Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins
These fresh gluten free blueberry muffins are an easy dairy free snack or breakfast recipe that are made in just one bowl. They’re healthy, moist, fluffy and take just 30 minutes from start to finish!
Muffins are a fun little invention because it’s basically like eating dessert but it’s socially acceptable to have at 7 in the morning as you’re running out the door on your way to work. I mean, what could be bad about that?
This is a simple gluten free blueberry muffin recipe that uses half gluten free all purpose flour and half oat flour for a fluffy texture and delicious flavor!
They’re made in just one bowl, gluten free, dairy free, moist, fluffy and just sweet enough to satisfy your sweet tooth but not too sweet to give you a sugar crash in the morning.
They’re incredibly moist thanks to some oil, apple sauce, eggs and milk. I promise, these muffins are moist and stay moist! Try my blueberry scones, gluten free donuts or blueberry banana bread next!
Before we get started…
- Yes, I always recommend using muffin liners! It makes clean up so much easier and ensures the muffins slide right out of the tray.
- This recipe does call for eggs, but if you’re looking for egg-free muffins, try my vegan blueberry oatmeal muffins! I do not recommend an egg swap in this recipe.
How to make gluten free blueberry muffins
In a large bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients until well combined.
Whisk in all of the dry ingredients, just until everything is well incorporated. Be careful not to over mix.
Also, I’m going to sound like a broken record, but make sure you pour and level the flour into your dry measuring cups, don’t scoop from the bag because you will end up using more flour than needed which will dry out the muffins.
Carefully fold in the blueberries until evenly distributed.
Add the batter to lined muffin tins, filling about 3/4 of the way up or even more if you like really big muffin tops. It may seem like there is batter left over, but keep adding it to the muffin tin until it is all used up. I like to use a medium cookie scoop to ensure evenly sized muffins.
Top with a few additional blueberries and a sprinkle of cane sugar if desired. The sugar is optional, but adds a nice crunch and sweetness once baked.
Bake at 425 for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 and bake an additional 17-20 minutes, depending on your oven (mine does best with 18 minutes).
The toothpick test sort of works for this recipe, but because of the nature of berries, the toothpick won’t come out completely clean. Careful not to over bake as they will dry out.
I suggest checking at the 17 minute mark, and if the tops look golden brown and don’t wiggle around if you shake the pan, they’re good to go. They will continue cooking slightly as they sit and cool.
How to help muffins rise
Here’s a little trick to help muffins (or any baked good) rise really well: set the oven temperature about 75-100 degrees higher than you usually would.
You’ll put the muffins in at the higher temperature (in this case 425), but just for 2 minutes and then lower the temperature to 350 for the remaining of the baking time.
Putting the muffins in at a higher temperature helps activate the baking soda/powder and gives them a head start on the rising process.
Another important tip to ensure muffins rise properly is to mix the batter just enough. Too much can be problematic and too little can be problematic, so you want to find that goldilocks mixing level.
Mix just until the ingredients are well incorporated so you don’t create too many air pockets.
Fresh vs. Frozen Berries
You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. The only thing you will have to change if you use frozen, is add a couple more minutes of cook time to account for the moisture from the frozen berries. Same with my gluten free blueberry pie!
Frozen blueberries will also give a marbley effect to the muffins, but they will still taste delicious! One is not better than the other, it just comes down to what you have on hand and what you want the final result to look like!
If you have access to fresh wild blueberries, I highly recommend using them! They have a deeper flavor than regular blueberries and because they’re small, you can add more!
Make them refined sugar free!
Yes! This recipe uses maple syrup and a granulated sweetener of your choice. To make them refined sugar free, just use maple syrup or honey, plus coconut sugar for your granulated sugar.
You don’t want to use all honey or maple syrup because that will add too much moisture.
Do I need to add xanthan gum to gluten free muffins?
Because this recipe calls for a flour that already has Xanthan gum, you do need to do add any additional Xanthan gum to the recipe.
I highly suggest sticking with the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour, but if you only have another one, just make sure it includes Xanthan gum in the mix.
How to store
Once prepared, these gluten free blueberry muffins will store for 3-5 days. Because of the fresher ingredients, they actually do best not in an air tight container. The need a little air to breathe, so I suggest keeping them on a plate covered in foil so they have some air but don’t dry out too quickly.
You can also freeze these muffins! Be sure to let them cool completely, then transfer to a freezer safe bag and store for up to 1 month. Let defrost, then reheat in the microwave or oven until warm.
How do I make muffins light and fluffy?
A few things! The eggs in the muffin batter will help them rise and give an airy and light texture. I do not recommend any subs here.
Also, using the right proportions of baking soda and powder will help the muffins rise and create a very fluffy texture.
Try these snacks next
Lastly, if you want more recipes straight to your inbox, be sure to subscribe to my email list. As always, if you make this recipe, be sure to tag me on instagram and leave a comment below so I can see your creation!
Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins
by: claire cary
These gluten free blueberry muffins are an easy dairy free snack or breakfast recipe that are made in just one bowl. They’re dairy free and take 30 minutes from start to finish!
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Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit.
In a large bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients until well combined.
- Whisk in all of the dry ingredients making sure to pour and level the flour into your dry measuring cups, don't scoop from the bag, and mix just until everything is well incorporated. Be careful not to over mix.
Carefully fold in the blueberries until evenly distributed.
- Add the batter to lined muffin tins, filling about 3/4 of the way up. I like to use the medium cookie scoop to ensure evenly sized muffins.
Top with a few additional blueberries and a sprinkle of cane sugar if desired.
Bake at 425 for 5 minutes, then lower the temperature to 350 and bake an additional 17-20 minutes, depending on your oven (mine does best with 18 minutes).
The toothpick test sort of works for this recipe, but because of the nature of berries, the toothpick won't come out completely clean. Careful not to over bake as they will dry out.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Notes
If you have access to fresh wild blueberries, I highly recommend using them! They have a deeper flavor than regular blueberries and because they’re small, you can add more.
Because this recipe calls for a GF all purpose flour that already has Xanthan gum, you do need to do add any additional Xanthan gum to the recipe. I highly suggest sticking with the Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Baking Flour, but if you only have another GF all purpose flour, just make sure it includes Xanthan gum in the mix.
I have tested this recipe with both almond and oat flours and both work really well. The only difference is that if you use almond flour, the bake time will be 1-2 minutes longer since almond flour isn’t quite as absorbent as oat flour.
Serving: 1muffin / Calories: 235kcal / Carbohydrates: 35g / Protein: 6.1g / Fat: 9g / Fiber: 2g / Sugar: 13g