Flaxseed Pumpkin Muffins: Easy, Healthy Comfort Bake — soft, warmly spiced little muffins made with pumpkin puree, coconut flour, and flax-seed meal, sweetened with erythritol instead of sugar. They bake in fifteen minutes and make the kitchen smell like fall. Each one lands around four grams of carbs.
Ingredients
- 0.25 cup (2 oz / 56g) sunflower seed butter
- 0.75 cup (6 oz / 170g) pumpkin puree
- 1 large egg (1.8 oz / 50g)
- 2 tbsp (0.5 oz / 14g) flax-seed meal
- 0.25 cup (1 oz / 28g) coconut flour
- 0.5 cup (3.4 oz / 96g) erythritol
- 1 tsp (0.09 oz / 2.6g) ground cinnamon
- 0.5 tsp (0.04 oz / 1g) ground nutmeg
- 0.5 tsp (0.1 oz / 3g) baking soda
- 0.5 tsp (0.07 oz / 2g) baking powder
- 1 pinch (0.125 tsp / 0.02 oz / 0.5g) salt
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and completely grease an 18-cavity muffin pan.
- Combine 0.25 cup (2 oz / 56g) sunflower seed butter, 0.75 cup (6 oz / 170g) pumpkin puree, and 1 large egg (1.8 oz / 50g) in a mixing bowl and blend until fully smooth.
- Add 2 tbsp (0.5 oz / 14g) flax-seed meal, 0.25 cup (1 oz / 28g) coconut flour, and 0.5 cup (3.4 oz / 96g) erythritol directly to the wet mixture.
- Stir in 0.5 tsp (0.1 oz / 3g) baking soda, 0.5 tsp (0.07 oz / 2g) baking powder, 1 tsp (0.09 oz / 2.6g) ground cinnamon, 0.5 tsp (0.04 oz / 1g) ground nutmeg, and 1 pinch (0.125 tsp / 0.02 oz / 0.5g) salt, mixing until all dry ingredients are fully incorporated and a cohesive batter forms.
- Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
Nutritional Information (Per Serving)
- Calories: 65 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 4g (0.14 oz) (Net Carbs: 1.5g / 0.05 oz)
- Protein: 2.8g (0.1 oz)
- Fat: 5.4g (0.19 oz)
Pro Tips
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: Make sure your egg and pumpkin puree are at room temperature before baking. Cold ingredients can cause the sunflower seed butter to seize up, leaving you with a lumpy batter.
- Do Not over-mix: Coconut flour is highly absorbent and can make baked goods dense if overworked. Stir the wet and dry ingredients together just until combined for a tender crumb.
- Let Them Cool Completely: Low-carb and gluten-free muffins are incredibly fragile while hot. Resist the urge to pop them out of the pan immediately. Letting them cool entirely in the muffin tin allows them to set and hold their shape.
- Sift Your Coconut Flour: Coconut flour tends to clump up in the pantry. Sifting it before adding it to your batter ensures your muffins have a smooth, even texture without any dry, powdery pockets.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can I substitute coconut flour with almond flour in these flaxseed Pumpkin Muffins? No, it is not recommended to do a 1:1 swap here. Coconut flour is extremely absorbent and requires much more liquid than almond flour. If you attempt to use almond flour, you would need to use at least three to four times the amount, which would completely alter the moisture ratios of this specific recipe.
Are these flax-seed Pumpkin Muffins keto-friendly and diabetic-friendly? Yes! Because this recipe uses a combination of coconut flour, flax-seed meal, and erythritol (a zero-calorie sugar alcohol), these muffins are very low in net carbohydrates and will not cause a rapid spike in blood sugar, making them perfect for keto and low-glycemic diets.
How should I store low-carb pumpkin muffins to keep them fresh? Store your baked muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Because they are exceptionally moist from the pumpkin puree and lack artificial preservatives, keeping them chilled is the best way to prevent them from spoiling. You can also freeze them in a freezer-safe bag for up to 3 months.
Can I use fresh pumpkin instead of canned pumpkin puree? Yes, you can use homemade fresh pumpkin puree. However, fresh puree often holds much more water than the canned variety. Be sure to blot your fresh puree with a paper towel or strain it through a cheesecloth to remove excess moisture before measuring out your 0.75 cup (6 oz / 170g).
Pro Tips
- Bring the egg and pumpkin puree to room temperature first. Cold ingredients make the sunflower seed butter seize up and leave the batter lumpy.
- Sift the coconut flour before mixing and stir the batter only until it comes together. Overworked coconut flour absorbs moisture and turns the muffins dense.
- Let the muffins cool completely in the pan before removing them. Low-carb bakes are fragile while hot and only set their shape as they cool.
- Grease the muffin pan thoroughly rather than relying on liners. Coconut flour batter is sticky and loves to cling to paper.
- Store the cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for longer. Ten seconds in the microwave brings back the fresh-baked softness.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are these pumpkin muffins keto?
Yes. Each muffin runs about 65 calories with 4 g of carbs, just 1.5 g of net carbs once you count the fiber, plus 2.8 g of protein and 5.4 g of fat.
Can I use a different sweetener instead of erythritol?
Monk fruit blends or allulose drop in easily and keep the batch sugar-free and keto. Whatever you use, keep the volume close to the half cup of erythritol so the texture stays the same.
Can I make the muffins ahead of time?
Absolutely, they keep 2 days at room temperature and about a week in the fridge. Warm one briefly before serving to bring back the soft crumb.
Are these muffins nut-free?
They are made without any nuts: sunflower seed butter and coconut flour do the work instead. Just check that your baking powder is processed in a nut-free facility if allergies are a concern.
Recipe card below.
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Ingredients
Method
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and completely grease an 18-cavity muffin pan.
- Combine 0. 25 cup (2 oz / 56g) sunflower seed butter, 0. 75 cup (6 oz / 170g) pumpkin puree, and 1 large egg (1. 8 oz / 50g) in a mixing bowl and blend until fully smooth.
- Add 2 tbsp (0. 5 oz / 14g) flax-seed meal, 0. 25 cup (1 oz / 28g) coconut flour, and 0. 5 cup (3. 4 oz / 96g) erythritol directly to the wet mixture.
- Stir in 0. 5 tsp (0. 1 oz / 3g) baking soda, 0. 5 tsp (0. 07 oz / 2g) baking powder, 1 tsp (0. 09 oz / 2. 6g) ground cinnamon, 0. 5 tsp (0. 04 oz / 1g) ground nutmeg, and 1 pinch (0. 125 tsp / 0. 02 oz / 0. 5g) salt, mixing until all dry ingredients are fully incorporated and a cohesive batter forms.
- Scoop the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan.
- Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 15 minutes, then remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before serving.
- Do Not over-mix: Coconut flour is highly absorbent and can make baked goods dense if overworked.
- Stir the wet and dry ingredients together just until combined for a tender crumb.
- Let Them Cool Completely: Low-carb and gluten-free muffins are incredibly fragile while hot. Resist the urge to pop them out of the pan immediately.
- Letting them cool entirely in the muffin tin allows them to set and hold their shape.
