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These Paleo Pumpkin Muffins are made without flour, oil, or refined sugar, but you’d never guess just by tasting them. They even have some added veggies, thanks to the pumpkin puree.
In fact, this recipe tastes like a slice of oat flour pumpkin bread, but bakes much faster. You’ll have leftover pumpkin puree when you’re done, so you can use the rest to make a pumpkin spice latte or a pumpkin smoothie.
“These muffins are SO good. I think I’ve made them every week since I found this recipe. They come out cakey, moist, and delicious! Even better out of the fridge when they’re cold. Thanks so much for this delicious recipe.
Table of Contents
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Almond or Cashew Butter. This substitutes for flour and oil because nut butter has fiber and healthy fat. I recommend using homemade almond butter or a store-bought cashew butter for the best flavor. (If the almond butter tastes too “roasted,” it can detract from the pumpkin flavor.)
- Pumpkin Puree. I use canned pumpkin puree for convenience, but you can roast a whole pumpkin and make puree, too. Since this recipe doesn’t call for the entire can of pumpkin, I’ll share more recipes below so you can use it all up.
- Maple Syrup. This natural sweetener delivers the perfect flavor and helps create a fluffy texture as the muffins bake.
- Eggs. These not only bind the muffins together, but also create an airy texture. Don’t use an egg substitute in this recipe, as the results won’t be the same.
- Baking Powder. Not all baking powder is Paleo-friendly, as it can contain cornstarch. Shop for one made with arrowroot, or substitute 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda for slightly less lift as the muffins bake.
Chocolate Variation: For a brownie-like experience, try my Double Chocolate Pumpkin Muffins, which are also Paleo-friendly.
How to Make Paleo Muffins (Step by Step)
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a muffin pan with 12 parchment liners. In a large bowl, combine 1 cup nut butter, 1/2 cup pumpkin puree, 1/3 cup maple syrup, 2 large eggs, 2 teaspoons each of baking powder and pumpkin pie spice, and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt.
- Stir well until the mixture looks like a glossy and thick muffin batter. It won’t be quite as runny as traditional recipes.
- Fold in chocolate chips, if desired. Then use a 1/4 cup measure to scoop the batter into the prepared muffin cups.
- This recipe should fill all 12 muffin cups, but they won’t reach the top. Add a few chocolate chips on top, if you like, then bake at 350ºF for 25 to 30 minutes.
- You’ll know the muffins are done when the center feels firm to the touch and the edges are lightly golden. Let the muffins cool completely in the pan.
- When the muffins are cool, you can remove the wrapper and enjoy. They should have a fluffy texture, even though there’s no flour!
Serving & Storage Tips
Let the muffins cool in the muffin pan for at least 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling. They have an amazingly fluffy texture, without using any flour!
Store this paleo muffin recipe in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days for the best shelf life. Or you can store them in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Paleo Muffin Recipe FAQs
I don’t recommend using a flax egg or other egg substitute in this recipe. The results will be very gooey in the middle, like they are underbaked, and the muffins won’t rise.
If you need a vegan alternative, try my Vegan Pumpkin Donuts (which can be baked in a muffin tin) or Vegan Pumpkin Bars instead.
I’ve never tried baking this in a loaf pan, since it’s much trickier to bake the inside before the edges burn. I would recommend baking this recipe in a 9-inch square pan, like my healthy pumpkin bars, if you want to skip the muffin pan. In that case, bake the square cake for 30 minutes at 350°F.
Flourless baked goods tend to stick to the pan more than muffins made with flour. If you are baking these for guests, I recommend using parchment muffin cups to ensure the muffins release easily from the pan and the liner.
Yes, you can use honey as a substitute for maple syrup. You might be able to taste the honey flavor slightly more than maple syrup, but it’s still delicious.
Recipes for Leftover Pumpkin…
If you try this Paleo Pumpkin Muffin recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how you like them. Thanks for visiting!
Paleo Pumpkin Muffins (No Flour!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup almond or cashew butter
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ⅓ cup maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 2 teaspoons baking powder (or ½ teaspoon baking soda)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ½ cup dark chocolate chips, walnuts, or raisins (optional mix-ins)
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 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, then use a ¼ cup measure to scoop the batter evenly among the 12 baking cups. Top with a few extra chocolate chips or walnuts, if you like.
- Bake for 25 to 30 minutes at 350ºF, until the centers puff up and feel 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, store 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
- Pumpkin Spice Latte (~1 T per serving)
- Pumpkin Oatmeal (1/4 cup)
- Dairy-Free Pumpkin Ice Cream (1 cup)
- Savory Pumpkin Pasta Sauce (1 cup)
- Pumpkin Mug Cake (1/4 cup)
Nutrition
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These were good out of the oven & even better from the fridge. Delicious! It worked to substitute eggs for flax eggs (I used 2TBS ground flax, 5 TBS water). Didn’t think it would work at first because flax didn’t seem to gel well, but they work for me. They aren’t big fluffy muffins this way but the flavor is so good and texture is nice, it doesn’t matter. I also use baking soda option and didn’t have almond or cashew butter so I used peanut butter. Think these will be a go to travel treat. They aren’t crumbly and messy. Thank you again for another grain free winning treat!
Oh no, you took away the grams! That was my favorite part of this recipe. I didn’t have to use measuring cups. Can you add it back in?
I’m not sure what you mean, but I didn’t take anything away because I wanted to. I can’t have eggs and didn’t have almond butter.
Hi CarylMay— the gram measurements are still available if you press the “Metric” button on the recipe card. This way the grams will scale if you decide to change the quantity that the recipe makes. Hope that helps!
Oh good! Thank you so much for clarifying!
What adjustment would you make if I wanted to make these higher protein with a 20g pure protein powder?
I think adding a scoop of unsweetened protein powder (up to 1/4 cup) might be okay, but I haven’t tested that yet so I can’t be sure. Check out my Protein Banana Muffins if you want a tested version to look at!
These muffins are SO good. I think I’ve made them every week since I found this recipe. I sub the almond butter for peanut butter & do the flax sub to use less pb. I skip the chocolate chips and go light on the maple syrup since we try to limit sugar. They come out cakey, moist, and delicious! Even better out of the fridge when they’re cold. Thanks so much for this delicious recipe.
PS. How do you think they would turn out if I skipped the maple syrup altogether?
I’ve made these before – time to make them again!! Always so good.