Dark Chocolate Muffins - Gluten-Free & Vegan

I never thought I’d be baking a chocolate muffin that was gluten-free… vegan maybe, but never gluten-free. I was inspired when I finally got myself to The Flying Apron in Fremont, Seattle. This place is somewhat out of our way, but it was my birthday weekend and I wanted to try it.

The Flying Apron Bakery is absolutely awesome – it sells vegan and gluten-free items and uses almost all organic and unrefined ingredients. These days, it IS possible to enjoy mouth-watering cupcakes, muffins, shortbread and cookies even if you are vegan and/or have allergies.

Whilst in Costco, I saw the Flying Apron's Gluten-Free Vegan Baking book on sale for just over $13. I had to buy it, for the sake of testing out vegan and gluten-free baking at home. Oh…. and also to contribute to the empty shelves in our library (as if I don’t have enough cookery books…)

The dark chocolate muffin was an item we tried in the bakery. They were absolutely delicious and tasted wholesome. They were highly cocoa-ish, mildly sweet and satiated any chocolate craving. The best part of these muffins is that you don’t get the come-down from the sugar rush later. This is the first recipe I HAD to try!

The recipe is so easy. I weigh out all the ingredients into my liquidizer and blitz until well combined. Lastly, I blitz in the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda) until mixed and quickly pour into the muffin cups and bung them into the oven. After 25 minutes, you’re greeted with delicious, gluten-free, vegan chocolate muffins!

I freeze these little bundles of joy, by wrapping them tightly in cling-film (plastic wrap) and placing them in a freezable container. These often get popped into J’s lunch bag frozen, so by the time he gets to eat them they are nice and thawed out.

DARK CHOCOLATE MUFFINS – GLUTEN-FREE & VEGAN
Makes 28 muffins
Adapted from “Flying Apron’s Gluten-Free & Vegan Baking Book”, by Jennifer Katzinger

Ingredients
90 g (3 oz, ⅔ c) chick pea (garbanzo bean) flour
90 g (3 oz, ¾ c and 2 T) unsweetened cocoa powder
315 g (11 oz, 1 ¾ c) brown rice flour
240 ml (200 g, 8 ½ fl oz, 1 c) oil*
480 ml (480 g, 16 ¾ fl oz, 2 c) water
480 ml (580 g, 16 ¾ fl oz, 2 c) maple syrup
1 T bicarbonate of soda (baking soda)

* To cut the fat, you can use half apple puree (apple sauce) and half oil.

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F. Grease enough muffin tins (pans) to accommodate 28 muffins or line with cases or place 28 re-usable silicone cases onto a couple of baking trays (pans).

2. In a liquidized, blitz all of the ingredients together except the bicarbonate of soda (baking powder) until well incorporated.

3. Add the bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), blitz again until well mixed and working quickly, pour the batter into the 28 prepared muffin wells. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

4. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow to slightly cool before devouring. Enjoy!