The BEST Ever Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

Do you want to learn the secret to the BEST EVER gluten-free blueberry muffins? Read on my friend because this recipe combines wholesome ingredients with expert techniques to create muffins that are moist, fluffy, and bursting with juicy blueberries in every bite.

Love blueberries? Then you’ll also love this recipe for Blueberry Banana Bread and these outrageously delicious Sour Cream Blueberry Thyme Scones.

This day is epic in so many ways, can we count them together?

1. I am publishing my first recipe post in 3 months! In case you missed it, I had an accident in February that left me and my left elbow a bit worse for the wear. I am recovering (albeit slower than I would like) but cooking was out of the question for months! I am so so thrilled to be back in the kitchen, nearly 2 handed, and sharing wonderful recipes with you!
2. I have worked on this recipe for 16 months. Yes, you read that right, 16 months! Sometimes I get a bee in my bonnet and become, well… possessed until I have perfected a recipe. And thus… my happy husband has been eating his way through batch after batch of blueberry muffins for over a year.

So yes, epic. I am marking my return with a much anticipated (mostly by me) recipe that is sure to blow your mind!

Whether you have celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, or simply choose to follow a gluten-free lifestyle, these muffins will surpass your expectations and satisfy your cravings. Honestly, it doesn't even matter if you are gluten-free, you will replace your gluten-filled blueberry muffin recipe with this genius recipe, I promise.

Get ready to indulge in a delightful treat that will leave you wondering if they're truly gluten-free *they are*

Let's dive in and discover the magic behind these extraordinary gluten-free blueberry muffins!

YOU WILL LOVE THIS!

In the realm of gluten-free baking, finding a recipe that combines exceptional taste and texture with optimal nutrition can be a daunting task. Let's be honest, most gluten-free baked goods are less than delicious and the ones that do pass the taste test are typically filled with gums and starches and loaded with sugar to cover up the no-gluten thing. When I went gluten-free last year I was quickly thrown into the terrible gluten-free product world and became COMMITTED to perfect a few staple gluten-free recipes for all of my fellow gluten-free friends out there.

I bring you the culmination of 16 months of meticulous testing and experimentation—a recipe for the best-ever gluten-free blueberry muffins. As a nutritionist, I embarked on a journey to develop a muffin recipe that not only tastes fantastic but also offers a wholesome and nutritionally dense treat. In this blog post, we will delve into the health benefits of our carefully curated ingredients, share the secrets behind the perfect texture, and unravel the science that makes these muffins stand out among the rest.

Let's Get Cooking!

WHAT INGREDIENTS WILL I NEED?

You will find the detailed measurements and specific ingredients within the recipe card at the end of this post.

• Almond Flour – A staple ingredient in my baking pantry. Almond flour is made with ground almonds and maintains the same health perks of almonds; good quality healthy fat, protein, fiber, and vitamin E. 
• Oats – Rolled oats are best for this recipe or oat flour.  You will blend the rolled oats to make a quick oat flour. I recommend staying away from “quick oats” when blended and used in baked goods they can become a bit gummy.
• Eggs – Large organic eggs.
• Coconut Sugar – This is my preferred choice for unrefined sugar. You can easily substitute maple sugar or brown sugar. See below for my experimentation with sugars to find the best substitute for you.
• Butter – Good quality butter. This recipe only has a few ingredients, it's important that every ingredient is packed with flavor. I love finding local butter or when in doubt my favorite store-bought butter is Kerrygold.
• Kefir – A fermented milk drink similar to yogurt. You can replace with yogurt or sour cream, but I find Kefir to add a wonderfully moist texture to the muffins.
• Vanilla Extract
• Blueberries – Bursting with antioxidants, fiber, and vitamins, blueberries are the star ingredient of these muffins. Not only do they lend a burst of sweet-tart flavor, but they also promote heart health, boost brain function, and support a healthy immune system.
• Baking soda, baking powder, and salt

TOOLS YOU WILL USE FOR THIS RECIPE

• High-Speed Blender or Food Processor (to make oat flour or just purchase oat flour)
• Muffin Pan
• Mixing Bowls
• Electric Mixer – Either a stand mixer or a hand mixer
• Measuring Cups and Spoons
• Muffin cups

HOW TO MAKE THE BEST GLUTEN-FREE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS

Detailed instructions can be found below in the recipe card but here you will find a few helpful tips and tricks and a quick general overview of how to master this recipe!

STEP ONE: Prepare the eggs

• This recipe requires a little bit of effort, but it is worth it. Separate your eggs, reserving the yolks and whipping the egg whites until stiff peaks form. It is easiest to do this in a standing mixer, but using a hand mixer also works. Set aside the egg whites while you prepare the rest of the batter

STEP TWO: Prepare the dry ingredients

• In a medium bowl whisk together almond flour, oat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

STEP THREE:

• Using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle or whisk attachment, beat the butter and sugar together on high speed until smooth and creamy, about 2 minutes. On medium speed, add the egg yolks one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the kefir and vanilla extract on medium speed until combined.

STEP FOUR:

• With the mixer on low speed, add the dry ingredients and beat until no flour pockets remain.

STEP FIVE: Fold it in!

Fold the egg whites into the batter gently using a spatula. Do not overmix, you are looking for an aerated fluffy batter.

STEP SIX: Fill and blueberry!

Fill the prepared muffin tins 1/2 way with batter. Then fold the blueberries into the remaining batter and fill the muffin tins the rest of the way.

If you are using tulip muffin cups (as shown) fill the batter to the top of the pan. If you are using traditional muffin liners fill 3/4 full or leave at least 1/4 inch at the top of the liners.

THE BEST EXPERT TIPS FOR OUTRAGEOUSLY DELICIOUS

GLUTEN-FREE MUFFINS!

Lessons I learned after 16 months of testing.

Members of my Nourishing Nutrition Method group program know well my motto when it comes to cooking/baking with whole food ingredients – Because we are working with whole foods there will always be variability in the products, some blueberries are sweeter than others, some are gigantic (like the ones I used in this photo shoot), the Kefir might be a tad more sour, or the almond flour a bit less finely ground. These natural variabilities alter the final results. This is far harder to manage with baked goods (you can't add an extra pinch of sugar or salt), so the recipe needs to be more exacting. But I offer this as a way to calm the nerves and manage expectations. I receive comments daily from readers of this blog that have tried a recipe and have questions about the results… I used sour cream instead of kefir and my muffins are mushy, why? Reader, friend… here is the thing, I can't guarantee the results of any recipe because of all the natural variation in real food, but I can tell you that I work my tail off when I publish a baked good recipe and am here to provide you with all the tips and tricks to make your experience as epic as mine.

Let's go…

1. How do you get puffy muffin tops?

The Puffy Muffin Top Challenge i.e. Baking Temperature

I tried, oh how I tried, to get super puffy muffin tops. This is a challenging, if not impossible feat, with gluten-free muffins, but the best way to assure your muffins don't sink and fall is to start baking at a higher temperature and after 6-9 minutes reduce the temperature. Do not open your oven when you reduce the temp!! This causes the batter to have a rapid rise during the first few minutes of baking.

2. How do you achieve a crispy muffin top?

“You only eat the top”, “Oh yeah, its crunchy, its explosive, it is where the muffin breaks free of the pan and kind of does its own thing!” – Yes, that is a scene from Seinfeld, the episode dedicated to muffin tops and Elaine's obsession with said muffin tops. So how do you achieve a crunchy decadent top? 2 things: 1) If you use only coconut palm sugar in this recipe the tops are less crispy and become a bit soft. Combine equal parts coconut palm sugar and organic cane sugar for that crisp top! 2) Sprinkle turbinado sugar on top.

3. How to get blueberries perfectly distributed throughout the muffin?

Because blueberries are heavy they tend to fall to the bottom of the muffin, creating a soggy bottom and blueberry-less muffin top. Do not mix your blueberries into the batter, instead fill the muffin cups 1/2 way with the batter that does not contain blueberries THEN mix the blueberries into the batter and fill the muffin cups the rest of the way.

Now… you may be thinking… hmmm.. in these photos, it doesn't look like this worked. You would be correct. I am honest to a fault and when the day came to finally photograph this recipe the blueberries misbehaved.

4. How to create a light fluffy muffin (not a dense gluten-free belly bomb)

So many gluten-free baked goods, especially those made with nutrient-dense flours like almond and oat) come out firm, dense, and dry. The secret to a light fluffy muffin is to separate the eggs and beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, set aside and then gently fold the egg whites into the batter. This helps to create a light airy, fluffy batter, more similar to a traditional blueberry muffin.

A few tips I tried that failed or offered no benefit:

1. Adding uncooked rice to the wells of the muffin tin before dropping in the liners. This hack is making the rounds on Tik Tok claiming more evenly baked muffins/cupcakes with no greasy bottom. The verdict: I tested this in 3 batches using paper and foil liners and although it made it easier to remove the muffin from the pan it did not improve the texture of the muffin, nor did I find the non riced wells muffins to have greasy or soggy bottoms. Save your rice, not worth it.
2. Tossing blueberries with flour prior to baking – I tried this in many different versions in many different ways including every gluten-free flour and starch I had in my pantry. It did not work, not once. The purported benefit is to prevent the berries from falling to the bottom of the muffin cup.

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MORE GLUTEN-FREE RECIPES

Most Popular Recipe – Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Cookies

Zucchini Rhubarb Quickbread

Gluten Free Orange Muffins

Lemon Cream Cheese Cookies

Sweet Potato 3 Layer Cake

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STORAGE INSTRUCTIONS

• Storage – Keep on the counter for 3-4 days to maintain a crispy top, or refrigerate for up to 7 days
• Freezing – Freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months.

DIETARY MODIFICATIONS FOR THIS RECIPE:

This recipe is naturally gluten-free, and vegetarian and modifiable in the following ways:

• Vegan — Use a plant based butter and dairy free kefir
• Dairy-Free — Use a dairy free kefir.

I can’t wait for you to try these OUTRAGEOUSLY delicious gluten-free blueberry muffins! If you’ve tried this recipe, don’t forget to rate it and leave a comment below. I love to hear from people who’ve made my recipes!