Low Carb Pumpkin Muffins (Dairy-Free, Grain-Free, Egg-Free)

These easy, healthy, low-carb pumpkin muffins made with almond flour are soft, moist and delicious! It’s hard to believe they’re Gluten/Grain-Free, Egg-Free, Dairy-Free, Sugar-Free, Paleo, & Vegan with a Keto option!)

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Originally published October 3, 1019. Updated October 13, 2021

The BEST Low-Carb Pumpkin Muffins

My family (who is NOT low carb OR Paleo) went absolutely NUTS when they tasted these pumpkin muffins.

(Probably even more so than when I made these flourless Pumpkin Bars last year!)

And that’s because they are INCREDIBLY moist. Soft & tender with a delicate crumb. And absolutely FLAVOR packed with warm cozy spices. Not to mention the jaw-dropping GLAZE.

These just may be your new pumpkin obsession! They make a fantastic grab-and-go breakfast, afternoon snack or decadent dessert.

SO delicious it’s unbelievable they’re actually HEALTHY, low-carb and sugar-free. They’re brimming with good-for-you ingredients, high in protein, fiber and nutrients, and naturally sweetened.

Gluten-Free muffins that don’t TASTE gluten-free!

The baking gods have smiled upon me and I’m so freaking EXCITED that I can bake again now that I’m grain-free, dairy-free, sugar-free and egg-free. These muffins are the REAL DEAL.

I am in LOVE with how these muffins turned out and they taste just as delicious as the real deal in terms of texture and flavor! SO GOOD.

Last month I shared my very first muffin recipe, these Streusel Muffins, which was a HUGE deal. And I’m so glad you guys are loving them as much as I do! 

Learning to bake without all the typical ingredients you’d normally use (flour, sugar, butter and eggs) was no small feat!

But now that I’ve got a handle on it, it has opened up a whole new world!

(Speaking of which… I CAN’T WAIT to share the “real” low-carb/paleo/vegan CUPCAKES I created for my upcoming cookbook!! Eeek!! Stay tuned cuz it’s coming soon!) Now available!!

Simple, Healthy Ingredients

This combination of “flours,” healthy fats, and smooth pumpkin purée, creates a muffin with a soft, fluffy texture that is INCREDIBLE.

Delicate and moist, yet sturdy enough to not fall apart, and hearty enough to keep you full.

These muffins are made with nutritious, wholesome gluten-free and grain-free ingredients you can feel good about:

• Almond flour
• Real pumpkin puree
• Flaxseed
• Monkfruit– yes, it’s a real fruit! 🙂
• Cozy spices like cinnamon and nutmeg
• Buttery flavor coconut oil
• Optional, tapioca flour

If you’re keto, you can simply swap the tapioca for more almond flour. It won’t have as “light” of a texture, but it will still work! 🙂

ps I posted the keto and low-carb macros at the very bottom for ya.

How to Bake Egg-FREE

It comes to many people’s surprise when they find out that my site is egg-free. But it is! (ok except for 1 I posted almost 4 years ago lol) 

Eggs are an issue for a lot of people, including myself and those of you who are allergic, vegan or following AIP, so I know how tricky it can be to try and bake without them!

It took me a lot of testing over the years, but now I’ve got it 😀

For this recipe, the pumpkin purée acts as the binder, so there is no egg or egg replacer needed. Woohoo!

These hold together beautifully, have a great rise, and the most AMAZING texture.

Dairy-Free Deliciousness

If you’re dairy-free, you’ve come to the right place! Everything on my site is also dairy-free. YAY.

I’ve found that MOST low-carb/keto recipes rely heavily on dairy, cream, & cheese, which does not work for DF folks, like me!

So I had to come up with an alternative.

The easy choice for me to add to the amazing flavor was buttery flavor coconut oil (LOVE) but any neutral oil (or butter) should work fine 🙂

See below how I made the most DELICIOUS dairy-free (almost-like-cream-cheese) glaze!!

Maximum Pumpkin Spice Flavor

This recipe uses actual pumpkin (lol surprisingly, a lot of pumpkin recipes don’t!) and pumpkin pie spice.

Pumpkin purée does contain naturally occurring sugar (since it technically is a fruit after all), so I used just enough to add moistness, texture and softness, without being super high in carbs.

But the main star of the show is the SPICE!

I learned how to make homemade pumpkin pie spice and it’s so simple I’ll never go back to the over-priced store bought spice mix! And I love being able to customize the flavor to my own tastes and preferences (cuz I’m not that big on ginger but I LOVE cinnamon 😉

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Mix Recipe

• 3 Tbs cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 1/2 tsp cloves (optional)

Add all spices to a large spice jar, add the lid and shake vigorously to combine.  (Alternatively, add all ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine, then transfer to the storage container of choice.) Recipe is easily doubled or tripled, if you’re gonna go all in on pumpkin spice 😀

The BEST Dairy-Free Sugar-Free GLAZE

This creamy topping.. OMG I could just eat it with a spoon!

It *almost* reminds me of cream cheese frosting. It has the same mouthfeel: SUPER smooth, lightly sweetened, just not “tangy” like cream cheese. (But next time I’m going to add a few drops of lemon juice so it has a bit of a tang just like cream cheese frosting!! YUM)

This dairy-free glaze made with coconut butter (aka HEAVEN in a jar) and coconut milk.

If you’re new to the world of coconut butter, it’s essentially puréed coconut. I get mine from Thrive Market, but you can also find it on Amazon.

Please remember: Coconut butter solidifies and separates after each use, and needs to be carefully melted and stirred.

One reason I love the Thrive Market brand coconut butter is that it comes in a squeeze packet!! (which means NO stirring. You just squeeze it and massage it for a few seconds until it’s mixed Easy!

Easy, No-Fuss Recipe

These pumpkin muffins are EVERYTHING. SUPER easy to make. And so delicious they’ll become a fall favorite you’ll want to make over and over.

There’s nothing difficult or complicated about making these. The method is almost just like any other muffin recipe. Easy enough for kids to make. And definitely kid approved by my kids 😀

How to Make Low-Carb Pumpkin Muffins

The method for making these healthy muffins uses a similar technique to conventional muffin baking, but swaps carb-heavy wheat flour and refined sugar for lower carb almond flour, flax and monkfruit.

Since grain-free egg-free baking tends to be heavier than “regular” baked goods, it relies on the reaction of baking powder for rise and fluffiness. I added an extra step that may be new to you: turning the oven off, but leaving the muffins INSIDE to cool gradually. This helps keep the muffins nice and tall.

This makes 5-6 muffins (depending on how big you want them to be, and how many carbs you want), so take my advice and go ahead and double it! The leftovers freeze great– IF you actually have any left, haha!

1. 1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 5 or 6 parchment liners.
   2. Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use a spatula or round measuring cup to smash any lumps.
   3. In a small glass measuring cup, melt coconut oil. Stir in pumpkin purée and water. Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and stir until just combined.
   4. Use an ice cream scoop to place the batter in the muffin tin. Press the tops with a spatula and smooth out the tops.
   5. Bake for 30-33 minutes until the tops spring back when pressed.
      • *Important* Turn off the oven, but leave the muffins inside for another 10 minutes to cool gradually. After 10 minutes, open the oven door and pull out the rack and let them cool another 5 minutes (This is to prevent sinking – especially if your house is cold)
   6. Add the optional but AMAZING glaze on top! Serve warm on a crisp fall day. Enjoy!!

Happy baking!

If you make this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating below and tag me on Instagram so I can see!

Don’t forget to save this on Pinterest by clicking below:

Low-Carb Pumpkin Recipes

Want more cozy fall treats to enjoy without sugar (or dairy or gluten!)? You’re in luck! I have LOTS of scrumptious pumpkin spice treats that are easy to make and loved by all! Check out these pumpkin faves for breakfast, snacks and desserts! All are paleo and vegan friendly with nut-free options as well!)

• Soft Baked Pumpkin Snickerdoodles
• Egg-Free Pumpkin Bread
• Easy Pumpkin Mousse
• Healthy PSL Frappe
• Pumpkin Pie
• No-Bake Keto Pumpkin Cake Balls
• No-Bake Keto Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

Low-Carb Pumpkin Muffins (Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)

Tender muffins bursting with pumpkin flavor (without any sugar, dairy, or grains) These may easily become your favorite fall breakfast treat!

4.62 from 18 votes

Print Pin Rate

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 32 minutes

Servings: 5 servings

Author: Emily

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

• 1 1/4 cups fine almond flour
• 5 Tbs monkfruit granules
• 2 Tbs tapioca flour - or more almond flour for keto
• 2 Tbs ground flaxseed
• 2 tsp  pumpkin spice - recipe below
• 3/4 tsp  baking powder
• 1/4 tsp  baking soda
• Pinch of pink salt
• 1/3 cup  pumpkin purée
• 3 Tbs buttery coconut oil - or refined coconut oil or neutral oil of choice
• 3 Tbs water

Glaze

• 2 Tbs coconut butter
• 2 Tbs canned coconut milk - shaken & warm
• 3 drops liquid monkfruit

Instructions

To make the muffins:

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Line a muffin tin with 5 or 6 parchment liners.
• Whisk together all dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Use a spatula or round measuring cup to smash any lumps.
• In a small glass measuring cup, melt coconut oil. Stir in pumpkin purée and water. Pour wet mixture over dry mixture and stir until just combined.
• Use an ice cream scoop to place the batter in the muffin tin. Press the tops with a spatula and smooth out the tops.
• Bake for 30-33 minutes until the tops spring back when pressed. *Important* Turn off the oven, but leave the muffins inside for another 10 minutes to cool gradually. After 10 minutes, open the oven door and pull out the rack and let them cool another 5 minutes (This is to prevent sinking - especially if your house is cold)

To make the glaze:

• While the muffins are baking, place coconut butter jar/packet in a bowl of warm water to melt/soften (this could take around 10 minutes)
• When coconut butter has melted, stir/mix well to incorporate all of the oil that naturally separates/rises to the top.
• In a small bowl, stir together coconut butter, coconut milk, and monkfruit drops. (If your mixture gets too cold, it will harden/thicken. Simply warm it back up to soften (place bowl back in warm water or very gently microwave on low)
• Spoon glaze over muffins. Top with a sprinkle of cinnamon or pumpkin spice, if you like. Enjoy!

Notes

Reduce bake time to 28-30 minutes for 6 muffins.

To store: Keep in an airtight container at room temp for 3-4 days or refrigerated for about 1 week. Or freeze tightly wrapped for about 1 month. 

Keep glaze refrigerated. Should last about 10 days. I scoop a spoonful onto my muffin and microwave 10-15 seconds to re-melt the glaze. Works perfectly!

Homemade Pumpkin Spice Recipe:

• 3 Tbs cinnamon
• 2 tsp ground ginger
• 2 tsp nutmeg
• 1 1/2 tsp allspice
• 1 1/2 tsp cloves (optional)

Add all spices to a large spice jar, add the lid and shake vigorously to combine.  

Sweetener Swap: Use any granulated sweetener you like, such as coconut sugar for non low-carb. For the glaze, you can use a bit of powdered sweetener, stevia drops, or leave it unsweetened.

Nutrition Facts

Low-Carb Pumpkin Muffins (Dairy-Free, Egg-Free)

Amount per Serving

Calories

263

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

23

g

35

%

Potassium

 

138

mg

4

%

Carbohydrates

 

24.5

g

8

%

Fiber

 

4

g

17

%

Sugar Alcohol

 

14.5

g

Net Carbs

 

6

g

Protein

 

6.6

g

13

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Tried this recipe?Tag @emily.likes.food #prettypies!

Disclosure: As an affiliate I may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases made through referral links in this post (at no additional cost to you).

Featured Ingredients:

Blanched Almond Flour from:

• • • Thrive Market {use my referral link to save 25% on your first order}
    • Amazon

Lakanto Monkfruit from:

• • • Thrive Market (use my referral link to save an extra 25% on your first order)
    • Amazon
    • Lakanto.com Click here {use code PRETTYPIES to save 20% on every order}

Buttery Coconut Oil from Thrive Market

Coconut Butter from

• Thrive Market (use my referral link to save an extra 25% on your first order)
• Amazon

Macros

Approximate macros for Keto option: 1 muffin without glaze, based on 6 servings using almond flour instead of tapioca:

• Cal 229
• Fat 20.5
• Total Carb 19
• Fiber 4
• Sugar Alcohol 12
• Net Carbs 3.2
• Protein 6

Approximate Macros for 1 large muffin without glaze, based on 5 muffins:

• Cal 263
• Fat 23
• Total Carb 25
• Fiber 4
• Sugar Alcohol 14.5
• Net Carbs 6
• Protein 6.6

Approximate Macros for glaze, based on 6 servings (about 2 tsp each)

• Cal 41
• Fat 3.7
• Total Carb 25
• Fiber 0.7
• Sugar Alcohol 0
• Net Carbs 0.5
• Protein 0.4