Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins

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Start your morning off right with these gluten free almond flour pumpkin muffins! Made with almond flour and topped with dark chocolate chips, these soft and tender muffins make the perfect fall breakfast treat.

This almond flour pumpkin muffins recipe is bursting with fall flavors, super easy to make and incredibly satisfying! Ready and on the table in about 30 minutes, this is one recipe we make almost weekly during the cooler months.

And for more fall breakfast inspiration, make sure to check out our apple fritters with pecans!

almond flour pumpkin muffins in tin with chocolate chips

Key Recipe Ingredients

Here are the key ingredients to make this almond flour pumpkin muffins recipe:

Almond flour: Blanched almond flour (which uses almonds with the skins removed) works best for this recipe.
Baking soda: This helps the muffins rise and become soft and fluffy.
Spices: I use a blend of cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. You could also add some ginger or cardamom for even more flavor!
Pumpkin puree: Make sure you grab a can of 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
Vegetable oil: Vegetable oil adds moisture to the mix and ensures a tender crumb.
Brown sugar: Brown sugar brings the sweetness and a subtle caramel flavor to this muffin recipe.
Eggs: Eggs help bind the ingredients for the almond flour pumpkin muffins together.
Vanilla extract: For extra almond flavor, you could swap out the vanilla for almond extract.

Step By Step Instructions

Whipping up these almond flour pumpkin muffins is quick and easy! Here are the steps:

Mix together the dry ingredients: almond flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves.
Mix together the wet ingredients: pumpkin puree, brown sugar, eggs, vegetable oil and vanilla extract. Incorporating the sugar with the wet ingredients aids the sugar in dissolving, which makes for better distribution.
Combine both mixtures and fold in the chocolate chips.
Spoon the batter into the muffin liners, bake and enjoy!

mixing chocolate chips into the pumpkin muffin batter

Expert Tips and Tricks

Using almond flour is a great alternative to all purpose flour to create gluten free bakes with a soft and fluffy crumb. If you haven’t worked with almond flour before, here are a few tips to make sure your muffins are a success:

Make sure you’re using almond flour as opposed to almond meal for this recipe. Almond flour is made with blanched (peeled) almonds and has a light, fluffy texture. Almond meal is made with unblanched (skin-on) almonds and is generally more coarse in texture.
There’s also quite a bit of difference in texture between various almond flour brands. Use a quality blanched almond flour with a powder-like consistency. For best results, avoid almond flours that appear to have a coarser grind.
Using almond flour makes these muffins prone to sticking to the pan, which is why we recommend using liners as opposed to greasing the muffin tin. You can also spray the liners with nonstick spray as an added measure of security, but I generally skip this step.

pumpkin batter in muffin tin topped with chocolate chips

Frequently Asked Questions

What type of almond flour should I use?

Blanched almond flour works the best for this almond flour pumpkin muffins recipe. When choosing your almond flour, make sure to use superfine almond flour from a quality brand – the consistency should be powder-like. Certain almond flours have a more coarse grind, which will affect the texture of your muffins. Also make sure to avoid almond meal (or unblanched almond flour), which will yield a denser muffin.

Can I use pumpkin pie filling instead of pumpkin puree?

No, you’ll need 100% canned pumpkin puree for this recipe. Canned pumpkin pie filling has added sugar and spices, which can cause your muffins to be overly sweet or too heavy on the spice.

How do I store these muffins?

These almond flour pumpkin muffins can be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for up to three months.

Why are my almond flour muffins crumbly?

Almond flour muffins can become crumbly if there is not enough moisture or a binding agent in the recipe. Ensure you use all of the oil and eggs to prevent excessive crumbliness.

Storage and Freezing Instructions

Allow the almond flour pumpkin muffins to cool completely. Store them in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days. To keep them fresh longer, refrigerate for up to a week.

If you want to freeze the muffins, wrap them individually in plastic wrap and place them in an airtight container or freezer bag. They can be frozen for up to three months. When ready to enjoy, thaw in the refrigerator or at room temperature, and warm in an oven or microwave if desired.

Recipe Variations

For the spices in these almond flour pumpkin muffins, I like to use a mixture of ground cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg to get the perfect balance of fall flavors. But ginger, cardamom or even a pinch of allspice wouldn’t be out of place in these muffins! And if you want to up the almond flavor, try switching out the vanilla extract for almond extract.

As for the mix-ins, the dark chocolate chips can be swapped for milk chocolate chips or left out completely.

And if you want a crunchy topping, feel free to add your favorite streusel or simply sprinkle on a few slivered almonds or walnuts right before baking!

Loving these almond flour pumpkin muffins? Here are more pumpkin recipes to get you through fall!

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Frequently Asked Questions