These chocolate avocado muffins are a healthy swap for traditional chocolate cupcakes. They’re perfectly moist and decadent and have less total and saturated fat than most baked goods, thanks to blended avocado that takes the place of vegetable oil or butter.
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If you are baking for Valentine’s Day this weekend, you NEED to give these chocolate avocado muffins a try. Really, they’re more like cupcakes, but I’m calling them muffins because I didn’t add icing (they don’t need it, but you could certainly add it if you want!).
Will and I both think they taste like Duncan Hines Perfectly Moist chocolate cupcakes! Each bite is so decadent. And I’m so pleased that my experiment with using avocado in place of butter worked. Why not add a veggie (ok, avo is technically a fruit, I know) any chance you get?
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! I can’t wait to hear how you like them.
How to Use Avocado in Baking
You can substitute avocado for butter or vegetable oil in a 1:1 ratio in most baked goods. So, if a recipe calls for 1 cup butter, use 1 cup well-mashed or blended avocado instead. It’s usually best to puree the avocado in a blender, because you want it to have a more similar texture to softened butter.
Avocados are an excellent source of heart-healthy, monounsaturated fats and dietary fiber. They also provide magnesium and potassium, two nutrients that help maintain healthy blood pressure.
How to Make Chocolate Avocado Muffins
- Stir together the dry ingredients (all-purpose flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt) in a large mixing bowl.
- Combine avocado and almond milk in a blender, and blend until smooth. Add the maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla, and blend again until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the mixing bowl with the dry ingredients, and mix well.
- Stir in the mini chocolate chips.
- Fill the muffin pan with the batter, and bake for 25 to 27 minutes. Dive in!!!
Expert Tips
- Blending the avocado: If you don’t have a blender, you can also whisk the wet ingredients together by hand. To get the avocado as smooth as possible, mash it really well with a fork before mixing it together with the other ingredients.
- Equipment: I am truly in love with my silicone muffin pan. You don’t need to grease it or use liners, and the muffins pop right out with almost no effort. When making these chocolate avocado muffins, I found it especially helpful to use my icing knife to pop the muffins out of the pan, but you can also just use your fingers or a spoon.
- Gluten Free: Sub gluten free all purpose flour that can be used in a 1:1 ratio in place of regular flour if needed. I have not tried it with this flour, but I believe it would work.
- Storage and Freezing: Let the muffins cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store at room temp or in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. They also freeze well. Wrap each muffin in plastic wrap before placing them in a freezer-safe bag or container. Store for up to 3 months in the freezer.
More Sweets with Vegetables
Love these chocolate avocado muffins? Check out the Avocado Chocolate Mousse, Easy Vegan Sweet Potato Brownies, Fudgy Beet Brownies, and White Chocolate Chip Spinach Cookies.
I’d love to hear how you like this recipe! Rate/review using the stars on the recipe card or in the comments, and follow the Veg World on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Looking for something totally different? Browse the recipe library.
📖 Recipe
Chocolate Avocado Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1.5 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup mashed avocado - about 1 avocado, measured after you mash
- ¾ cup unsweetened almond milk - can sub cow's milk or other milk of choice
- ½ cup maple syrup
- 2 eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease or line a muffin tin (or use a silicone muffin pan) and set aside.
- Stir together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine the mashed avocado with the almond milk in a blender. Blend on low to medium speed until smooth. Add the maple syrup, eggs, and vanilla extract to the blender. Blend again until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the bowl with the dry ones.
- Stir the wet and dry ingredients together with a rubber spatula. Add the mini chocolate chips, and stir to incorporate them into the batter. Fill the muffin tin with the batter (each cup should be about ¾ full). I like to top each muffin with a few more chocolate chips before putting them in the oven.
- Bake for 25 to 27 minutes until a toothpick inserted in one of the muffins in the center of the pan comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes before enjoying.
Notes
- If you don’t have a blender, you can whisk the wet ingredients together by hand. I recommend thoroughly mashing the avocado and whisking it with the almond milk before adding the other ingredients. Try to get the wet ingredients as smooth as possible.
- If you need these to be gluten free, I suspect that gluten free all purpose flour would work well in this recipe.
- The muffins can be stored in an airtight container on the counter or in the fridge for 3 to 5 days.
- To freeze the muffins, wrap each one in plastic wrap before placing in a freezer-safe bag or container. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge or on the counter.
Nutrition
Have a great weekend! – Lizzie
Jessica
Honestly, I never rate stuff online. But these muffins were just PERFECT. My boyfriend and I had to slow down, or we would have eaten the whole batch. I’ve changed the maple syrup for honey. This recipe will definitely be in our weekly meal prep. Don’t be fooled by the fact that this recipe does not have a lot of comments, it’s worth it!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Jessica, I’m so excited to hear that you loved these muffins! Thanks so much for leaving a review and noting the substitution you made!!
Catherine
These were so fabulous. I was out of avocado. Do I used a 1/2 cup of mashed steamed sweet potato. Great results.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Catherine, great to hear it worked well with sweet potato in place of avocado!
Catherine
These are great. I was slightly over on the avocado. I used 126 grams because I didn’t want any leftover avocado. Got 14 muffins with a bake time of 16 minutes. Sprinkled 30 grams of peanut butter chips in 8 of them. Great texture. I added 1tsp cinnamon and disolved 1tsp instant decaf coffee crystals in the milk.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I’m so glad you enjoyed them, Catherine!
Natalie
This recipe came out beautifully, my Mom and siblings loved it, it reminded us of our childhood box cakes in a completely positive way, in regards to it was perfectly balanced and moist and the crumb was perfect as if it was premade but with none of the negative additives, just a few I already had on hand. Love the simplicity of this recipe and loved the results, not too sweet and very shiny tops. Would definitely recommend!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Natalie, this is so great to hear! I’m thrilled you enjoyed them and that they reminded you of chocolate cake. Thanks for your 5-star review.
Kate
Oh my they were simply divine!!!! I added 2 bananas to the blender, they were so moist and yummy. Thanks so much. Ps this is the first time I have ever written a review so Thanks again
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Kate, I’m so glad that you enjoyed this recipe and wrote a review for it! It’s great to know that adding bananas worked well!
Robin
I’m an addict! Since discovering these I make them often. Sweet – but not too sweet. I alter slightly for low carb. Carbalose, homemade sugar free maple, sugar free chips. Perfect!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Robin, that’s wonderful to hear! I’m so glad you are enjoying this recipe. Thanks for sharing your review and the substitutions you make.
Zakirah
Hi Lizzie! I’ve tried this recipe this afternoon and love it. It turned out really well. I made a few changes. My avocado was not fully ripe (there were some hard bits, but most of it was ripe), so I blended it with some oil to make purée. The texture didn’t become as smooth as I’d like, so I added half of the milk and blended again. It turned out perfectly smooth. After that, I added the rest of the milk and other ingredients. I don’t have maple syrup, so I just used brown sugar (3/4 cup). I also omitted chocolate chips because I ran out of it. With all these changes, the muffins still turned out well. It tastes great! I couldn’t taste the avocado at all. This is definitely a keeper and I would repeat should I have some extra avocados at home.
Thank you.
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Zakirah! Thanks so much for letting me know. I’m so glad that you enjoyed the muffins and that they turned out well with your substitutions! 🙂
Sarah
Do these muffins rise like normal ones would? I’m guessing by the angle of the photo it suggests they don’t get a muffin top?
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Sarah, yes you are correct. They do not get a muffin top and instead look more similar to flatter cupcakes.
Chlo
You can replace the eggs with 1/2 cup of applesauce and it is seriously SO delicious! LOVE thanks so much for this recipe!!!!!!!!!!
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I’m so glad to hear that you enjoyed these!! Thanks for sharing the tip about using applesauce in place of eggs!
Yodel
Can I use almond flour instead of all purpose flour?
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
Hi Yodel, I have not tried the recipe with almond flour so I don’t know for sure if it would work. If you are trying to make the muffins gluten-free, I think gluten-free all purpose flour would work really well as a 1:1 substitute.