Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 Celsius degrees) and line 8 muffins with paper liners (I prefer non-stick paper lines such as these).
 
Vegan buttermilk
In a glass or small bowl, combine the almond milk, apple cider vinegar, and ground flax seeds. Whisk together and set aside for the almond milk (or soy milk) to curdle. Rest for 5 minutes or until the mixture is thick and curdled, resembling buttermilk.


Muffin batter

To a medium-sized bowl, add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and mix together with a spatula to combine. Then stir in the vegan buttermilk. Next, add the apple sauce, maple syrup, and vanilla and stir until just combined. There should be no clumps, and the flour should be well mixed with the wet ingredients. Don’t overmix. 


If the batter appears to be way too thick, add a bit of almond milk. The batter should be pretty thick, though, and not pourable. It should be moist and scoopable.


Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Be gentle, and don’t overmix the batter. 


Bake
Divide the batter evenly between the muffins tins (muffin baking pan or silicone muffin molds). About ¾ of the muffin tins should be filled so there is space for the muffins to rise. 

When using a muffin baking pan, gently tap it on the kitchen counter before placing it in the oven. This will prevent little gaps in the bottom of the muffins.


Bake for about 20 minutes and let cool completely in the muffin tin before serving.


Bake for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and dry. Let the muffins cool in the muffin tins. 


Then remove from the tins and let cool on a cooling rack. The texture is best when the muffins are completely cooled.