Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins (Vegan, Allergy-Free)

Published: Apr 24, 2017 · Modified: Apr 29, 2023 by Rebecca Pytell · This post may contain affiliate links.

These easy Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins are bursting with fresh juicy blueberries, vegan, and allergy-free! Soft, fluffy, and tender, these bakery-style blueberry muffins are quick and simple to make from scratch, great for meal prepping, and freezer-friendly! A healthy and low-sugar breakfast recipe or snack idea kids and adults will love!

Blueberry muffins! One of my absolute favorite baked goods to enjoy as a kid! Moist, fluffy, with a soft and tender crumb, not overly sweet, but perfectly stuffed with pops of naturally juicy and sweet blueberries in each bite! Classic, cozy, and comforting with that sugared bakery-style top, you won't believe this recipe is gluten-free and vegan!

The Best Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Everyone has their favorite blueberry muffin recipe or store-bought bakery one. I grew up with the Betty Crocker "just add water" muffin mix (no shame); others love the big Costco blueberry muffins, Dunkin' blueberry muffins (Dunkin' muffins were delicious!), Starbucks blueberry muffins, and of course your local hometown bakery's version. What do they all have in common? None of them are gluten-free!

I set out to make the BEST gluten-free blueberry muffins that are not only gluten-free, but vegan, allergy-free, and way healthier than anything you could buy from a store! These homemade muffins are:

Gluten-Free
Vegan & Vegetarian
Allergy-free (Dairy-Free, Soy-Free, Egg-Free, Nut-Free, Peanut-Free, Wheat-Free, Sesame-Free, Corn-Free, Coconut-Free)
Low in Sugar & Oil-Free
Kid-Friendly
Make-Ahead & Freezer-Friendly
Wholesome Breakfast, Snack, or Brunch Recipe

Ingredients For Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Gluten-Free Flour: The original 2017 recipe called for a combination of 1 cup brown rice flour and 1 cup millet flour. If you don't want to use individual wholegrain flours, you can use a quality gluten-free all-purpose flour instead!
Baking Powder + Baking Soda + Salt: For added lift and leavening to keep these muffins fluffy, soft, and tender.
Cinnamon: I love to add a pinch of cinnamon to my muffin batter. This is completely optional!
Applesauce: For added moisture, eggless binding, and enhancing the natural sweetness of these muffins. Applesauce is key to reducing or eliminating the oil, sugar, and eggs needed.
Vanilla Extract: What's a muffin without delicious notes of vanilla?
Vegan Butter: Melted vegan butter gives these muffins cozy depth and a moist crumb.
Vegan Buttermilk: Just your favorite plain unsweetened non-dairy milk plus a splash of white vinegar (or lemon juice).
Granulated Sweetener: You can use your favorite granulated white sugar or a sugar-free sweetener, like Swerve, for a 100% naturally sweet muffin.
Blueberries: Fresh, juicy, sweet blueberries! The star of the show! See below for notes on how to use fresh or frozen in your blueberry muffins!

Should You Use Fresh or Frozen Blueberries For Muffins

If it's blueberry season and you have a bushel of sweet, juicy fresh berries, by all means, use the fresh blueberries! However, if you only have access to frozen ones, you don't need to worry! Frozen blueberries are available year-round and you don't have to worry about the berries being bitter or bland due to being out of season. Just make sure you take these few key steps when deciding to bake with frozen blueberries.

Take the frozen blueberries and rinse them under cold water until the water runs clear. (This prevents the berries from bleeding into the batter and turning the muffins blue/purple.)
Dry the berries on paper towels, completely. Be gentle with the berries as frozen blueberries are more fragile than fresh.

How To Prevent The Blueberries From Sinking

The secret to preventing your blueberries from sinking to the bottoms of your muffins when baking is to toss them in some flour! After you've rinsed and dried your blueberries, sprinkle them with a teaspoon or two of gluten-free flour and toss to coat lightly coat the outsides of the berries. This will prevent the juicy berries from sinking to the bottom and allow them to stay suspended throughout the entire muffin!

Pro Tip: You can also add a thin layer of muffin batter to the bottoms of your muffin tin slots before mixing in the blueberries. This layer of plain batter will act as a barrier to sinking berries!

How To Make Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

Preheat your oven to 350°F.
Whisk together the dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Make the vegan buttermilk and set it aside while your toss the blueberries in gluten-free flour.
Add the wet ingredients to the whisked flour and gently mix until smooth (careful not to overmix).
Add the floured blueberries and gently fold them into the wet batter.
Fill a greased or lined muffin tin with the muffin batter (about 3 heaping tablespoons each), for about 8 large muffins, 12 standard muffins.
Add additional blueberries to the tops of the muffins and/or sprinkle the tops with turbinado sugar (raw sugar) for that classic crunchy bakery top.
Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for about 25 minutes, until the tops are golden.
Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.

Recipes Tips & Tricks:

If your batter is too thick, add more buttermilk. If your batter is too thin, add more gluten-free flour. The batter should be thick and “scoopable” (not runny and not dry or extra thick like dough).
Toss the blueberries in extra gluten-free flour to prevent them from sinking.
Make sure your blueberries (fresh or frozen) are completely dry before adding them to the muffin batter.
This recipe makes 8 very large bakery-style muffins. You can also make about 12 standard-sized muffins which will have slightly less of a large top.
You can mini muffins by dividing the batter into a greased mini muffin tin (about 20-24) and baking the muffins for 10-12 minutes.
Enjoy these vegan blueberry muffins warm with a pat of vegan butter or as a room-temperature afternoon snack!

How To Store Homemade Blueberry Muffins

You can store leftover blueberry muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days. Placing a paper towel on the bottom of the container will help absorb excess moisture. Store them longer in the fridge for up to 7 days.

How To Freeze Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

To freeze the gluten-free blueberry muffins, allow the muffins to cool completely on a wire rack before freezing them until solid on a baking tray and then transferring them to an airtight container or freezer bag. You can also wrap muffins individually in plastic wrap and foil before freezing for a quick grab-and-go option. Store for 4-6 months in the freezer for best quality. Allow frozen muffins to thaw overnight in the fridge before bringing them to room temperature or quickly warming them in the microwave or toaster oven.

More Gluten-Free Muffin Recipes: