Easy, ultra rich Double Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins with oats, hazelnuts, cacao, coffee, and dark chocolate chips – a decadent snack or healthy dessert!
Sometimes you need a mid afternoon snack that feels decadent like pre-dinner dessert, and answers your please send brownies! call, and fills that place in your heart that loves nothing more than biting into a soft chocolatey cupcake at the same time.
These Double Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins were crafted just for that purpose.
Decadent like dessert but made with good stuff like oats and yogurt so they’re healthier too. Rich like a brownie but not too fudgy and fluffier inside. And perfectly single-serving sized like a cupcake but without being as extra as 3 inches of piped frosting on top.
I truly think we’ve struck a perfect balance here. Although not so balanced when it comes to level of chocolate, that = AGGRESSIVE.
In my (unbiased of course) opinion these muffins are better than other chocolate muffins for a few reasons:
- Flourless. Or more specifically we are making our own “flour” by grinding a combination of oats and hazelnuts in the Vitamix.
- Oil-free. The hazelnut flour combined with nondairy yogurt gives these muffins all the moisture they need.
- Coffee. Yes there’s some of that in here too…hello EXTRA richness.
- DOUBLE chocolate. A.k.a. chocolate with chocolate chips.
And I may have added more chocolate chips on top pre-baking…triple chocolate? I take the job of chocolate chip allocation very seriously.
You will regret NOT making these, of that I am sure. So muffin-bake away my friends, but do come back and tell me how much you love them too!
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Easy, ultra rich Double Chocolate Hazelnut Muffins with oats, hazelnuts, cacao, coffee, and dark chocolate chips – a decadent snack or healthy dessert!
Ingredients
- 2 cups (200g) rolled oats
- 2 cups (250g) roasted hazelnuts*
- 1/2 cup (50g) cacao powder
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1 cup (240g) nondairy yogurt
- 3/4 cup (180g) brewed coffee**
- 1/2 cup (160g) maple syrup
- 2 flax eggs (2 tbsp ground flax + 4 tbsp water)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (80g) dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
- Line a muffin pan with paper liners or spray with nonstick oil.
- Mix together the flax and water for the flax eggs, and set aside to gel.
- Grind the oats and hazelnuts in a high speed blender to a fine flour consistency.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the yogurt, coffee, maple syrup, flax eggs, and vanilla.
- Add the oat + hazelnut flour, cacao (or cocoa) powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Whisk/stir until you have a lump free batter.
- Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Fill each muffin 3/4 of the way with batter. Sprinkle a few extra chocolate chips on top of each.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes at 350ºF.
- Cool for 10-15 minutes before removing from the pan.
- Enjoy warm, or I like them even better chilled the next day.
- Store in the fridge in an airtight container, or freeze for longer storage.
Notes
*You can use almonds or another type of nut instead. Or if you don’t have a high speed blender, use 1 1/2 cups oat flour and 1 1/2 cups almond flour.
**Brewed and cooled or use cold brew. You don’t taste the coffee, it just enhances the chocolate flavor, but if you’d prefer to leave it out use nondairy milk instead.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 158
- Sugar: 11g
- Fat: 5g
- Saturated Fat: 3g
- Carbohydrates: 27g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 4g
Keywords: vegan, gluten free, nutella, snack, easy, baking, chocolate chip, yogurt, dairy free
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If I made mini muffins how long should they bake?
About 15 minutes, but toothpick test em!
How long to bake in a loaf pan?
I don’t recommend this one in a loaf pan (the batter will be too thick and not cook through properly), but you could do it in a cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes!
Can I substitute the yogurt with apple puree?
You can, although they won’t be quite as fluffy. But still works!
Great, thank you!! 🙂
Pre-dinner dessert sometimes?? More like every day for me! And I am all about upping the chocolate factor and skipping the frosting! Also – just made your tahini date cookies and WOWZA. They will be GONE in a day or two =)
Hahaha okay yeah me too😆 Sometimes I try to go with fruitier desserts pre dinner…but sometimes it’s straight up bring on the afternoon chocolate🍫🍫 And YOU MADE THE COOKIES!? Omg I am so happy you liked them!
Do you think subbing 250G of almond flour would work, instead of the hazelnuts? I don’t have the hazelnuts, and would love to make this recipe. Thank you, Mary Beth
Yep that will work! Although it will be around 1 1/2 cups almond flour, which I believe is usually closer to 165g, but if the batter seems really thin add more until it resembles that in the video 🙂
These look delicious!! Do you think I can sub apple sauce for the yogurt? I don’t have any yogurt!! Can not wait to make these!!
Yes that will work, although they will be slightly less fluffy and maybe a little more gummy. But should still be good!
hi Natalie if i don’t want to use flax eggs ,how many eggs should i use?
I would try 1 regular egg!
What about using oat flour and hazelnut flour if I already have on hand? Would I still use the same amounts you gave in grams? Thanks!…really looking forward to making these.
Yep that works! I included that option in the notes section, the amount will be slightly less for each 🙂
A stupid question—are these frosted? The photo where you are holding it (nice nail polish, by the way!) seems to be frosted, but maybe it’s just melted chocolate chips because the other photos don’t seem frosted. And if these were frosted, then do they become cupcakes? Never understood the difference between muffins and cupcakes…
Nope, not frosted! That is just a very melty chocolate chip you are seeing. Their are some technical and ingredient differences between muffins and cupcakes traditionally (cupcakes tend to be lighter and fluffier whereas muffins are more dense/chewy), but once you get into healthier/alternative baking it all becomes a little blurry to me too haha😆
They’re fantastic! I used a cupcake pan, so I got 16 rather than 12—a nice bonus. Froze some. Truly enjoy these. So fun to have interesting muffins/cupcakes like these. I was just a little scared toasting the hazelnuts since they are so pricey I didn’t want them to burn, but all was well at 275 degrees for about 25 minutes. Thanks for another terrific recipe.
★★★★★
I am so happy you liked them!! Yes definitely an expensive nut, but I do love their flavor with chocolate😋 But almonds or cashews are great here too. Enjoy the rest and happy sunday, Ellen!
My oat and hazelnut ended up being almost like a but butter will this effect the muffin?
Omg, I meant to type nut butter….auto correct!!!!
Hahaha I’ve made the exact same typo MANY times so no worries😂😂
Oh no! That can happen if you blend too long/high, and yes will affect the texture of the muffins so I don’t recommend using it. Sorry🙈
I went ahead and baked them after using my immersion blender to get a smooth texture. They turned out amazing! Next time I will use a lower setting on my vita mix
★★★★★
Oh good idea with the immersion blender, I am so happy they turned out well! Lower and less long should avoid that next time so the blender doesn’t heat up too 🙂
In MY opinion, I think these are some of the best chocolate muffins I’ve ever had…mostly because they combine all of my favorites rolled into one decadent, satisfying treat. I mean, who doesn’t love hazelnuts + chocolate + coffee????!! I still make those brownie cups of yours (which I eat as muffins) all the time, so this was a nice little change. I love your recipes, Natalie, because the ingredients are things I always have on hand and our taste preferences are so similar 💗 I’m actually starting the elimination diet next week (still struggling a bit here) so I had to make these before having to give up all of my favorite things!! So, thank you for the timing of this recipe 😂😂 I came close to accidentally turning the oats and hazelnuts into a butter instead of flour 😅 but quickly turned down the speed on the Vitamix! I tried one of the muffins warm and loved them, but today I had one out of the fridge and I have to agree with you…they’re even better cold! Amazing recipe, Natalie! ❤️
★★★★★
Dang you are on a recipe making roll lately! I am so so happy you loved these too🤗 I was debating between chocolate/coffee and chocolate/hazelnut muffins for a while but then thought…why not both??🤷🏻♀️ Haha! Agreed, all faves here too. Oh I’ve come very close the flour turned butter line before, always makes me wonder if oat butter is actually possible🤔 But I am glad they could be your one last hurrah chocolatey treat, and best of luck with your elimination diet🤞❤️ xoxo
Will greek yogurt work in this recipe? I would love to make them but there are no non dairy yogurts available where i am…
Yes absolutely! Hope you love them 🙂
Hi, I can wait to get home to make them!
It’s OK to replace Maple Syrup with Honey?
Thanks!
Yes absolutely! That will work just as well, I hope you love them 🙂
Hello,
I’m Miso, from Korea
I found your Youtube and blog today, and I became a huge fan of you.
I’m not Vegun, ( L found another post that you’re not vegun too) however L really enjoy healthy baking.
L really love your recipe because its really healthy and easy to make.
The best part is that(compared to other Vegun recipes) your recipe conforms to terms what I prefer / avoid to eat
Lots of Vegun recipes doesn’t include any eggs , milk, … but I’m not vegun and I do eat them
/ or still Include portion of white flour, butter … but I try to avoid them.
So evey time I try to fix it with my taste, I always faild. By the time I was about to give up, I fortunately found your blog:)
I’m not sure my English is good enough(for you to understand), but I wish you would feel my gratitude.
L really want to thank you for sharing your wonderful recipes and I’m looking forward seeing more of your posts 🙂
★★★★★
Hi Miso! Thank you for the kind words, I am so happy my recipes are what you are looking for when it comes to healthier treats🤗 I hope you try a few very soon, and love them. Happy baking!
Thanks Nathalie for another great recipe! For those don’t want the caffeine but only the coffee taste, instant chicory root is à great option! These muffins taste amazing with chicory and I don’t think it would bé the same with milk.
Oh that’s a great idea! Thanks for the suggestion because I agree that “coffee” flavor really adds something to the chocolatey goodness☕️🍫😋
Can I use normal eggs instead of the flax?!
Yep, that should be fine!
Can I sub the hazelnuts with just oats? How much should I add? Thanks! I’m so excited to make this one ASAP!
I don’t recommend it, the higher fat content of hazelnut is what keeps these really moist and light without oil. All oats will make them more gummy/dense. But you can try it if you like!
Ohh! I see. I did this tweaks for previous tries on various recipes and was super confused why did my cakes turned out gummy!
Turns out that it’s the oats all these time!
Thanks for the info, will definitely use nuts instead of subs it with oats.
Yep that will do it. That’s why I’ve moved away from using just oat flour for the most part, not the best for texture, but in combo with a nut flour I love it!
super delicious!
★★★★★
So happy you like them Poppy!
What would you think about replacing the chocolate chips with dried tart cherries? I’m thinking they might be a good breakfast muffin that way. Thanks for the recipe!
Oh I LOVE the sound of that swap! Great idea, I think they would be delicious😋
Would you be able to use raw hazelnuts in this recipe instead of roasted ones?
Sure! They will just have slightly less of a pronounced hazelnut flavor, but still delish 🙂
These look so good!! But are there any alternatives to using oat flour in this recipe? (as I can’t have oats). How about almond flour instead?
Almond flour alone won’t work here unfortunately without making other adjustments since it is much more moist and less bind-y than oat. Quinoa or buckwheat would work though! Or you could try a paleo flour blend if you want to make them grain-free😊
Hi Lisa, just wondering if you tried this with the one egg instead of the flex eggs? Keen to try but don’t have any flex at the moment! Thank you.
Sorry my comment was meant to be after someone asking about using eggs instead of flex and I was wondering if they did this! Has anyone tried with egg and how many did you use? Thank you!
I haven’t and haven’t heard from anyone that has yet, but you could definitely give it a try! I’d try one egg in place of the flax/water😊 Hope they turn out perfect!
Hi Natalie, thank you for your quick reply, I will try with one egg and see how it goes!
This made WAY more than 12! Not that I’m complaining! More yummy for us….just wondering if maybe I did something wrong? But the total flour/dry is 4.5 cups which seems like a lot.
Hmm so weird, muffin cans vary quite a bit in size but yes all teh amounts are correct. Ah well, not a bad problem to have 🙂
The nutrition value is not right. If one muffin has only 160 kcal, that means the whole batch is around 1900 kcal wich is not possible cause only 250 g of hazelnuts have around 1200 kcal. And not to mention the rest of the ingridients. Every muffin have around 250 kcal, without maple at all.
That is what the program I used says, feel free to do your own calculations if you disagree 🙂
How long will these last in an air tight container?
They are best in the first 3-4 days, but they can easily last a week sealed up in the fridge! They will just get a bit drier with time😊
I love the ingredients in these. They’re so easy to make and they taste like giant ferrero rocher! Thanks for another great recipe
★★★★★
Ha that is the best description, I love it😋😋 Thanks for the feedback, so happy you enjoyed them Christinea!
Hi!
I halved the recipe by weight in grams and the batter doesn’t look as ooey gooey as yours. They’re in the oven now. Hoping for good results.
Hmm if you went by weight it should be fine, how did they turn out?
Hello! Could I make this in a loaf pan? If so, what are the adjustments for time and temperature? Thanks!
Dear Natalie,
these look amazing! Do you think its possible to use the batter to make brownies?
Lots of love from Germany,
Daisy
Yes you could totally bake this in a brownie pan! They are a little bit less dense than your typical brownie, somewhere between brownie and cake😋
The brownies turned out amazing! Pretty dense and you were right- sooooo much better the next day! wow!
YAY! I am so happy you liked them, and yes aren’t chocolatey things so much better the next day (especially cold imo😋)
Hi there! Really looking forward to trying these out – thanks for the recipe. Noticed in your comments you can replace yogurt with applesauce. I eat neither and therefore don’t have any on hand – possible to replace the yogurt with something else?
Thank you!!
Pumpkin puree or mashed banana would work too! Hope you enjoy 🙂
Hey Natalie, is it possible to sub stevia for the maple syrup to make them sugar free or will the la k of liquid impact the consistency too much? Thank you!
I haven’t tried it and I worry they may be too dry if you just swap, but you could try adding some coconut oil or nut/seed butter for extra moisture though (like 1/4 cup). Let me know how it goes!
Thank you! I didn’t do it this time, but I’ll let you know if we successfully test it out!
Can I put this in a big 9×12 pan instead of muffins? I assume so?
Yes absolutely! a 9×9″ might be better, they will be a little thin in a 9×12″😊
I will try this cake definitely
★★★★★
YAY! I love these, hope you do too 🙂
looking for a healthy oat muffin found this!!! thank you, very very fluffy!!!!
★★★★★
YAY! I am so happy you found and loved them Anna, one of my faves too❤️
Just put them in the oven… Can’t wait to see the result! I didn’t see the coffee had to be cold and used it right away… I hope it won’t have too much of an impact 😭 Thank you for your delicious recipes 🙏🏼💕
YAY! Nope, the coffee can be warm that’s fine. Should be perfect, can’t wait to hear what you think…🤗
That looks delicious. I made the batter but it is a bit thicker and a bit more grainy than yours. I used regular greek yoghurt, could that be the reason? any advice on how to make it smoother? Thank you!
It could be the yogurt making it thicker, yes. Nondairy yogurt is quite thin compared to greek, I’d recommend adding 2-4 tbsp milk to thin it out a bit. Hope that helps Sara 🙂
Thanks Natalie, I will try that.
Holy smokes, these are crazy good! This may be my first time working with hazelnuts in the kitchen. Flour free, gluten free, oil free to die for vegan muffins? Yes, please!
★★★★★
YES!! I am so happy you loved them Jessica🤗 One of my long time faves too, appreciate your feedback!