These Paleo Pumpkin Muffins are light & fluffy, without using any flour or oil! They are lightly sweet, with the perfect amount of pumpkin spice flavor.
What makes them Paleo?
Instead of using flour, these muffins get their structure from a combination of almond butter and eggs. Just like magic, they become light & fluffy when they bake!
These Paleo Pumpkin Muffins are:
- Made in just 1 bowl
- Gluten-free
- Grain-free
- Dairy-free
- Oil-free
- Naturally-sweet
- and perfect for Fall baking!
Like most of my Paleo recipes, I don’t recommend trying to use a flax egg here as an egg substitute. The results will be very gooey in the middle, like they are under-baked, and the muffins won’t rise.
The eggs provide structure to these flourless muffins, so if you need a vegan alternative, I’d recommend trying my Vegan Pumpkin Donuts (which you can bake in a muffin tin) or Vegan Pumpkin Bars, instead.
Ingredients You’ll Need
What’s in a Paleo muffin?
- Almond Butter
- Pumpkin puree
- Maple syrup
- Eggs
- Baking powder
- Pumpkin Pie Spice
- Salt
You can use homemade almond butter or store-bought (look for the kind that needs to be stirred), and if you can’t find canned pumpkin puree, I’ve also got you covered with a tutorial on how to make pumpkin puree.
I use store-bought pumpkin pie spice for convenience, but you can make your own pumpkin pie spice at home, too.
How to Make the Pumpkin Muffins
1. Stir. Add all of the ingredients together in a large bowl, and mix well, until the batter looks very smooth.
2. Bake. Use a 1/4 cup measure to divide the batter among 12 muffin liners in a pan. Bake at 350ºF until the muffins rise and look firm in the center, about 25 minutes.
3. Enjoy! Let the muffins cool in the pan, then remove the muffin liner and enjoy. They have an amazingly fluffy texture, without using any flour.
Extra Add-Ins
If you love a muffin with a variety of textures and flavors, there are several things you can add-in to the batter to make these even better.
Here are some ideas:
- Mini Chocolate Chips (I like Enjoy Life or Hu brands)
- Chopped walnuts or pecans
- Dried Cranberries
- Raisins
- Fresh Cranberries (for a tart flavor)
You can sprinkle these on top, or fold them into the batter for extra texture all throughout the muffin.
Helpful Tips & Common Questions
Baking powder. When using baking powder in Paleo recipes, be sure to look for a brand that is made with arrowroot starch instead of corn starch. (Corn isn’t technically paleo, if you are following a strict plan.) As an alternative, you can swap the baking powder for a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda + 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar.
Stick prevention. Flourless baked goods tend to stick to the pan more than muffins made with a traditional flour. If you are baking these for guests, I recommend using a parchment muffin cup (affiliate link) to ensure these muffins will easily release from the pan, and from the paper liner.
Note: Typically I use reusable silicone muffin cups in our home, to reduce waste (since I test recipes a lot!) and they work okay for this recipe, but you do have to be extra-gentle when trying to get these muffins out of a silicone muffin cup. The bottom of the muffins can be tricky to remove in that case.
Substitutions. If you don’t have almond butter on hand, try using cashew butter as a swap! Peanut butter also works, but it’s not Paleo and will result in a drier texture. For a nut-free recipe, try using sunflower seed butter instead of almond butter.
Swapping honey. You can use maple syrup instead of honey, if you prefer. Or you can use a 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup coconut sugar, for a slightly different texture.
Low on almond butter? I’ve also made this recipe with 3/4 cup almond butter + 2 tablespoons of ground flax, to help add extra structure.
More Grain-Free Muffins to Try
- Apple Spice Muffins
- Almond Flour Muffins
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Raspberry Chocolate Muffins
- Double Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins
I can’t wait to hear which ones you try next!
Paleo Pumpkin Muffins (Gluten-free!)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond butter (263 grams)
- 1/2 cup pumpkin puree (127 grams)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup (104 grams)
- 2 large eggs (97 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (5 grams; or 1/2 teaspoon baking soda)
- 2 teaspoons Pumpkin Pie Spice (6 grams; see notes)
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (2 grams)
Optional Add-Ins:
- 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
- 1/3 cup dried cranberries or raisins
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF, and line a muffin tin with 12 parchment paper liners. (I don't recommend making these without a liner, as grain-free baking is extra prone to sticking.)
- In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, pumpkin, maple syrup, eggs, baking powder, pumpkin pie spice, and salt. Stir well, until the batter is completely smooth.
- Fold in any of the optional add-ins you want to. Using roughly a 1/4 cup measure, distribute the batter evenly among the 12 baking cups.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350ºF, until the centers puff up, and are firm to a light touch.
- Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Because these muffins are pretty moist, I recommend storing them in the fridge for the best shelf life. They will keep well in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze them for up to 3 months.
Notes
Nutrition
If you try these Paleo Pumpkin Muffins, please leave a comment below letting me know how you like them. And if you make any modifications, I’d love to hear about those, too! We can all benefit from each others’ experience.
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Reader Feedback: What’s your favorite Pumpkin treat?
Oh boy, these look yummy! So glad to hear they freeze well because I like to make big batches of food on the weekend and refrigerate or freeze for convenience during the work week. Thanks!
These look amazing!!!! Love anything pumpkin! I would never think to use almond butter as a base to my muffins but I bet it’s really good!
ahhh i just got a new jar of almond butter so these will be made asap they look so good!
i LOVE pumpkin spice, sometimes i add cocoa powder to pumpkin puree with a little raw maple syrup for a little treat! i’m so surprised that nut butter makes such a nice muffin! i thought they would be super flat!
Just made these this afternoon and they’re delicious! Thanks for the great grain-free options!
So glad you enjoyed them already! 🙂
Thank you so much for this delicious recipe. It’s the only one I know which is both flour- and sugar-free(I use xylitol in place of the syrup and 100% cocoa chips). Just one muffin is very satisfying, and I and my son, who are both sugar addicts, can’t say this about hardly any other treats. Bravo!
Thanks; I’m glad you and your son enjoyed them!
Wow those muffins look awesome for using almond butter! And I’m the same I love pumpkin spice anything! I am officially addicted. Just a quick question, what do you think of baking the almond flour/almond butter because of the oxidation and the rancidity of the almonds? And that is apparently has free radicals and is unstable when baking with. I get so confused with all that ha ha.
Hi Lisa! I’ve wondered the same thing myself, and after doing some searching, I’m still at a loss. Some experts seem to think heating almonds has no impact on their health benefits, while others swear it will make the Omega-3 acids go rancid– and therefore should be avoided. So, who knows for sure! Personally, I’m of the thought that these almond-based goodies should be a special treat, rather than an every day indulgence, just to be on the safe side.
Could i use stevia in these instead?
Yes, I’m sure stevia will work, too. You’ll just have to compensate by adding some extra moisture (maybe almond milk or extra pumpkin puree would work?) in place of the maple syrup. Please let us know if you have any success!
I’d suggest adding some applesauce for the moisture! 🙂
I am so glad you like pumpkin spice everything because I do TOO! And I am in love with your recipes!!!! Question: If I want to replace the honey for Liquid Stevia would it work and how many drops would you recommend? Thanks for all your delicious recipes!
Hi, love the site !
my question is about the syrup / honey used in the pumpkin muffins…I’m not using honey or real syrup at this point, is there something else I could use …maybe DaVinci sugargree syrup or the likes or maybe alittle bit of maple extract ??
I would really like to try these.
Thanks
Oops I am sorry I didn’t read the other comments. Disregard my question.
we made grain free pumpkin pumpkins months ago, this reminds need to make some! never thought to use almond butter, yum!
What could you substitute for the almond butter due to allergies?
I have a recipe for flourless muffins that uses bananas and almond butter. They are suprisingly moist and fluffy. Definitely going to try this recipe when I get home today. YUM!
This is funny…..I just made the grain free pumpkin spice bars with chocolate chips last night before you published it as a muffin. I love pumpkin and chocolate! They came out terrific. Will definitely try the muffin version next!
Love these! They are moist, yummy and filling. Thanks for the recipe!
Like you, I am completely in love with anything that involves pumpkin spice, or almonds for that matter! However, I am allergic to eggs. Do you think it would be possible to make these with flax seeds instead? Have you had any success with flax seeds in grain-free baking before? I know they probably won’t be as stable or hold together as well, but as long as they’re not complete mush I think the delicious taste will make up for it 🙂
Made these last night-so yummy. Added a bit
More cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Thank you
For your wonderful creations!!
I just made these tonight! I added flaxseed & carob chips to my batter. They came out so moist, and rose so quickly – I was really impressed! As much as I could eat 12 in one sitting, I’ll have to be careful considering the aforementioned risk of cooking almonds at a high-heat scare. Thank you for such amazing recipes (and easy ones too)!
Not a big fan of pumpkins at all. But made this muffins and it’s GREAT! Kids love it too.
Just make these using cashew butter (which I made). and they were delicious. will make them again. Will add more spices.Thanks for all the wonderful recipes you send out..
These are to die for!! I just made them with 85% cocoa chocolate chunks. So yummy!
I made a double batch of these and they are so yummy! Like what others have said, I’ll add more spices next time, but these have become our favorite GF pumpkin muffins! Thank you for sharing! Also, I was trying to give this recipe5 stars but I can’t get it off three! 🙁 I REALLY give it five! *****
LOVED these muffins! My family did half chocolate chips and the other half plain, and they were both yummy. Thank you!
I LOVE these. I was worried they wouldn’t fulfill my muffin craving, but they totally did, and they are so filling. My kids also LOVED them. I am making a second batch now. More muffin recipes for the mamas, please!
Hi, I tried these muffins awhile back and they were delicious! Now I am doing the Whole30 and was wondering if you had a way to make them without sugar. I know they won’t taste as sweet, but maybe I could add a banana? I am reallt more concerned that the texture will stay the same if I do not add maple syrup/honey, etc. Fake sugar is not okay either. Thank you!
I think a mashed banana may work! The only way to know for sure is to try it out, so please let us know if you have any success!
For sugar free, you can puree some dates or raisins with a little bit of coconut oil. If you are able to eat raw honey, that would work too.
Hi
Could you substitute banana for the eggs?
Thanks
In grain-free muffin recipes, I’ve yet to find a good substitute for eggs. Flax eggs produce a gooey, un-cooked consistency, so I assume a banana would have the same result. It will probably taste great, but I wouldn’t expect a fluffy muffin texture.
Thanks for a GREAT easy recipe! These were absolutely delicious Still can’t believe they came out so well without flour! 🙂
tried, tested, and tastes great! my version of it here: http://baykery.tumblr.com/
thanks for sharing! 😉
Hi Megan! I am just starting to consider a wheat free eating plan. I don’t think it has been mentioned how many calories would be in one muffin. (Or I may have missed it) Would you happen to know or could you estimate? Thanks.
Please see my FAQ regarding nutrition info: https://detoxinista.com/frequently-asked-questions/
Made the muffins with “flax eggs” and they were great! They turned out a little under done, so I’ll cook a little longer next time. My kids loved them!
made these today. I had to eat two of them! YUM!
I absolutely LOVE all of your recipes! These muffins are so delicious. I have a 2 year old daughter and she devours them. I love feeding her nutritious treats. Thank you for sharing!! 🙂
I have only recently began to love pumpkin spice everything!! These babies are in the oven and the batter was absolutely amazing! I added some vanilla extract to it because I can never seem to not add it to cakes 🙂 Thanks for this great paleo recipe!
Holy cow! These were amazing!! So moist and yummy….I will be making a double batch next time 🙂
I found this recipe after a search for grain free pumpkin muffins. I am new to grain free baking and will admit I was skeptical about these, but I was wrong. The muffins turned out delicious!! My hubby and kids love them and I’m making a second batch to serve at a morning book club meeting. Thank you for sharing your recipe!!
Oh my goodness! I LOVE these! I am sure that using cashew butter would have the same rancid issue, but I will try it for the flavor aspect. From one who is just starting the Paleo journey – THANK YOU!
I am absolutely obsessed with all your muffin recipes (peanut butter, cinnamon spice, pumpkin…). They are all so simple, amazingly delicious, and shockingly grain-free. I’ve been making them and sharing them all year. Thank you so much for coming up with these recipes! They have been satisfying my sweet tooth but also supporting my workouts and diet.
These are amazing! Thank you so much! We’re getting back to paleo and I’m missing the sweets…these are perfect!!!
Can I sub and use coconut flour if so how?
I just made these today and they’re AMAZING!!! Thank you!!
Can I sun almond butter for either regular butter or coconut oil?
Delicious! So moist and totally satisfied the craving for a muffin!
These were amazing! So nutty and moist, delicious! I made them today, even though I was a little skeptical. I’ve had THREE so far… I’ve put some in the freezer but something tells me they won’t stay there that long.
These were delicious! I added some vegan chocolate chips…YUM!
These muffins were so wonderful! I was so surprised at how the texture was so perfect! They taste and feel like they are made with flour! I made these for a friend who eats gluten free. Not only did she love them, but so did the whole family! Thank you! I love pumpkin spice anything, and enjoyed your pumpkin spiced latte, too. I did not try the chocolate in it this time.
Would this recipe be the same with sweet potatoes instead of pumpkin? I love sweet potatoes…
So, I substituted sunflower seed butter for the almond butter. The taste and texture were good (although the sun butter flavor is pretty overwhelming and I couldn’t really taste the pumpkin) but the muffins turned green! I’m not sure why. They look gross but taste pretty good.
It’s a chemical reaction the baking soda– for some reason sunflower butter + baking soda = green baked goods! It’s totally safe, just not visually appealing. 😉
Do you have nutrition facts for all your recipes?
Would these work in a bread pan instead of as muffins?
I am wondering about making them in a bread pan instead as well?…
I would like to add banana to this recipe too. Any suggestions for how to modify so it’s not too wet?
I made your Vegan Pumpkin Bread the other day (delicious) and had exactly 1/2 cup of pumpkin puree left, so I made these today! SO good!!!!! Thank you so much for your dedication to easy, healthy recipes that turn out every time! 🙂