Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins

There is nothing like a warm, fresh blueberry muffin. Perfectly tender and incredibly addictive! These gluten free blueberry muffins are easy to make and just like you remember from childhood – maybe even better!

These are so simple to make, but they’re still a treat. My kids and husband absolutely love them, and to be honest, so do I. There’s something about those juicy hot blueberries that just can’t be beat!

Tips for making the best gluten free blueberry muffins

This is a very simple recipe, but I do have some tips for success! With gluten free recipes, there’s always a little bit more thought that goes into them than if you’re using all-purpose flour. 

These are very similar to gluten free cranberry orange muffins in that they’re full of fruit and use buttermilk to help make them extra fluffy. 

Gluten Free Flour

You always want to use high-quality gluten free flour in your baking because it really does make a difference! While muffins are one of the easier recipes to get away with using junk, The finer the grind of your flours, the better your end product will be. 

Coarse flour can lead to a gritty, heavy texture, and the flour is able to absorb the liquid more easily when it’s ground finely. Quality flour results in a much nicer crumb.

For rice flour, I like to use Authentic Food superfine brown rice flour. For most other flours, I order from Judee’s Ingredients. They have consistently quality products and carry a lot of ancient grain flours like quinoa and ivory teff, which I love to use. One flour they don’t carry that I like is sweet white sorghum flour. It’s very mild flavored and versatile. 

You can use a mix of these flours mixed with starch at a rate of roughly 2/3 flour and 1/3 starch, or you can use your favorite premixed gluten-free flour blend. I don’t use commercial blends very often but have had excellent success with Pamela’s gluten free baking mix. 

Ingredients substitutions 

The one ingredient you may not have on hand if you’re looking to make gluten-free blueberry muffins is buttermilk. 

Buttermilk is excellent for reacting with the baking soda, making your muffins rise better, and be more fluffy. And it also helps keep your muffins soft and moist when you store them. 

However, if you don’t have it on hand, add one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to your measuring cup, and fill the rest of the 3/4 cup needed with regular milk. Let it sit for about 5 minutes to curdle, then use it in place of the buttermilk. 

If you don’t have vinegar, go ahead and just use plain milk, keeping in mind that the muffins will still be good, even if not quite as fluffy. 

I don’t recommend making these gluten-free muffins dairy-free because I’m partial to buttermilk, but if you do, I suggest using almond milk. 

This isn’t really a substitution per se, but remember that you can use either fresh blueberries or frozen berries. Either works just fine!

A tablespoon of lemon zest also makes a great addition to a nice, bright flavor.

For oil, I like to use light-tasting olive oil, or melted butter in my muffins. You will find nearly the same results using vegetable oil or vegan butter as well. 

How to make ahead and store gluten free blueberry muffins

These muffins are great for make-ahead snacks for breakfasts! 

To store them, follow the directions in the recipe card below, then let the muffins cool completely. 

• To store in the refrigerator: Put the cooled muffins in a sealed container such as a Rubbermaid container, or zip-top plastic bag, and keep refrigerated for 2-3 days. 
• To freeze: This is going to be similar to freezing a cake. Wraps all your muffins either together or individually in plastic wrap or press ’n seal. Then wrap completely in foil. Place muffins in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months.
• To thaw: It’s best to place muffins in the fridge overnight to thaw, still completely wrapped up. This keeps them from getting soggy with condensation. If you need to thaw immediately, unwrap the frozen muffins and heat them in the oven. 
• To reheat muffins: Place thawed and unwrapped muffins on a wire rack (for airflow) or cookie sheet and heat at 350º for 5-10 minutes until heated through. You could also reheat them in the microwave for 15-second intervals until heated through. 

More gluten free muffin recipes to try

We love our gluten free muffins! They’re so easy to make and always turn out perfectly. 

• A favorite with my kids is gluten free chocolate chip muffins. They love the chocolate aspect, of course, but I also love the sour cream muffin base. It’s so good!
• Gluten free blueberry banana muffins are also a perineal favorite. Much like the muffin recipe below, but with the addition of bananas to help keep them moist and flavorful. Another delicious blueberry variation is coconut flour blueberry muffins.
• For springtime, there’s not much more perfect than gluten free carrot muffins. Similar to carrot cake with its delicious cinnamon flavor, but with a breakfast makeover.
• For fall, and whenever else I’m in the mood, gluten free pumpkin muffins are perfect. I especially love the glaze and cocoa nibs in this recipe.
• Grain Free apple spice muffins are the perfect breakfast for a cool morning when you want to feel cozy.
• And for summer, not much could be better than gluten free zucchini streusel muffins. They’re moist and flavorful, and you can’t let a summer go by without making them at least a few times!

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