Blueberry Muffins
One day I started wondering what the most popular variety of muffin is. I did a bunch of searching on the web. Over and over again, every list or article said that Blueberry Muffins are the favorite. Although it isn’t usually my first choice, I figured that I should see what I’ve been missing. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve eaten many blueberry muffins over the years. They just haven’t been my first pick. So off I went to my kitchen to start developing gluten free Blueberry Muffins that I would want to eat. A moist and tender crumb, buttery cake, fresh berries and a sweet topping were must haves. Have I mentioned how much I love what I do?
Making Batter for Blueberry Muffins
This is a fairly standard and easy batter to pull together. Begin with creaming the butter and sugar together, then add the eggs and remaining wet ingredients. Then combine the dry ingredients in a separate bowl, mixing them together well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet. This is where I suggest something a little different, Before you add the blueberries to the batter, read ahead.
Sinking Berries
One of my pet peeves about Blueberry Muffins is when the berries all sink to the bottom. So I did a bunch of research on ways to prevent this and made several batches of muffins testing out the theories. I adjusted the ingredients to create a stiffer batter and found that adding a little plain batter (without blueberries in it) to the bottom of the muffin liner prior to mixing in the blueberries and filling the rest of the liner is the most noticeable improvement. It doesn’t keep all of the berries from hitting the bottom, but does create a more even distribution. Oh! And make sure the berries are dry when you add them to the batter. You don’t need to add any additional moisture to the mix or have slippery berries sinking quickly to the bottom!
In the Oven
The Blueberry Muffins will bake up nicely in about 20 minutes. Once the center isn’t jiggly, they are done. Don’t wait for a dry toothpick test, because it may be too late. This is a moist batter since it has fruit in it. I know this can be a little tricky with gluten free baked goods, but my general rule is that if I think it is “almost” done, it is probably done. If they turn out spongy or chewy, they’ve been over-baked. Don’t get discouraged though! Put some ice cream on this batch and try another… my version of turning lemons into lemonade;-)
Out of the Oven
While the Blueberry Muffins cool, make the glaze by combining powdered sugar and lemon juice until a smooth paste forms. Once the muffins are cooled to room temp, drizzle on the glaze and enjoy!
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Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- ½ cup sugar
- 6 tbsp butter (softened to room temp)
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup full fat buttermilk (sub plain greek yogurt if you'd like)
- 2 tsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 cup gluten free flour blend
- ¼ cup almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp fine salt
- 1 cup fresh blueberries (rinsed and dried well)
For the Glaze:
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. *Note that you will be turning the oven down to 350 degrees after the first 8-10 minutes of baking. Baking at a higher heat to start will allow them to rise more. Place 12 paper liners in muffin tins.
- Cream butter and sugar together in a large bowl using a hand mixer. Add eggs and mix until combined well and creamy, then add buttermilk and lemon juice. Mix again until combined well. It may look a little curdled or like it is separating some. That is okay.
- Add in the flours, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Using your hand mixer, combine them completely, scraping down the sides as needed.
- Using a small scoop or tablespoon, place a scoop of batter (without blueberries in it) into each cupcake liner.
- Now combine the remaining batter with the blueberries, stirring gently with a wooden spoon or spatula. Spoon the blueberry mixture evenly into each muffin liner, filling only ⅔ of the way.
- Place in the 425 degree preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes, when you notice that they have started to rise nicely, turn the oven down to 350 and continue baking for 8-10 more minutes until lightly browned and set in the center.
- Remove from the oven and let cool before drizzling with glaze.
For the Glaze:
- In a small bowl combine a small amount of lemon juice (or milk substitute) on top of the powdered sugar and stir. Add a little more at a time until the sugar dissolves. Use your spoon to press out any lumps against the side of the bowl. Once a thick, creamy looking mixture develops, the glaze is ready.
The muffins turned out absolutely delicious. I followed your great tip about adding the blueberries later and it works to keep them all from sinking to the bottom. Thanks for the great recipe.
By the way, I added 2 eggs as per your instructions, but they were not on the ingredient list.
Hi Margrit! I am so happy to hear that you loved the Blueberry Muffins! Thank you so much for alerting me to the missing eggs in the recipe list, that has been fixed thanks to your keen eye;-). Much appreciated! -Shay