Gluten Free Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins

These moist and fluffy Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins are loaded with seasonal flavors, packed with spices and perfectly sweet.  The ideal treat to enjoy this holiday season. Gluten free, dairy-free.

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Originally published December 2017. Updated December 2020.

Paleo Gingerbread Muffins

‘Tis the season for love, gratitude, togetherness and all things warm and cozy….like these Pumpkin Gingerbread Muffins.

All the warm seasonal flavors packed into one perfectly Paleo, naturally sweetened, dairy-free and gluten free muffin. These beauties are the perfect thing to enjoy on a chilly December morning with a cup of coffee or to serve to the family as they open stockings on Christmas morning.

It is no secret that muffins are one of my favorite things to make. In fact, I’m pretty obsessed with anything that I can make in a muffin tin.

And I couldn’t possible let the holiday season pass us by without some sort of festive veggie-loaded muffin recipe.

Why these pumpkin muffins are going to be your new holiday jam…

• Mixed all in one bowl. Pfffft. There is enough to do around the holidays and dishes shouldn’t be one of them! Get your holiday baking on with these muffins without making a stack of dishes in your skin.
• Easy! Again, who has extra time this time of the year? These muffins come together quickly, are perfect to make with the kids and will fulfill that holiday baking bug that hits us all at one point or another.
• Naturally sweetened. Molasses + maple syrup are all you need for these beauties.
• Naturally gluten free + dairy-free but require no fancy or hard-to-find alternative flours.
• Family-friendly. Your crew is going to adore these!
• Great to make as part of meal prep. Bake these the night before (or a day or two ahead!) and relax in the morning while still getting an awesome breakfast on the table.

Where to find pumpkin puree

During this time of the year, I almost always have pumpkin puree on hand. It makes veggie-loading all the foods super easy. I find it quite easily in the fall and winter in my local grocery store. It is usually stored with the other canned vegetables.

FYI: When you grab a can of pumpkin puree, make sure it is JUST pumpkin on the ingredients and not “pumpkin pie filling”. The filling has added spices and sugar. Which are nice, but will throw off this recipe a bit.

If you can’t find canned pumpkin or you are just someone who likes to keep things as homemade as possible, you can absolutely make it yourself. And it is pretty easy! Just follow this simple recipe and store leftover puree in your freezer for when you want to make something else pumpkin-loaded!

What is “natural almond butter?”

“Natural” is a word that is thrown around a lot these days and doesn’t have any real regulation on it. So, pretty much anyone can claim that their product is “natural” without it being anywhere close to it.

So, how do you know how to pick a natural almond butter? It is going to require you turning the jar around and taking a peek at the ingredient list.

Natural almond butter should have one or maybe two ingredients. Peanuts and maybe salt. No artificial sweeteners, colors, preservatives or ingredients that my fourth grader can’t easily read.

Some nut butter companies add cane sugar, coconut sugar, honey or maple syrup to their butters to sweeten them up. And that is not a terrible thing as long as you know that there is sugar hanging out in there so you can adjust this recipe accordingly.

Some of my favorite natural almond butters are the Trader Joe’s and Costco brands. I know there are many others out there, but I love how these two are so affordable and accessible.

Suggested adaptations for making pumpkin gingerbread muffins

• Switch out the pumpkin puree with butternut squash puree or sweet potato puree. I find these are pretty interchangeable in most recipes! Plus, sometimes butternut squash or sweet potato puree is easier to find.
• Make them with natural peanut butter. Just switch the almond butter for PB! Heads up, it will change the flavor of these muffins, but you might enjoy that if you are a peanut lover!
• Turn them into cupcakes. Top them homemade whipped cream or whipped coconut cream.

Other gluten free muffin recipes you will love

• Chocolate Zucchini Paleo Muffins
• Paleo Almond Butter Blueberry Zucchini Muffins
• One-Bowl Carrot Paleo Muffins
• Lemon Paleo Muffins
• Healthy Chocolate Muffins (with butternut squash)