Recently, I decided to recreate them at home, only making them gluten-free and dairy-free so we could share them with our extended family and friends, many of whom have food sensitivities and allergies.
What Makes a Great Gluten-Free Muffin
These muffins are moist with a tight, dense crumb. They feel much heartier than a super fluffy muffin. They’re also studded generously with dark chocolate but aren’t too sweet. And they couldn’t be easier to make: two bowls, no mixer, and the muffins are ready in under an hour. We have a number of friends who have had babies recently, so I’ve been baking off multiple batches of these muffins for our family and then freezing some to gift to the new parents when we have a chance to bring something by.
Pick a Good Gluten-Free Flour Blend
A few things to know before you get started with this recipe: Choose a good gluten-free flour blend. There are dozens of gluten-free flour blends to choose from these days and many are great. I happen to like Bob’s Red Mill’s Gluten-Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour blend. It’s a great all-purpose choice and doesn’t contain chickpea or legume flours, which often impart a savory flavor to baked goods that I don’t always love. Make sure it has xanthan gum. This blend from Bob’s contains xanthan gum, which acts as a binder in gluten-free baking recipes like this one. Before baking, check the ingredients in your own gluten-free flour blend and if it doesn’t contain xanthan gum (or another binding ingredient like guar gum or psyllium husks), I recommend adding 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum to ensure success.
How to Make These Gluten-Free Muffins
As with most baked goods, there’s definitely some science involved in making a great muffin. I like to bake these at a slightly higher temperature than is typical for muffins since I feel this helps with the rise. You also don’t need a mixer, here—in fact it’s best to mix these (and most) muffins by hand since you want to be careful not to over-mix or overwork your dough. Otherwise, you could get rather tough baked goods. Some muffin recipes instruct you to fill your cups only 2/3 of the way full, but you can go all the way to the top with this dough: it doesn’t expand or rise dramatically.
Enjoy Your Chocolate Chip Muffins!
And now it’s time to invite a few friends over, start the coffee pot, and look forward to a warm, decadent, and satisfying muffin that everyone can enjoy.
More Allergy-Friendly Recipes
Gluten-Free Chocolate Banana Cupcakes Fudgy Gluten-Free Chocolate Brownies Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie Light and Fluffy Gluten-Free Biscuits Grain-Free Apple Honey Cake
Fold the chocolate chips into the dough.
