Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Muffins (Grain-Free)
These Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Muffins are the perfect sweet treat. They are grain-free and gluten-free with a dairy-free option. Everyone loves these paleo muffins!
Paleo baking is a challenge because you are restricted to using grain-free flours like almond flour or coconut flour. Paleo treats are also generally made with unrefined sugars and without milk.
But, my specific flour of choice for the last several years has been Otto’s Cassava Flour which made from the cassava root. I met the founders of Otto’s at the PaleoFx conference back in 2016, and I’ve been a fan ever since!
I find cassava flour to be very mild in flavor, easy to substitute for regular flours, and perfect for healthy and paleo, grain-free baking. And, these Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies have a light and fluffy texture that I think you are going to love.
Cassava Flour for Baking
What is cassava flour? It’s made from the whole yuca root, so it’s technically a tuber. Cassava flour is different from tapioca flour because it’s the whole root, dried and ground.
In many cases, cassava flour substitutes 1:1 for wheat flour, and the taste is very neutral. I encourage you to experiment with this flour, and definitely try my cassava flour muffin recipe.
These muffins are not as heavy as other grain-free baked goods that use almond or coconut flours. I really hope you try this recipe. It’s one that I originally shared a few years ago, but it’s one I keep enjoying over and over, and I hope you do too!
Let me show you how to make these grain-free muffins.
Recipe Steps
Step One
Gather your ingredients which include: cassava flour, baking powder, baking soda, chocolate chips, egg, ripe mashed bananas or applesauce, ghee or coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.
Step Two
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with muffin cups or spray it lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir.
Step Three
Next, place the wet ingredients into a small mixing bowl. Stir until combined.
Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine.
Step Four
Pour the muffin batter into the muffin pan and bake for 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown. You can use muffin liners if you wish.
Serve warm or at room temperature, and refrigerator or freeze leftovers.
I was so pleased when these muffins turned out just as I had hoped, with great texture and moistness. The bananas or applesauce help off-set the need for oil, and also give a little boost of natural sweetness.
Recipe Tips & Substitutions
- Feel free to use applesauce or banana; I’ve tried it both ways. If you use banana, the muffins will have a mild banana bread flavor.
- Store any leftover muffins in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or, you can freeze the baked muffins in a ziptop bag for up to 2 months.
- You can easily double this recipe to make a double batch of muffins.
Recipe FAQs
Cassava flour is not low in carbs, but it considered paleo. Cassava comes from a tuber which is high in carbohydrates.
Yes, you can, but they will be much heavier.
No, because tapioca flour doesn’t bake the same way that cassava flour does. Tapioca flour is just the starch from the cassava, whereas cassava is a whole food. Read more about cassava versus tapioca.
You can find cassava flour at most health foods stores now, or on Amazon.
Yes, just substitute the chocolate chips with fresh blueberries. You may also want to add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to the batter to help balance the blueberry flavor.
I prefer to use a liquid sweetener like pure maple syrup in this recipe to help add moisture.
More Healthy Muffin Recipes You Might Like
- Almond Flour Banana Muffins
- Coconut Flour Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Chocolate Chip Sweet Potato Muffins
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins
- Air-Fryer Mini Blueberry Muffins
Don’t miss my other healthy dessert recipes. You might like these Dairy-Free Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Don’t Miss These Paleo Treats!
I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.
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Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Muffins
These Cassava Flour Chocolate Chip Muffins are the perfect sweet treat. They are grain-free and gluten-free with a dairy-free option. Everyone loves these paleo muffins!
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cassava flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 cup dairy-free chocolate chips
- 2 eggs. lightly beaten
- 2 ripe bananas, mashed (about 1 cup) or 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup melted coconut oil or ghee
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a muffin tin with muffin cups or spray it lightly with non-stick cooking spray.
- Combine the cassava flour, baking powder, baking soda, and chocolate chips in a large mixing bowl. Stir to combine.
- Next, place the egg, bananas or applesauce, melted ghee or coconut oil, maple syrup, and vanilla into a small mixing bowl. Stir until combined.
- Pour the liquid mixture into the bowl with the dry ingredients and stir to combine. If the batter is on the dry side, then you can always add a tablespoon or two of water to help it come together. It should be fairly thick.
- Pour the batter into the muffin tin and bake for 25 minutes or until the tops of the muffins are golden brown.
- Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
- Feel free to use applesauce or banana; I’ve tried it both ways. If you use banana, the muffins will have a mild banana bread flavor.
- Store any leftover muffins in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or, you can freeze the baked muffins in a ziptop bag for up to 2 months.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Grain-Free
- Diet: Gluten Free
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 248
- Sugar: 15.7 g
- Sodium: 66.5 mg
- Fat: 12.5 g
- Saturated Fat: 9.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 32.1 g
- Fiber: 2.1 g
- Protein: 2.1 g
- Cholesterol: 31 mg
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About the Author: Carrie Forrest has a master’s degree in public health with a specialty in nutrition and is studying to be a holistic nutritionist. She is a top wellness and food blogger with over 5 million annual visitors to her site. Carrie has an incredible story of recovery from chronic illness and is passionate about helping other women transform their health. Send her a message through her contact form.
Made these just now!
Pretty happy with the texture inside the muffin, not rubbery at all, has the mouthfeel of moist cake.
Only thing was I noticed that the maple syrup was missing in the instructions, so I was wasn’t sure when to add it in. Fortunately I put it in last.
Overall, pretty happy with the result and will make it again 🙂
Thank you!
Thanks, Jo! I’m so glad the recipe worked well for you. It’s one of my favorites. And, thanks for the note about the maple syrup, I just updated the recipe card.
Did you just change the recipe? I made these muffins on 12/20/19 with pumpkin and wanted to make them again because my niece and nephew loved them. They have a lot of dietary restrictions and this recipe was perfect. Would you please send along the other version of the recipe?? Thanks!!
Hi Carrie, I’m so sorry I did update it recently. I had gotten some complaints that they were turning out rubbery, so I went back to the drawing board. It is still very similar to the original, but I took out the pumpkin. What you can do is just use 1 banana and then use about 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree.
Do you think if I substitute egg for flax meal it would be fine?
I haven’t had great results subbing out eggs for flax eggs with most of my gluten-free baking.
Thanks Carrie… Don’t no why I didn’t think of it!!!!!
Thanks for your response to my question. Could I use coconut milk instead. Several of the nut milks have sunflower oil which I’m unable to have!!
Hi Janice, coconut milk might have too much fat. I would have to test that recipe. What if you just blended cashews with water and made your own cashew milk?
Not allowed bananas and almond milk what could I substitute instead?
Applesauce and cashew milk!
I have made this twice. Those times they came out dense, uncooked in the center & had a gritty texture. The third time I made this I increased the baking powder to 1 Tablespoon, substituted buttermilk for nut milk (for acid) then let the batter sit covered for 30 minutes before I measured it by 1/3 cup fuls into muffin pan. This took care of the flat non airy muffins, the gritty texture and I only needed to bake them for 22-25 minutes. I’m going to try to make them w nut milk but will need to substitute a buttermilk like liquid to help w the rise of the batter.
Carrie! I’ve never used cassava flour but I can’t wait to find some and trying it out. I use a lot of almond and coconut flour but love trying new things out! These chocolate chip muffins look so delicious! I can’t wait to try your recipe!
I’ve never worked with cassava flour before. The texture of the muffins looks really moist.
I am so looking forward to trying this cassava flour. I’ve seen other recipes using it but I didn’t know where to buy it. Thanks for the extra information.