Looking for gluten-free muffins so good you won’t even miss the gluten? Here you will find 10 of the best gluten-free muffins recipe that are also quick and easy to make! Choose from banana, berry, chocolate, dairy-free, grain-free, and many more!
best tips and tricks for making gluten-free Muffins
Of course we all want to bite into a fluffy gluten-free muffin with a moist interior to bring back memories of our favorite bakery-style treat. Unfortunately, with gluten-free baking that doesn’t always seem to be the case.
Just like when we make gluten-free breads, cakes, gluten-free cupcakes, or any gluten-free desserts, it’s best to have a handful of tips and hacks under our belt to ensure success every time! Here are my top gluten-free baking secrets for making the best gluten-free muffins.
- Room temperature ingredients – Always a great idea for any baking so the ingredients blend homogeneously with the dry ingredients. If certain ingredients are room temp, like butter, and then you add cold eggs or milk, the mixture will start to curdle and separate.
- Quality 1-to-1 gluten-free flour – This is what makes or breaks recipes for gluten-free muffins. Although there are many all-purpose gluten-free blends, they definitely don’t yield the same results! This article compares the best gluten-free flour to find what works most consistently.
- Mix the batter longer – While this may toughen regular baked goods, it helps aerate the batter, making a lighter crumb with more tenderness.
- Don’t underbake – Gluten-free baked goods take longer since moisture isn’t absorbed as well. Even if it looks done from the outside, test the inside with a toothpick pressed far down.
- Let it rest – Since GF flours do not absorb liquids well, resting the batter before baking gives the starches time to hydrate and soften. Cover the bowl and let it rest 10 minutes before baking.
- Extra binder – With the absence of gluten, there is nothing present to bind the starch strands together. That is where xanthan gum or eggs come in. If you are converting a “regular” muffin recipe into a gluten-free one, you may want to add an extra egg yolk to avoid a dry, crumbly texture.
equipment needed for effortless gluten-free muffins
Making a great batch of muffins doesn’t require any fancy or expensive kitchen equipment. As long as you have a bowl, spoon, whisk, and muffin pan, you are ready to go!
However, over many years of making gluten-free muffins, I realized some kitchen equipment not only makes baking easier, but yields a better result. If you want to elevate your muffin game, this is what I recommend.
Large trigger scoop – My favorite tool for getting the job done quickly and evenly. This prevents drips on your muffin tin and workspace. Plus, it distributes the batter in equal portions so the muffins are uniform size and cook evenly.
Quality Muffin Pan – I love America’s Test Kitchen’s recommendations because they go through all the leg work of testing products and critiquing results. Great quality baking dishes make a difference for even browning, rise, and even heat distribution.
6-Cup Muffin Pan – Same premium quality as above, but a smaller pan is great to have on hand when you have a little more batter or want to make a half batch. Plus, since recipes seem to be inconsistent with yield and batter amount, it’s better to bake any extra batter right away, rather than letting it sit too long.
Silicone Spoon – I have these is every shape, size, function, color, and then repeated twice over. I use them for absolutely everything! They are great for scraping and folding batter, and work much more effectively than a standard wooden spoon.
Muffin mix-ins
Once you have a tried-and-true gluten-free muffin recipe it’s easy to change the muffin batter into many different versions! Depending on what you have on hand, or the flavor you are trying to replicate, try some of these suggested mix-ins!
- Morning Glory – Shredded carrots, diced apples, nuts, raisins, orange zest
- Banana Nut – Chop a ripe banana to stir in with nuts
- Apple – Stir in diced and peeled or shredded apples
- Lemon Coconut / Poppy seed – Add lemon zest, lemon juice, and stir in shredded coconut or poppy seeds
- Berry – Use fresh or frozen berries, a single type or a mixture
- Baking chips – Chocolate chip, butterscotch (read label for GF), toffee bits, or peanut butter
- Dried fruits – Raisins, cranberries, cherries
- Spices – Cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, allspice, nutmeg
- Zests and Extracts – Grate some fresh citrus zest in or use different flavored extracts
frequently asked questions
This is the most crucial ingredient, so choose wisely! I use and highly recommend Cup4Cup gluten-free flour, however it does contain milk powder if you are dairy-free. My runner up is King Arthur Measure-for-Measure, but I have other suggestions, including what to avoid on my gluten-free flour guide.
Moisture has a harder time coating gluten-free starches, which gives them a tendency to be dry and crumbly. Adding yogurt, sour cream, applesauce, or an extra egg yolk helps offset this. However, be careful to not go overboard, which leads to a gummy, dense crumb.
After they have cooled, store the muffins in an airtight container up to 2 days at room temperature.
Since gluten-free baked goods lose moisture quickly and become dry, I often freeze right after cooling. I highly recommend freezing in a gallon ziplock freezer bag and thawing as needed.
This is either a leavening issue from baking powder / soda or from underbaking. If the oven is not hot enough, or if the oven door was opened a lot, it could lead to sunken tops. Also, be sure the muffins are done before pulling by testing with a toothpick, not by looks or touch. If you are unsure, turn off the oven and let the muffins sit for a couple minutes to dry out.
With the variety of dairy-free milks on the market, any can be used interchangeably for milk in a recipe. If the recipe calls for butter, substitute vegan butter sticks, such as Earth Balance. Sometimes yogurt or sour cream can be replaced with applesauce, cashew cream, banana puree, or coconut yogurt.
best gluten-free muffins recipes
1. Pumpkin Oat Flour Muffins
2. Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins (Extra Fluffy & Tender!)
3. Gluten-Free Strawberry Muffins
4. Moist Gluten-Free Apple Crumb Muffins
5. Almond Flour Chocolate Chip Muffins
6. Oat Flour Muffins
7. Gluten-Free Pumpkin Muffins
8. Almond Flour Zucchini Muffins
9. Sausage Muffins with Cheese
10. Almond Flour Banana Muffins
11. Applesauce Oatmeal Muffins (Gluten-Free Option)
12. Fluffy Gluten Free Banana Muffins
13. Breakfast Egg Muffins
14. Gluten-Free Corn Muffins
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