I love a good mini muffin, and these mini chocolate flaxseed muffins are the perfect little snack for when you're craving something sweet. They are soft, fluffy, chocolatey, and made with ground flaxseeds instead of flour. A fun and easy way to add in extra nutrients like omega-3's and fiber.
Along with my gluten-free mini chocolate chip muffins and birthday cake protein balls, we love these as a little after-dinner "treat" or adding them to lunches.
Recipe at a Glance
- 🍫 Taste & Texture: Soft and fluffy chocolate muffins that resemble the taste of homemade brownies (but better-for-you).
- 🕰️ Prep & Cook Time: 15 minutes to prep, 15 minutes to bake.
- 🥛 Dietary Notes: Nut-free, gluten-free, and dairy-free friendly.
- 🍽️ Servings: 24 mini muffins
- 💚 What makes these different: Ground flaxseeds replace flour and add fiber and omega-3s. I also use cacao powder for added antioxidants.
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Why We Love these mini chocolate flaxseed muffins
- Naturally sweetened - I use coconut sugar to keep these naturally sweet. Although it is still added sugar, I appreciate that it's more natural than refined white sugar.
- Rich chocolate flavor - Cacao powder gives these muffins their rich chocolate flavor and is also a powerful source of antioxidants.
- Made without traditional flour - Ground flaxseeds make up the base of these muffins, with a little tapioca flour for a lighter texture. Enjoy the benefits of flaxseeds in each bite, including plant-based Omega-3s and lignans (antioxidant-rich plant compounds).
- Perfect for snacks or adding in lunches - Along with my no-bake protein granola bars and chocolate coconut balls, these are great for throwing in lunches as a little "treat" or side item and are great to grab for an afternoon snack.
Flax 4 Life brownie muffins were the inspiration for this recipe. We've always been a fan, but I knew I could make a homemade version with more nutrient-dense ingredients, less added sugar, and one that comes at a fraction of the price. While they don't taste exactly like a brownie, they do come close, and I love that they are made with ingredients that add some nutritional value!
My oldest is especially partial to all things chocolate and these are no exception. She's in a picky stage, so I was thrilled when she said she liked these. Also a good sign these were perfect after many rounds of testing!
When we are in the mood for a healthier chocolate recipe, you may also find us whipping up a batch of these easy brownie protein balls or healthy oat flour brownies.
Ingredients
- Ground flaxseeds - Use ground and not whole flaxseeds, and the more finely ground the better. When testing this recipe, I used Anthony's ultra-fine golden flaxseed meal. I prefer golden flaxseeds because it has a slightly milder flavor, but the difference is subtle, and either golden or brown flaxseed meal works.
- Tapioca starch - This can also be called tapioca flour and it used to help with the light and fluffy texture. Arrowroot starch/flour can be used as a substitute.
- Cacao powder - I love using cacao powder in my recipes as it's less processed than cocoa and contains more antioxidants. That said, unsweetened cocoa powder can also be used.
- Coconut oil - Either refined or unrefined coconut oil will work. I always use unrefined and can never taste coconut in the final product.
A complete list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below. The above are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
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Variations/substitutions
- Double chocolate muffins - Add in ½ cup of mini chocolate chips to the batter for double chocolate flax muffins. I love Enjoy Life mini chocolate chips as they contain just 3 simple ingredients (like chocolate should be!).
- Dairy-free - Use non-dairy milk or replace the milk with water.
- Extra protein - You could try adding in ½ cup of your favorite chocolate protein powder (or even vanilla). Please note I have not tested this. Because of the added dry ingredients they may turn out a little more dense. Do let me know if you try!
How to Make mini chocolate flaxseed muffins
- Step 1: Add the dry ingredients to a large mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Create a well in the center.
- Step 2: Add the wet ingredients to the center well.
- Step 3: Whisk the wet ingredients together before fully mixing them with the dry ingredients.
- Step 4: Stir until the ingredients are fully combined.
- Step 5: Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan and fill each muffin cup to the top with the batter.
- Step 6: Bake at 350 degrees F for 14-15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Sara's Tips & Notes
- I recommend finely ground flaxseed meal for the best texture. I prefer golden flaxseeds since it has a slightly more mild flavor, but either golden or brown will work. Terrasoul Superfoods and Anthony's are great options.
- Use a silicone mini muffin pan. This makes it easy to remove the muffins from the pan by pushing up the bottoms of each muffin cavity.
- Do not use muffin liners as these muffins tend to really stick to muffin liners. Instead, grease each muffin cavity.
- Use a 2-tablespoon spring loaded scoop for scooping the batter into the muffin cups.
- Reduce the sugar if desired. These muffins have more added sugar than I typically like, but I felt a full cup of coconut sugar was needed to balance the flavor with the flaxseeds and the cacao. That said, I also tested them with ¾ cup coconut sugar and they turned out great. If you prefer less sugar, reduce the coconut sugar to ¾ cup.
Mini Chocolate Flaxseed Muffins FAQs
Flaxseeds are the seeds from the flax plant, often times called linseed. They are know to be rich in nutrients like Omega-3 fatty acids and fiber and have a mild, nutty flavor. You can buy both whole and ground flaxseeds, while ground flaxseeds are best for baking, cooking, and nutrient absorption.
The difference is pretty minimal. Brown flaxseeds are most common and have a more earthy, nutty flavor, while golden flaxseeds have a lighter, often sweeter flavor.
Yes! Evenly divide the muffin mixture between a lightly greased 12-cup muffin pan. Increase baking time to roughly 20-22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Flaxseed muffins have a slight nutty, mild earthy flavor. Ground flaxseeds also add a heartier texture compared to muffins made primarily with refined flours. Flaxseed muffins won't taste exactly like a muffin made from white flour, but they are still delicious!
How to Store
These muffins are best enjoyed within 2 days. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature. To extend freshness, store in the fridge for up to 5 days. I actually like them better cold, straight from the fridge.
These muffins also freeze well and can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. Any freezer-safe container will work, but I love storing mini muffins in Stasher bags.
More Recipes with Flaxseeds
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-Sara
Mini Chocolate Flaxseed Muffins
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Equipment
- 1 Mixing bowl
- 1 24-cup mini muffin pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup ground flaxseeds (also called flaxseed meal) *see notes
- 1 cup coconut sugar
- ⅓ cup cacao powder
- ¼ cup tapioca starch (also called tapioca flour)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- 2 eggs, room temperature
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- ⅓ cup milk of choice
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan (a silicone muffin pan is recommended).
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the ground flaxseed, coconut sugar, cacao, tapioca starch, baking powder, and salt.1 cup ground flaxseeds, 1 cup coconut sugar, ⅓ cup cacao powder, ¼ cup tapioca starch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add the eggs, melted coconut oil, milk, and vanilla. Whisk the wet ingredients together in the center and then mix everything together until fully combined.2 eggs, room temperature, ¼ cup coconut oil, melted, ⅓ cup milk of choice, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Scoop batter into prepared muffin cups, filling each muffin cup to the top.
- Bake for 14-15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the pan. Transfer to a cooling rack to cool completely.
Video
Notes
- I recommend using finely ground flaxseed meal for better texture. If possible, also look for "golden" flaxseed as it has a more mild flavor than brown flaxseed, but it's pretty minimal so either work great.
- A 2-tablespoon spring loaded scoop works best for scooping the muffin batter into the muffin pan.
- Don't use paper muffin liners as these muffins tend to stick. Be sure to lightly grease the muffin pan before filling.
- If using a silicone muffin pan, place it on a baking sheet before filling. This makes it much easier to transfer the pan to and from the oven.
- I like these straight from the fridge... being cold gives the muffins a little more of a "fudgy" brownie texture.
Nutrition
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Sara Ecklin says
We love these straight out of the fridge and it's so nice to have a homemade snack that's easy for the kids to grab!