It's pumpkin spice season! I love spice cake and this keto pumpkin spice muffin is a really delicious take on the traditional spice cake made keto-friendly, gluten-free, and showcases pumpkin in a way that everyone will love!
Pumpkin spice has definitely become a full-blown season. As soon as September 1st flips on the calendar, we see pumpkin spice everything. There seems to be no limit to the pumpkin spice variations that show up on store shelves and restaurant menus this time of year.
This muffin recipe is a great way to tackle sugar cravings if you're watching your carbs or following a ketogenic diet for the health benefits and you won't miss out on the pumpkin spice phenomenon. This pumpkin spice muffin is quick and easy to make at home and that pumpkin spice craving doesn't stand a chance! You can even frost it with my keto cream cheese frosting!
QUICK REFERENCE
Ingredient Notes
- Baking Powder:
- Conventional baking powder contains cornstarch, which many folks are reactive to. If you have a sensitivity to corn, seek out a starch-free baking powder. I like Bakewell Cream, it's also free of aluminum.
- Aluminum!? Yup. If you've ever thought that your dessert tasted metallic, you'd be right. Conventional baking powder also contains aluminum. Specifically sodium aluminum sulfate. The aluminum creates a heat-activated baking powder. Aluminum is known to be neurotoxic. The FDA has deemed a small amount to be safe for consumption, however, the FDA doesn't measure the total burden of aluminum that the body can come into contact with. You'd be surprised to learn where you come into contact with aluminum every day. According to the CDC, we know that the average adult in the United States eats about 7–9 mg of aluminum per day in their food alone. It adds up very quickly, so you may want to take control where you can and seek out an aluminum-free baking powder. Rumford makes a good one, but it does contain cornstarch.
- Coconut Flour: Coconut flour is included to provide structure in the absence of gluten. Coconut flour on its own can create a really dense, brick-like baked good so we only use a small amount in combination with other flours.
- Almond Flour: Almond flour can be inflammatory for folks who have a tough time with lectins, phytates, oxalates, or histamine so heads up!
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: In my opinion, recipes never call for enough pumpkin pie spice, I wrote this recipe consistent with the standard. But when I make it for myself, I double or even triple the amount of pumpkin pie spice. I like it spicy!
- Erythritol: Some experience a cooling sensation that can be unpleasant when ingesting erythritol. Also, make sure to watch your portions here, don't eat the whole pan at once or you may experience gastric distress.
Substitutions
If you're concerned about more than just carbs, you can easily adjust this muffin recipe for your dietary requirements. This recipe is already gluten-free, but here are a few ideas to accommodate other common food sensitivities.
- Nut-Free: swap out the almond flour for tigernut flour and the coconut flour for xanthan gum. This will add a few carbohydrates, but they will be mostly fiber.
- Dairy-Free: swap out the butter for coconut oil or melted cacao butter.
- Sugar-Alcohol Free: If you react to erythritol, you can swap it out for pure monk fruit, stevia, or a combination of the two.
If you need help with different dietary accommodations, let me know in the comments and I'll try and help!
Instructions
The most difficult part of making these keto pumpkin spice muffins is sourcing the ingredients. The baking process is super quick and easy. It's just a matter of mixing the ingredients in the correct order and baking for the correct amount of time, based on the behavior of your oven.
Step 1: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs. Add pumpkin, melted butter(or coconut oil), and vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth.
Step 2: In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, spices, baking powder, sweetener, and salt. Mix until well combined.
Step 3: Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin/egg mixture. Stir until well combined.
Step 4: Pour batter into oiled muffin tin, dividing evenly into 12 cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch.
Hint: This batter can be quite sticky, so really make sure your pan is oiled well. I love my Misto Stainless Steel Olive Oil Sprayer for oiling pans! This kitchen tool allows me to control the type of oil that I use and save on waste.
Variations
This batter can be used for a variety of different baked goods. If you really want to wow your friends and family, you can easily create a keto pumpkin spice version of all kinds of delicious baked goods.
- Donuts: Use a donut pan to create keto pumpkin spice donuts.
- Mini Loaves: Use a mini loaf pan to create mini keto pumpkin spice loaves.
- Mix-Ins: You can also mix things up by adding chopped walnuts, sugar-free chocolate chips, or some cocoa powder.
- Frostings: Mix things up by frosting with a cream cheese frosting or an easy glaze made from sweetener and liquid.
Serve them with a nice keto hot chocolate or bulletproof coffee!
Equipment
Since this batter can be super sticky, the material of the muffin pan you use can really make a difference. I used a silicone muffin pan and oiled it well and I still had to run a knife around each cut to get the muffins loose.
You may want to use cupcake tins or paper liners so that you don't have to worry about sticking at all. This is a great opportunity to add some fall or Halloween flare with patterned tins or paper liners. So fun!
Storage
This muffin is exceedingly moist. So when it comes to proper storage it's important to allow for proper airflow and temperature to avoid mold. Keep them in a cool dry place whether that's on a plate on your countertop or in the refrigerator.
These are never around long enough at our house to worry about them going back or molding. But they freeze beautifully, so if you aren't going to get to the fast enough, you can always store them in the freezer and warm them up in the air fryer, toaster oven, or microwave for a few seconds when you want to enjoy them.
Top tip
Be careful not to underbake. Set your timer initially for 25 minutes and then check on them. Depending on the oven, you may need to let them bake a little longer. Check using a toothpick and if it comes out clean they are done. The tops should be firm and springy to the touch.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, you should be able to use this same batter for a keto spice pumpkin or carrot muffin. You could also omit them altogether and just do a spice cake. You may need to add additional liquid to compensate for the lost moisture from the pumpkin.
Yes, they freeze beautifully! Just warm them from frozen for a few seconds in an air fryer, toaster oven, oven, or microwave when you are ready to at.
Absolutely. The texture of your muffin will change, but there are enough eggs in this recipe that is should hold together well. It may be a bit dry and crumbly, but I bet it will still be delicious!
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Recipe
Keto Pumpkin Spice Muffins
Equipment
- 1 Muffin Pan
- 1 Whisk Can also use a hand or stand mixer.
Ingredients
- 4 Large Eggs
- ¼ Teaspoon Salt
- 1 ½ Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1 Teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 Tablespoon Vanilla Extract
- 2 Tablespons Coconut Flour
- ½ Cup Almond Flour
- 1 Cup Pumpkin Puree Unsweetened
- ½ Cup Butter Melted (Dairy-Free: Swap for Coconut Oil)
- ¾ Cup Sugar-Free Granulated Sweetener
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375F. Grease muffin tin with fat of your choice.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs. Add pumpkin, melted butter (or coconut oil), and vanilla extract, and whisk until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, combine dry ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, spices, baking powder, sweetener, and salt. Mix until well combined.
- Add dry ingredients to the pumpkin/egg mixture. Stir until well combined.
- Pour batter into oiled muffin tin, dividing evenly into 12 cups. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown and firm to the touch.
- If serving frosted, allow muffins to cool completely before frosting. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days, or refrigeratefor up to a week. Ha! Like they’ll last that long. 😛
Video
Notes
- This batter can be a bit sticky, so really make sure your pan is oiled thoroughly.
- These muffins are quite moist, I recommend storing them in the refrigerator if you’re not going to get to them within a day or two or if your home is warm to prevent mold.
- Frost with my keto cream cheese frosting or mix a little sugar-free sweetener with water for a quick glaze.
- Skip the frosting and try them warm with a pat of real salted butter. So delicious.
Heather Cooan, MBA, NTP, FDN-P, ONCc says
My husband enjoyed these muffins. He said they could use more pumpkin spice, we like spice cake to be really spicy. He also said they were super moist on the inside kind of like pudding and the outside was crispy. He said they would be even better with a chunky flake sugar topping for some added crunch and sweetness. So I'll have to figure out how to make that happen within keto parameters.