Gluten-Free Lemon Blueberry Muffins

These bakery-style Lemon Blueberry Muffins are made with gluten-free flour and are bursting with blueberry goodness and finished with a sugar-coated crackly top! Perfect with a good cup of coffee in the morning!

Muffins are considered quick-breads much like loaves but in small individual servings usually molded into a cupcake-like shape. You can muffins out of most quick-bread recipes by scooping the batter into a lined muffin tin instead of a traditional loaf pan.

A quick-bread or in this case muffins are made using a very simple technique where the dry ingredients are made in one bowl, the wet in another and then the two combined. Once you have the muffin batter base it is as simple as adding in your favourite fixings like chocolate chips, cranberries, apples, strawberries… and the list goes on!

To flavour the batter as we did with this lemon blueberry muffin recipe all you need to do is swap out some of the milk used in a regular recipe and replace it with lemon juice, orange juice, coffee, etc. to moisten.

See simple once you have the basic recipe mastered!

Ingredients You’ll Need

• Gluten-free flour – I use a simple 1:1 gluten-free flour you can find in most grocery stores these days or if you are not gluten-free you can also substitute all-purpose flour.
• Baking powder – The key leavening agent to get a rise out of the batter and does not require an acidic ingredient leaving some of the flavourful tanginess in recipes like this lemon flavoured muffin batter.
• Baking soda – Another leavening agent used which reacts with the acid in the lemon juice and buttermilk. Much more powerful than baking powder so you only need a tiny bit.
• Salt – A flavour enhancer… a little goes a long way!
• Butter – Adds a buttery flavour while adding moistness to the batter. Be sure to use unsalted because in baking salt is added separately.
• Vegetable oil – Or grapeseed oil which is less processed adds a light airy texture and moistness.
• Sugar – Used to sweeten the muffin batter and balance out the acidity of the lemon juice.
• Buttermilk – Adds a tanginess to baked goods and adds moisture without adding more fat.
• Lemon juice – A tangy flavour addition that pairs well with blueberries.
• Lemon zest – adds a little more lemon intensity without the need to add more liquid.
• Vanilla – A flavour addition which you will find in almost every baked good on the planet.
• Eggs – Provides structure to the muffins, helps with leavening and adds a little colour to the flour base.
• Blueberries – Fresh or frozen will work.

How to make lemon Blueberry Muffins

Add the vegetable oil, melted and cooled butter, buttermilk, lemon juice, lemon zest, vanilla, eggs and sugar to a large bowl.

Whisk until blended and sugar has been dissolved.

Place a large sieve over top of the bowl and add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Use a spoon to mix the flour through the sieve and into the bowl. Then mix until combined.

I like to do this with most baked goods where the dry goods are mixed into wet ingredients. When the dry ingredients are mixed through the sieve any clumps are broken up and it also provides a better distribution of the baking powder, baking soda, and salt throughout the batter.

If you don’t have a sieve, or just prefer using a mixing bowl, mix the dry ingredients in a separate medium-sized bowl and then gradually pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients then mix until combined.

Once the batter is mixed add the blueberries and fold in using a rubber spatula. Folding them in versus mixing will help to maintain a better rise in the batter.

Lightly grease a muffin tin and line with muffin liners. Evenly scoop the batter into each muffin cup and then sprinkle with coarse sugar if you like.

The coarse sugar is optional but adds a nice crunch to the top of the muffins along with a little sparkle. And who does love sparkles!

Bake in a preheated oven at 425º F for the first five minutes. Then, keeping the muffins in the oven, reduce the heat to 350º F and continue to bake for another 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes.  Serve warm or at room temperature.

Can You Make These Muffins With Frozen Blueberries?

Yes! I would just recommend thawing them out before hand so that you have a predictable cooking time. If you don’t thaw them, you may need to add extra baking time to fully cook the cooler centre due to the frozen blueberries.

Also, something else to be aware of if using frozen berries is that the colour may bleed turning the cupcake batter a sort of grey/purple colour. Doesn’t always happen and won’t look the prettiest but the taste will be the same.

hOW DO YOU STORE BLUEBERRY MUFFINS?

Blueberry muffins can be stored in an air-tight container on the counter for up to 3 days. Any longer and you will want to freeze them to prevent the blueberries from rotting or turning moldy. No one needs that kinda surprise with their morning coffee!

Can yOu Freeze gluten-free blueberry muffins?

Yes! Freeze in an airtight container or individually wrap them tightly in plastic wrap once completely cooled and freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw in the fridge or on the counter overnight. Or warm them up in the microwave on low until the centre is thawed as well.

Can dogs eat gluten-free lemon blueberry muffins?

No! Lemons or lemon juice are considered toxic for dogs and cats and can irritate the stomach lining of dogs causing vomiting and diarrhea.

Blueberries are a healthy snack for your dog but anything overdone is never good. For dogs, blueberries can cause stomach upset or choking if they eat too many at once given their small size. Check out this article from Purina for more on this.

If making these for your dog, replace the lemon juice with water and leave out the lemon zest. Use a mini muffin tin instead to keep the portion smaller and reduce the baking time.

Other Baked Goods Perfect With a Morning Coffee

• Strawberry Crumble Bars
• Homemade Buttermilk Beignets
• Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Bread
• Gluten-Free Lemon Poppyseed Bread
• Flourless Chickpea Brownies

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