These grab-n-go, healthy blueberry muffins are perfect for those crazy mornings or for a mid afternoon snack. Naturally sweetened vegan and gluten free Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins 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.
My Gluten-Free Journey
When I started my gluten-free journey, I was/am 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.
Vegan and Gluten Free Muffins
There were a few specific recipes I started working on right away after learning I needed to embrace a gluten-free diet. After-all I just can’t live without pizza dough, bread, or a savory tart crust. And since it’s blueberry season, these naturally sweetened Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins made their way to my short list.
My doctor had me on a cleanse for what seemed like infinity and beyond so I got creative with gluten-free vegan recipes too. With the help of Bob’s Red Mill, I’ve developed this new gluten-free vegan muffin recipe to share with y’all.
How to Make Gluten-Free Vegan Blueberry Muffins
Since we don’t need to be concerned about gluten development in these gluten-free vegan muffins, there is no concern of over-mixing. Because of this, I tested this recipe 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. So, I prefer hand mixing this recipe to create the golden, craggy tops and a nice interior crumb.
- First: mash the bananas, then stir in the maple syrup, coconut oil, nut milk, vinegar and extract in a mixing bowl.
- Next: add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and whisk until no lumps remain. Let the batter rest for 30 minutes.
- Pro Tip: 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.
- Continuing: mix the blueberries with one tablespoon of oat flour. Fold the blueberries into the mixture and scoop into the liners.
- Last: bake for 30-32 minutes or until golden on top.
A Few Gluten Free Blueberry Muffin 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 flax seed 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.
- 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 my DIY how to make oat flour for more details.
- I recommend tulip style muffin cups for gluten free vegan 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 tulip cups 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 bake through. They’re ready when golden, a toothpick comes out clean (check in multiple spots because of the blueberries) and tops spring back under gentle pressure. Please see recipe notes about an oven thermometer.
the recipe
Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins (gluten free + vegan)
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, I DIY oat flour (see linked post)
- 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
- 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 thoroughly 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.
- 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 thoroughly, 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.
- 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 the 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
Notes
My Remake of Blueberry-Oat Flax Muffins:
Because a few makers indicated these muffins didn’t turn out for them, I made them a fourth time, just to be sure. My results were as expected and pictured below. I’ve learned gluten free and vegan baking can be challenging. Weighing ingredients, employing an external oven thermometer and for this recipe, using tall muffin liners will support a successful outcome.
