Healthy Pumpkin Muffins with Hazelnuts

Deliciously spiced, fluffy and moist: Enjoy these healthy pumpkin muffins for breakfast or as an afternoon treat. Low carb, Keto, gluten free and sugar free! 

It’s pumpkin season and I’m loving every minute of it! I’ve just bought a bumper pack of canned pumpkin and have been busy making pumpkin-based dishes all week.

Did you know that pumpkin puree tastes delicious mixed with yoghurt? It’s been my go-to breakfast, mixed with nuts, seeds and plenty of cinnamon. And have you seen my fudgy pumpkin brownies or the sugar free pumpkin pie I posted a few days ago? It’s so good that we had to divide the last slice into four so everyone could have some.

These super yummy healthy pumpkin muffins are just as delicious. Even better, they make the perfect grab-and-go breakfast!

I tested the recipe a few times using the same ingredients in different amounts – and after 3 gos the muffins came out perfect. They’re crunchy on the top and delightfully moist (but not heavy) on the inside. Best of all, it’s a seriously easy recipe that comes together in minutes!

These ketogenic pumpkin muffins are sweetened with granulated erythritol and taste of all the wonderful flavours autumn has to offer – warm spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, the gentle, earthy sweetness of pumpkin and roasted hazelnuts.

Many pumpkin muffins in the health food space use ingredients such as applesauce, yoghurt and oatmeal. All work well. I’ve been baking grain free for a few years now, and in this recipe I’m using coconut flour. It’s my go-to gluten free flour of the moment. It’s very nutrient-dense, low in carbs and way cheaper than almond flour. A pack lasts forever because coconut flour absorbs a lot of liquid – as a rule of thumb, you only need half the amount of coconut flour as almond flour in a recipe.

I think the the subtle sweetness of coconut flour works really well in this recipe. But now let’s jump straight in and let me show you how simple it is to make these sugar free muffins:

How to make healthy pumpkin muffins from scratch

First, you blend the pumpkin puree and your eggs. You can do this in a food processor or in a bowl with an electric mixer.

Next, you add all other ingredients apart from the hazelnuts and mix until you have a smooth batter. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth so make sure you taste the batter and add more sweetener if you feel it needs it.

See how the coconut flour has absorbed all the liquid? I always let my batter stand a couple of minutes while the coconut flour does its magic. Then you add the nuts. I bought ready-made roasted and chopped hazelnuts, but if you can’t source them you could make your own by blitzing blanched hazelnuts and then dry-roasting them in a pan.

Baker’s Top Tip: You could also use crushed pecans or walnuts here.

The nuts are not essential for the recipe, but I think it takes it to the next level 🙂

Time to organise some paper cases for your sugar free pumpkin muffins! Of course, you can use store-bought muffin cup liners or a silicone muffin pan. But if you have neither, you can make your own paper cups out of parchment paper!

I simply cut 5 inch squares of baking paper and pressed them into my well-used muffin pan with a glass. 

Don’t these home-made paper cases look so much prettier than the regular paper cups? Needless to say, they are super cheap.

I used around 2 heaped tablespoons of muffin batter for each muffin. Then you flatten the tops, scatter over some more hazelnuts and bake them for about 25 minutes or until a knife inserted comes out clean.

In the name of testing them properly, I’ve eaten 2 of these babies today already!!

Canned pumpkin is available all year round in the US and during autumn and winter you can get it in UK supermarkets such as Waitrose and Tesco. Unfortunately, in some parts of the world it’s hard to get hold of. So what to do if you want to whip up some low carb pumpkin muffins and you can’t get your hands on a can of Libby’s? Well, you make your own!

How to make homemade pumpkin puree:

• You heat the oven to 200 Celsius / 400 Fahrenheit.
• Cut your pumpkin in half, scoop out the seeds and lay the halves flesh-side down on a baking sheet lined with baking paper.
• Roast the pumpkin for 30-45 minutes (time will depend on the pumpkin size).
• Wait until the pumpkin has cooled. Then scoop out the flesh, discard the skins and blend to a smooth puree.

Recipe Notes and Variations

I used this granulated erythritol to sweeten my healthy pumpkin muffins. You could use powdered sweetener instead. Or even go for a brown sugar substitute like this one – this would also work well with the autumn flavours. If you wanted more sweetness, you can also add 4-8 drops of liquid stevia, which is the equivalent of 2 teaspoons of sugar. You can get caramel or cinnamon flavours!

Ran out of coconut flour? You can replace the coconut flour with 1 1/2 cups of almond flour. For dairy free pumpkin muffins simply use coconut oil in place of the butter.

I topped my muffin with sour cream, which tasted so good together. You could also whip up some heavy / double cream or make whipped coconut cream. All this is optional, of course – healthy pumpkin muffins taste delicious all on their own, too 🙂

More deeeelicious pumpkin recipes to try: 

• Healthy Pumpkin Bars with Cream Cheese Frosting
• Low Carb Chocolate Pumpkin Mug Cake

Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!

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Healthy Pumpkin Muffins with Hazelnuts

You'll love these healthy pumpkin muffins! They are packed with flavour and come together in minutes. The recipe is low carb, ketogenic and sugar free - perfect for diabetics.  

5 from 5 votes

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Course: Breakfast, Dessert

Cuisine: British

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 25 minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 182kcal

Author: Katrin Nürnberger

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Ingredients

• 3/4 cup / 180g pumpkin puree
• 4 eggs large
• 3/4 cup / 75g coconut flour
• 1/4 cup / 60g butter unsalted, melted
• 1/4 cup / 50g granulated sweetener
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp pumpkin spice / mixed spice
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1/3 cup / 40g chopped, roasted hazelnuts optional

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 175 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit. 
• In a food processor or in a bowl with a hand-held electric blender, mix your pumpkin and eggs until smooth. 
• Add the all other ingredients except the hazelnuts and blend until smooth. 
• Last, add the hazelnuts, if using, and blend briefly. You want them to add some crunch! The hazelnuts are not essential for the recipe, but their flavour works really well with the pumpkin.
• Let the batter sit for a couple of minutes so the coconut flour can absorb the moisture. Then scoop into a muffin pan lined with paper cups and sprinkle with hazelnuts. 
• Bake around 25 minutes or until lightly browned on top and a knife inserted comes out clean. 

Notes

See the post how you can make your own cafe-style paper cups. 

Can't get hold of pumpkin puree? Instructions on how to make your own are in the post. 

Serve on its own or with either whipped cream or sour cream. 

Nutrition

Calories: 182kcal | Carbohydrates: 10.2g | Protein: 6.8g | Fat: 12.9g | Fiber: 5.4g | Sugar: 3.9g

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