A grab-n-go, healthy muffin for those crazy mornings or for a mid afternoon snack. Naturally sweetened Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins (gluten free + vegan) are simple to pull together and are freezer friendly too! | This post is sponsored by Bob’s Red Mill. Thank you supporting brands that make this site possible. All opinions are my own.
Last month when I started my gluten free journey, I was/am incredibly grateful to be sponsored by a company who sources and mills an array of gluten free ingredients. Prior to eating gluten free, I was already a fan of Bob’s Red Mill pantry staples, so choosing the best ingredients has been a long time priority for me. But now, I’m discovering just how helpful having so many gluten free options are to someone who has nixed gluten – for now anyway.
I’ve discovered a whole new area of the grocery store. A wall of Bob’s Red Mill gluten-free ingredients is a welcome sight to behold! Thanks to Bob’s too, I’m discovering these new flavors and have been undergoing a lot of trial and error with recipe testing. I’ve been browsing a generous selection of special diet recipes on Bob’s Red Mill web site for inspiration and for learning about this new-to-me way of baking and cooking.
There were a few specific recipes I started working on right away after learning I needed to embrace a gluten free diet, because these are things I just can’t live without; pizza dough, bread, savory tart crust because hello – it’s tomato season and of course, since it’s blueberry season too, these naturally sweetened Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins made their way to my short list.
And since my doctor had me on a cleanse for what seemed like infinity and beyond, I got creative with not only gluten free recipes, but vegan recipes too. I’m slowly easing back into my vegetarian way of eating, sans gluten and in the mean time, with the help of Bob’s Red Mill have developed new gluten free and vegan recipes to share with y’all.
How to Make Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins:
Since we don’t need to be concerned about gluten development in gluten free baking, there is no concern of over-mixing. Because of this, I tested these using a blender to mix the muffins. While they tasted good and were super moist, they were darker and had a different, smoother texture on top. Because they were darker, this could lead to pulling the muffins too early from the oven when the center may not be quite done. So, I prefer hand mixing this recipe to create the golden, craggy tops and a nice interior crumb.
I recommend tulip style muffin cups for Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins. Taller cups provide structure and enable the muffins to rise just a bit higher and seem to produce more evenly baked muffins; my preference. I purchase or use The Kitchn’s DIY tulip cup tutorial to make muffin cups.
This recipe follows the same guidelines as any quick bread or muffin recipe. Use one bowl to mix the dry into the wet ingredients, rest the batter for 30 minutes (not negotiable), then fold in the fresh or frozen blueberries. Scoop the batter into the muffin pan, bake, cool and devour (!!) or freeze.
A Few Recipe Notes:
- A newish to me baking ingredient, and one that I’ve been exploring more is Bob’s Red Mill Organic Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal. I subbed flaxseed meal for eggs in this recipe for structural support, but ground flaxseed also gives these naturally sweetened vegan flax muffins a mild nutty flavor, with added texture and fiber. I love the results and Rob has been taking these to work every day for weeks.
- The combination of Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats, Almond Flour, Tapioca Flour and Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal make these muffins tender, moist, texture rich and absolutely delicious. These are truly a healthy grab-n-go breakfast or snack muffin.
- This recipe calls for gluten free oat flour. I DIY my own using Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Oats. It’s super easy and economical – see DIY notes below recipe.
- I recommend tulip style muffin cups for Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins. Taller cups provide structure and enable the muffins to rise just a bit higher and seem to produce more evenly baked muffins; my preference. I use purchased and the Kitchn’s DIY tulip cup tutorial to make muffin cups.
- Freezer Friendly? Yes Please! Freeze any quantity of muffins on a sheet pan (a few hours). When frozen, transfer the muffins to a covered container for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature.
- Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins need to rest at least 30 minutes before folding in the blueberries, and baking. This tenderizes and hydrates the flours. Do not skip this step.
- You’ll notice a long bake time for these muffins – that is not an error. 30-32 minutes is a must for the golden color and through bake. They’re ready when golden and tops spring back under gentle pressure. Please see recipe notes about an oven thermometer.
*UPDATE*: After Caroline’s comment below, I remade these as written to make sure I didn’t transpose the recipe incorrectly and because posting accurate/workable recipes for y’all is super important to me. I posted pictures of my remake below the recipe. They came out as expected. These muffins are moist. Bursting blueberries means there will be moisture within the muffin. Because they are made without gluten, they do have a different texture than glutenous muffins, but after all the testing I did these were my favorite, and finally blog worthy. Be sure to use muffin liners. Please see notes at bottom of recipe about oven thermometers and measuring gf flours.
For more recipes using Bob’s Red Mill Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal and so many other fabulous ingredients head to their website and be sure to check out Bob’s Red Mill on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for more inspiration!
Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins (gluten free + vegan)
A grab-n-go, healthy muffin for those crazy mornings or for a mid afternoon snack. Naturally sweetened Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins (gluten free + vegan) are simple to pull together and are freezer friendly too! Time below does not include time to rest the muffins (30 minutes).
Ingredients
- 1/3 C (100g) Banana mashed, about one medium
- 3/4 C (235g) Pure Maple Syrup warm to the touch
- 3 Tbs Coconut Oil unrefined, melted and warm to the touch
- 1/2 C (130g) Nut Milk of Choice I use homemade cashew milk, 1/2 diluted
- 3 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
- 3/4 C + 1 Tbs (85g) Gluten Free Oat Flour divided, see notes for DIY from whole oats*
- 3/4 C + 1 Tbs (95g) Almond Flour
- 1 C (115g) Tapioca Flour
- 1/4 C (30g) Bob's Red Mill Organic Whole Ground Flaxseed Meal
- 3 tsp Baking Powder
- 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
- 1/2 tsp Fine Sea Salt
- 1/2 C (100g) Fresh or Frozen Blueberries heaped (do not thaw if using frozen** see note)
Instructions
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In a medium mixing bowl, mash the banana until smooth and there are little to no chunks left. Stir in the maple syrup, coconut oil, nut milk, vinegar and extract. Whisk throughly to incorporate and create an emulsion. If the coconut oil solidifies, gently warm the mixture 10 seconds at a time in the microwave until melted again. Set aside.
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Scoop one tablespoon of oat flour out and set it aside (we'll use this to mix into the blueberries later). Into the wet ingredients, add the oat flour, almond flour, tapioca flour, flaxseeds, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk throughly, for at least a minute insuring no clumps remain. The batter will be thin and you'll notice bubbles right away from the leavening. Lay a dry tea towel over the top of the bowl and rest the mixture at room temperature for 30 minutes (do not skip this rest). The batter will thicken as it sets. Now is a good time to make the tulip muffin cup liners if not using purchased liners.
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While the batter is resting, preheat the oven to 375F (190C). Set the oven rack in the center. Line the muffin pan with tulip muffin liners. Spray the liners with pan spray (I've made this recipe with two types of liners - one released easily without spray, the other did not - use spray just to be sure.). Just before adding the batter to the muffin cups, in a small bowl, mix the blueberries (frozen or fresh) with one tablespoon of oat flour set aside earlier. Spoon the blueberries and any remaining oat flour into the batter and gently fold the blueberries into the mixture.
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Use a #20 spring loaded cookie scoop or about 4 Tbs each, scoop a heaping scoop of batter into the muffin cups/pan to distribute the batter evenly among cups. Add a few more fresh blueberries each to the tops of the muffins, gently nudging them into the batter and sprinkle a bit of whole rolled oats on the top if desired.
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Bake at 375F (190C) for 30-32 minutes or until golden on top and tops spring back under gentle pressure. Rest in pan for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from pan and onto a cooling rack to cool completely. Remove the muffin cup gently from around the muffin to enjoy.
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Store in a lidded container at room temperature for up to three days. After muffins are completely cooled they may be frozen on a sheet pan, then moved to a covered container for up to two weeks. Thaw at room temperature. These are fabulous reheated in a toaster oven at 350F for about 10 minutes.
Recipe Notes
I recommend tulip style muffin cups for Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins. Taller cups provide structure and enable the muffins to rise just a bit higher and seem to produce more evenly baked muffins; my preference. I use The Kitchn's DIY tulip cup tutorial to make my muffin cups, or you can purchase them.
*To DIY Oat Flour: scoop one cup + 1 Tbs (85g) of gluten free rolled oats into a blender or food processor.Process until a fine meal is formed. I use Vitamix to make oat flour, but have used a food processor (S blade) as well. The food processor doesn't create as fine of flour as Vitamix but it produces a nice course flour. Nora has a tutorial if needed.
**If using frozen blueberries, just before adding them to the oat flour, rinse them to rid any freezer burn and strain throughly.
In baking, weighing ingredients is important for optimal outcome. I find that especially true in gluten free baking. If you feel you'll be baking with gf flours regularly, I recommend investing in a good digital kitchen scale. I use one like this and have had it for about five years. Its been reliable.
I enthusiastically recommend an oven thermometer! I’ve baked in commercial bakery and home ovens, old, lightly used and brand new ovens – they all have their own personalities with temperature variations and fluctuations. Knowing the temperature of your oven is important for the best outcome, and evenly baked goods; super important in baking. I keep a close eye on my oven thermometers (I use two just to be sure) when testing/making recipes for the blog so that I am as accurate as possible with including the proper baking temperatures in my recipes.
Naturally Sweetened Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins Remake (just to be sure):
These muffins were the perfect gluten free option. I followed the directions exactly – and made my own oatmeal flour. I will make these again ASAP!
Hello Elizabeth! Thank you for your note and tag on Instagram with these muffins! So happy you enjoyed them. They looked fabulous! :D
Hello! I tried this recipe today and found that the bottoms stuck to the liners and were a different texture from the tops. Seems that the tapioca flour gave the bottom half a sticky/chewy texture. Did I do something wrong? The flavor is fantastic! But could use some advice on the texture!
Hi Jenny! Thank you for your note. So happy to hear you enjoyed the flavor of these muffins! The bottom is a different texture from the top because the top is open to the heat of the oven – so the tops are dryer. This is true for non GF muffins as well. Carefully/gently removing the liners is important here – there is no gluten to hold things together, so it is a more tender muffin. Remember, there are no eggs, gluten or gums in this recipe, things that typically add structure (and hold things together) to non vegan and non gf baked goods. The tapioca flour/starch adds structure which is something needed else they would be dense, not as fluffy and be even more tender. So, to make these muffins vegan + gluten free and to make them soft and fluffy, I had to find alternatives. I chose tapioca and flax meal. Because I wasn’t with you during the process of making the recipe, it’s difficult to say… but I’m wondering if they were cooled completely prior to removing the wrapper? I hope this helps! Thank you again for your note.
I made these this morning and they are delicious! I subbed the banana for apple sauce and it worked out just great.
So happy to hear, Alicia! Thank you for your note and tip on the sub!
I have a lot of gluten free friends at work so I am definitely going to give these a try. The blueberries at the market right now are perfect – big and plump – I’ve been eating tons each morning. All your pictures are just gorgeous, Traci! Hope you are having a good weekend.
I hope you and your friends love them Geraldine! I’m with you and blues every morning. They are such a pleasure! xo
Blueberry muffins are my absolute favorite and these look simply irresistible!
Thank you Laura! I’m SO with you! xo
These look great Traci. I’ve been making my flax meal, but the end product always seems to be a bit off. I need to try Bob’s flax meal. Going gluten free must feel good. I hope it helps with everything my dear.
Love a good blueberry muffin and they look so good.
xx
Thank you Ash! You’re going to love that flax meal! xo
Bob’s is the absolute best for all baking needs, especially gluten-free! I love that they offer a variety of wholesome GF flours and not just starches. Almond and oat flour is my go-to as well as it results in the best texture. But even with great flours, vegan/GF baking is super finicky…even if I’ve made something ten times there will still be comments that it didn’t turn out right. It’s just one of those things that you have to be in-person to see what is being done differently. But it looks like you nailed it because these muffins are GORGEOUS! ;)
I’m SO with you on Bob’s Sarah! I’ve been a fan even before I started blogging so working with them is an absolute pleasure. I have a feeling Oat and Almond will become my go to as well – I’m slowly realizing this :D . Thank you for your note about vegan/GF baking being finicky. It’s good to hear this from you simply because you know gf/vegan baking SO well… it’s a big learning curve for sure. BUT – I just discovered psyllium husk fiber – a miracle binder (and good for you too)!! I’ll continue to flex those skills and providing options for gf/vegan food… you are a continual source of inspiration, Sarah xo
You are so good with baking, that I knew you would be great at making gluten free recipes too! The flax meal in the muffins makes it so healthy, not to mention no sugar as well! They do look perfect, and so even!! Beautiful bakes Traci and as usual you make any food look so pretty!
Thank you for your sweet words, Amisha xo … Healthy indeed… and I wanted them like that because of that forever cleanse! lol I just recently got off it and brownies are on my radar! lol!
These have the look of happiness. :)
Thank you Annie! xo
They look fantastic, my friend! Your tulip cup tip is SO smart. Trying these out asap. Eating everything with fresh blueberries I can. :) xo
Eating everything indeed, Tessa! Just picked up another 1/2 flat. Not sure to freeze them or just stuff my face – lol! xo
So many good things packed into these little babies…blueberries, banana, maple syrup, coconut oil, cider vinegar, almond flour, flax seed meal, I mean I basically listed all of the ingredients! Thanks for the tip about the liners helping them rise higher. Will definitely give them a try!
Ooooh that cider vinegar packs a little tang in there I just can’t seem to resist! And I’ve learned that it tenderizes GF flours – just like in glutenous flours! I love it! I hope you enjoy them, Jean!
These look delicious. I would love to try some gluten-free recipes but it always seems when I am in the mood to try such a recipe there is one ingredient I don’t have exactly on hand…and then I am not sure if it can be substituted. For example-can nut milk be replaced with any milk variation, including whole cow’s milk? And I don’t have flaxseed meal but a mix of flaxseed, chia and hemp seeds? Thanks for the help. You are right about the blueberries coming onto the bush! I suppose other berries would work too?
Thanks! Stay cool!
4waystoyummy.com
Hey Heide… stay cool indeed! It’s been brutal out!. For subbing ingredients in baking, I pretty much don’t recommend doing it unless you are up for an experiment. And since I’m new to GF baking, I really don’t have enough experience with the flours to say how/what to sub except for a few items. I wouldn’t hesitate recommending subbing the cow milk for nut… that should be fine. But subbing flax with a mix of seeds may be problematic especially because chia coagulates once it hits water, somewhat like flax but a little different. So I’m no sure about that. I bet strawberries would be good too! I hope this helps Heide!
Just like Mare, I have yet to try flaxseed meal, and these muffins look like the PERFECT way to finally give it a go! Loving that these blueberry beauties are naturally sweetened too! Such a delicious breakfast or snack on the go! Pinning! Cheers!
Thank you Chey and for your pin! xo
I knew you would rise up to the gf challenge! These look superb, Traci! Such good timing for me too as I’ve been trying to incorporate more flaxseed into my diet. So many health benefits found in flax! I’m always up for trying new muffin recipes… and I love how they bake up in those tulip cups. That last photo makes me want a big bite. :)
Thank ya lady – means so much Em! Agreed on flax seed. I’ve just recently started baking with flax and from a baking standpoint they add so much nuttyness and texture. I’m smitten!
Hey Traci, these look really good! I would love to bake them right now but we are packing bags for the summer holidays, so the muffins have to wait… maybe I can make them tonight as a snack for the road?
You know, these are fabulous for road trips… I’ve some in the freezer now for an upcoming road trip we’re taking! :D
Hi Tracy! I just made these this morning because I had some lovely local blueberries on hand. Unfortunately, I had to discard the whole batch because they would not bake through. I followed the recipe to the letter (aside from the addition of cinnamon). I baked them for 35 minutes until the tops were very browned and a toothpick came out clean. Any additional time would have burned them. However, when I cut into a few, they had a very gummy texture and were not at all light and fluffy like those pictured. I’m wondering if the tapioca flour is the problem? I so want to make these again, as I’ve recently ditched gluten as well. I’d appreciate any insight you have because the flavors were great and I adore seasonal berries in baked goods.
**Traci**
sorry, your name autocorrected
Oh no! Caroline… I’m so sorry to hear this. I’ve made these twice since my final testing phase and haven’t had this issue. I’m so sorry to read this. Were they completely cool before cutting into them? I’m learning too that baked goods need to cool completely, some even need curing for a day, before they can be enjoyed, otherwise gumminess can be an issue. How about the oven temperature? Do you have have an external oven thermometer? I’m remaking them now.
Hey Caroline… So I remade the recipe just to double check and the only thing I changed was the blueberries from 1/4 C to 1/2 C (the weight of 100g was accurate) – as I had transposed that amount (but that shouldn’t have made any difference in the outcome of your crumb). Also, I omitted baking the muffins without liners. Although I’ve made them without liners, and the results were acceptable to me, I found liners are super important to help the muffins rise and bake evenly. I posted pictures below the recipe of my remake. The only other thing I can think of is that I weigh all my ingredients when baking for the best outcome. Could this have had an impact on your muffins? I really can’t say what may have gone wrong. I’m so sorry these didn’t work out.
I really appreciate you making the extra effort to address the issue your reader had with this recipe. Thank you for your commitment to excellence in both the quality of your recipes and customer care.
Thank you for your note, Tonya! Being present with readers/makers and putting my best work in this space is a priority. I’m so glad it shows! Thank you for sending a smile.
Hi Traci,
I really appreciate your quick response and further experiments with the recipe! I did not use liners and did not weigh ingredients because my scale is broken. However, I do have an oven thermometer so I don’t think oven temp was a problem. I think you’re right about measuring ingredients by weight, especially in GF baking when there are a number of different flours involved. I’ll definitely try these again when I get my scale fixed. I’ve had great luck with all of your other vegan recipes I’ve tried, so I’m confident the error was on my end. I wholeheartedly second Tonya’s comment, and I truly appreciate that you took time to double check the recipe again after reading my comment.
I’ll let you know how these work out when I try them again :)
Thanks again!
Thank you for your note and kind words, Caroline :D I’m so happy to hear you’ve enjoyed the recipes on V&B, but dang it when one doesn’t work, I know it’s frustrating. I’ll add a note about a scale in the recipe (and my about page!). I’ve used one for so long, I forget to say anything about it and it’s importance. Thank you again for your note!
I have yet to try flaxseed meal Traci. But if it’s one of Bob’s products, I know it’s good. These muffins look delicious and I happen to have some tulip muffin liners. A good friend of mine eats gluten free too, so I’ll need to bake a batch and save a few for myself!