Recipe :: Gluten-Free Blueberry Almond Muffins

I always include a quick bread, coffee cake or muffins in any brunch menu. These gluten-free muffins are tasty enough to serve to a crowd, and any gluten-free guests will be thrilled that they can indulge. These muffins have great flavor but definitely taste whole grain (which I like!). The texture is more dense than a standard blueberry muffin, but is still very moist and flavorful.

I like to use frozen wild blueberries, which are smaller and more nutritious than regular frozen blueberries (and very easy to find). If you’d like, add some lemon zest to the batter – I’ve made them with that variation during the summer, but reduced the almond extract to 1/2 tsp. so the flavors didn’t compete. If you don’t have almond extract it’s worth buying a small bottle. It adds an amazingly deep almond flavor to baked goods. However, you can substitute vanilla extract in this recipe: Just be sure to use gluten-free vanilla extract if you are making these for someone who can’t tolerate gluten. These muffins freeze beautifully when wrapped individually in plastic wrap to seal in the moisture.

This recipe is inspired by a recipe that originally appeared in Vegetarian Times.

Gluten-Free Blueberry Almond Muffins

1 cup almond flour

1 cup brown rice flour (or gluten-free flour blend)

1 ½ tsp. baking powder

½ baking soda

½ salt

¾ cup sugar

6oz plain yogurt (fat free or low-fat)

½ cup olive oil or canola oil

2 eggs

1 tsp. almond extract

1 ½ cup frozen blueberries (preferably wild, still frozen)

2 Tbs. turbinado sugar, such as Sugar In The Raw

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners.

2. Whisk together almond flour through salt in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together sugar through almond extract. Fold yogurt mixture into flour mixture until just combined. Fold in blueberries.

3. Divide batter evenly between muffin tins. Top with a sprinkling of sugar in the raw. Bake in center of preheated oven for 18-22 minutes, until slightly golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes in tin, then move to wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins