I’m delighted to share these gluten-free Orange Honey Chocolate Chip Muffins with you today. Admittedly, I am not always crazy about orange-flavored foods unless there’s another complementary flavor. Like rosemary in the Orange Rosemary Pecans from Hail Merry. (Update: It seems that Hail Merry no longer makes this product.) Or like cranberry. As in Orange Cranberry Muffins or Orange Cranberry Granola. Or like chocolate.
Orange and chocolate definitely go together very well. I have enjoyed orange and chocolate together in candies for years and especially love truffles made with Grand Marnier. But my favorite orange chocolate combo is Double Chocolate Clementine Cake, another flourless creation here on gfe. Until now. The Double Chocolate Clementine Cake is a star without a doubt, but it’s not the kind of treat you’d want to make often. It’s a bit intense. It’s a good kind of intensity, but still ideal only for an occasional indulgence.
Today’s entry for March Muffin Madness, these gluten-free Orange Honey Chocolate Chip Muffins, are another matter though. These muffins are light in texture and even in their orange flavor, which is nicely punctuated by the addition of chocolate chips. These would make for a lovely treat just about any time.
You can scroll down for more photos and the recipe, but let’s talk about the giveaway that goes with Part 1 of the March Muffin Madness final. UPDATE: This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to Shelly! Shelly’s comment was: “I am sneaking in just under the wire! These muffins look amazing!”
I’ll be back with Part 2 of the March Muffin Madness final later, but here’s your recipe.
Gluten-Free Orange Honey Chocolate Chip Muffins Recipe
Orange Honey Chocolate Chip Muffins
These delightful orange chocolate chip muffins are gluten free, dairy free, refined sugar free, and easily made vegan, if you wish. They're lovely and light with their orange flavor punctuated by chocolate chips.
Ingredients
Muffin Ingredients
- 2 cups gluten-free all-purpose flour mix (I use my Two-Ingredient Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour Mix)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 cup orange juice (see notes)
- 1 tsp orange zest (optional, more or less to taste)
- 1/3 cup honey (or agave nectar for vegan version)
- 1/3 cup extra light olive oil
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce (or 1/2 cup mashed banana)
- 1 egg or flax egg (1 tbsp flax meal plus 3 tbsp hot water)
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup chocolate chips (optional; I used Enjoy Life Mini Chocolate Chips)
Muffin Topping Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut oil, liquefied (I use Tropical Traditions)
- ½ cup coconut sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease muffin cups or line with cupcake liners.
- In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda. Stir in remaining ingredients, whisking if needed to break up any clumps of flour.
- Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full. (Recipe makes 12 muffins.)
- Bake at 375F until golden orange, about 15 to 20 minutes. Check doneness with a toothpick.
- Let muffins cool about 5 minutes, just long enough to be able to handle them safely. Dip tops of hot muffins in coconut oil, then into coconut sugar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Notes
For a more intense orange flavor, be sure to add the orange zest. You may also substitute part of the orange juice amount with orange juice concentrate as another way to create a more intense orange flavor if you’d like. I’d recommend one to two teaspoons of orange juice concentrate as part of the ½ cup measurement. (Add concentrate to measuring cup first and then fill with orange juice to ½ cup line.)
Inspired by Rodale’s Orange-Honey Muffins recipe
You can see the complete muffin roundup here! If you’re looking for additional gluten-free recipes that make the very best of orange flavor, check out the following!
~ Gluten-Free Copycat Panda Express Orange Chicken
~ Easy Chocolate Chip Orange Pecan Muffins
~ Grain-Free Double Chocolate Clementine Cake
Originally published April 2, 2012; updated January 9, 2021.
Vicki W says
These look really yummy! I’m not much of an experimental cook so I am always grateful to all of you bloggers who share these great recipes. Thanks!
Vicky says
I love the flavour of these muffins! Chocolate and orange were made for each other!
Shari H says
Adding these to my list of recipes to try out soon! Muffins are handy to have around in the summer as an easy snack to throw in the bag and take along on adventures – and cheaper than granola-type bars.
Anna Lee says
These look delicious and I love using Enjoy Life products!
Meryl says
I do a lot of baking and would love to try these chips!
Louis says
I’d like to try these in my dark chocolate chocolate chip muffins.
lindsey says
yum! i’d LOVE to win that many chocolate chips. enjoy life is the BEST brand!!
Maria says
These look amazing! My 3 year old will love them without chocolate chips and I will love them with the chocolate. He doesn’t like chocolate at all and I can’t get enough!
Laura G says
Mmmm! I would love to be the winner!
Cara says
Chocolate, YUM!!!! PICK ME! 🙂
Tammy Federspiel says
I just used Enjoy Life mini chips in my granola recipe yesterday! What an awesome giveaway!
Rose says
Oh, these are the best chips. Even with all my food issues I can eat them and enjoy them! Would LOVE to receive these in the mail!
Jessica says
I always look at these chips in the store but have a hard time buying because of the cost. It’s one reason I don’t make chocolate chip anything anymore. 🙁 I would love to win this! The crumb on your muffins looks fabulous – well done!
Thank you.
Monique says
What a great idea! I can’t eat rice until I heal from leaky gut, but I’ll try to modify this recipe using a coconut muffin as a base.
manda says
Love the recipe and great giveaway!!! Yummy!
Suzanne H says
Great giveaway! Those muffins look delightful!
Danielle says
now that’s a giveaway I can’t resist entering into!! Those muffins look divine and I LOVE enjoy life chips! I keep them in the freezer at eat a handful (or 2 or 3…) as a snack when I’m craving something sweet. 🙂
SherriS. says
I can just imagine how good those muffins must smell when they are coming out of the oven! Thanks for the chance to win the mini chocolate chips.
Cindy W. says
Anything with chocolate chips added has to be good! Thank you for the giveaway.
Brenda says
These look wonderful. Muffins with chocolate chips. What
could be better.
Jennifer M. says
I love these chocolate chips but find them rather expensive around here. Plus, they are harder for me to get. Love to Win.
Jennifer R. says
Shirley, we love Enjoy Life chocolate chips at our house — of course, they’d go pretty fast too! thanks for a great giveaway!!
Richa@HobbyandMore says
Love the orange and chocolate chip together! i think chocolate makes everything yummier. it would be so much fun to get all those choc chips:)
Tessa Domestic Diva says
yes please!
Tessa Domestic Diva says
tweeted
Tessa Domestic Diva says
facebook
Micha @ blissful bites says
I spend way too much money on those chocolate chips… they just disappear so quickly in my kitchen!! I would love to win some! the muffins sound delicious as well 🙂
Micha @ blissful bites says
liked you on Facebook!
Em says
Chocolate chips are one of my favorite snacks!
kate @eatrecyclerepeat says
Thanks for the recipe! My brother would love it. I’m working on a grain-free coconut muffin recipe right now, but it is so dense!
Annaliese Lemmon says
These look good! I look forward to trying them!
Ellyn says
Mmmm these remind me of the chocolate oranges we have on Christmas! Yum!
Emma says
Orange and choc is just the perfect combination 🙂 I doubt I’m eligible to win the giveaway as I’m in the UK but I’d definitely be making a lot of those muffins if I did win!
Angela Bowden says
Love Enjoy Life’s mini chocolate chips !
PattyBoots says
Yum! Looks deelish! I have an orange/rosemary/cornmeal muffin recipe I really should adapt. It also has pine nuts in it, which I adore, but don’t care to sell a kidney to buy them so I sub in sunflower seeds!
Tina says
Love enjoy life!! What a delicious spring giveaway! Thanks for the chance to enter. Looking forward to making some of the different muffin recipes:)
Vanessa parks says
Looks yummy
Tracy says
These muffins look very yummy!! And I love enjoy life chocolate chips!!
Jeanette says
Shirley, I love the sound of these muffins – orange and chocolate are such a wonderful combination.
Amber S says
The muffins look delicious — and I love these chocolate chips! Thanks for the giveaway…if I win at least some are destined for homemade reese’s cups (nom nom).
Chelsea says
Thanks for the giveaway!
Heather Carty says
New to gf – looking forward to trying these!
Heather Carty says
Shared via Pinterest!
Tabitha says
With as much baking as I do, I could really use these chocolate chips!!
Michelle says
Orange AND chocolate chip? YUM!
I love enjoy life chips.. they are fantastic!!
Heather says
LOVE chocolate & orange together!!
Linda Wooldridge says
These muffins sound yummy. Thank you.
Shelly says
I am sneaking in just under the wire! These muffins look amazing! 🙂
Shelly says
I tweeted!
Shelly says
I shared on FB!
Chef Froggie says
How did I totally miss this till now???? I’m a muffin maniac!!
Shelly says
Oh my goodness! I never would have expected that!! 🙂 thank you Shirley!!!
Laura @ Gluten Free Pantry says
The flavors on these muffins are perfect Shirley! Orange +Honey + Chocolate = Out of this world! Thank you so much for sharing your great recipe on Allergy-Free Wednesdays! Be sure to check back next week for recipe highlights (including the top 3 reader choice submissions and hostess favorites).
Be Well!
Darja says
Hello, do you think I could omit the applesauce? Or maybe replace it with a mashed banana?
Shirley says
Hi Darja–Welcome to gfe! I think banana would be even better honestly. I love the flavor and texture that mashed banana adds to muffins. 🙂 Fingers crossed that you’ll like the results!
Shirley
Darja says
Hello again (: So I did try these with mashed banana, and they came out just perfect. What a great recipe, you can’t be too far away from these muffins 🙂 Thanks for the recipe! Good luck!
Shirley says
Hi Darja–What terrific news! I’m going to update the recipe to show that substitution option. Thank you so much for coming back to let me know! I’m so very happy they turned out so well for you! 🙂
Shirley
Star says
I found this recipe this morning. I can’t use many GF flour mixes as they contain flours my son is allergic to. I did notice you used rice flour and cornstarch in the notes, did you use a gum as well? If so how much?
Star says
I made this this morning. I used 1 1/3 c rice flour, 2/3c cornstarch, and 1 tsp xanthan gum. I also subbed the olive oil for canola and the egg for ener-g egg replacer for my son’s allergies/diet. Also left out the chocolate chips as we don’t currently have any enjoy life right now and didn’t top them. I think 15mins is a bit long for my oven since they burned slightly on the bottom and stuck to the wrappers, but they were well loved and my toddler kept trying to steal them.
Shirley says
Hi Star–Welcome to gfe! 🙂 Sorry for the delay in replying; I’ve been offline with a friend visiting. I made the muffins without xanthan gum, but xanthan gum can certainly be added as you confirmed. I’m not sure if your changes were the cause of a shorter baking time, but I’m so glad your version of these muffins still worked out and that your son enjoyed them so much!
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Shirley
Kassia says
I made these this afternoon, they are so tasty and moist! I used sweet rice, millet and almond flours, mashed banana and Ghirardelli mini semi sweet chocolate chips. Thanks for another great recipe!
Shirley says
Hi Kassia–It’s great to hear from you and I’m so glad these muffins turned out so well for you! Love the flours and other ingredients you used. 🙂 Thanks so much for taking the time to leave this lovely comment, dear!
Shirley
Mary Lou says
I did your recipe exactly and they turned out very chunky. The batter didn’t smooth out. What could I have done different? used Namaste Perfect Blend gluten free flour.
Shirley Braden says
Hi Mary Lou–First, welcome to gfe. It looks like this is your first time commenting here. I’m glad to have you here. However, I’m so sorry that this recipe didn’t work out for you. I wouldn’t say that these muffins necessarily have a typical muffin texture but the texture shouldn’t really be “chunky.” Many others have made this recipe with success. The only thing I can think of is that the flour mix that you used is perhaps not the best one for this recipe. That Namaste blend—with its brown rice flour components and sorghum flour–seems a little heavier than the flour mix that I and others have used in these muffins. If you ever decide to try it with another flour blend, I hope you have success. I haven’t made this recipe in a good while but if I make it again soon and have other thoughts for you, I’ll let you know.
Hope you have a good weekend!
Shirley