Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins

Name: Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 22 min
Total time: 50 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups plus 1 Tbsp. gluten-free flour substitute (like Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1 For 1 Baking Flour), divided; 1/2 cup granulated sugar, plus more for dusting; 2 tsp. baking powder; 1/2 tsp. baking soda; 1/2 tsp. table salt; 1/2 cup Greek-strainer or regular plain yogurt; 1/2 cup whole or low-fat milk; 2 large eggs; 1/3 cup vegetable oil or melted unsalted butter; 1 tsp. vanilla extract; 6 oz. blackberries

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These simple Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins are pleasantly sweet, pillowy, light and fluffy, with bursts of tart juicy blackberries in every bite. These fruity muffins are perfect for meal-prep breakfasts or any time you want a special yet easy start to your day.

Gluten free blackberry muffins cooling on a wire rack on a gray table.

If you are looking for an easy recipe for gluten-free muffins, you've come to the right place. There is no reason to feel intimidated by making muffins, even gluten-free muffins, because they come together in about 10 minutes and require very minimal equipment and special ingredients.

This recipe is inspired by my desire to offer more gluten-free recipes to my readers. Lately I've been experimenting with different diets to help with gut health, and one of the most common foods to eliminate is wheat and gluten. So while I love my other muffin recipes, like Banana Chocolate Chunk Muffins or hearty Banana and Carrot Muffins, they were not developed to be gluten-free. These delicious blackberry muffins, on the other hand, are intended to be completely gluten-free.

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Ingredients that Matter
How to make gluten-free blackberry muffins
Substitutions
Flavor Variations
More Meal Prep Breakfast Recipes
Storage
Adam's Pro Tip
FAQ
More breakfast recipes
Dinner recipes
Recipe

Ingredients that Matter

Aside from the gluten-free flour substitute, these muffins use standard ingredients you should be able to find in most grocery stores. Here are the ingredients you'll need to make this recipe:

Ingredients for blackberry gluten-free muffins on a gray table.

Gluten-Free Flour. There are several great gluten-free flour substitutes. Look for a one-to-one flour substitute (preferably with xanthan gum), like Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour. If you've never worked with a flour substitute, note that it performs very similar to regular all-purpose wheat flour, but the end product will be a little gritter than traditional flour.
Blackberries. Fresh, ripe blackberries are best, of course, but you can also use frozen berries. Just be sure to thaw them first, and drain off any excess liquid or the muffins will get soggy.
Sugar. While blackberries provide a bit of sweetness, these muffins really need granulated sugar to taste sweet enough.
Yogurt. Use plain yogurt, full-fat or low-fat. I typically use a Greek-strained yogurt, but regular yogurt will work fine as well. Choose a plant-based yogurt (or applesauce) to make these blackberry muffins dairy-free.
Milk. Whole milk is my go-to dairy for these muffins, but like the yogurt you can use a low-fat milk or even plant-based substitute if you want to make dairy-free muffins.
Eggs. A pair of large eggs help bind the wet and dry ingredients into a cohesive batter.
Vanilla. A splash of vanilla extract gives these muffins a pleasant, familiar flavor.
Oil or Melted Butter. Use a light olive oil, melted coconut oil, vegetable oil or another mild old. You can also use melted unsalted butter.
Baking Powder & Baking Soda. A bit of baking powder gives these muffins a light and airy texture. This ingredient is critical as gluten-free flour tends to have a denser texture compared to regular wheat flour. Baking soda adds to the browning and provides a bit more lift.
Table Salt. Don't skip the salt or these muffins will taste incredibly bland.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to make gluten-free blackberry muffins

This blackberry muffin recipe is super simple! Follow the steps below to make the batter in about 10 minutes. Then bake them for about 20 minutes and you'll have freshly baked breakfast muffins. Here's how to make this recipe:

Dry ingredients for muffins whisking in a glass mixing bowl.

Preheat oven to 350F and place an oven rack in the middle position. Whisk together the gluten-free flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and table salt in a large mixing bowl until well combined.

Wet ingredients for muffins in a glass mixing bowl.

Add the yogurt, eggs, oil (or butter), milk and vanilla to a medium mixing bowl.

Wet ingredients for muffins in a glass mixing bowl whisked until smooth.

Whisk the wet ingredients until smooth. Note: the mixture may look curdled, but keep whisking and it will become smooth in no time.

Wet ingredients added to dry ingredients for gluten free muffins.

Make a small well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients.

A glass mixing bowl with a spatula stirring muffin batter.

Switch to a flexible spatula and gently fold the mixture into a cohesive batter.

Blackberries coated in a bit of flour mixing into muffin batter.

Sprinkle the blackberries with 1 tablespoon of gluten-free flour and toss to coat. This will help the juices from pouring out into the batter. Gently fold the berries in the batter until well combined.

Blackberry muffin batter scooped into muffin cups with a small bowl of sugar to the side.

Line a muffin pan with parchment liners and spoon in about ⅓ cup of the batter into each paper-lined cup. The cups will be just about full. Level the batter out a bit using a damp finger. Sprinkle a big pinch of sugar on each muffin.

Bake in preheated oven until the muffins are completely set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 22 to 25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes then remove each muffin and continue cooling on the rack at least another 10 minutes.

Hint: Be sure to whisk the baking powder and baking soda well into the flour. If these ingredients are not well combined, you may get pockets of metallic flavor in your muffins.

Substitutions

These gluten-free muffins are quite simple to adjust based on your dietary restrictions or preferences. Consider the following substitutions:

Dairy-Free - To make these gluten-free muffins dairy-free, be sure to use oil instead of butter and a plant-based yogurt and milk. You can swap in applesauce instead of the yogurt.
Vegan - In addition to making these muffins dairy-free, make them vegan by also swapping in a couple flax or chia eggs. Use two tablespoons of ground flaxseeds or chia seeds stirred into two tablespoons of water. Allow the mixture to set-up on the counter for 5 minutes.
Regular Flour - You can certainly make these blackberry muffins using regular all-purpose flour if you don't care to make them gluten-free. You could even do half all-purpose and half whole-wheat flour.

Blackberry muffins on a wire rack with berries scattered on the rack and in a small bowl.

Flavor Variations

These blackberry muffins have a straightforward vanilla and berry flavor. If you want something a bit different, consider these variations:

Cinnamon and Spice - Try adding ¾ teaspoon of ground cinnamon to the dry ingredients for a warm spice flavor. You can also use ½ teaspoon of ground ginger and/or a big pinch of ground cloves or allspice.
Lemon - Blackberries go very well with citrus, that's why you can add the zest from a lemon to the wet ingredients for a bright, lemony flavor.
Almond - If you are a big fan of almonds, try swapping in 1 teaspoon of almond extract for the vanilla extract.
Oats - You can add ½ cup of old-fashioned rolled oats to the batter to make a heartier blackberry muffin. You can even sprinkle the top with a big pinch of oats for some more texture.
Streusel toping - Who doesn't love a streusel topping? I decided to keep this recipe super simple and chose not to use a fancy topping, but if you want to add one yourself, here's how to make it: Mix together ¼ cup each of gluten-free flour, rolled oats and light brown sugar. Add a dash of ground cinnamon and about 3 tablespoons of melted butter. Combine all ingredients and then sprinkle on top of your muffin batter before baking.

More Meal Prep Breakfast Recipes

We have been leaning into meal prep a lot in my household, especially for busy mornings. That's why I love these breakfast recipes that can easily be made ahead:

Blackberry muffins cooling on a wire rack with a bowl of berries to the side.

Storage

Store leftover muffins in an airtight container on the counter for up to 3 days. You can also store them in the refrigerator, if desired. Note that gluten-free baked goods become denser and drier the longer they sit. You can freeze these muffins in a freezer-safe zip-top bag for up to 3 months.

Adam's Pro Tip

Leftover gluten-free muffins can be a bit dry and dense. I recommend microwaving leftover muffins (one at a time) for about 15 seconds to freshen them up a bit.

FAQ

Can you make muffins gluten-free?

Yes, you can absolutely make muffins gluten-fee. Simply swap in a one-to-one gluten-free flour substitute for regular all-purpose wheat flour.

Do gluten-free muffins have a different texture compared to regular muffins?

All gluten-free baked goods tend to have a slightly grittier, denser texture compared to muffins made with wheat flour.

Can you overmix gluten-free muffins?

Because muffins made with a gluten-free flour substitute can't develop gluten, they won't get tough if overmixed. However, be cautious when mixing in add-ins like fruit as overmixing will break these up and make them mushy.

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