Coconut Mango Muffins (with Dark Chocolate)

Coconut Mango Muffins are full of flavour and texture with chunks of juicy mango, steel-cut oats and unsweetened coconut. They’re dairy-free and sweetened with just maple syrup and dark chocolate.

*This post was originally published in May 2018. It has been updated with new photos and text, including helpful tips for readers and a few adjustments to the recipe.

I’m putting my go-to oatmeal muffin base recipe to good use again with these mango coconut muffins. My trick of soaking the oats in milk overnight keeps these muffins soft and moist. If you’re new to this method, check out a few of my other overnight oatmeal muffin recipes:

• Cranberry Orange Oatmeal Muffins + Video
• Healthy Banana Nut Muffins
• Blackberry Lemon Oatmeal Muffins
• Blueberry Vanilla Oatmeal Muffins
• Banana Blackberry Oatmeal Muffins

Why you’ll love these mango oatmeal muffins

• You can use fresh or frozen mango so it’s a great year-round recipe.
• There’s no refined sugar in the muffins except for any that might be in the dairy-free dark chocolate chunks.
• They’re dairy-free, made without butter or cow’s milk.
• The dark chocolate and cocoa make these muffins a double chocolate treat.
• They’re perfect for breakfast or snacks and freeze well too.

Ingredients to make coconut mango muffins

Mango – A full cup of chopped mango adds a fresh and sweet tropical flavour to these muffins. It also adds extra moisture.

Coconut – I used unsweetened medium desiccated coconut, but you can also use shredded for added texture.

Oats – The recipe calls for steel-cut oats for a hearty and nutty texture, but you can easily swap in rolled oats.

Nut milk – To keep these muffins dairy-free, I used unsweetened almond milk, but you can use another type of non-dairy milk.

Cocoa – Unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa adds a rich chocolate flavour to these muffins.

Dark chocolate – Chunks of dark chocolate pair with the cocoa for a double chocolate treat. Opt for dairy-free chocolate to keep these muffins dairy-free.

Flour – I used whole wheat flour to keep these muffins a little more wholesome.

Extra virgin olive oil – For some added moisture.

Maple syrup – For added sweetness.

Vanilla – I used real vanilla extract instead of artificial.

Egg – To provide structure for the muffins and a tender crumb.

Baking soda – For leavening.

Salt – To enhance the flavour of the other ingredients.

How to make mango coconut muffins

• Soak your steel-cut oats in almond milk overnight.

• Once the oats are soaked, add them to a large bowl along with the maple syrup, oil, egg and vanilla. Stir or whisk until combined.

• In a small bowl, whisk or sift together the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.

• Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir until combined.

• Fold in the mango, chocolate and coconut.

• Divide the batter into a 12-cavity greased muffin pan.

• Bake on 425F for 15-17 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.

Storage and freezing tips

How do you store these mango muffins? They should be stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

How long will they last? If stored properly, they should last for 2-3 days.

Can you freeze them? Yes. Just arrange the muffins in a single layer in an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature before enjoying.

Frequently asked questions

Do you need to soak the oats overnight? Yes. Since this recipe calls for steel-cut oats, soaking them overnight (or for at least 5-6 hours) gives the oats time to absorb the milk and soften.

Can you use rolled oats or quick cooking oats in place of the steel-cut oats? Absolutely. If you’re short on time, you can use rolled oats or quick cooking oats and soak them for just 30-60 minutes.

Can you make these muffins with frozen mango? Yes. When I can’t find fresh mango, I use frozen mango for this recipe. Just let the mango defrost first before adding it to the muffin batter. You may also need to cut it into smaller pieces if the mango is frozen in larger chunks or slices.

Can you make these muffins with dried mango? I haven’t tested this muffin recipe with dried mango. While it would likely work, the muffins may turn out a bit dry. Fresh or frozen mango adds moisture to the muffins that would be missing if you used dried mango.

Can you substitute another type of flour for the whole wheat flour in this recipe? To keep these muffins healthier, I prefer whole wheat flour but you can substitute an equal amount of all-purpose white flour if you prefer. I haven’t tested this recipe with any other type of flour.

How can you make these muffins vegan? Make sure your dark chocolate chunks are vegan and substitute a flax egg for the egg.

Additional recipe tips and substitutions

• Make sure your mango is cut into small pieces so there is enough to disperse throughout the muffin batter. Larger chunks will also affect how well the muffins bake.

• These muffins are not overly sweet, so if you prefer a sweeter muffin, try substituting sweetened coconut for unsweetened. 

• While I used chocolate chunks, feel free to use chocolate chips, mini chocolate chips or chopped dark chocolate.

• If you don’t need these muffins to be dairy-free, you can substitute dairy milk for the almond milk.

• For an extra coconut flavour, use coconut milk (the carton, not the can) and top the muffins with coconut chips before baking.

• You can make six jumbo muffins from this recipe. Just increase the bake time to 23-25 minutes.

• Darker pans tend to brown muffins, cakes and cookies faster than lighter pans. I made this recipe in a darker muffin pan and the muffins were fully baked by 15 minutes. If your pan is lighter in colour, such as aluminum, it may take another minute or two for the muffins to fully bake.

Other muffins recipes you might enjoy

• Spelt Banana Muffins – dairy-free and naturally sweetened.

• Partridgeberry (Lingonberry) Muffins – made with whole wheat flour and white chocolate chips.

• Raspberry Lemon Muffins – grain-free with chia seeds and buckwheat.

• Apple Spice Muffins – dairy-free and refined sugar-free.

If you make these coconut mango muffins, I would love to hear what you think in the comments below.

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