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Coconut-Lime Chickpea Flour Muffins {Vegan, Grain-Free}

Scrumptious & healthy coconut-lime chickpea flour muffins! They are vegan, grain-free, oil-free, nut-free, & all-around wonderful!

close up of a coconut-lime chickpea flour muffin, with more in the background, on a cooling rack

I am a sucker for just about anything that combines the flavors of coconut and lime. So, with the arrival of warmer temperatures this week, I decided it was the perfect time to celebrate the combination by making a batch of Coconut-Lime Chickpea Flour Muffins.

They are equally simple and sensational.

coconut-lime chickpea flour muffins on a silver cooling rack

Healthy Benefits of Coconut-Lime Chickpea Flour Muffins

I made the muffins with one of my favorite flours, chickpea flour, which means they are naturally grain-free, but the muffins  are also:

  • Vegan
  • Oil-free
  • Nut-free
  • Seed-free
  • Gluten-free
  • High-protein
  • High-fiber

Sorry, over-priced coffee store muffins, you cannot even begin to compete.

overhead shot of coconut and lime chickpea flour muffins

Yes, these muffins will nourish and fortify you for the most demanding mornings. Yet the reason you’ll want to make them (many times!) comes down to great flavor and texture.

Ingredients for the Muffins

It is astonishing how the texture of  chickpea flour breads and muffins can resemble wheat flour baked goods, and that is certainly the case here. But the tenderness  is owed to the very ingredients that deliver the signature flavors: canned, full-fat coconut milk and lime.

Coconut milk is both oil and milk in one, and when combined with lime juice, it becomes a rich, dairy-free version of buttermilk, which is one of the best ingredients for creating a tender texture in quick breads of all kinds.

Other than stirring up the coconut milk and lime juice in a separate cup, this recipe is a one-bowl, quick whisk and bake affair.

batter for chickpea flour muffins in a mixing bowl with a whisk

Important: Only Fill Muffin Cups Halfway Full

The only critical step in the process is this: fill the muffin cups no more than halfway. 

muffin tin , lined with green paper liners, file with chickpea flour muffin batter

I mean it when I say it’s a critical step. If the cups are filled to0 full, the muffins will rise, then droop, and eventually finish with flat or slightly sunken tops.

But so long as the batter is kept to the halfway point or lower, your muffins will rise and shine!

coconut-lime chickpea flour muffins, still in the muffin tin

These muffins have plenty of room for variation, too.  For example, use lemon (juice and zest) instead of lime. stir-in some nuts, seeds, or fruit (fresh or dried), or, perhaps, spice things up with some ginger or cardamom.

Do keep in mind that, if you swap the coconut milk for a low fat or nonfat dairy-free milk, you will need to add some fat. Yes, the muffins will still look like muffins without the added fat, but they will be tough and dry. See my tips in the recipes for how much oil to add in such a circumstance.

I hope that you enjoy these as much as I do! They taste like a mini tropical vacation with each bite.

Happy baking!

close-up of an unwrapped coconut chickpea flour muffins

More Scrumptious Chickpea Flour Baked Goods:

Basic Vegan Chickpea Flour Muffins (grain-free, oil-free)

Coconut-Lime Chickpea Flour Shortbread {vegan, grain-free}

Chocolate Chickpea Flour Muffins {vegan, grain-free}

Lime & Coconut Muffins {Vegan, Grain-Free}

Lime & Coconut Muffins {Vegan, Grain-Free}

Yield: 9 muffins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Scrumptious & healthy coconut-lime chickpea flour muffins! They are vegan, grain-free, oil-free, nut-free, & all-around wonderful!

Ingredients

  • 1 cup full-fat coconut milk (stir well before measuring)
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
  • 1 and 1/4 cups (150 g) chickpea flour
  • 1/4 cup coconut palm sugar
  • 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F. Line 9 cups of a standard muffin pan with foil or paper liners.
  2. In a small cup or bowl, combine the coconut milk and lime juice. Set aside for 5 minutes.
  3. Ina medium bowl, whisk together the chickpea flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, and salt. Add the milk mixture, lime zest and vanilla; stir until blended and smooth. Divide batter evenly between prepared cups (do not overfill; cups should be no more than 1/2-way full).
  4. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes until risen, golden brown, and a toothpick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean.
  5. Cool 5 minutes in muffin pan. Remove muffins from pan and cool completely on cooling rack.

Notes

Storage: Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container at (cool) room temperature for 2 days, the refrigerator for 1 week or the freezer for up to 6 months.

Using Other Milks: If using low fat or nonfat nondairy milk in place of the coconut milk, add 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil (e.g., melted virgin coconut oil, avocado oil) and reduce the total amount of milk by 3 tablespoons.

Use Other Sweeteners: An equal amount of brown sugar, natural cane sugar, or pure maple syrup can be used in place of the coconut sugar

Nutrition Information
Serving Size 1 muffin
Amount Per Serving Calories 121Total Fat 5.5gSaturated Fat 4.2gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 0gCholesterol 0mgSodium 187mgCarbohydrates 13.7gFiber 1.4gSugar 7.1gProtein 3.3g

Did you make this recipe?

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Susan

Saturday 4th of February 2023

Do you use a standard size muffin pan? I did and made 12 muffins because 9 seemed more than 1/2 way full. Still had flat tops but very good.

Camilla

Saturday 4th of February 2023

Yes, I used standard. It's been awhile since I have made these...I am glad you adapted and went with 12!

Eden

Wednesday 13th of April 2022

Could I used whole chickpeas blended instead of chickpea flour?

Camilla

Thursday 14th of April 2022

Alas, no— sorry Eden. The cooked chickpeas work very differently from the chickpea flour (made from raw dried chickpeas). So it’s like using cooked eggs instead of raw eggs in a baking recipe.

Alison

Tuesday 2nd of March 2021

Really easy and yummy! As per your notes I used maple syrup + 1 tsp of honey instead of sugar. Added 1/3 cup shredded coconut, along with some cardamom powder and turmeric. The extra volume left me with 12 muffins instead of 9, yay :) Thanks

Camilla

Thursday 14th of April 2022

You are so welcome, Alison!

Karen

Tuesday 17th of November 2020

Can I use coconut cream rather than coconut milk?

Camilla

Monday 23rd of November 2020

Hi Karen, Yes, but with some modifications. Coconut cream is the thickest part of coconut milk, so to replace the coconut milk, I suggest using about 1/3 to 1/2 coconut cream and the rest water.

HungryTurtle

Monday 20th of April 2020

Made the muffins today. I added about two tbsp of shredded coconut in the batter and a bit extra on the top of each muffin. So airy and fluffy! :) Another great recipe!!

Camilla

Thursday 23rd of April 2020

YUM! Love some shredded coconut, sounds so good, Hungry Turtle!

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