Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins are soft, squishy, and naturally sweetened. A great gluten free breakfast or snack option that's easily made vegan, too. Sponsored by Bob's Red Mill.
If you like soft and squishy muffins that are made in one bowl, naturally sweetened, and bursting with fresh blueberries – gluten free and vegan too – then I got you, friend! Just don’t send me a nastygram when you lose track of how many Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins you’ve eaten in one sitting. You’ve been warned…
This craveable gluten free breakfast or snack recipe is brought to you by my buds at Bob’s Red Mill. I didn’t realize until pulling out the ingredients to make these muffins that I’ve slowly but surely replaced all my gluten free baking products with Bob’s Red Mill brand ones. From almond flour to gluten free 1 to 1 baking flour, baking soda, baking powder, and ground flaxseed meal, I have been so impressed with not only the standards the company has in regards to producing safe gluten free products, but the quality too. I constantly hear people complaining about gritty baked goods when using gluten free flour in their recipes but I’ve never had that experience using Bob’s Red Mill products.
I could not be more tickled with how these Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins came out. All three of the kids and myself have been devouring them not just for breakfast, but snack time too. They’re so nice to have on the counter when the kids are “starving” (5 minutes after lunch) and I need something healthier to toss their way without having to get out a cutting board and knife. (Sometimes you JUST. CAN’T. Know what I mean?!) Pair with a glass of milk and you’re set!
Speaking of healthy snacks, Bob’s new Better Bars are rolling out in grocery stores across the country! I featured these low-sugar, high-protein bars with minimal ingredient lists in my 10 Purse Essentials post a few months ago and was so pumped to find them stocked at my local HyVee recently.
My boys love these soft and chewy bars and I feel 1000x better about offering them as a snack over animal crackers or heck, even an applesauce pouch because they have so much more staying power. Filling, yummy, and a great balance of protein, healthy fats, and whole grain carbs? Ding, ding, ding – we have a winner!
Lincoln’s current favorite is the Peanut Butter Chocolate & Oats bar while Cam’s a fan of the Peanut Butter Coconut & Oats bar. To be honest, we like all of them and the bars are not only a great snack option for kids, but adults too as they’re easy to throw into a bag or purse to enjoy on the go.
Hot tip: if you’re an adult who wants to feel like a kid – try the Peanut Butter Jelly & Oats bar. It is a dead ringer for a peanut butter & jelly sandwich!
Back to these muffins though, which have become another snack time favorite. I’ve always been a person who has felt, if you’re going to eat dessert – EAT DESSERT. But if you’re going to eat a muffin, don’t eat one that has the nutritional content of a slice of frosted cake. That said, most muffins are packed with sugar and fat, though my Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins are not!
I replaced white sugar with a mixture of pure maple syrup and mashed banana, which not only contributes to the sweetness and incredible moistness (sorry) of these muffins but reduces the amount of fat you need to use too. I also replaced eggs with “flax eggs” – ie water mixed with ground flaxseed meal – which provides a boost of omega 3 fatty acids and renders these muffins vegan, in case you need that.
Since those who eat gluten free can’t use whole wheat flour, the base of this recipe is almond flour which is a great option when you desire a flour that’s a touch healthier – maybe “well rounded” is a better term – then a regular gluten free flour blend. That said, almond flour not only lends a fabulous texture and flavor to these muffins but a boost of healthy fats and fiber too.
Almond flour is also what gives these muffins their enviable tan on top – I promise, they’re not burnt and are just as soft as advertised!
How to Make This Recipe:
Start by combining 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed meal with 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons water in a small dish, then let it sit for 5 minutes to thicken. As I mentioned earlier, the combination of flaxseed meal and water creates a “flax egg” which is a common vegan replacement for chicken eggs in recipes.
I don’t find this replacement to work in recipes that require the fat and/or tackiness of a real egg like meatloaf/meatballs, cinnamon rolls, etc, but for my oatmeal bars and muffins, it works perfectly!
While the flaxseed is thickening, add 1/2 cup each mashed banana and pure maple syrup, 1/4 cup each melted coconut oil and milk, and 1 teaspoon vanilla to a large bowl then stir with a fork to combine. Add the flax eggs then stir again.
Next sprinkle in 1-1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour, 3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour, 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Stir again to combine.
Finally, add 1 cup blueberries then fold to combine, and then scoop 1/4 cup batter into each cup of a lined muffin tin (I use an ice cream scoop.) Pop the muffins into a 375 degree oven then bake for 17-19 minutes or until the tops are browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Since these muffins are so dense with the almond flour and flax eggs, I like to turn the oven OFF and crack the door then let them sit in the hot oven for 5 minutes.
Let the muffins hang out in the tin for 10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. The urge to eat these babies right away is STRONG, but I find the flavor is best when they’ve come down to room temperature.
Like I said, I ate more of these soft and squishy, perfectly sweet, blueberry-packed muffins then I care to share and I just know you’ll love them too. Whether you serve them for breakfast or as a snack, enjoy enjoy!
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10 Gluten Free Mother's Day Desserts For Every Type of Mom
Mozzarella Bruschetta ChickenAlmond Flour Blueberry Muffins
Description
Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins are soft, squishy, and naturally sweetened. A great gluten free breakfast or snack option that's easily made vegan, too.
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons ground flaxseed
- 1/2 cup mashed banana (~1 large or 2 small bananas)
- 1/2 cup pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil, melted
- 1/4 cup milk, any kind (I used unsweetened almond milk)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 1-1/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour
- 3/4 cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1 to 1 Baking Flour
- 1-1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 cup blueberries
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees then line a 12 cup muffin tin with liners and set aside.
- To a small dish, add ground flaxseed and 1/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons water then stir to combine. Let sit for 5 minutes to thicken.
- To a large bowl, add mashed banana, maple syrup, coconut oil, milk, and vanilla then stir with a fork to combine. Add thickened flaxseed mixture then stir to combine. Sprinkle the next 5 ingredients - almond flour through salt - on top then stir until all the ingredients are wet. Switch to stirring with a spatula to ensure ingredients are well mixed together. Add blueberries then fold to combine.
- Scoop 1/4 cup batter into prepared muffin cups (I use an ice cream scoop) then bake for 17-19 minutes or until tops are browned and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Turn the oven OFF then crack the door and let the muffins sit for 5 minutes. As a reminder, the tops of the muffins should be brown and they will not taste burnt! Let muffins sit in the tin for 10 minutes then remove to a cooling rack to cool completely. Store on the counter for 2 days or in the refrigerator for up to 5.
Notes
- Due to the almond flour, the tops of these muffins will be brown vs light golden brown when baked. That's fine! They don't taste burnt and are still nice and soft despite the color.
- When measuring the almond flour, scoop the flour out of the bag then shake to level the cup, versus packing or pressing the flour into the cup.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Have you experimented with gelatin eggs in this recipe?
Hi Brooke! I have not!
Could I use something else in place of the mashed bananas, like maybe applesauce? The only bananas I like are greenish ones, which aren’t as sweet or mashable.
Sure, you could give it a try!
Hi Deborah! I haven’t tested but I think it’d be just fine!
These look so delicious! I have all of the ingredients and I am going to make them tonight! Thanks so much!
I hope you love them, Ruthie!
If I wanted to make these with sugar instead of the maple syrup and banana, how much would I use? Thanks!
I didn’t test this recipe using regular sugar so I can’t say for sure.
Can I skip the flax seed egg substitute & use real eggs?
I haven’t tested but I think it would work!
They sound delicious! Have you tried coconut flour instead of the 1 to 1 gluten free flour? I think I’d have to do that, as even what says “gluten free flour” still affects me as if I had regular flour.
I haven’t! Coconut flour is very “thirsty” so you’d need to add more liquid. Additionally you’d lose the binder that comes in most GF flour blends which helps keep these muffins together.
In today’s world,people are more health conscious. So it really makes no sense to post so called healthy recipes if your not going to give a nutritional profile. I want to make these,but though they seem to have healthy ingredients, I won’t take that chance.
Fortunately you do not need to make this recipe if you don’t want to, Guyre! I also called these muffins a healthier snack option, not healthy.
Guyre, you are being absolutely silly over such a comment. (Rollling eyes at you!) I can’t wait to try these.
YES!!! I was hunting for a recipe just like this 2 weeks ago and the one I ended up trying was a major fail. Our son is following a vegan+seafood diet due to allergies and I’ve been looking for a muffin breakfast.
On egg replacements: I made salmon meatballs using pureed pinto beans as the binder. I bet this would work for meatloaf beautifully. We are out of the meatloaf game currently (b/c seafood loaf just sounds awful) but I bet it would work well. Any bean really, not just pinto beans.
This is such a great idea!! Definitely going to try. Thanks for the tip, Sarah!
I’m currently pregnant with GD. Since having a huge craving for a warm, soft blueberry muffin, I decided to give these a try. They are AMAZING and don’t spike my glucose levels. Thank you so much for posting, I’ll definitely be making these again.
[…] used this gluten free recipe from Iowa Girl Eats (subbing brown rice flour for 1:1 baking flour). Let me tell you: they’re […]
Going to try the blueberry muffins.
I can not have any grains.
What flour would be good to pair with the almond flour.
I am new to this type of baking.
I love Bob’s Red Mill products as well.
Kristin, I’d like your almond flour blueberry muffin receipt and have a plan to make them tomorrow. But I have all the ingredients you listed excepting 1 to 1 baking flour. What else flour I can choose as a substitution? I have coconut flour.
Hi Carrie! Coconut flour is extremely “thirsty” in that it needs a lot more liquid than other flours, such as rice flour which is usually included in a GF baking blend. I might hold off on making this recipe until you can get your hands on a 1:1 flour blend!
If I wanted to try this recipe with real egg(s) how many would you recommend in place of the BRM ground flaxseed.
Hi Diane! You could try two eggs though I haven’t tested this recipe using eggs and so I can’t say for sure how the muffins will turn out if using them vs ground flaxseeds + water.
I’m a newbie to this GF stuff. What is 1:1 flour? Can I make it or do you buy it? I would really love to make these muffins. Thanks
Hi Cheryl! The GF 1:1 flour I reference is a blend of flours that contains a binder (usually xanthan gum) so it can be used in place of regular all-purpose flour in a 1:1 quantity. Bob’s has a great version here: https://www.bobsredmill.com/gluten-free-1-to-1-baking-flour.html
Awesome recipe! I tried it and they turned out so good,Thanks!
These are delicious!! Thank you for sharing this recipe. So yummy