These gluten-free blueberry muffins are so easy to make! The recipe makes light and airy muffins that are loaded with blueberries. If you can’t find fresh blueberries, go ahead and use frozen. You don’t even need to thaw the frozen berries before using.
Ingredients.
Note from Elizabeth. This was one of the first recipes, way back in 2016, that I shared that used a gluten-free flour blend. The other one was my gluten-free chocolate chip cookie recipe. Prior to that, gluten-free flour blends were often hard to find and didn’t work well.
Both recipes won rave reviews over the years. And now there are lots of gluten-free flour options. We’ve come a long way!
- Blueberries Fresh or frozen blueberries work great in this recipe. If you have the option, grab some wild blueberries. (If you don’t live in an area where they are grown, check the freezer section. Several brands sell them.) Wild blueberries are smaller than cultivated blueberries and the flavor tends to be more intense. I love baking muffins with them because the small size means more berries in the muffin.
You don’t need to thaw frozen berries before using. Measure right from frozen and you’re good to go. - Gluten-Free Flour Blend. I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Baking Flour. The recipe might work differently if you use a different flour blend. If you don’t have Bob’s on hand, be sure to use a blend that includes xanthan gum.
- Sugar. Granulated sugar brings sweetness and tenderness to the muffins. Don’t replace the sugar with a liquid sweetener like honey or maple syrup. The recipe won’t work.
- Eggs.Two eggs make these gluten-free blueberry muffins light and rich.
- Milk. This recipe works with everything from fat-free to whole milk to dairy-free milks. Since fat slows down staling, muffins made with whole milk taste richer and stale less quickly than those made with fat-free milk. Pastries made with fat-free and lower fat milks dry out faster than those made with whole milk.
Variations
- Lemon Blueberry Muffins. Add the finely chopped zest of one lemon to the batter along with the milk.
- Blueberry Walnut Muffins. Stir ½ cup chopped walnuts into the batter before adding the blueberries.
How to Make Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins: Step by Step.
- Whisk together the gluten-free flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl. Set this aside.
- Mix together the softened butter and sugar until it’s thick and creamy. Add the eggs. Mix on until the butter looks light and fluffy.
- Stir in the gluten-free flour mixture until it’s just combined. The mixture is very thick at this point. Add the milk and vanilla extract. Stir until the batter is smooth.
- Add the blueberries. Switch to a wooden spoon or spatula. Fold in the blueberries.
- Grease a muffin pan and line it with paper lines. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full. I like to use a large ice cream scoop for this job. It makes it quick and easy to fill the muffin cups.
If you want, sprinkle a little sugar on the top of each muffin. It adds a nice, crunchy sweetness but is totally optional. - The muffins take about 25 minutes to bake. As with all recipes, the baking time varies depending on your oven. You can tell the muffins are done when a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Or you can tap the top of the muffin. If it feels firm, the muffins are done!
Once the muffins are baked, allow them to cool in the pan for about five minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
A note on sinking blueberries and blue muffin batter.
Folks get very concerned about blueberries sinking in muffins. Personally, I don’t care if a few settle to the bottom. This way every bite contains blueberries.
If you don’t want the blueberries to sink, follow this trick I learned from Stella Parks, author of Bravetart. Before mixing the blueberries into the batter, spoon about a tablespoon into each muffin pan.
Then stir the blueberries into the remaining batter. The batter at the bottom of the pan acts as a cushion for the blueberries.
If you’r wondering why I don’t suggest tossing the blueberries in dry gluten-free flour, the answer is simple: it doesn’t reliably work.
As for the blueberries turning the batter purple, I say don’t worry about it. Mix the berries into the batter gently. After that, don’t stress about it. In fact, I think it looks pretty to have a little purple staining in a homemade blueberry muffin.
Storing Leftovers
When the muffins have cooled, place them on a plate and wrap with plastic wrap. They’ll keep about three days on the counter.
Or you can freeze them. Place the muffins in a freezer bag and freeze for up to two months. Allow the muffins to thaw at room temperature. If you have a microwave with a reliable thaw function, you can thaw in the microwave. Take care not to overheat the muffins while thawing or they will get hard.
2024 Recipe update note from Elizabeth
Hello there! I first shared this recipe in 2016－which, from where I’m currently sitting in 2024, feels like three lifetimes ago.
It’s been a privilege to see how many of you have made this recipe over the years. When I first posted it, taking photographs was a real challenge for me. Even with the less-than-perfect “ugly duckling” blueberry muffin photo I shared initially, you still tried the recipe. And then, you continued to make it and share it with your loved ones.
You trusted me－with your time and your ingredients. What an honor.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I hope you find the new photos and information helpful.
Happy Baking!
The Best Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups Bob’s Red Mill 1-to1 Baking Flour* (9¾ ounces; 275 grams)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup butter, softened (4 ounces; 113 grams)
- ¾ cup granulated sugar (6 ounces; 170 grams)
- 2 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup milk (4 ounces ; 150 grams)
- 2 cups blueberries
- ¼ cup granulated sugar, optional, for topping
Instructions
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Preheat oven to 350 ℉. Lightly grease 15 muffins cups or line them with paper liners.
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Whisk together the gluten-free flour blend with the baking powder and salt in a small bowl. Set aside.
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In a large bowl, combine butter and granulated sugar. Beat on medium-low speed until thick. With the beater still running, add the eggs. Beat until combined.
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Add the dry ingredients and mix on low speed. Mix until thick. Stop the mixer and add the milk and vanilla extract. Mix until a thick batter forms.
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Gently fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula.(If you are using frozen or cold blueberries, the batter will get VERY thick. This is totally normal.)
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Spoon batter into prepared muffin pans. Fill each cavity about ⅔ full. Top each muffin with about 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar. (The sugar topping is optional.)
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Bake until a cake tester inserted into the center of one of the muffins comes out clean, about 25 minutes.
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Allow muffins to cool in the pan for five minutes and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Store the cooled muffins covered on the counter. They’ll keep for about three days.
Or you can freeze them. Place the muffins in a freezer bag and freeze for up to two months. Allow the muffins to thaw at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
This recipe has not been tested with other flour blends. For the best results, use the flour recommended.
Sharon Sopczynski says
Love this recipe!! I used monk fruit and plant butter and giving most of them away as a gift .?
Therese says
I used Walmart’s Great Valley GF flour and reduced to 1/2 c sugar and used almond milk instead of dairy milk but added about 1/4 c. extra of almond milk. So you can sub other GF flour as long as it has xantham gum in it. These muffins turned out delicious! Yum!
Heather Sutton says
I used citrus extract but it tastes just as good!
Ellen says
Loved this recipe! And really easy!!
Vivian says
Delicious. Hard to believe that it is Gluten Free…very close to the Jordon Marsh original. I added chopped walnuts to give some crunch.
Arabella says
These is literally the best recipe for gf muffins I’ve tasted and we’ve tried a LOT! Thank you!
Terre Piccirilli says
These are pretty good, great texture, just enough sweetness. Do you think they could be frozen too enjoy later?
Elizabeth says
Yes. These freeze well. Just be sure to allow them to cool completely before freezing.
Lori says
Oh my gosh! These muffins are incredible! I made them with the lemon peel option and did substitute almond flour for one of the two cups of flour and coconut oil for the butter (we are dairy free, too) They are fantastic, soft, yielding, SO good with the extra sugar on top (okay, I did use turbinado raw sugar for the top, but no other substitutes!) Next time I may try and swap out half the sugar for Monkfruit sugar. Great recipe as is (recommend the lemon!) and great as a base to riff on. Thank you Elizabeth!
Ana says
Hi Elizabeth
I just did your muffins recipe thank you was delicious
But with a twist
My friend come for a tea and by accident I ad the sugar to the dry ingredients
I panic a bit as I should beat the sugar with the batter
So I ended to put oll together I olso melted the batter and beat the eggs
I didn’t know how it could come out as I changed the recipe
My friend and I couldn’t believe how good it comes out
So soft and moist
I olso put raspberrys that give I bit off sourness to the muffins
Delicious
Thank you
So simply and yummmmy
Thank you
Elizabeth says
That sounds so good! Glad you enjoyed them!
Tina says
Wonderful recipe! I mixed blueberries and raspberries, also added some lemon zest and they turned out deliciously light, moist and sweet enough. Thanks for sharing!
Ali A says
King Arthur Gluten Free Flour works great as well! My husband was raving about the muffins and he is not gluten free! Will definitely bake these again. Used frozen and fresh blueberries…hope to substitute with raspberry next time! Thanks for such a great recipe!
Lorraine says
When using the King Arthur gluten free flour did you add xanthum gum to it? If so how much . Thank you
Stephanie Beliveau says
I made mine in a square baking bc my hubby and 2 sons sneak muffins every time I look away lol. It’s in the oven now. I can’t wait!!!
Joy Maynard says
I used this recipe to make mini waffles with! They turned out perfectly, and it makes such an easy breakfast on the go.
Kelly says
Just made these with raw stevia at the same measurement, 3/4 cup, and they turned out super great- still light and fluffy! Thanks!
Kristin Oke says
Question – is the butter intended to be salted or unsalted in this recipe?
Elizabeth says
You can use either! I’ve tested the recipe with both and it tastes good either way.
Abby Holland says
Delicious recipe!! I would add 1tsp cinnamon and add more sugar to the batter. Overall they turned out great!
Danne says
I just made these and they turned out great! I used Trader Joe’s gluten-free flour and it worked just fine with that. I also used Earth Balance for butter and Almond Milk and everything worked out well. Thank you for sharing!
Jess says
Excellent recipe! I subbed avocado oil for the butter and used under 1/2 c coconut sugar. It made 11 muffins for me… the 16 must be rather small? These came out great and I can see why it’s the top google search for glutenfree blueberry muffins 🙂 Thank you for sharing!
Mary DeLoria says
So amazing with fresh Oregon-grown blueberries! I toss mine with the flour before mixing in so they don’t sink to the bottom while baking.
Kayla says
I have zero complaints! delicious, easy, and it you can customize to adhere to multiple “diets.” I especially love that you gave us a recipe that can make a FULL batch of muffins. A lot of recipes claim to yield 10-12 muffins but they end up looking flat and shrunken. These look just as you promised- like the puffy ones you see at the bakery.
Cindy says
I made these tonight and they were SO GOOD. Yum, nothing like fresh blueberries in a muffin. I did use King Arthur GF flour because I haven’t been able to find Bob’s Red Mill. Still super delish.
Lois says
Loved these muffins!!! I did everything according to the recipe except I used Almond milk. Truly the best GF muffins I ever had! So moist and tasty ?
Anna says
These turned out great using Namaste Perfect Blend GF flour. Thanks for including the tips about not overmixing- I think that was the key to their wonderful texture.
Carol McPherson says
Has anyone at all tried to freeze extra, muffins. New to the Gluten free for my daughter. The first batch was a bit too sweet, so decreased the sugar a bit. Thanks for the recipe Elizabeth. My daughter is also veg., so and other recipes you have Gluten Free would be very welcomed. I’m out in Oakville ,Canada. And having problems finding ingredients we can afford right, during Covid-19. Thanks for giving something she can eat in the morning.
PJS says
I followed this recipe exactly with only one substitution, I used Great Value GF flour. These muffins turned out perfectly–the muffins rose nicely and are very light and fluffy. I have made several gf bread/muffin recipes for my gluten intolerant family member only to be disappointed with denseness and/or grittiness. Your recipe by far is my favorite, I could not even tell these muffins were gf. Thank you for a great recipe that is sure to become a family favorite.