Easy Gluten-free Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
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Last Updated on October 5, 2023
This almond flour pumpkin muffins recipe is gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar free. It’s also compliant for the SCD and GAPS diets. These pumpkin muffins made with almond flour are moist and delicious, and you can even turn this recipe into pumpkin bread!
Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins
Thanksgiving has always been a special holiday at our home. One of our favorites, in fact. I had hoped our grain-free, refined-sugar-free diet would not hinder our enjoyment of our traditional Thanksgiving fare.
And with these healthy pumpkin muffins, we don’t even miss gluten or refined sugar! In fact, I tested the recipe below on several people – it got great reviews as being moist and flavorful.
Why You’ll Love This Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins Recipe
Finding the perfect gluten-free, dairy-free dessert can be difficult because so many recipes promise you won’t be able to tell the difference. I digress. Oftentimes I have tried a baked-good recipe only to discover it’s dry and crumbly and sucks all the moisture out of my mouth.
My almond flour pumpkin muffin recipe not only taste great, but they’re also a healthy alternative to traditional muffins. The wholesome goodness of almond flour serves as the base of these muffins.
Why Bake with Almond Flour?
Almond flour is renowned for its high protein and fiber content, and its gluten-free nature makes it a perfect choice for those with dietary restrictions. Each bite of these almond flour muffins delivers a rich, nutty flavor that harmoniously blends with the pumpkin, resulting in a blend of delicious fall flavors.
The addition of pumpkin imparts a moist and soft texture to the muffins while also infusing them with a subtle sweetness. Pumpkin is a type of squash packed with vitamins and antioxidants, making these muffins a healthy sweet-treat.
While almond flour cannot substituted with wheat flour, coconut flour, or oat flour, you can try a different nut flour, such as hazelnut flour.
Note: Be sure to store almond flour in your refrigerator to extend the life of it.
Dairy-Free Pumpkin Muffins
Despite being dairy-free, these muffins are incredibly moist and tender, with a texture that rivals any traditional muffin.
Sweetened with unrefined sugar, these muffins have the perfect balance of sweetness, and they’re much better for you than sugar-laden sweets. Since unrefined sugar retains its natural nutrients, it’s a better choice for those conscious about added sugars in their diet.
How to Make Your Own Blanched Almond Flour
Creating almond flour is a simple process that can be easily accomplished at home. If you want to use blanched almond flour, you will need to do blanch the almonds first, then blend the nuts into flour.
If you don’t care to blanch the almonds, you can skip this section and move right on to making almond flour.
How to Blanch Almond Flour
If you wish to blanch your almond flour, follow these steps before grinding the almonds into flour:
Blanching Step 1: Boil Almonds
Place your almonds in a pot of boiling water. Allow them to boil for approximately 60 seconds only. Do not extend this time as the almonds can become too soft.
Blanching Step 2: Drain and Rinse
Drain the almonds in a colander and rinse them under cold water to cool them quickly. This will stop the cooking process.
Blanching Step 3: Peel Almonds
Once they are cool to touch, pinch each one between your thumb and index finger to remove the almond skins. It should slip off easily.
Blanching Step 4: Dry and Process Almonds
Let the almonds dry completely before processing them into flour following steps 3 and 4 mentioned above.
Making Almond Flour
If you’ve blanched your almonds and allowed them to dry completely, or if you want to just skip that and move on to making flour from almonds, follow the steps below.
Step 1: Choose Your Almonds
Opt for whole, raw almonds for the best results. The number of almonds you need depends on the amount of flour you wish to make. A general rule of thumb is that one cup of almonds will yield approximately one cup of almond flour.
Step 2: Prepare Your Almonds
Rinse your almonds under cool water to remove any dirt or debris, and then pat dry.
Step 3: Process the Almonds
Place your almonds in a food processor or high-powered blender. Pulse the almonds in short bursts until they are ground into a flour-like consistency. Be careful not to over-process, as this could lead to the creation of almond butter.
Step 4: Store Your Almond Flour
Transfer your almond flour to an airtight container. Store it in a cool, dark place. If you’ve made a large batch, storing it in the refrigerator or freezer can help extend its shelf life.
How to Make the Best Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins
This recipe is full of pumpkin spice flavors and has a secret ingredient that keeps the muffins moist and delicious – navy beans. It sounds a bit strange, I know. But this recipe has been enjoyed by friends and family who have no dietary restrictions at all! Everyone loves them and you will too.
You can get the full instructions and measurements in the recipe card at the bottom. But to start, here’s what you need to make gluten-free pumpkin muffins.
Ingredients for Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins
To make these delicious muffins, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- cooked white navy beans, cooled
- eggs
- apple cider vinegar
- vanilla extract
- raw honey
- cooked pumpkin
- blanched almond flour (not almond meal)
- sea salt
- baking soda
- cinnamon
- freshly grated nutmeg
- cloves
- coconut sugar (optional)
Alternatively, you can make your own pumpkin pie spice blend and use equal amounts of the individual spices that the recipe calls for (4.5 teaspoons or 1 TBSP and 1.5 tsp). Or, just purchase some pumpkin pie spice at the grocery store.
How to Make Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins
- Star by preheating the oven to 350F.
- Next, use a blender to puree navy beans, eggs, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, honey and pumpkin until smooth.
- Then, in a separate large bowl, whisk together blanched almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and blend until combined. Scrape down sides and blend again.
- Lastly, line a muffin tin with paper muffin liners. Fill cups 3/4 full of pumpkin muffin batter. Then sprinkle the top of each muffin with coconut sugar (optional).
- Bake 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
Making Pumpkin Bread Instead of Muffins
For pumpkin bread, scrape batter into 8×4″ greased and parchment-lined loaf pan. (See my Grain Free Bread recipe for pics on how to line pan.) Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, depending on how many loaves you are baking at once. (One loaf took me 30-35 minutes and two loaves took closer to 45.)
How to Make Pumpkin Puree from Scratch
You can used canned pumpkin for this recipe, just make sure it’s pure pumpkin puree with nothing added. If you’d like to make your own pumpkin puree, here’s how to do it:
Step 1: Select the Right Pumpkin
Start by choosing a sugar pumpkin, also known as pie pumpkin. These pumpkins are relatively small, with a sweeter and less grainy flesh than the larger, ornamental pumpkins used for carving.
Step 2: Prepare the Pumpkin
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Rinse the pumpkin under cool water to remove any dirt, then pat dry. Cut the stem off, then slice the pumpkin in half from top to bottom. Scoop out the seeds and stringy fibers with a metal spoon or ice cream scoop.
Step 3: Roast the Pumpkin
Place the pumpkin halves cut-side down on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for about 45-60 minutes or until a fork can easily pierce the flesh.
Step 4: Cool the Pumpkin
After roasting, remove the pumpkin from the oven and let it cool. Once it’s cool enough to handle, use a spoon to scoop the pumpkin flesh out of the skin.
Step 5: Puree the Pumpkin
Place the pumpkin flesh in a food processor or blender. Blend until it forms a smooth, velvety puree. If the puree is too thick, you can add a bit of water to achieve the desired consistency.
Step 6: Store or Use Immediately
You can use the pumpkin puree immediately for this pumpkin muffin recipe, or store it in the refrigerator for up to a week in an air-tight container.
If you won’t be using it within a week, consider freezing the puree in airtight containers or freezer bags for up to three months.
How to Store Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins
Store leftover pumpkin muffins in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It’s best to line the container with paper towls to absorb extra moisture.
You can also freeze these almond flour pumpkin muffins! Simply allow them to cool to room temperature and then pop them into plastic freezer bags or a freezer-safe container and store fup up to 3 months.
Variations for Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins
You could make a crumble topping for these muffins following the steps in my grain-free pumpkin bread recipe. You could also add in some dairy-free dark chocolate chips.
The delicious pumpkin flavor and moist texture of these almond flour pumpkin muffins are sure to become a favorite family recipe.
More healthy Pumpkin Recipes
- Pumpkin Cake with Chocolate Ganache (gluten-free, dairy-free, refined-sugar-free)
- AIP Pumpkin Recipes – these recipes are all grain-free, dairy-free, nut-free, and compliant for those on the autoimmune protocol.
Pumpkin Muffins (SCD, GAPS, grain free, refined sugar free and dairy free)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups cooked white navy beans, cooled
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- 1/2 cup honey
- 3/4 cup cooked pumpkin
- 1 1/2 cups blanched almond flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 1/2 teaspoons freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/2 teaspoon cloves
- coconut sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350F.
- In a blender, puree navy beans, eggs, apple cider vinegar, vanilla, honey and pumpkin until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together blanched almond flour, salt, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves until combined.
- Add dry ingredients to wet and blend until combined. Scrape down sides and blend again.
- Line a muffin pan with paper liners. Fill muffin cups 3/4 full. Then sprinkle the tops with coconut sugar.
- Bake 20-25 minutes.