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If you’re a huge fan of mint chocolate, you’re going to LOVE my Gluten Free After Eight Muffins!
These fluffy gluten free chocolate muffins are filled with a mint chocolate ganache and topped with an After Eight chocolate.
They make a lovely treat during the festive season or you could even bake a batch and give them as a gift!
Dusted with edible glitter they look as good as they taste, the perfect Christmas treat.
Wait… After Eight Muffins?
I must confess the idea for these gluten free After Eight muffins came when I saw Costa Coffee had released their own version.
Their cakes always look amazing but I can never eat the ones that I want to!
As my boyfriend Steve is such a big fan of After Eights, I thought I’d have a go at making my own.
I used my gluten free triple chocolate muffins as the base for this recipe and it worked an absolute treat.
After creating a light and fluffy chocolate muffin, it was time to sort the filling too.
I did this by making a rich mint chocolate ganache using After Eights, dark chocolate and double cream.
Once you scoop a hole from the middle of the muffin and fill it with this, topped with an After Eight, it just becomes the most delicious sweet treat.
Are After Eights gluten free?
Yes – After Eights are gluten free!
After Eights have no gluten in the ingredients and they also don’t have any ‘may contain’ warnings.
This means they’re gluten free and safe for people with coeliac disease to eat.
After Eights have always been a tradition in our house around Christmas-time so it seemed natural to include them in a festive bake.
My parents genuinely had me believing as a child that you couldn’t eat them before 8pm.
I used to sit and watch the clock, waiting for the moment I could have one of the minty treats!
But if you want to make these gluten free After Eight muffins, you can eat them at any time you like.
What do I need to make these muffins?
Making these gluten free After Eight muffins is super easy!
There’s a full printable recipe card down below, but for the shopping list you’ll need:
- 100 g unsalted butter, (softened)
- 175 g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 140 g natural yoghurt
- 2 tbsp milk
- 210 g plain gluten free flour
- 40 g cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
The raising agents in these muffins are the baking powder and bicarbonate of soda, which makes them super light and fluffy.
The trick with baking these is to pop them in a super hot oven for the first five minutes.
Then turn the oven down and continue the bake – the hotter temperature at the start causes the muffins to rise quicker.
You could also add some chocolate chips to this recipe if you like, but I find with the mint chocolate ganache it’s already rich enough.
How to make the mint chocolate ganache
The real star of my gluten free After Eight muffins is the decadent mint chocolate ganache in the centre.
Usually you make chocolate ganache using half the amount of cream to chocolate.
However, for this I substituted half of the chocolate for After Eights!
This worked perfectly to create a ganache which is minty, rich and delicious.
Simply heat the cream until it just starts to simmer, then pour over the chopped up chocolate and After Eights.
Once it melts it creates a gorgeous ganache which you can then leave to cool slightly before filling the centre of the After Eight muffins.
Gluten free After Eight muffins
So here it is, my gluten free After Eight muffins recipe – the perfect festive treat for mint chocolate fans!
This recipe makes 12 gluten free muffins, each filled with a rich, minty ganache and topped with an After Eight.
If you make this recipe and love it, please do let me know by tagging me on my Instagram or using #theglutenfreeblogger. I love seeing your bakes!
And please do leave a review to let others know you loved it too! It would mean the world to me.
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Gluten Free After Eight Muffins
These gluten free After Eight muffins are a gluten free chocolate muffin filled with mint chocolate ganache and topped with an After Eight. This recipe makes 12 muffins.
Ingredients
For the muffins:
- 100 g unsalted butter, (softened)
- 175 g caster sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 140 g natural yoghurt
- 2 tbsp milk
- 210 g plain gluten free flour
- 40 g cocoa powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/4 tsp xanthan gum
For the ganache:
- 100g dark chocolate
- 100g After Eights
- 100ml double cream
For decorating:
- 12 After Eight chocolates
- Edible glitter (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200'C / Fan 180'C / Gas Mark 6 and place 12 muffin cases in a 12-hole muffin tin.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together with an electric whisk until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs, yoghurt and milk and mix again until combined.
- Sift in the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and xantham gum. Fold in using a wooden spoon or spatula until combined.
- Spoon the mixture evenly between the 12 muffin cases, and then place in the oven. Bake for 5 minutes and then turn the temperature down to 180'C / Fan 160'C / Gas Mark 4. Bake for a further 15-18 minutes and remove from the oven. Remove the muffins from the oven and allow to cool completely while you make the ganache.
To make the ganache:
- Chop the dark chocolate and After Eight chocolates into small pieces and place in a large bowl.
- Pour the double cream into a saucepan and heat on a very low heat. As soon as the cream starts to simmer (not boil) remove from the heat. Pour over the chopped up chocolate and mix with a spoon until all the chocolate has melted.
- Pour the ganache into a piping bag and set to one side to cool slightly while you prepare the muffins.
To assemble:
- Using a sharp knife, cut a small hole in the centre of the muffin, to around half the depth of the cake, and remove the sponge from the middle.
- Pipe the ganache into the hole until it overflows a little. Place the After Eight on top and leave to set. Decorate with edible glitter to finish if using.
Notes
- These muffins will keep for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- If you want to make ahead and freeze these muffins, freeze them before filling with ganache and complete the ganache steps once defrosted.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 350Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 61mgSodium: 112mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 2gSugar: 28gProtein: 5g
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Need some more gluten free Christmas inspiration?
If you’re after some more gluten free Christmas classics then make sure you check out my Gluten Free Christmas ebook
From sticky toffee pudding and mince pies to bread sticks and cheese crackers, there’s something for everyone.
You can have a look at my Gluten Free Christmas ebook and purchase it here.
Want to have a go at some of the other gluten free baking recipes on the blog? Give some of these other gluten free recipes a try!
There are plenty to choose from – here are a couple to get you going:
- Gluten free gingerbread cookies
- Gluten free chocolate yule log recipe
- Easy gluten free Christmas shortbread recipe
If you do make this recipe please let me know! I’d love to see your photos using #theglutenfreeblogger, share them in my Facebook group or tag me on Instagram.
And if you have any recipe suggestions, please let me know in the comments what you’d like to see next!
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Like this Gluten Free After Eight Muffins recipe? Make sure you pin the recipe cards below for later!
Be aware after eights mints from USA contain gluten. I had a gluten reaction after a box of them and found that the batch number retalted to a USA batch and was somehow in the U.K. I was assured this was a isolated incident but been too scared to try after eights again.