Soft fluffy Paleo pumpkin muffins! These grain-free, refined sugar-free, and dairy-free pumpkin muffins are full of pumpkin spice and scream all things fall. Made with better-for-you ingredients and so easy to make!
Fall is in the air and that means all things pumpkin spice. These Paleo pumpkin muffins are the best ever. They have an incredibly soft and fluffy texture and are made with good-for-you ingredients. I especially love that they are naturally and lightly sweetened with coconut sugar, so they are much healthier than traditional pumpkin muffins.
Even if you don't follow a Paleo diet, these muffins are for you! While I'm not Paleo, I love the Paleo approach to eating as it's all clean food and that's what I'm all about. I love a baked good that is grain free, low in carbs, and is minimally/naturally sweetened. What's not to love about that!?
And if you're all things pumpkin spice right now, like me, I think you'll like my pumpkin spice granola and gluten-free pumpkin chocolate chip bread.
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Ingredients for Paleo Pumpkin Muffins
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below. Here are some specific notes and substitutions.
Almond flour -almond flour and not almond meal is recommended. If in a pinch, almond meal could work, but won't yield the same results.
Pumpkin puree - be sure to use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie mix. The only ingredient should be pumpkin.
Arrowroot starch - this is used in combination with the almond flour to create a soft and fluffy texture. You can use arrowroot starch or tapioca starch.
Coconut flour - this helps absorb the liquid and make a cake-like texture. If you don't have coconut flour, you can omit this, but just know you will end up with a slightly different result.
Non-dairy milk - Any unsweetened dairy-free milk (Paleo compliant) can be used. If you don't need these to be Paleo, you can use any milk you'd like.
Eggs - it's best to use room temperature eggs as they mix better in the batter and help the muffins rise. To quickly get to room temp, run under hot water for 30 seconds.
Clean food tip: Look for dairy-free milk that contains just the source of the milk (i.e., almonds), water, and maybe salt. Avoid gums and additives if you can. Malk and Elmhurst are my favorites.
Tips for Baking with Almond Flour
Almond flour is a healthy alternative when it comes to baking. However, it is not a 1:1 replacement for regular all-purpose flour, or any flour for that matter. You should always follow a recipe that has been tested with almond flour for best results. In addition, here are some tips so you end up with delicious almond flour baked goods every time.
- Almond flour tends to burn quickly, so I find that at the end of the baking times, it helps to tent the item with tin foil to allow the interior to finish cooking while not burning the exterior.
- When you measure almond flour, scoop flour into measuring cup and level off with a knife. Do not pack the flour into the measuring cup or you'll end up with too much and your baked goods may be dense and dry.
- Almond flour should be stored in the fridge or freezer once opened to maintain freshness.
- In baking specifically, the finer the almond flour the better.
What about almond flour vs. almond meal? These are both made from ground almonds, however, almond flour has had the skin of the almonds removed. Almond flour is best when it comes to baking recipes.
Step-by-Step Directions
1. Whisk the dry ingredients (almond flour, arrowroot starch, coconut flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon) in a large mixing bowl.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, eggs, vanilla, coconut oil, and milk).
3. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
4. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin (or use muffin liners) and evenly scoop batter between muffin cups. Use a large spring-loaded cookie scoop (¼ cup size) to help create a nice round muffin top. Bake at 350F for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins comes out clean and top of muffins are firm to the touch.
Allow to cool before removing from the pan and then enjoy the best Paleo pumpkin muffins 😊
Expert Tips and Notes
When you measure the almond flour, be sure to scoop the almond flour into the measuring cup and level off with a knife. Do not pack the flour, or you will end up with too much and your muffins may end up dry.
Almond flour bakes faster than other flours and can burn on the edges before the interior is done baking. If the tops of your muffins are getting too brown, you can tent the muffins with some tin foil during the last 5 minutes of baking.
Allow muffins to cool before removing from the pan. Almond four baked goods need time to set and firm up after baking.
Use a large spring-loaded cookie scoop (¼ cup) to scoop the batter into the muffin pans. This will help get a nice round muffin top.
Muffin Variations
Make into mini-muffins: Grease a 24-cup mini muffin pan and divide batter between muffin cups. Bake at 350F for 12-15 minutes, or until set and a toothpick entered in center of muffins comes out clean.
Make into bars: Spread batter into an 8x8 or 9x9 square baking dish (be sure to grease first) and bake at 350F for 25-30 minutes, or until center is firm and a toothpick entered comes out clean. If top starts to brown too much before interior is done, loosely cover with foil at the end of baking time.
Make into pumpkin chocolate chip muffins: Fold ¾ cup of your favorite chocolate chips into the batter after ingredients are fully mixed. Note: use Paleo compliant chocolate chips if needing to keep these Paleo.
Add some walnuts, pecans, or pumpkin seeds: Sprinkle some on top or add to the batter before baking.
Replace some of the flour with ground flaxseeds: For an extra nutrient boost, reduce the almond flour to 1 ¾ cup and add in ¼ cup of ground flaxseeds/flaxseed meal.
Storage Guidelines
These Paleo pumpkin muffins are best enjoyed fresh. But leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge to extend freshness. Simply warm them up on a microwave safe plate for 10 seconds. They should last for 4-5 days when stored in the fridge.
These can also be frozen in a freezer safe container for up to 3 months.
FAQs
Other than the eggs, all ingredients in these Paleo pumpkin muffins are vegan. I have not tried an egg substitute, but I do know almond flour can be tricky when baking with flax eggs or other substitutes. If you do try, please let me know how they turn out.
"Healthy" is a very subjective term, so whether or not these are healthy is up for debate 🙂 But, these are made with better-for-you ingredients and are absolutely healthier than traditional pumpkin muffins that are made with refined flours and packed with refined sugar.
More Paleo Recipes for You to Try!
Eat Clean.Be Healthy!
-Sara
Paleo Pumpkin Muffins
Equipment
- 2 mixing bowls
- 1 12-cup muffin pan
Ingredients
- 2 cups almond flour
- ⅔ cup arrowroot starch (or tapioca starch)
- ⅓ cup coconut flour
- ½ cup coconut sugar
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- ½ tsp. fine sea salt
- 2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
- ½ tsp. ground cinnamon
- 2 eggs (room temperature)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie mix)
- ¾ cup non-dairy/unsweetened milk
- ¼ cup coconut oil, melted
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F. Grease, or add muffin liners, to a 12-cup muffin pan; set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk the almond flour, arrowroot starch, coconut flour, coconut sugar, baking soda, salt, pumpkin spice, and cinnamon.
- In a separate bowl, whisk the remaining ingredients (eggs through vanilla extract).
- Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix until everything is fully combined.
- Using a large spring-loaded cookie scoop (¼ cup size), scoop batter evenly between each well of the muffin tin (using a cookie scoop helps with the round muffin top). If you don't have a cookie scoop, a spoon works fine (you'll use about ¼ cup batter for each muffin).
- Bake for 27-30 minutes, or until a toothpick entered in the center comes out clean and muffins are firm to the touch.
- Allow to cool before removing from the pan. Enjoy!
Notes
- I find that these muffins stick to the paper liners, so I recommend greasing your muffin pan as opposed to using liners.
- When you measure the almond flour, scoop the almond flour into the measuring cup and level off with a knife. Do not pack the flour, or you will end up with too much and your muffins may end up dry and dense.
- If the tops of your muffins are getting too brown, you can tent the muffins with some tin foil during the last 5 minutes of baking.
Love that I can enjoy my favorite pumpkin muffins in a healthier way with this recipe!
These are delicious. I made a double batch and love to have a muffin with my morning coffee.
Love addition of almond flour in this recipe! These pumpkin muffins would be perfect with a cup of coffee in the morning!
I love that these are refined sugar free and much healthier than store bought. Thanks
So much healthier than store bought 🙂
Love these healthier pumpkin muffins! We've been having them for breakfast this week.
I love having them for breakfast, too!