These blueberry lemon gluten free muffins are just as moist, tender, and delicious as traditional muffins, but they're 100% gluten free. Made with sour cream, lemon zest, lemon juice, and fresh blueberries, these muffins have a delectably perfect texture and the classic combination of bright, zippy lemon and sweet blueberries that we all love.
Ah, muffins. They're the quintessential workhorse of recipes. These little bites can be sweet or savory, and I often use them as gluten-free breakfast recipes or a lighter after-dinner dessert. They're also one of the best gluten-free snacks in the world, in my opinion.
I've always had a love affair with muffins, and they were one of the first things I learned to make gluten free when I was diagnosed with Celiac's disease. There was ZERO chance of me living life without muffins, especially since I had a houseful of kids who loved them as much as I do!
I make all kinds of muffins, but my favorite are those that combine the bright, citrusy flavor of lemon and the sweetness of berries. Honestly, you'll find that combo in many of my baked goods, like this lemon blackberry loaf (another versatile treat, by the way).
Because berries are still in season, I decided to create another tasty citrus and berry combo with these gluten free lemon blueberry muffins. Adding sour cream ensures they're super moist and tender, and fresh lemon zest and juice give them a big punch of delicious flavor, perfect with the pop of the blueberries. You're going to love them. Trust, as my son says.
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Basic Ingredients: This recipe uses simple, basic ingredients found in your kitchen or local grocery store. Even the gluten free flour is readily available at pretty much any grocery store you visit.
- So Easy: This is an incredibly easy muffin recipe. Just mix, bake, and enjoy. It's really that simple!
- Bright, Summery Flavor: The combination of lemon juice and zest, along with fresh blueberries, creates a muffin that's a taste of summer in every bite.
- So Moist and Tender: Using a quality 1:1 gluten free flour and sour cream ensures these muffins are moist and super tender with the perfect crumb.
- Versatile: Like all muffins, these gluten free lemon and blueberry muffins make a great breakfast or brunch item when paired with savory options like this chicken breakfast sausage, an afternoon snack, a dessert, or a sweet addition to parties.
- Great for Meal Prep: The muffins freeze very well, making them ideal for freezing an extra batch for future use.
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Ingredients
I prefer Costabile olive oil for its quality and purity. Use code: 15GOLDENGK for 15% off at Amazon.
You can find a complete list of ingredients and their exact amounts in the recipe card at the end of the post.
Variations
- Traditional: I used gluten free flour and a blend of almond milk and vinegar to make buttermilk. You can, however, use traditional flour and buttermilk if you prefer.
- Berries: Lemon is perfect with any berry, so use your favorites to create different muffin flavors.
- Frozen Blueberries: Although I prefer fresh blueberries, frozen blueberries can be used as a substitute when they're not in season. You don't even have to defrost them.
- Lemon: Use orange juice, zest, and extract to make orange muffins.
- Sour Cream: If you're making these muffins as a sweet breakfast, try using full-fat Greek yogurt in place of sour cream for an extra kick of protein and the same great texture.
- Dairy Free: Substitute butter and sour cream with vegan alternatives in the same amounts for dairy free blueberry lemon muffin recipe.
- Add Nuts: Chopped walnuts or pecans add more texture and an earthy flavor that complements the citrus and berries well.
- Glazed: Make a simple glaze of powdered sugar and a little lemon juice. Then, drizzle the muffins with the glaze after they've cooled.
How to Make Blueberry Lemon Gluten Free Muffins
Combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside. Then, mix the wet muffin ingredients in a large bowl.
Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Then, gently mix in the blueberries with a rubber spatula. finally, pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until combined.
Divide the muffin batter evenly in a lined 12-count muffin tin and top with more blueberries.
Bake at 425°F until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool the muffins for 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Expert Tips
- Mix the blueberries into the dry ingredients rather than the wet. This coats them with the flour, so they won't sink to the bottom of the pan as the muffins bake.
- Mix your muffin ingredients until just combined. Overmixing leads to tough muffins.
- I recommend using these tulip cupcake liners for this lemon blueberry muffins recipe. It allows the muffins to rise fully while holding their shape.
- Be sure your baking powder is fresh for the best rise. If it's nearing or past its expiration date, buy fresh. Otherwise, your muffins won't rise well or at all.
- Let your muffin batter rest for 5 to 10 minutes before baking. This gives the dry ingredients time to hydrate fully and results in a better crown.
- If you use a dark muffin tin, check your muffins for doneness about 5 minutes early, as dark pans bake muffins more quickly than light pans.
Blueberry Lemon Gluten Free Muffins FAQ
Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1:1 baking powder and King Arthur Gluten Free Measure-for-Measure Flour are tied for the top spot when it comes to baked goods. They both deliver excellent flavor and texture that is indistinguishable from traditional muffins.
The two most common reasons that gluten free muffins are tough are overmixing the batter or using too much flour. A common misconception is that gluten free batter can't be overmixed. However, overmixing gluten free muffin batter can make them just as tough as overmixing traditional muffin batter. Using too much flour is a common mistake, as well. Many people scoop their flour out directly with the measuring cup, which results in compacting and using too much. Instead, the flour should be loosely spooned into the measuring cup and leveled off with a knife.
There are two methods to ensure your blueberries don't sink to the bottom of your muffins as they bake. First, toss your blueberries with a little flour, which helps them "float" in the batter while the muffins bake. Second, fold your berries into your dry muffin ingredients rather than into the batter after it's been mixed. This serves the same purpose as tossing the berries in flour.
📖 Recipe
Blueberry Lemon Gluten Free Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup almond milk
- ½ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 2 ½ cups 1:1 gluten free flour
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 teaspoon baking powder
- ⅓ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup blueberries plus more for topping the muffins
- ¼ cup olive oil
- ¼ cup butter melted and cooled
- ½ cup sour cream room temperature
- 2 eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon lemon extract
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and line a 12-count muffin pan with cupcake liners.
- Combine the almond milk and apple cider vinegar and set aside.
- Whisk the flour, brown sugar, granulated sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Then, fold in the blueberries with a rubber spatula.
- Whisk the olive oil, melted butter, sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract, lemon extract, lemon juice, lemon zest, and almond milk in another large bowl.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix with a rubber spatula until just combined.
- Use a cookie scoop to divide the batter evenly between the muffin tin wells. Then, bake for 22 to 27 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Cool the muffins in the pan for 10 minutes. Then, transfer them to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
Notes
- Store at room temperature for up to 5 days in an airtight container.
- Wrap individual muffins in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months in an airtight, freezer-safe container or heavy-duty freezer bag.
- Bring to room temperature before serving.
- Mix the blueberries into the dry ingredients rather than the wet. This coats them with the flour, so they won't sink to the bottom of the pan as the muffins bake.
- Mix your muffin ingredients until just combined. Overmixing leads to tough muffins.
- I recommend using these tulip cupcake liners for this lemon blueberry muffins recipe. It allows the muffins to rise fully while holding their shape.
- Be sure your baking powder is fresh for the best rise. If it's nearing or past its expiration date, buy fresh. Otherwise, your muffins won't rise well or at all.
- Let your muffin batter rest for 5 to 10 minutes before baking. This gives the dry ingredients time to hydrate fully and results in a better crown.
- If you use a dark muffin tin, check your muffins for doneness about 5 minutes early, as dark pans bake muffins more quickly than light pans.
Swathi says
Blueberry lemon gluten free muffins are delicious my family enjoyed it.
Jaleah says
These blueberry lemon gluten free muffins are amazing! Such a great recipe.
Lora says
These gluten-free blueberry lemon muffins sound amazing—so moist and full of fresh flavor. Love the bright lemon with sweet blueberries!
Jet says
These muffins are sunshine in a bite! Thank you for making gluten-free baking feel indulgent and easy!