note for the maple sugar) with just enough orange juice to give the glaze a drizzly texture. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins and allow it to harden before serving.
How to Make Paleo Powdered Sugar, for the Glaze
A traditional icing or glaze always uses powdered sugar, which is not paleo friendly since it’s made from cane sugar.
But, I’ve found that you can make your own powdered sugar that works JUST as well as traditional confectioners sugar to create drizzly icings and glazes for cookies and cakes.
All you need it a blender, believe it or not! I’ve used either coconut sugar or maple sugar – typically maple sugar to get a lighter color. I also like the flavor of the icing better when I use maple sugar.
I use a Nutribullet since it’s small (I’m usually making less than a cup) and powerful enough to get the sugar very fine. Depending on your blender, you might need 30 seconds to a minute to get the sugar to reach a powdery consistency.
Then, you use it just as you would powdered sugar for a great glaze, drizzle, icing or frosting.
I hope you’re ready for these seriously delicious, good for you paleo muffins that are healthy enough for breakfast but taste like dessert!
Grab your oranges and preheat you oven, it’s time to bake – let’s go!
Double Chocolate Orange Muffins {Paleo, GF, DF}
Double Chocolate Orange Muffins {Paleo, Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free}
Ingredients
- 2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/2 cup raw cacao powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp fine sea salt
- 4 eggs at room temperature
- 6 Tbsp pure maple syrup
- 1/3 cup fresh orange juice
- 1 Tbsp finely grated orange zest (or zest of 1 large orange)
- 1/4 cup refined coconut oil melted and cooled to almost room temp
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp almond extract optional
- 1 cup dark chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate
Orange glaze: (optional)
- 2/3 cup powdered maple sugar* or organic powdered sugar
- 3-4 tsp fresh orange juice
Instructions
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Preheat your oven to 350° F and line a 12 cup muffins pan with parchment liners.
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In a large bowl, combine the almond flour, cacao, baking soda, and salt.
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In a separate large bowl, whisk together the eggs, maple syrup, orange juice and zest, coconut oil, and vanilla extract.
-
Stir the dry ingredients into the wet until just combined. Fold in the chocolate, then spoon the mixture into muffin cups about 3/4 of the way up (you’ll make 12-14).
-
Bake in the preheated oven for 17-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of 1 comes out clean. Remove from oven and allow to cool 10 minutes in the pan, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.
-
While cooling, make the glaze. In a medium bowl, whisk tighter the powdered sugar (see note for maple sugar) with just enough orange juice to give the glaze a drizzly texture. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled muffins and allow it to harden before serving.
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Store leftovers at room temperature, loosely covered for one day, and in the refrigerator for 4-5 days.
Recipe Notes
* Making powdered sugar from maple sugar is surprisingly easy. Simply blend your maple sugar in a NutriBullet (what I use), high-speed blender or food processor until it has a powdery consistency. You’ll want to measure the sugar after blending to make sure you’re adding the right amount.
Nutrition
Shop Products and Ingredients:
Want More Paleo Muffins? Try one of These!
Double Chocolate Tahini Muffins
Banana Muffins with Almond Butter and Flaxseed
Nut Free Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Cranberry Orange Pecan Muffins
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This was a delicious muffin we use fresh oranges we squeezed my kids enjoy making them and they were delicious love the citrusy taste with chocolate first time I’ve ever tasted Orange in a chocolate muffin definitely will be making them again
May I ask a potentially stupid question? Is the nutrition information for one muffin?
Delicious, and so moist!
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I’ve baked with almond flour before with limited success. The tips on this recipe showed me why! They were so helpful! These baked up light, perfectly formed, moist and delicious… and yum, so chocolatey. The best almond flour recipe I’ve made so far.
I am a huge fan of a chocolate muffin, and these are THE best muffins I have ever made. They’re absolutely divine. The texture, the flavour, they are PERFECT. I’m a bit slap-dash in the kitchen but my family have literally never been so impressed as they were when they bit into these babies. These are an all-time favourite.
Where do you add the almond extract? I didn’t see that in the instructions.
These muffins looks really delicious. WIll surely gonna try this amazing recipe of yours.
Girl, you nailed this recipe! One of the best chocolate muffins I have every made. Thank you for sharing this amazing recipe. ❤️❤️❤️
Delicious!!!! These were a big hit for a potluck brunch. My new favorite muffin. My family loved them. However, my glaze did not look good after a few hours. Any idea what I did wrong? It kind of melted into a liquid.