Almond Flour Muffins

Full of protein and fiber and sweetened with a touch of honey, these almond flour muffins will quickly become one of your go-to recipes. These delicious gluten-free muffins can be personalized in a myriad of ways, by adding various ingredients and mix ins. It's the perfect master muffin recipe!

Add your favorite nuts, berries, citrus zest, and/or dairy-free chocolate chips. In short, you can make these healthy muffins exactly the way you want them!

8-10 years ago my brother's family went on the GAPS diet. During that time period, there were a handful almond flour recipes that I developed for them, like my Paleo Chocolate Chip Cookies, and tucked away. These paleo muffins were one of those recipes, so I'm happy to be sharing it with you today! 

Almond Flour Muffins Mix-In Ideas

I don't know about you, but I really love master recipes like this one, that I can personalize depending on what I have on hand (i.e. fresh berries).

My family's favorite mix-in combination is 2 teaspoons of vanilla extract + ½ cup dairy-free mini chocolate chips, for almond flour chocolate chip muffins. 

Chopped Nuts- almonds, pecans, walnuts, peanuts
Berries- blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, cranberries (or a combination of berries!)
Spices- cinnamon, nutmeg, cardamom, allspice
Citrus Zest- lemon zest, orange zest
Extracts- vanilla extract, almond extract
Chocolate Chips- I use dairy-free chocolate chips, but you can use any that you have on hand

Important Note- Do not add an acidic citrus juice to this recipe (like fresh squeezed lemon juice, or orange juice), which could destroy the leavening of the muffin. Instead, opt for a citrus zest, or an extract. 

Tips for Baking with Almond Flour

1. When measuring almond flour, you want to gently pack the flour in the measuring cup (kind of like you would when measuring brown sugar), and then level off the measuring cup with the back of a butter knife. 
2. Don't overmix or overwork your flour. Remember, almond flour is ground almonds. If you overmix it, the natural oils start to come out, like when making almond butter. The trick is to mix it just enough to get the muffin batter smooth, but not any more than that. 
3. When finished baking, muffins made from almond flour will appear significantly more golden brown on top than a muffin made with gluten-free grain flour. The natural oils from the almonds cause this additional browning; it's completely normal. The almond flour muffins should not burn if your oven is calibrated correctly, just turn a deep golden brown. 

Blanched Almond Flour vs. Unblanched Almond Flour

Blanched Almond Flour- Blanched almonds have had their skins removed, so blanched almond flour contains no almond skins.

Unblanched Almond Flour- Unblanched Almond flour is made from almonds still containing their skin, so this flour is a bit darker in color and not quite as smooth as blanched almond flour. 

I prefer to bake with finely ground blanched almond flour, as it provides a lighter, tender crumb. That said, you can certainly use unblanched almond flour in this recipe if that's what you prefer. The skin of almonds contains a high amount of fiber, so from a health standpoint, you really can't go wrong using the unblanched.

Almond Meal vs. Almond Flour

Depending on the brand of almond flour you buy, it could be more of a meal (grittier) than a finely ground flour. While almond meal tastes great, I prefer the texture of the finely ground flour (they equal in flavor). Either will work in this recipe. It just depends on what you prefer.

I have used and recommend the following brands of blanched finely ground almond flour:

• Kirkland
• Blue Diamond
• Anthony's
• Honeyville (though I find them more expensive, so definitely price check before you buy)

Are Almond Flour & Coconut Flour Interchangeable?

One of the questions I get most often on my blog is, "Can I use coconut flour as a substitute for blanched almond flour?". The answer is no - coconut flour is not a suitable substitute for blanched (or unblanched) almond flour, or vice versa; they are not interchangeable. Almond flour is incredibly moist, while coconut flour is extremely dry; they are two very different beasts, so don't substitute one for the other. 

How To Store Paleo Muffins

Unlike most baked goods made from gluten-free grain flours, baked goods made with almond flour will stay moist for days. In fact, they stay so moist that I normally store my almond flour muffins in a gallon-sized storage bag left partially open on the counter. This way, air can circulate in the bag, and will prevent too much moisture/humidity from building up in the storage bag.

Just keep in mind, I live in Alaska, so normally our humidity levels aren't high, nor is it generally super hot here. If you live in a hot, humid climate, it is possible you'll need to store your Paleo muffins in the refrigerator. 

Other Almond Flour Recipes:

Almond Flour Tortillas
Paleo Chicken Tenders 
Almond Flour Pancakes from Detoxinista
Almond Flour Thumbprint Cookies from Kristine In Between

Almond Flour Muffins Recipe

*Did you make these paleo muffins recipe? Please give it a star rating and leave an honest review below! 

Don’t forget to snap a pic and tag me on Instagram @allergyfreeak and #allergyfreealaska with your gf muffin pics!