These gluten free Blueberry Muffins with cinnamon streusel get a protein boost from almond flour, nuts and seeds. I love a good crumb topping and I made this one with granola ingredients in mind. Gluten free cooks want to make muffins everyone wants to eat, and this recipe meets that criteria.
In my Recipe Roundup of gluten free muffins I share my handful of favourites that I've been making for decades. I can turn my banana muffins into a loaf or a Bundt Cake for a party and my cornmeal muffins into Cornbread-Sausage Stuffing for turkey dinner. Gluten free cooks need recipes like these.
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🫐 Ingredients
I wanted these muffins to be oat free since many people cannot tolerate oats, even safe gluten free oats harvested using the purity protocol. I also wanted to use blueberries since they're so good for brain health. I chose my usual flour blend and added almond flour to boost the protein.
- EGFG gluten free flour blend (sweet rice flour, potato starch, sorghum flour, millet flour)
- almond flour
- brown sugar
- baking soda & baking powder: Two leavening agents lighten up GF baking.
- cinnamon
- xanthan gum
- buttermilk (sour milk or yogurt)
- cooking oil
- egg
- blueberries
- walnuts
- coconut
- butter
- pumpkin seeds
- chia seeds
- hemp seeds
See recipe card for exact amounts.
Instructions
If you've made a few muffins you likely know the two bowl method. Mix dry ingredients in one bowl, wet in another and then combine. The cinnamon crumb topping, called streusel, is made in a third bowl and is generously sprinkled on top of each muffin once they're in the pan.
Gluten free baking often includes unusual instructions like letting the batter rest to allow the flours to more fully absorb liquids and fats. If you are baking with different flours than I am, be open to trying different instruction steps you've read until your muffins are perfect.
Substitutions & Variations
EGFG Gluten Free Flour Blend - It's your job to try different blends and figure out what you like best. This is the blend that worked for me and it was a game changer.
Xanthan gum - The best substitute for xanthan is guar gum. Use it in equal amounts in any recipe calling for xanthan gum.
Almond flour - Substitute almond flour with more of the flour blend or any other flour you like or are learning about. This small tweak will alter the taste, texture and nutrition profile to help you create exactly what you want.
Nuts - Use any nuts you have on hand to add variety to your diet and keep your pantry staples moving.
Seeds - If you haven't bought chia seeds or hemp seeds yet this is a good place to try them. Use either of them anywhere you use nuts and other seeds. I like them sprinkled on a fruit smoothie bowl or in chia pudding.
Blueberries - Brain coach Jim Kwik calls these brain berries. I want to eat foods that are good for my brain health so I buy them fresh in the summer and keep them in my freezer the rest of the year.
Buttermilk - Commercial buttermilk always does the best job but sour milk can be made in seconds and is the next best thing. See recipe card for ratio.
Cinnamon Streusel Topping - For a less sweet muffin use half the streusel and save the rest for next time. For a time saving tip toss the streusel (that includes any streusel topping you find in my recipes) in with the dry ingredients and call it done.
Storage
Gluten free baking often goes stale more quickly than baking with wheat flour. Be sure to transfer your baking to air tight containers soon after it has cooled completely. For maximum freshness, freeze muffins you won't eat within two or three days.
If you don't use all the streusel topping freeze it. I like to do this so I can skip that step and quickly make these muffins or any muffins with a crumb topping.
Oats Are Complicated
I developed these gluten free blueberry muffins without oats for my friend Shirley over at GFE - Gluten Free Easily. She runs an (almost) annual event called March Muffin Madness that's worth checking out. She has roundups like this for every category of gluten free baking so be sure to visit her website when you want to find new gluten free blogs.
Top Tip
Find your go-to gluten free flour blend. To make pancakes, muffins, quick breads and dozens of everyday recipes, finding a flour blend you like is a game changer. I use this in 80% of my baking and keep it in a canister ready to go. This kind of flour blend doesn't work well in yeast breads, pasta dough or maybe even an Angel Food Cake. If you don't make those recipes every day you can find a blend you like, no matter what dietary restrictions you're accommodating.
Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins with Cinnamon Streusel Topping
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1½ cups EGFG gluten free flour blend*
- ½ cup almond flour** (or more EGFG flour blend)
- ⅔ cup brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
- ½ teaspoon salt
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup buttermilk (or yogurt)
- ⅓ cup cooking oil
- 1 egg
Add-ins
- ½ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
- ⅓ cup shredded coconut
- ⅓ cup chopped walnuts
Cinnamon Streusel Topping
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon melted butter
- 1 tablespoon chopped walnuts
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin seeds
- 1 tablespoon shredded coconut
- ½ tablespoon chia seeds
- ½ tablespoon hemp seeds
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Fill muffin pan with paper liners if not using a silicone pan.
- In a large bowl combine flours, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, xanthan gum and salt. Whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl mix buttermilk, oil and egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir to combine.
- Fold in blueberries, nuts and coconut (if using).
- Use portion scoop to fill muffin pan.
- Generously top each muffin with cinnamon streusel.
- Bake in preheated oven 25-27 minutes until nicely browned.
- Cool on baking rack for 2 minutes before removing muffins from pan. Transfer to wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
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New here? I'll help to get you from overwhelmed and frustrated to confident and cooking gluten free food everyone wants to eat, as quickly as possible. Start with these 29 Tips for cooking with GF flour.
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