Paleo Chestnut Flour Gingerbread Muffins (Gluten-Free)

Paleo Chestnut Flour Gingerbread Muffins recipe. A healthier version of the typical gingerbread muffin, that is light, cakey and totally grain-free!

My chestnut flour baking obsession continues with these Paleo Chestnut Flour Gingerbread Muffins. They are light, cakey, grain-free gingerbread bombs of delight… and they taste amazing!

They are basically a much healthier version of your typical gingerbread muffin, and are totally grain-free!

I am actually eating one of these Paleo Chestnut Flour Gingerbread Muffins as I write this post… because I just can’t help myself!

They are the best gingerbread anything that I’ve ever made; I love how light they are!

And the key is in the ingredients!

Ingredients needed for these Paleo Chestnut Flour Gingerbread Muffins:

• almond flour
• chestnut flour
• ground cloves
• ground ginger
• cinnamon
• baking soda
• maple syrup
• blackstrap molasses
• eggs
• coconut cream
• apple cider vinegar

The chestnut flour is the reason that these muffins are so light in texture. Chestnut flour is a much lighter, less dense Paleo/ Grain-free flour than almond flour and thus results in a very light, fluffy muffin.

It’s wonderful for baking and Nuts.com has it at such a good price.

Plus, the rugged nutty sweetness of the chestnut flour couldn’t be more perfect for a gingerbread muffin, if I do say so myself. 🙂

The gingerbread flavor in these muffins is from the cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and the blackstrap molasses.

What is blackstrap molasses?

What the heck is blackstrap molasses??? ( I actually did not know and had not ever cooked with it).

So, I did some research and found out that it is basically the byproduct of the process of refining sugar. Sugarcane juice is boiled, and this results in sugar crystals.

But, once this refined sugar is scooped up, what is left behind is ALL of the nutrients from the sugarcane, but in the form of a thick syrupy molasses.

I found out that blackstap molasses is not only incredibly nutritious, but it is also welcomed in the Paleo community.

I found this article by the Paleo Mom to be very helpful. She explains the different types of molasses and how blackstrap molasses is the healthiest type for you.

In the article, she explains how blackstrap molasses has more than 5x the iron as steak and 1.5x the calcium as cheese! I also found this article by Paleoaholic helpful as well.

I have been moving away from being so strict with labeling foods as “good” or “bad” based on if they are totally Paleo or not.

I like the approach of seeking out foods that are healthy for my personal body, listening to what my body can and can’t tolerate, and eating foods that are full of nutrients.

Blackstrap molasses is such a nutrient-dense food, that I am happy to start using it in my baking. Especially when it results in a recipe like these Paleo Chestnut Flour Gingerbread Muffins. 🙂

How to make these chestnut flour gingerbread muffins:

In one bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. This includes the almond flour, chestnut flour, ground cloves, ground ginger, cinnamon and baking soda.

In another bowl, whisk together the maple syrup, blackstrap molasses, and the eggs. Then add the coconut cream and apple cider vinegar and whisk until creamy.

Mix the bowl of wet and dry ingredients together.

Pour the batter into muffin tins and bake!

Once the muffins have cooled you can dig in.

I’ve personally been slathering almond butter and a bit of blackstrap molasses on top of mine… so good!

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season, a Merry Christmas, and a wonderful New Year!

Other Paleo Muffins you may enjoy:

Easy Paleo Pumpkin Muffins (Dairy-free, Gluten-free)

Gluten-Free Paleo Sticky Toffee Pudding Muffins

Paleo Chocolate Banana Muffins (Dairy-free, Gluten-free)