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These easy Spiced Paleo Muffins have a light & fluffy texture, and will make your home smell like Fall as they bake. You don’t need any flour or oil to make them, so they’re naturally gluten-free, and totally delicious!

apple spice muffin split in half on plate

These muffins are inspired by my Paleo Pumpkin Muffins, only this version uses applesauce instead of pumpkin. The applesauce taste isn’t too noticeable, so if you want even more added apple flavor, try adding in some finely diced apple.

Note: My family didn’t care for the added chopped apple texture, so I’ve left them out of this recipe, but personally I liked it! If you want to give it a try, I added half of a Honeycrisp apple when I tested it that way, which was roughly 1/2 cup diced & peeled.

Ingredients You’ll Need

almond butter muffin ingredients

What’s in a Paleo muffin?

  • Almond butter
  • Applesauce
  • Eggs
  • Honey
  • Spices

It never ceases to amaze me how almond butter can act as a flour substitute in baking. It provides both the structure, and the healthy fat, so you don’t need to add oil to this recipe. These muffins turn out perfectly tender, with a light and fluffy texture!

If you don’t have almond butter on hand, you can swap it for peanut butter (which isn’t paleo, but it is still grain-free), cashew butter, or sunflower seed butter, as a nut-free alternative.

How to Make Paleo Muffins

1. Mix. Add the almond butter, applesauce, eggs, honey, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, and salt to a large bowl, and mix well.

paleo muffin batter mixed in glass bowl

Note: Some baking powders are made with cornstarch, and would not be considered “Paleo” while other brands are made with arrowroot starch, which is considered grain-free. Be sure to look for the arrowroot variety, if you need to stick to a strictly Paleo diet.

Alternatively, you can swap the baking powder for a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda + 1 teaspoon of vinegar, for a similar effect.

2. Bake. Use a 1/4 cup to scoop the batter into a lined muffin pan.

almond butter muffin batter poured into pan

Sometimes I only get 11 muffins from this batch, but you can distribute the batter evenly to make 12 smaller muffins, if you want to. These muffins are so nutrient dense, they don’t need to be as large as a “bakery muffin” to be satisfying.

Top the muffins with chopped pecans, if you like, then bake at 350ºF for 25 to 30 minutes.

muffins topped with pecans and baked

3. Cool. Let the muffins cool for at least 1 hour in the pan, then they are ready to serve. Paleo muffins can sometimes stick to the muffin liners, so that’s why I recommend using them (rather than merely greasing the pan), so you’ll guarantee that the muffins will release from the pan.

finished paleo muffins with wrapper removed

You can use silicone muffin liners, if you’d like an easy reusable option. I use them for Egg Muffins all the time, too!

Frequently Asked Questions & Tips

Prefer to use Almond Flour? Check out my Almond Flour Muffins, for guidance on the flour ratio to start with.

Can I make these without eggs? Flax eggs don’t work as well with grain-free baking. If you try it, expect that the muffins won’t rise, and might be gooey in the middle. Delicious, but gooey.

Can I substitute the honey? If you don’t like baking with honey, you can use a 1/2 cup of maple syrup instead. Or, you can try using 2/3 cup coconut sugar, for a slightly different texture.

If you have more questions I can help with, be sure to ask them in the comments below!

paleo muffins stacked on black plate

More Grain-Free Recipes

Interested in more Paleo ideas? Try these!

apple spice muffin on black plate

paleo muffins stacked on black plate

Paleo Spice Muffins

4.87 from 23 votes
These Paleo Muffins are made with NO flour or oil, for an easy gluten-free treat! All you need is a few simple ingredients to make them.
prep10 mins cook25 mins total35 mins
Servings:12

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup almond butter
  • 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
  • 2 whole eggs
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder (see note)
  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans (optional; for topping)

Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a 12-cup muffin pan with parchment liners. In a large bowl, combine the almond butter, applesauce, eggs, honey, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Stir well, until the batter is very smooth.
    paleo muffin batter mixed in glass bowl
  • Use a 1/4 cup measure to distribute the batter among the baking cups. (When you use the 1/4 cup measure, sometimes you may only end up with 11 muffins instead of 12. Or, you can simply fill each muffin cup about halfway full, and get 12 small muffins.) Sprinkle chopped pecans on top, and gently press them into the batter, for a topping.
    almond butter muffin batter poured into pan
  • Bake the muffins at 350ºF for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the muffins rise and don't look soft in the center. Let them cool for at least 1 hour in the pan, then you can serve them.
    muffins topped with pecans and baked
  • These spice muffins are very moist, so they are best kept in the fridge for the best shelf life. Store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or you can freeze them for up to 3 months. To thaw, place them in the fridge overnight.
    finished paleo muffins with wrapper removed

Video

Notes

Nutrition information is for 1 of 12 small muffins, without the optional pecan topping. This information is automatically calculated, and it just an estimate, not a guarantee.

Nutrition

Calories: 173kcal | Carbohydrates: 13g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 27mg | Sodium: 61mg | Potassium: 215mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 44IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 95mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Keyword: paleo muffins

If you try these grain-free muffins, please leave a star rating and comment below letting me know what you think!

Reader Feedback: Do you have any other baking recipe requests? Let me know!

Megan Gilmore leaning on her white countertop.

Megan Gilmore

Hi, I’m Megan. A former fast food junkie turned best-selling cookbook author. I create healthy recipes made with simple ingredients to make your life easier.

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Comments

  1. After making the peanut butter banana muffins with flax eggs I knew there was a chance these would be less pretty and slightly chewy with flax eggs, but I tried it anyway. AND the texture was amazing! My husband didn’t believe they were gluten free at first (and I’ve been baking only gluten free for over a decade). I used 1/3 cup of maple syrup and replaced the nutmeg with ground cloves. I’m excited to make these again soon! They were perfect!

    1. Ooh, thank you for sharing! I’m glad to hear they worked out with the flax eggs and maple syrup!

  2. Made these yesterday with half hazelnut butter and half crunchy peanut butter. Substituted 1/3 cup maple syrup for the honey and still found them sweet enough. They are absolutely delicious!! Unbelievable!

  3. These sound SO good – can’t wait to try them!
    Just curious, have you tried them with sunflower seed butter?
    Thanks!

    1. I haven’t tried this one with sunflower butter yet, but I imagine it would work! Sometimes sunflower seed butter can have a more overpowering flavor, so they might need an extra touch of sweetness or spice. And sunflower seeds sometimes react with baking soda and give baked goods a green hue in the center. So don’t be surprised if that happens! 🙂

      1. They worked beautifully with sunflower seed butter (I used unsweetened) and didn’t turn green! 🤷
        Maybe it’s the baking powder (vs soda) and the applesauce?
        Love the fluffy texture!
        Thanks again Megan!

  4. In the nutritional info it says that there is 1g of trans fat per serving. Where is there trans fat in the ingredients? And I believe they are very unhealthy fats so I am confused. Thanks!

    1. I can’t imagine which ingredient would have trans fat… since this information is automatically calculated, my guess is that the nutrition calculator might have used an almond butter brand (or other ingredient) that has an added hydrogenated oil or something?

  5. Wow these muffins are AMAZING! Definitely my new favourite recipe. I love how they stay fresh even after an few days keeping in the fridge. Will definitely be making these again! Thank you so much!

  6. Hi! I followed the instructions exactly (except for subbing cashew for almond butter) and it is not cooking! It has been in their for over half an hour and is still batter.
    Help!
    I also decided to bake it in a brownie pan instead of a muffin tin. Could that be my mistake?
    Thank you in advance!

    1. Sorry to hear that! I think the brownie pan probably made a big difference; muffins cook much faster because of how small each portion is. Hope they eventually did cook through in the brownie pan.