Ingredients
Scale
- 75ml extra virgin olive oil /neutral oil
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 6 tablespoons water
- 200g dark chocolate, melted
- 150ml plant-milk
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 75g plain gluten-free flour
- 50g ground almonds
- 125g soft brown sugar/coconut sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 pinch fine salt
Icing
- 30ml aquafaba, whisked until firm peaks
- 140g icing sugar
- 20g cocoa powder
- 1/4 to 1 teaspoon plant-based milk
- you will need to triple this recipe to create enough icing for a thick layer/ piped icing on the muffins
Chocolate heart decoration
- 60g dark choc, melted
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 170°C fan.
- Line the muffin tray with 8 muffin cases.
- Pour the plant-based milk into a small bowl and add the apple cider vinegar, stir well and set to one side.
- In another small bowl add the milled flaxseed and water, stir together and set to one side.
- To melt the chocolate, break it into small pieces and add them to a glass bowl. Either melt on a low heat in the microwave or over a bain-marie on the hob.
- In a mixing bowl add the ground almonds, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and sugar and stir together. Make a small well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour in the extra virgin olive oil, water and flaxseed mix and then the plant-based milk and apple cider vinegar mix. Stir together. Pour over the melted chocolate and stir until thoroughly combined.
- Spoon the chocolate muffin mix evenly between the muffin cases.
- Place in the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 20 to 23 minutes. The muffins are cooked if you can insert a toothpick and it comes out clean.
- Once cooked remove from the oven and place the muffin tray onto a wire cooling rack to cool for 10 minutes. Then remove the muffins from the tray and place them on the cooling rack to cool completely.
- Once the vegan chocolate muffins are cool decide if you would like to decorate them…
Decoration options –
- To make the chocolate heart shape melt 60g of dark chocolate. Layout a small sheet of baking paper. Spoon the melted chocolate into a piping bag, with a narrow hole in the end. Then carefully write/draw onto the baking paper. When you have finished, take the baking paper and place it flat on a shelf in the fridge until the chocolate shapes have set – this only takes about 15 minutes.
Icing
- To make the icing remove the aquafaba from the fridge and pour into a mixing bowl or a food mixer with the whisk attachment on it. Whisk until the aquafaba turns into firm peaks. Carefully tip in the icing sugar & cocoa powder and whisk until thoroughly combined.
- Icing thickness options –
- To make drizzle icing thin the mixture by adding up to 1 tablespoon of plant-based milk and whisk until combined and then cut a small circle out of the top of the muffin and spoon in the mix, then push the chocolate shape into the icing.
- To make spreadable icing add 1 teaspoon of plant-based milk and whisk through.
Notes
If making the icing chill the aquafaba in the fridge for at least 2 hours.
Store the chocolate muffins in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
