Paleo Chocolate Raspberry Muffins
These Paleo Chocolate Raspberry Muffins set a new bar for paleo muffins around here! They’re made with two cups of frozen raspberries and believe it or not, they are 100% grain-free, refined sugar-free and dairy-free!
Table of contents
Why We Love This Recipe For Paleo Chocolate Raspberry Muffins
These Chocolate Raspberry Muffins are the perfect paleo snack to make when you’re in the mood for something sweet. They always hit the spot, without being too unhealthy. These muffins have two whole cups of raspberries per batch and 4 grams of fiber per muffin!
I have been loving my Paleo Banana Muffins so much that I started these Chocolate Raspberry Muffins shortly after publishing those.
After the last batch of these raspberry chocolate muffins came out of the oven, and I tried one, I wondered if it was maybe that I had been doing a paleo diet for so long (a whole month that is) that I had lost perspective on what a good muffin is.
I mean these muffins are so good, I wondered if my mouth was deceiving me! But I had my daughters try them too, and they confirmed, these paleo muffins are seriously good even to grain eaters! I am a little–no make that a lot–shocked at how good they are and I am so excited for you to try a batch for yourself!
Key Ingredients For This Recipe
Almond flour, Arrowroot starch & Coconut flour
What makes these muffins so special is that I used a blend of almond flour, arrowroot starch and coconut flour. But the key is to use mostly almond flour. Coconut flour is incredibly absorbent, so a little goes a long way.
Unsweetened cocoa powder + Paleo Chocolate
Cocoa powder helps with the overall chocolate flavor. Cocoa powder is unsweetened, and if you spring for a high quality one, very rich tasting in small amounts.
I also took a 2 ounce bar of paleo chocolate and chopped it up and added it to the batter. If you are not picky about if your chocolate is strictly refined-sugar free, regular chocolate chips work fine.
If you like a bit of flare, you can hold aside some berries and chocolate chunks to top the muffins with before you bake them.
Frozen raspberries
It’s important to use frozen berries because they break down more easily when thawed. So they are perfect for this task!
Honey
Honey is a great way to add natural sweetness to baked goods. You could also substitute for maple syrup or agave.
Almond and Vanilla Extract
To really take these paleo muffins over the edge, I added in some extract. I used vanilla and almond extract. If you want, look for those made without alcohol. I love the way the almond tastes with the chocolate and raspberries! It makes these seem almost more cupcake-like than muffin-like!
Step-by-Step Instructions to Make These Paleo Raspberry Muffins
Step 1: Preheat oven
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
Step 2: Combine dry ingredients
Sift together the almond flour, arrowroot starch, coconut flour, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. (A colander with small holes works well.)
Step 3: Thaw raspberries
Measure out 1 cup frozen raspberries into a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup. Top with honey. Microwave 30 seconds to thaw the berries and loosen the honey. Stir together until it becomes thin jam-like liquid. If needed, microwave for an additional 15 seconds to warm enough to melt the raspberries. Do not boil.
Step 4: Combine wet ingredients
Whisk the egg yolks, oil, vanilla extract, almond extract and the raspberry honey mixture in a large bowl.
Step 5: Beat egg whites
Beat together the egg whites in a clean dry bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
Step 6: Combine dry & wet ingredients
Fold the dry mixture into the honey and raspberry mixture. Using a silicone spatula, gradually fold the egg whites into the batter to loosen and lighten it. Fold in the remaining half of the raspberries and chocolate.
Step 7: Bake paleo chocolate muffins
Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, dividing evenly. Top with more chocolate and raspberries if desired. Bake for 26 to 28 minutes, or until completely set up. Let cool 15 minutes before transferring the muffins to a wire cooling rack. Note: paper muffin liners will stick to the muffins until they are completely cool.
Using frozen Berries in Muffins
- The frozen berry trick is where it’s at! First I took half of the berries, and put them into a microwave safe bowl. I added on the honey, then popped the mixture into the microwave for 30 seconds. When it comes out, the berries are soft and the honey is more liquid. Depending on your microwave, this may take an additional 15 seconds. But this isn’t really a step of heating it up, as much as it is a melting step.
- Basically what you are doing is creating the liquid for the muffin batter. You know how some muffin recipes call for milk (or almond milk) or yogurt. Well, in this case the liquid is pureed raspberries! And now the honey is easier to blend into the batter too!
- The second cup of raspberries gets folded into the batter while still frozen. That’s great because they will thaw as the muffins bake, without staining the batter, and they will be nice and soft once the muffins are done. This trick works perfectly for other baked goods too. Try my Raspberry Chocolate Chunk Cookies if you are wondering.
- And it goes without saying, they’re also great because they are in season whenever the mood strikes! So I keep a bag or two in my freezer.
FAQs and Expert Tips
I used baking soda as a leavener because unlike baking powder it doesn’t have cornstarch in it. There are paleo baking powders on the market, but no need in this recipe. Baking soda works great because the acidity of the raspberries helps to activate it.
The key to keeping these paleo muffins nice and light, not too dense, is that I used air to help lighten the texture of the muffins. To do that, I separated the eggs and whipped the whites. Folding them gently into the batter in two additions did wonders to the texture! I would have you taste the side-by side of with and without whipped whites, but that would be a waste of muffins!
Sweet muffins with fresh fruit in them will only stay good for a few days. Cover them with plastic wrap or store in a sealable bag/container. Freeze up to 1 month.
More Paleo and Gluten-Free Recipes
- Start your day off with Paleo Pancakes or Gluten-free banana bread.
- This recipe for Paleo Snack Bites is a lifesaver if you are craving a sweet treat.
- I love making this Festive Kale Slaw with Raspberries and Almonds on the weekdays.
- This Raspberry Almond Vinaigrette is a surefire way to elevate any salad.
At Healthy Seasonal Recipes, we specialize in cooking with fresh veggies and creating weeknight meals. Sign up HERE to get more produce-forward dinner ideas for FREE! If you make this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review. I would love to hear what you thought! Happy Cooking! ~Katie
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Paleo Chocolate Raspberry Muffins Recipe
- Total Time: 45
- Yield: 12 1x
Description
These Paleo Chocolate Raspberry Muffins set a new bar for paleo muffins around here! They’re made with two cups of raspberries and believe it or not, they are 100% grain-free, refined sugar-free and dairy-free!
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup arrowroot starch
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 cups frozen raspberries, divided (8 ounces)
- 3 large eggs, separated (at room temperature*see tip)
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla (alcohol free if desired)
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract (alcohol free if desired)
- 2 ounces paleo chocolate, chopped into chunks (or 1/2 cup chocolate chips)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with paper liners or coat with cooking spray.
- Sift almond flour, arrowroot starch, coconut flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt into a medium bowl. (A colander with small holes works well.)
- Measure out 1 cup frozen raspberries into a microwave safe bowl or measuring cup. Top with honey. Microwave 30 seconds to thaw the berries and loosen the honey. Stir together until it becomes thin jam-like liquid. If needed, microwave for an additional 15 seconds to warm enough to melt the raspberries. Do not boil.
- Whisk egg yolks, oil, vanilla extract, almond extract and the raspberry honey mixture in a large bowl.
- Beat egg whites in a clean dry bowl with an electric mixer until soft peaks form.
- Fold the dry mixture into the honey and raspberry mixture. Using a silicone spatula, gradually fold the egg whites into the batter to loosen and lighten it. Fold in the remaining half of the raspberries and chocolate.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin tin, dividing evenly. Top with more chocolate and raspberries if desired. Bake 26 to 28 minutes, or until completely set up. Let cool 15 minutes before transferring the muffins to a wire cooling rack. Note: paper muffin liners will stick to the muffins until they are completely cool.
Notes
*tip: To safely bring fresh eggs to room temperature, place in a small bowl and run hot tap water over them. Let sit in the warm water for 4 to 5 minutes. Drain.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 28
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Paleo
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 226
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 178 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 6 g
These taste delicious! Took them to a get together at a friend’s and they loved them. The only reason for 4 stars is the recipe is time consuming and has multiple steps, and it doesn’t actually tell you when to add the cocoa powder, and division of the raspberries into 2 part is confusing: whether theyre all heated or not, until u read in the fore- notes that 1/2 is supposed to stay frozen… and 1/2 cup arrowroot is a lot. But I subbed whole wheat flour for the amt I didnt have.
Anyway, I made it work. But complexity and time consumption is quite up there, be prepared!
Hi Dawn,
Thanks for reporting back. I added cocoa to the method. Thanks for catching that! I am glad the recipe worked out. Have a great week!
I’m about to try these now with blackberries from our yard! I’ll let you know how it goes! 😉
Oh wow! I haven’t tried that. I am curious to hear how they come out!
SO SO good. I have made these twice now and they’re even better than I recall. You wouldn’t know they are grain free.
I love that! Thanks for the review Nicole!
My kids are usually not fans of any attempts for healthy, Paleo muffins Mr. 10, Mr. 8 and Miss 5 LOVED these. Thanks for sharing. There were a little more steps than your usual muffin but so worth it. Would love recipes for variation of these like banana and other flavours etc.
Hi there! What can I substitute the arrowroot powder with? Also, can I use maple syrup instead of honey?
Tapioca flour makes a good paleo substitute for the arrowroot. Bob’s red mill makes it. Or you can find it in the bulk section of a health food store. Yes maple and honey are interchangeable. Go for it! Please let me know how they come out Teesha.
Thanks, Katie. Can I sub arrowroot with corn starch as well?
I am not familiar with baking with cornstarch, but my guess is that it would work fine.
Katie, Love the double dose of raspberries in these muffins. They look wonderful and must have amazing flavor!
I have been enjoying them so much. I just made another batch!
These muffins are truly wonderful. I love that these are healthy and guilt-free. I must give them a try this weekend. I love berries + chocolate combo.
Hi Natalie. So psyched you’re going to try them. I hope you enjoy these muffins as much as I have been.
I’m always looking for a good muffin recipe, this one is it! Will definitely be trying 🙂
Good paleo muffins can be hard to find!
What great looking muffins. I’ve never baked with frozen fruit before, but it sounds like a great method. Can’t wait to try these!
It’s such a great way to use raspberries at this time of year! They’re frozen at the peak of freshness so they are amazing in muffins.
Raspberries are my favorite fruit! I can’t wait to try these for my mom who is lactose and gluten intolerant! Great photos, as well!
Hi Beth! Thanks so much. I am thrilled you’re going to make them for her. I hope you both enjoy them!
Wow, these muffins look delicious! I love the chocolate raspberry combination. Can’t wait to whip up a batch. Cheers for sharing.
Hi Andrianne. Thanks so much for coming by. I am glad they look good to you. Hope you have a great week.
Made these tonight and they are delicious! Texture and flavour are perfect. I love the subtle tartness of the raspberries and chocolate combination. I used Hershey’s Dark chocolate cocoa powder and 70% cocoa chocolate chunk chilies.