Gluten-free Lemon Kissed Blueberry Muffins
Gluten-free blueberry muffins with the perfect moist crumb and the right amount of lemon flavor to make them yummy! I think you’ll love these gluten-free lemon blueberry muffins!
Gluten-free blueberry muffins have been hard for me to perfect. I tried my old favorite recipe, just subbing in my good gluten-free flour blends, but no luck. I tried other recipes, again no luck. I tried adapting my favorite gluten-free blueberry coffee cake to be muffins, no luck. I’ve attempted to get these perfect over and over during the past few years, tweaking things and trying again and again. Sometimes gluten-free baking is hard!
Last month, my friend Jeanine mentioned a cookbook she was wanting to buy called BakeWise
. I immediately checked it out from our local library, which is my favorite source for cookbooks. I love how the author explains the science behind how different ingredients work and how to combine them successfully in recipes. I like it so much, I ordered my own copy for my cookbook library.
After reading many of the tips, techniques and recipes in the BakeWise, I decided her blueberry muffin recipe looked different from all of the recipes I’d tried and I should give it a whirl. I made several changes to the recipe, both to make it gluten-free and to use some ingredients I preferred or had on hand.
When I tried one of these slightly cooled muffins, I knew I had a winner! I ran one down immediately to my friend/neighbor and she agreed it was really good and I could stop my recipe testing! These are the best gluten-free lemon blueberry muffins!
These muffins have the perfect moist crumb that I was looking for in a muffin. These don’t have lemon juice in them, rather lemon zest. I think it’s handy to use a good zester – this is the one I have.
The lemon flavor is really subtle, and you can definitely feel free to omit if you would prefer. It lends a fresh taste to these that I really enjoyed.
The original recipe just called for a sugar topping, but I liked the idea of a lemon sugar topping, which ended up being a great choice! My oldest son loves lemon as much as I do and the two of us finished off this whole batch of muffins by ourselves!
Looking for other recipes with the blueberry and lemon combo? My friend Chrystal has a paleo blueberry muffin recipe that has just a hint of lemon too. And Tessa has these almond flour lemon blueberry scones that look yummy.
If you’re in the mood for cookies, try these blueberry lemon cookies from my friend Nicole. I’ve also got to make this vegan berry tart soon! These all look so good!
What is your favorite kind of muffin? Let me know, then grab your muffin pan and make these!
If you make these and love them, please come back and give this recipe a 5 star rating in the recipe card! Feel free to comment with tips or to share any successful substitutions you made.
Gluten-free Lemon Blueberry Muffin recipe:
Gluten-free Lemon Kissed Blueberry Muffins
Gluten-free Blueberry muffins with just a touch of lemon.
Ingredients
- 2 cups good gluten-free flour blend
- 1 tsp.xanthan gum *see note
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1 1/4 cups sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup oil (your choice of any mild-flavored oil)
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- 1/2 cup sour cream (recommend using a natural one)
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 1/2 cup blueberries (fresh recommended, frozen ok)
Topping:
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp. lemon zest
Instructions
- Line a muffin pan with 12 paper muffin liners. Set aside.
- Preheat oven to 400°.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, and sugar until well mixed.
- In a separate medium sized bowl, beat the egg, oil, buttermilk, sour cream, vanilla and lemon zest. You can use a whisk or a mixer for this.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and beat with your mixer (or with a whisk) until all combined.
- Using a rubber spatula, gently stir in the fresh or frozen blueberries. Frozen blueberries are much more likely to leave purple streaks in your batter, which just affects appearance, but still tastes great!
- Use a large scoop to fill paper muffin liners mostly full, filling 12 muffin cups.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup sugar and lemon zest.
- Sprinkle the lemon sugar evenly over all 12 muffins.
- Bake at 400° for 16-20 minutes, until lightly browned and an inserted toothpick comes out with moist crumbs attached.
- Let cool a few minutes in the pan, then carefully transfer muffins to a cooling rack. Store in an airtight container at room temperature or freeze in a freezer bag for future use.
Notes
*If the gluten-free flour blend you use already has xanthan gum or guar gum in it, then omit the xanthan gum called for in this recipe.
I hope you enjoy baking and eating these!
Hi, I’ve just put these muffins in the oven and they smell great! I’m just a bit concerned because I ended up filling the 12 muffin cases to the top and then still had enough for a small cake! (it was quicker than pulling out another muffin pan and lining it with muffin liners). Has anyone else found that this made a lot more than expected? (not a “bad” problem at all!)
Thank you for the recipe – taking these for tea with a GF friend.
Made these blueberry muffins this afternoon. Oh My Oh My. Remind me of my Mum gluten ones turned out perfect. Thank you for this recipe.
These sound amazing! I love the idea of lemon with blueberry.
Can I make them mini? How do I adjust?
You can definitely use your mini muffin pan. Just check them for being done several minutes earlier!
Hi, I am new to gluten free cooking. I was wondering what a good gluten free flour blend would be. Thank you ☺
Lisa, I love, love Pamela’s Artisan All Purpose Flour Blend. Everything I have made with that comes out good. The flour blend that Michelle used, Mama’s Almond Flour Blend is really good too, but a bit expensive and hard to find, but really good. Hope that helps you!
I just made these muffins and have them baking in my oven. I am concerned that the batter was very thick – more cookie dough than batter. Maybe it was the flour I chose – has anyone else had this problem? Thank you.
@MaryAnn Pluciennik, my batter was super thick as well! I followed the instructions carefully and used Cup 4 Cup all purpose gf baking mix. They are in the oven now. Fingers crossed!
Hi Michelle
I tried making these muffins, not sure what I did wrong, followed to a T, but they came out sunken in the center, and looking more, they were mushy inside. Didn’t want to over cook them, do you have some ideas? The edge that I was able to eat, awesome taste with the lemon and blueberry together… but so looked forward to taking them into work to share… some ideas to do differently?
Thanks
Rose
Rose, they definitely sound like they didn’t bake long enough. Did you test them with a toothpick before pulling out? You shouldn’t see any batter on the toothpick, only moist crumbs.
If you felt like they were browning too quickly, while not baking through the center in time, your oven might be running too hot. I’d suggest an inexpensive oven thermometer so you can see, and then adjust the temperature accordingly.
I hope you’ll try them again!
Is the 1 1/4 c sugar for the batter ,and then another 1/4 c sugar for the topping, or is i 1c for the batter and then the remaining 1/4 for the topping?
Laura, It is just as it is written in the ingredients list. The first 1 1/4 is for in the muffins, then there is an additional 1/4 cup for the topping. Happy baking!
great, thanks!
How Can i Make it egg free and dairy free??
These muffins are so tasty! 🙂 They are light and fluffy. My husband wanted me to try making them again with orange instead of lemon and they were still great. I preferred the lemon and he loved the orange! Thanks for the recipe!
Alisha,
You get the good wife award for doing that! 😉 So glad that your hubby liked them with the orange! I’m more of a lemon girl myself, as you are, but I bet orange was great too! Thanks so much for the comment!
Hi Michelle-
I love blueberry lemon muffins and the lemon sugar for the top sounds perfect!
Camille
Camille,
Thanks so much for stopping by and leaving a comment! It was so nice to meet you in SLC. Hope you’ll try these someday for your hubby!