Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (Grain-Free, Paleo)

Today’s Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins are an absolutely terrific way to celebrate the recent arrival of Fall. But honestly, I would not turn them down any time of the year.

They’re grain-free, paleo muffins that I have been working on recently.

I have been working on them for a while because I wanted a grain-free version that did not taste grain free to me or my family.

I like using grain-free flours because of the benefits they provide over gluten-free grain-full flours. Benefits such as more protein, good fats, and moisture. Plus, I personally always seem to feel better when I eat grain free and paleo (refined sugar free in additon to grain free).

Grain-free baking also usually means you do not need to add xanthan gum. The nature of the grain-free flours and starches often means that baked goods bind just fine without it. For all of you who avoid xanthan gum, this factor is definitely a plus.

However, if you do not get the right combination of grain-free flours and starches, you can end up with results that are too wet and moist, or even too dry in some cases.

I think these flavorful Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins are both soft enough and moist enough. Yet they still taste like “regular” muffins.

My gluten-full Mom and gluten-free aunt are my taste testers. The first few batches did not pass muster for any of us.

When I asked Mom how she liked the last batch, which made my cut, she said she really liked them in every regard but thought they would be especially great with some cream cheese icing.

Ha! I think most muffins (or cupcakes) would be especially great with some cream cheese frosting, don’t you? But I know what she is saying. Cream cheese frosting would complement the rich pumpkin spice flavoring of these muffins, similar to how it works so well with carrot cake.

I also know I would love these muffins with the Maple-Nut Topping that I used on these muffins.

That said, I am going with this version without frosting and other toppings—other than a single pecan half or chopped pecans when I have pecans on hand—for now. With my morning cup of tea, one of these Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins “as is” is just perfect!  

Give them a try and let me know what you think.

I know I’ll be making them again soon and I may even add Cream Cheese Frosting to make my Mom happy. I’ll be using this Honey Cream Cheese Frosting recipe or this Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting recipe if I do.

More Gluten-Free Pumpkin Recipes You Don’t Want To Miss!

~ Classic Gluten-Free Pumpkin Bread 

~ Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cinnamon Roll Cake

~ Gluten-Free Pumpkin 7-Layer Bars (and more flavors)

~ Gluten-Free Pumpkin Streusel Cream Cheese Muffins

~ Slow Cooker Pumpkin Butter

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (Grain Free, Paleo) Recipe

Yield: 12 muffins

Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins (Grain-Free, Paleo)

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Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins that are also grain-free and paleo but taste like the pumpkin muffins you've always enjoyed. Perfect for Fall but you'll want to eat them year round and you absolutely should!

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Additional Time 10 minutes

Total Time 40 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 cup tapioca flour
• ¼ cup almond flour, blanched finely ground (not Bob's Red Mill brand)
• ½ cup coconut flour, sifted
• 1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
• 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 cup canned pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 4 tablespoons coconut oil, liquefied
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup maple syrup (honey will also work)
• 1/3 cup chopped pecans (plus 12 more pecan halves for topping the muffins as shown, if you like)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350° F. Grease 12 muffin cups or use muffin/cupcake liners.
2. Add eggs to large mixing bowl and lightly beat. Stir in pumpkin, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
3. Stir in almond flour, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
4. Add coconut oil. Mix until combined.
5. Add coconut flour. Mix until combined.
6. Spoon into 12 muffin cups and place a pecan half on top of each if you like. (Some additional chopped pecans will also work instead of pecan halves.)
7. Bake for 20 – 25 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
8. Cool for about 10 minutes.

Notes

I add the coconut oil late in the process so that it is not solidified by mixing with other ingredients that are colder in temperature (e.g., eggs).

I add the coconut flour at the very end because in my experience as soon as you add the coconut flour, it starts absorbing/thickening the other ingredients. I also sift the coconut flour because some brands have clumping issues and clumps of coconut flour in your baked goods is not a good thing.

Recipe adapted from Linda Etherton (formerly Gluten-Free Homemaker).

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