Grizzly Bear Muffins (Vegan Chocolate Chunk Oat Muffins)

Our kid has coined these “Grizzly Bear Muffins,” and I thought it was so cute that I had to go with it.

I started out wanting to create a homemade version of these. We call them “brownie muffins” and they’re a favorite around here. I love that it gets flaxseeds in all their healthy glory into my picky-eater of a kiddo. I ended up at this recipe from The Pastry Affair and, using that as a starting point, went from there.

I’ll be honest, the end result is nothing like the store-bought Chocolate Brownie muffins that I was trying to replicate. These are more tender and cake-y – almost like cupcakes for breakfast (without the frosting) if I’m being honest. But they’ve become a family favorite just as they are, Bridget Jones-style, so I thought it was high time I shared them with y’all!

Do you remember the Life Cereal commercial about Mikey? “He won’t eat it – he hates everything … HE LIKES IT! HEY MIKEY!” Quite honestly, our kid is a bit of a Mikey. An entirely lovable Mikey but a Mikey nonetheless. And she LOVES these tender chocolate oat muffins. Which means, I think, there is likely not anyone in the whole wide world who won’t like them.

I guess they’re sort of grizzly-bear-esque with their rich brown color and the humps on their back? I don’t know, it’s a stretch. But regardless of what you call them, I think you’ll love them!

Prep: 15 mins

Cook: 20 mins

Total: 35 mins

Grizzly Bear Muffins (Vegan Chocolate Chunk Oat Muffins)

4 from 4 votes

Moist, tender, and chocolatey, these easy muffins are the perfect breakfast treat. And nobody will guess they're vegan (really)!

Print Pin Rate

Yield: 1 dozen muffins

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed + 6 tablespoons (1/3 cup water)
• 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 2/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt
• 1 1/4 cups unsweetened almond milk
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup + 1/3 cup vegan chocolate chunks (or chips, divided*)

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the tins of a standard-size 12-cup muffin tin with your favorite oil mister, non-stick spray, or rub each cup with a bit of oil. Or the the lazy route, like me, and just use paper liners!
• In a medium bowl, mix together the ground flaxseed and the water. Set aside and let sit for 5 minutes to gel.
• In a large bowl, stir together the flour, oats, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• Add the almond milk, oil, and vanilla extract to the medium bowl with the flax. Stir to combine.
• Pour the wet ingredients over the dry ingredients. Stir just until combined. Fold in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chunks or chips.
• Divide batter between the 12 muffin cups. Top each with the remaining 1/3 cup chocolate chunks.
• Bake until the tops spring back when you poke them gently and/or when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out dry, about 20 minutes.
• Remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes, then transfer each muffin to a wire rack to cool completely. Muffins will be tender to start with but less tender once they cool.
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