Healthy Red Velvet Muffins (Gluten Free, No Refined Sugar)

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These healthy red velvet muffins are made with almond flour, beet powder and yogurt. They have a moist, tender texture and delicious red velvet flavor. These beet powder muffins are gluten free, refined sugar free, dairy free, oil free and paleo friendly!

Top view of paleo red velvet muffins on wire cooling rack.

If I'm being honest, red velvet has never been my favorite flavor. But I was blown away by these healthy red velvet muffins. (My kids loved them too, so that was a huge win!)

These muffins are made with almond flour, sweetened with maple syrup and colored with beet powder. They don't have a vibrant red color since they're dye free, but they more than make up for that in taste and texture.

Why You'll Love these Red Velvet Muffins

paleo friendly - made with simple, minimally processed ingredients
gluten free and grain free - made with a mixture of almond and tapioca flours
dye free - no artificial colorings, just beet powder
dairy free - I used coconut yogurt to make these muffins dairy free and tender. Of course, any type of yogurt will work.
oil free - because these contain yogurt, they don't need oil for moisture.

Grabbing a red velvet muffin with a bite out of it.

Ingredients

Here's a list of what you need to make these paleo red velvet muffins:

blanched almond flour
tapioca starch - needed for texture purposes. You can swap the tapioca starch for arrowroot starch if needed.
beet powder - for color and flavor
cocoa powder - just a bit of cocoa powder for that red velvet flavor
baking powder
baking soda
salt
large eggs - I do not recommend an egg substitute for this recipe
yogurt - I used unsweetened coconut yogurt
maple syrup - or your favorite liquid sweetener
vanilla extract
ACV - apple cider vinegar

Ingredients needed to make gluten free red velvet muffins.

How to Make Red Velvet Muffins with Beet Powder

The batter for these muffins is made in two mixing bowls, then scooped into a lined muffin tin and baked in the oven. Here are the step by step instructions:

First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line a muffin tin with 11 muffin liners and set aside. (Paper or silicone liners will work.)

Mixing the dry ingredients in one bowl and the wet in another.

In a large mixing bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.

Healthy red velvet muffin batter in mixing bowl.

Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and whisk until smooth.

Scoop the batter into your lined muffin tin, filling each slot nearly to the top. You should get about 11 muffins.

Freshly baked muffins in the muffin tin.

Place the muffins in your oven and bake at 350 degrees F for 23-25 minutes. After baking, cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the muffin tin, then transfer them to a wire cooling rack.

I topped my muffins with a little powdered sugar for decoration. You could also mix in dark chocolate chips, chopped nuts or add sprinkles.

Muffins on wire cooling rack, topped with powdered sugar.

Storage

Place leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy within 10 days.

For longer storage, place muffins in a baggie and store in the freezer, up to one month. You can defrost the muffins at room temperature or warm them in the microwave.

FAQ

Can these red velvet muffins be made without eggs?

I have not tested this recipe without eggs or an egg replacement. If you do so, let me know how it turns out in the comments below.

Are these muffins red?

These muffins are more brown with a red tint. Since they're only colored with beet powder, you don't get a vibrant red color. But don't let that keep you from trying them - the flavor and texture is amazing!

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