Gluten-Free Flax Meal and Almond Flour Muffins

Gluten free flax meal and almond flour muffins

The Spruce

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Servings: 12 servings

Adapted from a recipe for low-carb doughnut muffins, this gluten-free muffin recipe is made without grain. There are also no other typical gluten-free ingredients, like rice, sorghum, tapioca, xanthan gum, or guar gum in the recipe. Instead, these muffins call for flax seed and almond flour, making for a recipe with a subtle nutty taste that is perfect for breakfast or a pick-me-up snack.

This gluten-free recipe is also low in sugar, calling for just 1/2 cup of sugar, which is about half the amount normally found in muffin recipes.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (94 grams) ground flax meal

  • 1 cup (86 grams) almond flour

  • 1 tablespoon gluten-free baking powder

  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground nutmeg

  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt

  • 4 ounces unsalted butter, melted, cooled

  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten

  • 1/2 cup sugar

  • 1/2 cup water, or buttermilk

Optional Topping

  • 2 tablespoons cane sugar

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients. Heat the oven to 350 F/176 C.

    Ingredients for muffins
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  2. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper muffin liners.

    Muffin tin with paper liners
    The Spruce  
  3. For best results, use a kitchen scale to weigh the ground flax meal and almond flour and then place in a large mixing bowl.

    Ground meal
    The Spruce 
  4. Whisk in the gluten-free baking powder, ground nutmeg, cinnamon, and salt.

    Whisking dry ingredients for muffins
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  5. Add the melted butter, eggs, sugar, and water or buttermilk to the dry ingredients and stir to combine; alternatively, you can use an electric mixer and beat just until the ingredients are blended.

    Stirring muffin batter
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  6. Use a small ice cream scoop or large spoon to distribute the muffin batter evenly (about 2/3 full) into the prepared muffin tin.

    Muffin batter in tin
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  7. If you are using the toppings, mix together the cane sugar, nutmeg, and cinnamon in a small bowl.

    Sugar and cinnamon in small bowl
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  8. Sprinkle about 1 teaspoon of the sugar-spice mixture on top of each muffin.

    Sprinkling sugar spice mixture over muffin batter
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  9. Bake in the oven for about 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

    Muffins in tin
    The Spruce 
  10. Allow the muffins to completely cool before serving.

    Muffins cooling on rack
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  11. Enjoy as a sweet treat, breakfast, or as a quick grab-and-go snack.

Gluten-Free Precautions

Always make sure your work surfaces, utensils, pans, and tools are free of gluten. Always read product labels; manufacturers can change product formulations without notice. When in doubt, do not buy or use a product before contacting the manufacturer for verification that the product is free of gluten.

Recipe Variations

  • Low Carb: If you are counting carbs, use a preferred sugar substitute in place of the granulated and cane sugars.
  • Dairy-Free: Replace the butter with an equal amount of a neutral oil; you can also use apple sauce or mashed banana but may want to cut down the sugar a little since both add some sweetness.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
219 Calories
16g Fat
15g Carbs
5g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 12
Amount per serving
Calories 219
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 16g 21%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Cholesterol 82mg 27%
Sodium 194mg 8%
Total Carbohydrate 15g 5%
Dietary Fiber 3g 12%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 5g
Vitamin C 0mg 0%
Calcium 123mg 9%
Iron 1mg 7%
Potassium 145mg 3%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)