
You guys, I don’t even know where to start.
These muffins need to be made. End of story.

These 1-bowl beauties were inspired by the seasonal muffins served at Bijou Cafe in Portland – one of my favorite brunch spots in town. (See our whole Portland Dining Guide here!)
I’m a sucker for anything cornbread* and blackberry, so recreating these at home was a no-brainer.
*Note: you can learn about the origins of cornbread here.

While Bijou’s version was only slightly infused with cornmeal, I desired a heartier texture.
So I did some experimenting, and what I got was gold: a cornbread muffin studded with juicy blackberries. Yum.


Friends, this is success.
I think you guys are going to LOVE these muffins! They’re:
Hearty
Tender
Studded with blackberries
Cornbread-esque
Perfectly sweet
Simple
& Satisfying
These muffins turned out so delicious I can’t decide if they’re breakfast or dessert. They’d also make a great midday snack or side dish to savory meals like Tortilla Soup, Masala Tofu Scramble, and Mediterranean Baked Sweet Potatoes.
If you try this recipe, let us know! Leave a comment and be sure to rate it. And don’t forget to tag a picture #minimalistbaker on Instagram! We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers, friends!

1-Bowl Blackberry Cornmeal Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
- 5 Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk (DIY recipe)
- 3/4 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 ½ tsp baking soda
- 2 Tbsp maple syrup or agave nectar (sub honey if not vegan)
- 1/2 cup organic cane sugar (or sub coconut sugar)
- 1/4 cup melted vegan butter (or sub avocado oil or olive oil)
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/4 cup almond meal
- 1 cup fine cornmeal
- 1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour*
- 1 cup blackberries (roughly chopped and tossed in flour)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (176 C) and line a standard muffin tin with 10 paper liners, or lightly grease 10 tins and coat with flour (use fewer/more cupcake liners if adjusting the default number of servings). Shake out excess. (I found the butter/flour method to work well!)
- Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl by mixing flaxseed meal and water and let rest for 5 minutes. Also measure out almond milk in a liquid measuring cup and add apple cider vinegar and baking soda. Whisk to combine and set aside.
- To the flax egg, add maple syrup, organic cane sugar, and melted vegan butter (or oil) and whisk vigorously for 1 minute to dissolve sugar.
- Add applesauce and salt and whisk to combine. Then add almond milk mixture and whisk again to combine.
- Add almond meal, cornmeal and flour and whisk until just combined and no large lumps remain. The batter should be quite thick and scoopable. Add blackberries dusted with flour and gently fold into the batter.
- Scoop batter into muffin tins until almost full – there should the perfect amount for 10 (or 11) muffins (as original recipe is written // adjust if altering default number of servings).
- Bake on a center-positioned rack for 25-30 minutes (I found 26 minutes to be perfect) or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 15-20 minutes in the pan (to continue baking/firming up a little). Then loosen with a butter knife and gently lift out. Let cool completely on a plate or cooling rack.
- Will keep covered at room temperature for several days. Freeze for long-term storage (up to 1 month).
Video
Notes
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Joyce says
Hi there, these muffing look fantastic. I would love to be able to oil free or minimal oil. Any thoughts on a substitute?
Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Joyce! We haven’t tried these without oil so we cannot guarantee results, we think using applesauce in place of the oil might work, or possibly nut butter or a yogurt of your choice? Let us know how it goes if you give it a try!
Rachel says
Great recipe! I altered the recipe for 12, still came out to 11, but that’s OK!! Subbed almond flour for almond meal and some of the regular flour and cut sugar to approximately 2 1/2 tbsp and it was still plenty sweet for me. Used frozen blackberries that I picked last fall and was fine. Will make again with blueberries, I think, and maybe just a tablespoon of sugar or none at all.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Nice! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Rachel!
Anne-susan says
I absolutely love these muffins. Ther are very easy to make and keep well in the fridge. Made them every week for 3 weeks now. I have subbed the blackberries for frozen blueberries and the flour for whole meal flower. Used half the amount of sugar. They are a great for a snack or even breakfast. The boyfriend loves them too.
Thanks for this awesome recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Anne-Susan. So glad it’s such a flexible recipe that you both enjoy!
Heather says
I saw your note to make them gluten free, but am wondering if I could also just use my King Arthur gf all purpose flour blend instead, same amount, with success?
Also, I’ve only been able to find medium grind cornmeal and don’t think I care for it as much as I would fine grind. Have you tried putting it through a coffee grinder to make it finer? Or does corn flour work as a substitute?
Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Heather, we prefer a combination of GF flours for best texture. A coffee grinder should work well for grinding cornmeal. Corn flour is more fine than corn meal and will affect the consistency, but it might be okay. Let us know if you do some experimenting!
Maria Francesca Ranocchi says
I am in love with this recipe and would like to try it but as gluten free loaf. For how long should I bake it and at which temperature? xoxo
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoy the recipe, Maria! We’d suggest lining the loaf pan with parchment paper and baking at same temp for 35-50 minutes. Let us know how it goes!
Pauline says
Surprised at how well these turned out They taste lovely! I like lots of fruit so added about half a cup more blackberries, was a bit worried they would be too wet but the cornmeal worked well with this. Would make these again. Thanks.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Pauline! xo
Amy says
Hello! Can I use masa flour in place of cornmeal?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Amy! We have’t tried this recipe with Masa flour, and it will probably be much more absorbent than cornmeal, but it could work. Let us know how it goes if you give it a try! xo
Brooke Thompson says
I make these so often that I almost have the recipe memorized – they are that good! The reason I still double check is because one time I accidentally messed up the apple cider vinegar quality – instead of measuring spoons, I went the cup route. Wt actual heck was I thinking?! Worth sharing my flub because they still turned out great, which is a testament to how truly forgiving this recipe is!! Love the texture and subtle sweetness 💜
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoy this recipe, Brooke! Thanks so much for the lovely review! xo
Katelyn says
I made these the other night and they are exceptional! I subbed regular eggs for the flax eggs but kept the rest of the recipe the same and they turned out beautifully. I’m not a huge baker, so the simplicity of this recipe worked really well for me. I only had one small muffin tin, so I baked the rest of the batter in a small baking dish to make cornbread squares. I left the “loaf” in the oven for a few extra minutes to ensure the center cooked through and that turned out just as well as the muffins. Highly recommend this recipe!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Katelyn! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Colleen Reynolds says
I used oat milk and organic cornmeal (not fine) and white spelt (for the AP flour) and buckwheat flour (in place of almond meal) and blueberries. Greased my muffin tin with coconut oil.
Sooo fabulous!
Thank you MB!!!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Colleen!
Lori says
These are excellent muffins as written, but my family also loves them with chopped strawberries subbed in if we don’t have blackberries handy!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Love that modification! Thanks so much for sharing, Lori!
Alissa Blackman says
Hi there. Made these today and the whole family loved them! (I did bake a bit longer due to our weird oven and they still came out delicious). I am wondering how to adjust the ingredients if next time I reduce the sugar (hubby going on a reduced sugar diet). I am not a very experienced baker so wondering if changing proportions on a dry ingredient will leave them too mushy. This time I used (Bob’s) GF flour and a mix of coconut sugar, brown sugar and maple syrup. If I reduce dry sugar should I increase the flour proportionately? If I reduce wet sugar (maple/agave?) would you recommend adding water. Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Alissa, we think it might work to reduce the brown sugar/coconut sugar by half without making other adjustments. Let us know how it goes!
maya says
seriously the most delicious, moist muffins ever! i used mashed banana instead of applesauce, added cubed mango tossed in flour instead of blackberries (we don’t have them), used whole wheat flour in place of the AP flour, used oat flour instead of the almond meal and it came out DELICIOUS!! almost like cornbread.
love how adaptable your recipes always are!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad they turned out well! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Maya! xo
Ellie says
These look great! Is there anything I could substitute for the almond meal?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Maybe another nut/seed meal such as cashew? Or perhaps a lesser amount of oat flour? Let us know if you try it!
Sandra says
Love these! I ground up 3 small apples in the vitamix with juice from a lemon to make applesauce. Added the zest from the lemon to the batter and some cinnamon. Used blueberries from the freezer tossed with some flour. Whenever I have a taste for something I can usually find a compelling version of it on your site. Thanks!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Love those modifications, Sandra! Thanks so much for sharing!
Carrie says
LOVE! Have made 3 times – even my parents (in their 70s) loved them. Subbed blueberries and reduced sugar by 15-20% and oil by a tbsp or so and still perfectly delicious. Cornmeal is the best.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Whoop! Thanks so much for sharing, Carrie!
Kim says
Easy and tasty!
Kim says
I made this for the third time and didn’t have apple sauce so used the plain full fat yogurt instead. I used the same amount in weight. Turned out fantastic! I also substituted half of the ap flour with whole wheat flour.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing, Kim!
Bobbi Finkelstein says
Loved this recipe! I didn’t have apple sauce so I used 2 ripe mashed bananas instead, and they turned out delicious 😊
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Bobbi. We are so glad you enjoyed them! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! Xo
Jenny Lanice says
Perfect muffin recipe!
So moist and delicious.
They disappeared quickly in my house. 😃
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We’re so glad your household enjoyed them! Thank you for the lovely review, Jenny! xo
Kay says
Delicious! I just threw everything together without regard to the order and it turned out really well!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad it turned out well! Thanks for sharing, Kay!
Josh says
Not quite sure where I’ve stuffed up but they have come out quite doughy and dense when baked. The batter was quite thick when putting into the muffin cases. Any tips much appreciated as I’m keen to get them right. Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Josh, sorry to hear that was your experience! Did you make any modifications? What type of flour(s) did you use?
Josh says
Thanks for coming back to me – I’m committed to getting these right! I used unbleached white flour and cornmeal. The replacement I made was to use coconut sugar rather than raw sugar? Also I’m wondering if by cornmeal do you mean polenta? In Australia Cornmeal and Polenta are slightly different things. Thanks for you help!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hmm! We wouldn’t expect coconut sugar to make a difference, but it’s possible! We used Bob’s Red Mill fine cornmeal. Did you use the metric measurements? We just double checked them and the butter was slightly off (but only by 4 ml so that probably wouldn’t make a difference). Our only other guess would be if you reduced the number of servings, but used 2 flax eggs instead of 1. Hope that helps!
Leah says
How would you recommend making this oil-free? Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Leah, perhaps a mix of applesauce and nut butter? Let us know if you try it!
Iris says
This is a great recipe!
I made it twice already in a loaf pan with raspberries. I also added orange zest.
The only problem with raspberries is that their edges are turning the cake blue and it looks like mold :-(
Alicia says
These are so delicious and easy. I made half the recipe and used whole wheat flour instead of all purpose. Had blueberries on hand so I used those instead of blackberries. Added lemon zest. Super delicious, not too sweet, and a great texture.
Deb V says
Made this today as I had some leftover blueberries. It was the only substitution. The muffins are delicious. Will be making them again. I was able to get 12 good size muffins from the batter. Thanks for this easy recipe.
Jessica Payne says
These were so delicious! The texture was awesome and I loved the cornmeal. I was a little afraid because the muffins were a little dark in the oven, but I could’ve let them go for another like 5 mins or so like the recipe suggests.
Ess says
I made these today and they were amazing! I used chicken eggs and 2% milk, I added strawberries instead of blackberries, I halved the amount of cane sugar (which was absolutely perfect to my taste), I used almond flour instead of almond meal (maybe the same thing…?), and I used white whole wheat flour instead of AP. Delicious!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Ess! Thanks so much for the lovely review!
Robyn K says
Made these muffins on Tuesday morning (as I was up way too early – thanks to jet lag!). They were so good I’m making a new batch for a brunch tomorrow!
Kristen says
Loved these! I made the recipe as written and used avocado oil. I think I’m going to make them again tonight! I may experiment with different berries in the future, but I love the combination of blackberries and cornmeal.
Julie says
These are delicious! I used avocado oil. The cornmeal gives a wonderful texture and I also like the blackberry seeds. I will definitely make these again.
Maya Roth says
Delicious! I used real eggs and olive oil, respectively. Loved the surprising contrast of light cornmeal tender muffins and the juicy blackberries. Made them for my family, which includes folks who prefer savory and those who like a tad of sweet: big hit with all, including my son. I made some as mini muffins, some as whole ones and all were a delight. Pleasure with health.
Patricia says
I’ve made the original recipe many times and really love it. This time, I made a bunch of substitutions to accommodate my daughter who is following a low FODMAP diet. That means no nuts, no flax, no agave, no applesauce, no gluten.
I substituted the following: oat flour for the almond meal (whizzed oats in the blender), two eggs, maple syrup, lactose free yoghurt for the applesauce, buckwheat flour for the regular AP flour. The muffins came out great and my daughter was so happy. Also used blueberries instead of the blackberries as they are not allowed either. Keep the amazing recipes coming! Thank you!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing, Patricia! We’re so glad you were able to make a version your daughter could enjoy!
Han says
How many egg did you used?
Jacky says
Wow! These are incredible. Bravo Dana, this ones a keeper. I made them with Whole wheat flour, olive oil, rice vinegar and frozen blueberries because that’s what I had. Oh and I was out of applesauce so I peeled a couple apples and threw them in the vitamin, bam! Instant apple sauce. They came out super moist and perfectly flavored.
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
So glad you enjoyed these, Jacky! Thanks so much for sharing! xo
Clara says
This is a really delicious recipe! I made them non-vegan but omitted the sugar using a little extra maple syrup and extra blackberries. Incredible!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Clara. We are so glad you enjoyed these! Next time, would you mind leaving a rating with your review? It’s super helpful for us and other readers. Thanks so much! xo
Alaina says
These muffins are so delicious! Our whole family loves them! I’ve made them a couple times now and always end up with more than 10 or 11, but I think my muffin liners must be a bit small.
Thanks for sharing, Alaina!
Brooke Thompson says
So much YES! I messed up a few ingredients and they still turned out AMAZING!! I can always count on you for easy, amazing and new ideas!!
Gabrielle Hall says
I used most of the ingredients, leaving out the rolled oats, shredded coconut, and adding a dash of cinnamon. They came out looking like the perfect muffin! I don’t have an Instagram so I wish I could share a photo here. I don’t know if that is something that could be added to this website, it would be fun!
Melissa says
Could I use whole-wheat flour instead of all-purpose flour? Thank you!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes! I’d suggest whole wheat pastry. It will affect the flavor overall, but will still work! let me know how it goes.
Cosamea says
Hello Dana, I’m a huge fan of your recipes! ❤️ I’m so glad that my boyfriend found your blog “ages” ago when you posted your spelt, oat pancakes. He made them for me on a Sunday. He can’t cook at all but they still turned out delicious.
Today I made these for Brunch but since I’m drowning in apples this year I used a very sweet, pealed apple (diced) instead of the Berries. I put them in a pan with a little lemon juice, cinnamon and Garam Masala. I also added Ginger, Garam Masala and cinnamon in the batter.
Next time I will also omit the sugar because my apples are so sweet. Instead of apple sauce I pealed and grated 1 1/2 apples.
These muffins are super!!!!
I will comment more often in furure. ?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Cosamea! Thank you for following along with our blog for so many years!
Carlotta says
Hi, I made these yesterday. Thanks for the recipe! I like that you put a lot of attention to details, so I feel I can trust what you write. I loved these muffins and will make them again, but my kids found they weren’t sweet enough. What would you recommend to add sweetness without messing with the balance between dry and wet ingredients?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Carlotta! Feel free to up the amount of maple syrup/agave nectar and that should yield a sweeter result!
Nancy Talbot says
These are super delicious! I used Bob’s 1:1 GF baking flour, Bob’s medium grind cornmeal and a super ripe banana in place of applesauce. I had frozen Maine blueberries, so used those, but I think blackberries would be absolutely fantastic so I’ll keep my eye out at my CSA/farmshare for those. Someone suggested adding lemon zest. Such a great idea. I’ll try that next time too. These are definitely going to be repeated often! Many thanks!
Jess says
Hi! I really want to try making this…but I am allergic to tree nuts! Do you have any suggestions on substitutions?
I’d suggest subbing the almond milk for anything other than almond (like coconut or rice), and subbing the almond MEAL for another meal, such as sunflower seed, OR oat flour!
Kristen says
I LOVE this combo!! Genius! My only question is what would I trade the 1/2 cup of sugar for if I didn’t want to go that sweet? Thank you!!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Feel free to omit the sugar if you prefer!
Liza says
I made these too and froze some leftovers. I microwaved one of the frozen ones for few seconds and surprisingly still good! I find it tastiest when warmed up…with my tea or coffee, of course! Thanks, Dana!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Glad to hear it, Liza!
Lucky says
Thank you for this recipe. These are so good!!
I used medium stoneground cornmeal because that’s what we had, small wild blueberries because ditto, and subbed the almond milk with some too-runny homemade soy yogurt (a lot like buttermilk!).
Great texture and taste. Will definitely make again!
Amanda says
These muffins were AMAZING!!! I am usually one of those people that only eats the top of the muffin, but in this case the ENTIRE MUFFIN was eaten! So great! I also just 1:1 used the bobs red mill gf 1:1 flour and it came out fine! Also substituted blackberries for frozen blueberries, which added slightly more mushiness, but I don’t mind!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yay! We are glad you loved them! Thanks for sharing your recipe changes :D
Natalie Vaynberg says
Dana, I have made so many recipes from your blog, but this is one of my absolute favorites!
These muffins are so flavorful, moist and delicious I can’t believe I haven’t been making them on a weekly basis. Especially now that blackberries are about to be in season, I see a lot of these in my future!
Thanks for all the amazing recipes! You are a household staple around here :)
KELI says
The first time I made these they turned out amazing. Tried to recreate these a couple times since they were so good.. but the muffins are not baking fully. They end up gummy in the middle. Any idea what I could be doing wrong?
Thanks!
audrey says
I ran out of brown sugar. Is it possible to use turbinado sugar instead?
Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Yes, that should work!
audrey says
Thanks for the recipe! I just made these and they are amazing! I also used 2 eggs , 1/4 c. brown sugar, and blueberries instead and it turned out great :)
I’ll definitely be making this again and again!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Thanks for sharing your recipe changes, Audrey!
Debbie says
I cant do apple sauce of bananas. How would I replace them?
thanks
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Canned pumpkin would be our next best recommendation!
Debbie says
Thanks so much!
Hilary says
Made these today with raspberries instead of blackberries. Absolutely gorgeous!
Samantha says
These muffins are delicious! I’ve been looking for a healthier version of the cornbread blueberry muffin, and these are exactly what I was after (even using blackberries, which I prefer in baking. Why didn’t I think of that?) Grainy, hearty, and the perfect portable and filling snack for work.
I didn’t have quite enough applesauce, so I used buttermilk to supplement it, soy milk instead of almond milk, and frozen blackberries. I also used brown sugar. I did about half of what was called for, since I really didn’t want these to be too sweet, but I think I could safely have used the full amount and been just fine. Still–I always like to cut back on sugar where I can, and these muffins were great without the full amount.
These were amazing warm out of the oven and spread with a little butter, and I’m excited to freeze the rest and use them as work breakfasts on those days when I rush out the door without time for so much as a piece of toast. I’ll definitely be making these again!
Taylor says
Hi! I love this recipe (and I add a whole jalapeno for some spice!), but I put your recipe into MyFitnessPal and it calculated the calories for 1 of 12 muffins (mine usually makes 12) to be 450 calories. Should I go with your calculation? or theirs?
thank you!
Tarah says
Hello! I love the look of this recipe and can’t wait to try it. For those allergic to nuts, is there anything I can replace the almond meal with. Eagerly waiting your reply!
Tarah
Kate S. says
Finally made these. Angry I waited so long because they are amazing. Thanks for the great recipe!
Jessica says
I was SO excited to make these — and even more excited to eat them after they cooled. I used cherries, put in a tbsp of chia and 1.5 tbsp of ground flax, and threw in a few extra tbsp of applesauce to help offset the dryness of those two ingredients. I cut the sugar in half and also used vanilla almond milk, and I added cinnamon.
Sorry, I have a tendency to go rogue on most recipes that give me a good base. But even with my rogue additions, these still turned out perfect! Thanks for a great recipe!
chloe says
Can maple syrup be used to replace the cane sugar?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
I would recommend coconut sugar as a substitute and have not tried maple syrup in place of cane sugar so I cannot say for sure! The conversion of maple syrup versus cane sugar in recipes can vary depending on the recipe, but typically one cup of white sugar can be replaced with 2/3 to ¾ cup of maple syrup.
Martina says
I made these but changed quite a few things thanks to food intolerances:
I used tiger nut flour instead of almond meal
I only had 1/2 cup fine corn meal and swapped the other half for polenta which i grounded in my Vitamix before (but I still wasn’t as fine as the meal)
and instead of the flour I used grounded millet and a tablespoon potato starch
I only used a 1/8 cup and an teaspoon coconut sugar (plus honey) to get them more bread-y
They turned out super delicious but the next time I would use more apple sauce bc they are a bit too dry still very great though my guess is that this happened bc of the millet flour.
Please don’t get this wrong this is no critic. I love your recipes and I am so amazed by your ideas how to make vegan and gf recipes that actually are perfect for everyone.
Jenn says
I’m obsessed with these… super easy to make and hands down delicious. A personal tip, I used AquaFaba instead of the flax egg and they turned out great! (3 TBS for every egg, so 6 TBS for this recipe)
Hope that helps!
Sandra says
These are amazingly good muffins – taste like summer! I used white whole wheat flour (whole ground wheat from more delicate white wheat) and they were delicious! My husband loves cornbread too, so this is a winner. Any ideas on cutting back the sugar?
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Sandra! Check the other comments as others experimented with this! You could either cut the sugar in half, or omit it completely. Report back on how it goes!
Hiu To says
I just made these and they are so good! The blackberries are the perfect ooey-gooey addition, no need for anything else on them.
Elaine says
THese look amazing, but I can’t use almond meal. any Suggestions for a substitute? Thanks!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Elaine! Another nut or seed meal would work!
Elaine says
Thank you!
Sophie says
I made these with raspberries, so good!
natalie says
Can this be made into a loaf? Thanks!
I’m sure it can! Line with parchment paper and bake at same temp for 35-50 minutes! Let me know how it goes.
Michelle says
Just discovering this scrumptious looking recipe (and all the yummy improvisations!)
but have 2 questions: first, I have on hand “stone ground corn flour” – will that give similar result to fine cornmeal or is it too fine/dense? Second, if I use buttermilk for one batch (half our family loves almond milk but half likes dairy) will I still need to add the vinegar/lemon? Can’t wait to see my teens grins when they come home to these warm from the oven!
Support @ Minimalist Baker says
Hi Michelle, Corn flour is more fine than corn meal and will affect the consistency, but it might still work! Instead of using buttermilk could you substitute regular milk and still follow the recipe as is? Overall, we can’t guarantee the results with these changes but definitely let us know how it turns out!
Jenny says
LOVED THESE and my picky kids did, too! We used local Maine blueberries instead of blackberries. SO delicious. Thank you for the vegan muffin recipes! I had such a hard time baking without eggs at first but your recipes always turn out perfect. THANK YOU!
Karis says
First tried the carrot apple muffins and now these blackberry cornmeal! Both absolutely wonderful! So thankful to be able to find vegan-friendly and amazing recipes! Thank you!
Roxanne says
These were absolutely delicious! I was out of almond meal, so I used oat flour instead (same amount) and they turned out wonderfully. I also used frozen blueberries instead of blackberries! Thanks for the lovely recipe!
Kim says
I made this yesterday after picking some berries nearby and they’re great! I had just read an article about resting GF pastry batter, so I decided to let the batter sit for 30 minutes prior to baking and they’re fabulous! I also added a few whole berries to the tops of each muffin for presentation. Thanks for another great recipe!
Marie-France says
These muffin were delicious! Thanks for the recipe. :) I sub the blackberries for frozen blueberries, they were great!
Chris says
I thought no muffin would ever top Minimalist Baker’s Banana Almond Meal Muffins (my absolute favourites!) but these are almost as good! I used olive oil instead of vegan butter, blueberries instead of blackberries and only 1/3 cup coconut sugar instead of 1/2 and they came out great! Thanks again Dana for all the great recipes! I think we should start a #minimalistbakercult!
Chris says
5 stars! System wouldn’t let me choose them!
monica ripley says
Hello, this recipe looks wonderful! Is there something that I can sub for the almond meal? Thanks.
Another nut or seed meal!
F.C. says
What a fantastic recipe! I used strawberries and raisins since that’s what I had on hand. Additionally, I subbed blood orange infused olive oil for of the vegan butter. These turned out absolutely delicious and I definitely will be making them many more times with many different fruit combinations. Thank you!
Sharon S. says
Just made these – they turned out awesome! My first vegan muffin.
Made as above, but used avocado oil and cashew milk. Everything else the same. So moist and the texture was perfect. Will make again – and will try other berries, too!
B says
Just made these muffins…AMAZING! Actually EVERYTHING I have tried from your recipes have been AMAZING!!! Sauces, soups, tofu, salads, dressings, vegetables…!!!!! FANTASTIC!! Simple uncomplicated recipes that use ingredients I now know to have on hand for health and taste. YOU ROCK!!! THANK YOU!!!
Regina says
I just made these and wow…. I already ate 2 right out of the oven :O SO GOOD! I used Had to substitute a few things that weren’t on hand: ground flax seed for almond meal, buckwheat flour for all-purpose flour, lemon instead of apple cider vinegar and olive oil for vegan butter. But man were these a hit!! Also completely omitted the sugar because I don’t have a sweet tooth. I’ll definitely be making these again!!
Sophie says
I used strawberries and whole wheat pastry flour – worked soo well!!
Leanne says
These are awesome. I have been making them since you first blogged the recipe, but changing berries with whatever I have (mainly mullberries because I have a tree and free the berries for such uses.) My latest installment is a cranberry cornmeal muffin! Delicious and super festive for the fall/ Christmas flavors we all enjoy!
Thanks for all the great recipes.
Denise says
These were fantastic! I made them first with blackberries because well why wouldn’t you. Then I made them without blackberries because now I have a cookbook dedicated to your recipes and I didn’t want to try another recipe but just wanted plain cornmeal muffins… yup still fantastic! Thank you for another amazing recipe.
Cindy says
Yum! These look delicious, as usual. I can’t wait to try baking them! Blueberries and cornbread are a match made in heaven (second to chocolate, bananas, and PB of course). Thank you for sharing!
Janet E says
I just made these and they turned out perfectly– they are divine! I cut the sugar in half, and added walnuts and cinnamon also– so many variations possible. Next I want to try pineapple and carrot with walnuts!
Wonderful! thanks for sharing, Janet!
Jenny says
I have these in the oven right now, and they smell like summer vacation at grandma’s house. Like bliss. I substituted one large egg for the flax eggs… hope they turn out okay!
Thanks for your beautiful blog and recipes!
Lisa says
I just made these muffins. Really great taste! I’m a real muffin person because I like to freeze them during the week. The combination of cornmeal and blackberries was really unusual for me. I’ll definitely make them again.
Elaney says
Sadly, I’m allergic to almonds. Do you have any substitutes for the almond flour?
chris says
I just made the gluten free version. I didn’t have applesauce so I used canned pumpkin instead and these are so damn good. I have yet to try a recipe I didn’t love from you.
susanna faygnabum says
can i use frozen berries in this?
Yes.
JLB says
Can you leave the batter in the fridge for a few days? I would like to just bake a few at a time rather than the full batch.
I’d say two days max.
mary leopold says
About to make my second batch! Love these! Made with blueberries and now today with blackberries. These froze well, so I was able to stretch out the batch. :)
Great! So glad you liked them, Mary.
Emily says
Late to the game, but these look AMAZING! Question: does the almond milk+vinegar+baking soda = a buttermilk substitute? I’ve used milk and lemon juice as a sub before, but never vinegar. I’m not vegan, so if so, I’d probably opt for buttermilk. Thanks!!
Yes, it’s a buttermilk substitute. Just sub lemon juice!
Karyl McClellan says
These are great!
I did make a few substitutions for my personal dietary plan:
I omitted the cane sugar totally. I did use 2 regular eggs (ok, ok, I’m not really Vegan, just Clean Eater), and I substituted Coconut Oil for the oil used in the recipe. Also, in place of the all-purpose flour I used sprouted hard whole wheat flour.
Mine turned out wonderfully, and they freeze very well.
I will make this again!
Anna says
Where does all the sodium come from? 782 mg is a lot. I’m trying to cut down so is there any swaps that I could do to lower it? I’m trying to cut down :)
You could omit the salt! Some of the sodium comes from the vegan butter, which you could substitute with coconut oil.
Christine says
Hello
would your DIY gluten free flour work in this recipe?
thank you
christine
I tried it, and it was OK! Not as good as the all purpose.
Katie says
Hi Dana,
Thanks for the great recipe!
I made a few changes because of dietary restrictions:
– omitted the sugar
– lemon juice instead of vinegar
– coconut flour instead of all-purpose flour
– pears and raisins instead of blackberries
The flavor was still awesome! Mine ended up very crumbly, maybe because of the coconut flour? Anyway, I’ll definitely make them again!
Megan says
Can I use another 3/4 cup of butter for the applesauce? Or do you have a substitute suggestion?
Hmm, I wouldn’t recommend that much. Perhaps just 1/4 cup more butter, then add 1/4 cup more almond milk?
Megan says
They turned out perfect! Thanks!
Kelly says
These look and sound amazing, I will have to make these this weekend!
xx Kelly
Ana @ Ana's Rocket Ship says
I love everything about these muffins- and I haven’t even tried them yet!
Debbie says
I made these with 2 eggs, soy milk, and olive oil. I also subbed blueberries for the blackberries. They came out fantastic. Very moist and while they were sweet, they weren’t overly sweet. Just right. I think my muffin tin might be larger than standard though, because I only had enough batter for 6 muffins. They still baked fully in the same amount of time. Also, I prepped my muffin tin by spraying with coconut oil spray and they released very easily.
Lilly says
Hi Dana – these muffins look amazing! I have one questions though: since I am intolerant to apples: can you recommend subs for the apple cider vinegar and applesauce? I was thinking lemon juice and more flour and more oil/butter?
Thanks!
Lilly
Tatjana says
Hi Lilly,
I tried them today with equal quantaties of lemon juice for the cider and similar amount of mashed sweet potatoe instead of the applesauce! Delisch!!
Lilly says
Thank you so much! I will definitely try that then :)
Gluten Free Babe says
mmmm these look fantastic. I love corn and cornmeal everything. Instead of the Gluten free flour blend I think I will try millet flour – it usually works great in gluten free baking! I can’t wait to make these!
genevieve @ gratitude & greens says
My favourite recipes are ones that are interchangeable between breakfast and dessert. I love the hearty texture of cornmeal and could clean out a whole tin of cornbread by myself! I didn’t realize you had a Portland guide and am so glad because I’m going in September and I can’t wait to eat my heart out!
Oh awesome! Hope you love Portland, Genevieve!
Teffy @ Teffy's Perks says
I’ve been wanting to make some cornmeal muffins, cakes, or anything really! I’ve never made it at home, but my grannie used to make a delicious one with fennel seeds that I was crazy about. I actually have some blackberries in my freezer, so might have to try my hand at making this!
Do I need fine cornmeal or would coarse ground work as well? X
I think coarse ground will work, but let me know if you give it a try as I’m not sure!
Kirstyn says
Just made these with 1/4 c coarse corn meal (polenta) for crunch and 3/4c fine, coconut oil and unsweetened vanilla almond milk (because that’s what I had). Loved. Blueberries would work great too, was tempted to substitute since we just went to a blueberry festival, but perhaps next time. Thanks for the fresh take on cornbread, went well with you sweet potato black bean chili.
Stephanie says
I can’t wait to make these muffins. The photo is incredible!!
Jane says
Mmmm-Mmmmm! Just ate one and frankly could probably scoff another 3 if I wasn’t thinking of my weight! Really moist, kind of sweet treat but not cloyingly sweet, went brilliantly with my mid-morning coffee (still warm – sorry I was too impatient to leave in the pan for 20 mins!). I did make one addition – (do you recipe inventors HATE this?!) – i had lovely organic lemons on my fruit bowl so I put in about 2 tsp zest too and if you love lemon/polenta you will find this adds the most heavenly lemony top note which is fab.
Lea aka Quite Chefy says
You’re absolutely right, these need to be made! I love cornbread, and a low-carb version with blackberries sounds fabulous.
Jennifer says
This recipe was tremendous! Perfectly moist with just the right amount of sweetness so that I didn’t feel guiltily about adding honey on top when I gobbled down the first muffin, still warm from baking! Thank you!!
Mindy says
Question: Can you sub 2 eggs in place of the flax eggs?
This recipe looks awesome
Yes! One small chicken egg per flax egg. Let me know how it goes!
Samantha says
Wow…these look incredible! I need to make these ASAP! Thanks for sharing such an awesome recipe!
Sha says
Is there any substitute for flaxseed eggs? Thanks!
You could try a chia egg (same proportions, just sub chia seeds for flax seed). Or sub 1 small chicken egg per flax egg.
Mabel says
Hello,
Can I ask if I can use non fine cornmeal?
Thanks.
You can, but it will affect the texture – more gritty. Let me know if you give it a try!
Una says
These look SO good! I am definitely going to try them as haven’t cooked with cornmeal before, only savoury. What other fruit could I use? Am thinking apples but I see there is applesauce in the recipe already. Would rhubarb or raspberries work? I love your blog and the recipes, so simple and yummy!
I’d say raspberries! Rhubarb would need a lot more sweetener.
Rachel says
Can I use organic eggs instead? How many? Looks delicious!!
Yes! 1 small chicken egg per flax egg.
Vicky T says
This looks so good. Thanks for sharing
Brenda says
This is an incredible recipe and looks really simple as well!
Les @ The Balanced Berry says
Cornbread + Blackberries sound like an amazing combo! Can’t wait to give this a try
Veronique says
I have lots of blackberries in my garden so this comes at the right time. Unfortunately I don’t eat oil. Can I judt leave it out?
Kathryn - The Scratch Artist says
I don’t know how or why but we are so frequently on the same wavelength food-wise! It is a little eerie…I just got back from the farmers market where I was hoping to get lots and lots of blackberries to experiment with making blackberry muffins. There were no blackberries :-( but I did load up on lots of other fruit. These look great. Corn + blackberries = yes! Looking forward to more spookiness.
Julie says
Yum! I am also corn free so what could I substitute?
Sarah | Well and Full says
These look so amazing, Dana! Do you think you could use melted coconut oil instead of the vegan butter? :)
You could definitely try! I think it would work, it would just infuse more coconut flavor. Let me know if you do, Sarah!
Bella B says
Yum! I love cornmeal!
xoxoBella
Eileen says
Hi Dana! These look wonderful, I just bought blackberries at the farmers market so it was perfect timing! Do you think I could sub whole wheat flour for the all purpose flour? Trying to avoid white flour.
I do! I’d suggest whole wheat pastry. It will affect the flavor overall, but will still work! let me know how it goes.
Lauren P says
I made them with whole wheat flour and they turned out great!
Sydney | Modern Granola says
I’m crazy about cornmeal blueberry muffins, but I’ve never had the blackberry version- YUM! I love how grainy and wholesome they look. I’m definitely making these.
Happy Saturday! Woot!
xx Sydney
Abby says
These muffins are GORGEOUS, Dana! Serious perfection. Gah, now I’m dying for some cornbread… ;)
Katrina @ Warm Vanilla Sugar says
Mmm a perfect summer muffin! I’m all over baking with cornmeal lately. Yum!
Kristi Rimkus says
Hi Dana! I can’t resist a healthy muffin in any combination, but corn and blueberries or blackberries are the best! I see you use flax eggs – I have to avoid eggs, so this recipe is perfect for me.
Emily says
These look delicious. I’ve never heard of adding blackberries to corn muffins, but the combo sounds like they’re meant to be! :)
Cassie says
I love cornmeal! These muffins are adorable and look so tasty!
Cady | Wild Heart of Life says
Hey Dana,
These look really yummy. I am truly a sucker for anything cornbread. I once made cornbread with EVOO out of necessity and the flavor was decidedly different, but sooo good. I couldn’t get enough. I’d definitely love to pair that whole jam with a lil’ bit of sweet.
Tom @ RYG says
Do you know the muffin man. the muffin man. the muffin man. Sorry, I have young kids. These look beyond fantastic. Who doesn’t love blackberries? Or cornbread for that matter. We actually have a wild blackberry picking spot where we live where we pick for free. and get all scratched up but whatever.