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When you need a gluten-free, oil-free muffin recipe, these Paleo muffins are for you. They’re made without specialty flours (no almond or coconut flour required) and get their fluffy texture from a combination of apple sauce, eggs, and nut butter.
While it might not sound like it should work, it magically does.
These are adapted from my Paleo Pumpkin Muffins, so feel free to use pumpkin puree instead of applesauce if that’s what you have in your pantry. The puree flavor isn’t very noticeable in either case, so you’ll end up with a perfectly tender, lightly spiced muffin. You can add in pecans or chocolate chips for extra texture, too!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“Wow I have to say I was SO skeptical that this was ever going to work with no flour of any kind. I was sure the best case scenario would be a dense wet brick, and the worst case would be that it never baked at all. But it totally works!!! These muffins are so great and I feel really good about giving them to my toddler since they’re packed with protein from the almond butter. I don’t usually comment but I’m beyond stoked about this recipe!” – Maeve
Paleo Muffin Recipe INgredients
- Almond Butter. The base of this recipe is creamy, all-natural almond butter. It has healthy fats and fiber, so it acts as both an oil and flour substitute. (Don’t substitute butter or coconut oil for this ingredient and expect the same results– the fiber is key!)
- Eggs. These add structure to the muffins, helping them rise and hold their shape. I don’t recommend using an egg substitute in this case, as the muffins will turn out gooey in the center.
- Applesauce. This adds sweetness and moisture, so you don’t need added oil. If you’d rather use mashed banana or pumpkin puree, that can work, too.
- Honey. This natural sweetener helps boost the flavor and contributes to the texture. You can use maple syrup if you prefer, but the muffins will be slightly less sweet.
- Baking Powder. This ingredient is not always Paleo-friendly, as it can sometimes contain cornstarch. Look for one made with arrowroot if you are following a strict Paleo plan. (Or use a half teaspoon of baking soda, instead.)
- Spices. Ground ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt create an irresistible flavor.
How to Make Paleo Muffins
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin tin with 12 parchment paper cups.
In a large bowl, add the almond butter, applesauce, eggs, honey, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt. Stir well until the batter looks smooth.
Step 2:
Use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan. Evenly divide the batter among the 12 cups, if possible.
Note: Sometimes I only get 11 muffins from this batch, but you can distribute the batter evenly to make 12 smaller muffins, if you want to. These muffins are so nutrient-dense that they don’t need to be as large as a “bakery muffin” to be satisfying.
Step 3:
Top the muffins with chopped pecans, if you like, then bake at 350ºF for 25 to 30 minutes. You’ll know they’re done when the puff-up in the center.
When the timer goes off, let the muffins cool completely in the pan. They will firm up as they cool, and then they are ready to enjoy!
Storage Tip: Keep these muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. They can be served at room temperature or briefly warmed before serving again.
Apple Spice Paleo Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond butter
- ½ cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 whole eggs
- ⅓ cup honey
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (see note)
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup chopped pecans (optional; for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 12-cup muffin pan with parchment liners. In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, applesauce, eggs, honey, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Stir well, until the batter is very smooth.
- Use a 1/4 cup measure to distribute the batter among the baking cups. (When you use the 1/4 cup measure, sometimes you may only end up with 11 muffins instead of 12. Or, you can simply fill each muffin cup about halfway full, and get 12 small muffins.) Sprinkle chopped pecans on top, and gently press them into the batter, for a topping.
- Bake the muffins at 350ºF for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins rise and don't look soft in the center. Let them cool for at least 1 hour in the pan, then you can serve them.
- These spice muffins are very moist, so they are best kept in the fridge for the best shelf life. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months. To thaw, place them in the fridge overnight.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to try
- Grain-Free Granola
- Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Muffins
- Raspberry Chocolate Chip Muffins (with almond flour)
- Coconut Flour Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Healthy Pumpkin Bars (flourless)
- Almond Flour Banana Bread
- Coconut Flour Banana Bread
If you try these grain-free muffins, please leave a star rating and comment below letting me know what you think!
These are delicious! My muffins did sink a little bit in the middle (not sure what I did wrong); it didn’t effect the taste. They kind of remind me of your gluten-free almond butter based pancakes, but sweeter. This will make it to my breakfast switch-up rotation when I can’t stand any more toast/cereal/plain oatmeal and have a little extra time.
FINALLY! Thankfully!!! A paleo recipe that is light and fluffy and airy! These muffins baked up beautifully! I was so surprised considering there is no grain or flour of any sort! I added an extra egg cause I only hadn’t small eggs on hand. And I didn’t have quite enough almond butter on hand so I threw in some hazelnut and peanut butter too. Most paleo recipes have terrible texture, but these are great! Even though the centres appeared to sink after they came out of the oven, they’re totally fluffy in the middle, not heavy or wet!
Oh and i had to bake them longer than the receip says, but I find all the recipes from this site need a few more minutes when I make them.
This is one of my favorite recipes. I find if you use 1/2 of cup of cashew butter and 1/2 cup of almond butter in these type of recipes, it turns out much tastier. I also take some liberties with spices, sometimes I use 1 T of pumpkin spice and 1 T of cinnamon. Apple pie spice would be great, but I don’t have any at the moment. I like to sprinkle the tops with Pepitas seeds and a small sprinkle of Turbinado sugar for a little crunch on top. When I do this I tend to use 1/4 cup of honey instead of 1/3 cup of honey. Date paste works well as well instead of honey.
I have tried a number of your recipes with great results, and my husband loves them as well. When I first tried one of these type of recipes I was sure there was no way this wacky science project would work, but these recipes consistently work and turn out great.
This is one of my favorite websites for recipes for sweet treats.
Thanks for these! I made these for a family brunch and they were a huge success. I was out of almond butter so I used peanut butter. Several family members asked me for the recipe-which is a big deal since they usually make faces and refuse to try my “healthy stuff.”
I had hoped to snack on them all week, but there are only two left. I look forward to tasting them with the almond butter!
Made these last night – my daughter loved them. Actually all of us did! Delicious…
Would these work with sun butter? Toddler’s school is nut free.
I made them withsun butter! Really good!
Hi Megan, When going the lower sugar route, about how much liquid stevia would you suggest? Thank you, and I love you website and recipes!!
I can’t tell you how many times I have made this recipe! It is by far one of the best muffins I have ever made (including grain/sugar filled ones.) And the fact that there’s no fancy flours included? Amazing. Thank you for a great recipe!
Can I use peanut butter instead of almond butter? I run out of almond butter. BTW, your blog is absolutely awesome!!
Gracias!!
These are delicious — My kids devoured them!