Go Back
+ servings
A pumpkin muffin, with the paper lining peeled down and a large bite missing from the front side of the muffin. More whole muffins stand in the background.

Pumpkin Muffins with a Spiced Crumb Topping

Perfectly pumpkin muffins, lightly sweetened with coconut sugar and deliciously spiced with the season's finest flavors. Naturally paleo, gluten free, grain free, and dairy free!
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 50 minutes
Yield:12 pumpkin muffins

Equipment

  • Oven
  • metal 12-cup muffin pan
  • 12 parchment paper muffin liners store-bought or make your own (see Notes)
  • small mixing bowl
  • Fork
  • refrigerator
  • medium mixing bowl
  • 2 whisks
  • Small microwave-safe bowl
  • Spoon or small silicone spatula
  • large mixing bowl
  • Cookie scoop with release handle or large spoon or measuring cup
  • toothpicks or butter knife
  • wire cooling rack

Ingredients

For the Spiced Crumb Topping

  • 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil at room temperature
  • 4 tablespoons fine almond flour blanched or unblanched
  • 4 tablespoons coconut sugar see Notes
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice store-bought or make your own
  • 1 pinch salt

For the Pumpkin Muffins (Dry Ingredients)

For the Pumpkin Muffins (Wet Ingredients)

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 325° Fahrenheit. Position oven racks so muffin tin will sit in center of oven. Line muffin tin with parchment paper liners and set aside.

For the Spiced Crumb Topping

  • Add 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil, 4 tablespoons fine almond flour, 4 tablespoons coconut sugar, ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, ¼ teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and 1 pinch salt to small mixing bowl.
    Ingredients for pumpkin muffin crumb topping in a white bowl with a fork.
  • Use fork to combine ingredients until fully incorporated and crumbly. Place bowl in refrigerator and chill until ready to use.
    Pumpkin muffin crumb topping mixture in a small bowl with a fork.

For the Pumpkin Muffin Batter

  • Add 2 cups fine blanched almond flour, ½ cup tapioca starch, ¼ cup coconut flour, ¼ teaspoon sea salt, ½ cup coconut sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice, and 1 ½ teaspoons fresh baking soda to medium mixing bowl.
    Dry ingredients for pumpkin muffins in a large glass mixing bowl with a silver whisk resting in the bowl.
  • Whisk ingredients together until well blended, with no lumps remaining. Set bowl aside.
    Dry ingredients for pumpkin muffins in a large glass mixing bowl with a silver whisk resting in the bowl.
  • Place ½ cup refined coconut oil in small microwave-safe bowl. Place bowl in microwave and heat oil in 15-second increments, stirring between each, until oil is melted. Carefully remove bowl from microwave and set aside. Let oil cool until no longer hot, but not cool enough to solidify again.
  • While oil cools, crack 3 large eggs into large mixing bowl. Lightly whisk eggs until well combined. Add cooled oil to large bowl with beaten eggs, followed by ¼ cup unsweetened almond milk, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, and 1 cup canned pumpkin purée.
  • Slowly add dry ingredients to bowl of wet ingredients in small increments, gently whisking between each addition to just incorporate dry ingredients into wet. Continue until all wet and dry ingredients are fully combined into muffin batter. Be careful not overmix batter or muffins will be dense.
    Prepared batter for pumpkin muffins in a large glass mixing bowl with a silver whisk.

To Bake the Pumpkin Muffins

  • Use cookie scoop to portion muffin butter into prepared muffin tin, filling each muffin tin cavity equally. Batter should fill each cavity almost completely and be rounded on top.
  • Top each unbaked muffin with approximately 1 teaspoon of spiced crumb topping, sprinkling topping evenly over entire surface of muffin when possible. Add any remaining crumb topping as desired.
    Unbaked pumpkin muffin batter in a muffin tin cavity lined with parchment paper liner, topped with a spiced crumb topping.
  • Place muffin tin in preheated oven. Bake muffins 20 minutes, then begin checking doneness. Continue baking until toothpick inserted into center of muffin can be removed completely free of crumbs and when surface of muffin springs back when gently pressed. Exact bake times will vary.
  • When muffins are ready, carefully remove muffin tin from oven and set aside to cool 5 minutes.
  • After 5 minutes, remove muffins from tin and place on wire cooling rack. Let muffins cool to room temperature, then serve and enjoy.

Notes

  • Measuring Ingredients: Use the spoon-and-level method to measure out your larger-quantity dry ingredients. Instead of putting the measuring cup into the bag/container of flour or coconut sugar, use a spoon to transfer the flour or sugar out of the container and into the measuring cup. This method doesn't pack the ingredient into the measuring cup, making your measurements more accurate.
  • Muffin Liners: To make your own muffin liners, cut 12 5x5 squares out of parchment paper and press the center of each square into a muffin pan cavity. The corners of the paper square will stick up and out of the pan cavity, but the bottom and sides of the cavity should be completely covered.
  • Baking Soda: The fresher the baking soda, the more effective it is. If your baking soda is older than 6 months, buy new baking soda for this recipe.
  • Pumpkin Purée: Be sure you're using pumpkin purée and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling usually has added sugars and spices which can throw off the flavors of the muffins (and may not be compatible with your specific diet).
  • Optional Step: After all ingredients are combined into the muffin batter, cover the bowl and refrigerate the batter at least 30 minutes, to give the starches in the dry ingredients more time to absorb the liquid ingredients.
  • Storage: Let muffins cool completely, then transfer leftover pumpkin muffins to airtight container. Store at room temperature up to 1 week.
  • Freezer Storage: Let muffins cool completely, then wrap each muffin in plastic wrap. Stand wrapped muffins on baking sheet or plate and place in freezer for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, transfer wrapped muffins to airtight container or sealable freezer bag and place container or bag in freezer. Store frozen muffins up to 3 months. Defrost frozen muffins in fridge or at room temperature overnight before serving. Reheat in microwave to enjoy warm if desired.
  • Make it Lower Carb: Replace the coconut sugar with Brown Swerve.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 pumpkin muffin | Calories: 306cal | Protein: 7g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 47mg | Sodium: 237mg | Potassium: 273mg | Total Carbs: 22g | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 10g | Net Carbs: 17g | Vitamin A: 3246IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 2mg
Recipe By:Cheryl Malik