Extra Fluffy Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins (Easy!)

Ingredient Tid Bits

Homemade pumpkin almond flour recipes have a simple list of ingredients, but the improved texture comes from the easy baking hacks! These gluten-free, grain-free muffins are also naturally dairy-free with a swap of coconut oil in the crumble topping.

A similar list of ingredients are used to make gluten-free pumpkin almond flour bread. If you’d like turn these muffins into a loaf follow the baking instructions on the linked recipe.

• Almond flour – Use blanched almond flour, which is more finely ground. Be sure to use flour, versus almond meal, which will be heavier and make a coarser texture. See the tips below for measuring accurately because this makes a huge difference in the texture.
• Brown Sugar – You may reduce the sugar to ⅓ cup or use an equivalent amount of coconut or date sugar.
• Oil – Use any preferred oil, such as vegetable, canola, or coconut oil.
• Canned pumpkin – Be sure to use pumpkin puree, rather than pumpkin pie filling, which will not work for this recipe. I find Libby’s canned pumpkin to yield the best results because it is thicker with less moisture. It works well when you don’t want to weigh down a crumb. Since the recipe doesn’t use a whole can, the remaining can be used in these easy pumpkin oatmeal pancakes.
• Pumpkin spices – For a shortcut use 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice. If you would like to make your own, add 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, ¼ tsp nutmeg, ¼ tsp ginger, and ⅛ tsp ground cloves.

Tips for Fluffy Almond Flour Muffins

1. The first trick is to use an accurate amount of flour. See the measuring tips above to see just how easy it is to get the “wrong” results! Almond flour is heavier and compresses, so this is crucial! I also include grams in the recipe card.
2. Almond flour contains a lot of moisture from its natural oils, so fat and liquid have to be cut in other places. I generally use less oil in almond flour baking recipes and cut back any other liquids I can, like blotting the pumpkin, not adding milk, using granulated sugars instead of honey or pure maple syrup.
3. Muffins or breads baked with almond flour also require more eggs. This not only helps bind the crumb, but also helps with lift when baked.
4. Add additional baking powder, or baking soda if an acidic ingredient is included. This is especially helpful when you want a fluffy crumb. Removing a couple tablespoons of the flour and replacing with cornstarch or tapioca starch also works well.