Gluten-free Blueberry Muffins

Summertime makes it so hard to decide what fruit to use for the next recipe. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, cherries, peaches, nectarines, plums…there are just so many incredible options right at our fingertips! I’m too indecisive for that many choices.

But I will say there is something about a blueberry muffin that steals my heart. It’s a classic coffee shop favorite that just begs to lure you in.

The light golden tops with tender yet firm exteriors that lead to soft centers filled with bits of juicy sweet blueberry in each bite. Completely irresistible.

If for some insane reason you don’t like blueberries {do you really exist?} then you can always substitute them with your fruit of choice, or even better, gooey chocolate chips…mmmmhhhmmhhhm.

I made a few batches to test substitutions {agave vs maple syrup and fresh vs frozen blueberries} but chocolate chips are still on the to-make list. For the record, I did find that I prefer to use fresh blueberries and agave nectar. Both versions are good but the flavor of the first combo really knocked our socks off. Just a warning though: my fresh blueberries were a little large so many of them sunk to the bottom and caused a few of the muffins to drop their britches, so-to-speak.

What? Don’t tell me you don’t know what britches are.

Anyway, my point is that petite blueberries work better…unless you want to use paper liners. The bigger berries just need a little extra support. But they do get more attention. Okay I’m just going to leave it at that.

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 30 minutes

Total Time: 45 minutes

Yield: 8

Ingredients

1 and 1/2 cups brown rice flour

1/2 cup almond meal or almond flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce

1/3 cup melted coconut oil

1/2 cup light agave nectar or maple syrup*

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/3 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

2 eggs, separated

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease or line a muffin tin for eight muffins.
2. Combine dry ingredients (brown rice flour, almond meal, salt and baking soda) in a medium-size bowl and sift together.
3. In a separate large bowl, combine the wet ingredients (applesauce to almond milk) as well as the egg yolks (reserve whites in a bowl for beating) and mix together.
4. Beat the egg whites on high for thirty seconds (until fluffy) then add them to the bowl with the wet ingredients. Pour the dry ingredients into the same bowl with the wet and use a spatula to gently fold together until just combined. It’s okay if there are a few lumps.
5. Lastly, add the blueberries and fold together until evenly distributed. Pour about 1/4 cup of the batter at a time into the muffin tin so that there are eight muffins total. Bake in the preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until light golden brown. A knife should come out clean when inserted into the center of the muffin. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes before serving. Store in an airtight container for up to three days.

Notes

*I’ve found that using light agave nectar yields the best flavor in these muffins but maple syrup will also work. I haven’t tried raw honey but I would use 1/3 cup instead of a 1/2 cup/

I don’t recommend using large blueberries as they will sink to the bottom and make it difficult for the muffins to hold together.

Update: a reader mentioned that rolling the fresh blueberries in the flour mixture helps to keep them from sinking to the bottom.