Daaaang Gina. Look at that muffin. It’s so biiiiiiiig.
Well, you’ve gotta open with something? Why not Gina? (Don’t worry, Rhonda. You’re still my main ongoing-joke squeeze.)
I’m a huge muffin fan (yes, in both size, quantity, and frequency of consumption).
Did you know pretty much all of the muffin recipes on this blog are a spin-off of the muffins John used to bake me when we were dating? Yes, my man wooed me with muffins, hence the reason our courtship went so smoothly.
I’ve been eyeing the berries at the store for a while now, and when they had a special on blackberries, I couldn’t resist. The thing about blackberries in muffins is they’re so big they make these big juicy pockets in your muffin, so I opted to use a mix of smaller berries as well. But you could really use whatever berries you have on hand – that’s the beauty of it all.
These muffins are not only customizable and delicious, they’re also simple!
Just 1 bowl and basic ingredients and methods required. And if you’re not a gluten-free eater, simply sub the GF flour blend for whole-wheat pastry or even spelt!
I’m kind of smitten with these guys (so much so I lit’rally couldn’t stop eating them). They’re:
Tender
Moist
Perfectly sweet
Loaded with berries
Coconut flaked
Wholesome
Satisfying
& Shareable
I find these to be the perfect midday treat or snack with tea or coffee. Or if you’re in a pinch, slather one or two with almond butter and call it breakfast!
As always, if you give this recipe a try we hope you love it! Let us know if you do by leaving a comment or taking a picture and tagging it #minimalistbaker on Instagram. We’d love to see what you come up with. Cheers and happy baking!
One Bowl Berry Coconut Muffins (Vegan + GF)
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax eggs)
- 5 Tbsp water (to make flax eggs)
- 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk*
- 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 3/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 3/4 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
- 1/4 cup coconut oil (melted)
- 1/3 cup maple syrup or agave nectar (sub honey if not vegan)
- 1/4 cup cane sugar (or sub granulated or brown sugar)
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 1/2 cup almond meal*
- 1/3 cup unsweetened shredded coconut (or sub flake // plus more for topping)
- 3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend*
- 1 cup mixed berries tossed in GF flour blend (fresh or frozen + slightly thawed)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and line a standard muffin tin with 12 (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size) paper liners, or lightly grease.
- Prepare flax eggs in a large mixing bowl by mixing water and flaxseed meal and let rest for a few minutes to “gel.”
- Measure out almond milk and add vinegar. Wait 3 minutes, then add baking soda and stir. Set aside.
- To the flax eggs, add applesauce, vanilla (optional), melted coconut oil, maple syrup or agave, and sugar and whisk for 45 seconds. Add almond milk mixture and whisk once more.
- Add salt, gluten-free flour, almond meal, shredded coconut and oats and whisk again until combined. The batter should be somewhere between thick and thin and pourable.
- Toss berries in enough gluten-free flour to coat and add to the mixture. Gently stir once more.
- Divide batter evenly between muffin tins (they should be generously 3/4 full). Optional: Sprinkle the tops with a bit more coconut flake and/or cane sugar. If you put additional berries on top, they sink a little.
- Bake for 18-24 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges are golden brown. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then gently remove and let cool completely on a cooling rack. NOTE: Don’t try to sample before completely cooled as they have a tendency to stick to the paper otherwise.
- Will keep covered at room temperature for several days. Freeze for long-term storage.
Notes
*You can substitute an equal amount of our NEW 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the gluten-free flour blend in this recipe.
*If not gluten-free, sub the gluten-free flour blend for whole wheat, whole-wheat pastry, or spelt flour! Final results will likely vary from pictures.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
*Recipe loosely adapted from my 1 Bowl Vegan GF Carrot Apple Muffins!
Johonna says
I just made these and ohhhhh my goodness, they may just be the best muffins I have ever baked!
I made a few modifications as follows:
– two chicken eggs in place of flax seed eggs (as I did not need them to be vegan).
– 1/2 cup mashed banana in place of apple sauce
– Bob’s Red Mill gluten free-flour (mostly chickpea flour and potato starch) plus 1/2 tsp xantham gum in place of your gluten-free flour blend.
I also used frozen blueberries, and added about five blueberries on the top of each muffin.
Thank you for this recipe. They are soooo delicious!
We’re so glad you loved the muffins, Johonna! Thank you for sharing! xo
Cecilia says
So yummy! Just completely forgot the vanilla, and saw that the vanilla is also missing in the instructions.
So glad you enjoyed, Cecilia! And thanks so much for pointing that out, we’ll get it updated!
Amy says
this is the second time I made this. Date paste was used instead of sugar (try to cut down sugar on all things I made). pumpkin puree and egg white were also used then I added whole wheat pastry flour, almond flour (don’t have almond meal) and rolled oat. added a splash of soy milk as they looked kind of dry. I used frozen wild blue berries as they have less liquid and frozen strawberries baked in my little toaster oven (350 degree). the first batch didn’t rise so I pretty much top off the second batch. it came out beautiful and sweetness is about right. love it! thank you again…
Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Amy! xo
Brandon Wanthal says
Wow, these are awesome. I am catering a gluten-free wedding and will be using these for the brunch. I was convinced the batter was too wet when pouring it into the tins, yet they came out great. I used sunflower oil in place of the coconut and will probably use 2T less liquid next time (just a little little little too moist in the center) – these were spot on! Thank you!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the great review and for sharing your modifications, Brandon!
Melissa says
These turned out great! So delicious. I used all-purpose flour in place of both the gluten-free flour blend and the almond meal since I didn’t need the muffins to be gluten-free but they did need to be nut-free for a school event. I also used oat milk instead of almond to be nut-free. Also used frozen mixed berries in place of fresh. Would definitely make again. Thank you for a great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Melissa! Thank you for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications! xo
Fanni says
Hi, I’m planning to make this. I already have your gf flour blend on hand. However I stopped using in muffins because it seems to me that’s (every rice flour stuff) dries out so quick.. How can I avoid that? I tried soaking for half an hour but it still dried out in a day or so. Am I missing something? :)
Or should I just toss the ready muffins in the fridge and slightly warm before eating to have a more fresh thing? My flour seems to be quite fine ground but maybe not enough?
I rather use oat flour for muffins lately but hats much more expensive so I’d super duper appreciate a tip on this issue.
Thanks a lot!!
Ps, I don’t have any issue with using the flour blend in pizza recipe for example (but that obviously sits in the fridge if there’s left over and than warmed. So I don’t end up having problems with it drying out.)
Fanni says
It only dries out by the next day or so so not when fresh.
Hi Fanni, gluten-free baked goods are more prone to drying out, especially when cold. Slightly warming is the best option!
Jess B says
Can I substitute almond flour for coconut flour?
Hi Jess, we haven’t that so we aren’t sure if it will work. Coconut flour can be quite dense, so it may change the final texture, we think oat flour might be another good option? Let us know how it goes if you try any subs!
VICKY says
The most delicious muffins ever!!!!! The kids also loved them! Used avocado oil instead of coconut and they turned out great, for anyone wondering if that substitution works.
Will be making a lot more of these! Thank you!
Woohoo! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Vicky!
Anja says
Recently switched to vegan, non-gluten diet and this is one of many recipes of yours I have tried so far. this one definitely did not disappoint. It was so good! We never finish all the muffins but these disappeared way too fast.
Aw, we’re so glad you’ve been enjoying our recipes! Thank you for sharing, Anja! xo
Claire says
This is a delicious recipe! I used frozen blueberries and Bob’s Red Mill GF flour. Has anyone tried to sub chocolate chips for berries? Already thinking about the next time I make these muffins!
We’re so glad you enjoyed it, Claire! Chocolate chips would be lovely! Thank you for sharing! xo
Amy says
I am forever cursed with non-rising muffins!
Sadly, this time was no different. But I did experiment a bit with this recipe when I realized my GF flour selections were all a bit scant ( I’d already invested time into the wet ingredients) and I had to improvise with a mixture of various GF fours. So there’s that. But even when I follow recipes to a T, I get tasty and sometimes soft hockey pucks.
I had a little leftover batter after filling the muffin pans, so I took the extra and just plopped it into a small cast-iron skillet.
I let everything bake for about 27 minutes before letting them cool.
The cast-iron ‘muffin’ turned out like a really delicious breakfast bar!
If breakfast bars were my intention, then success was met! My muffins-that-rise vs muffins-that-do-not-rise stats are 0-6+ at this point. So it looks like breakfast bars it will be going forward.
That said, the flavor of this mix is so yummy! I recently just made a batch of lavender syrup and added a touch of it to the mix– delightful!
I love your recipes and can’t wait to try the next (despite being cursed with squatty muffins) and always appreciate the creativity that goes into them. Cheers!
Hi Amy, thank you for your kind words and for sharing your experience! We’re thinking the GF flour modifications made a difference in this case. But we wonder if it’s possible your baking powder is expired (if the flat muffins are happening with recipes that call for baking powder)?
Tetiana Ov says
These are amazing!!!
I had some super ripe bananas to use up, so substituded them instead of flax egg and apple sause, and less sugar.
Really really impressive!
Wonderful! Thank you for sharing, Tetiana! xo
Alma says
I made this recipe and I enjoyed with my family. Someone ask me, if they can use an egg-replacer instead of flax seed? Thank you!
Hi Alma, we haven’t tried that, but maybe! Let us know if you give it a try.
Amy S says
It turns out great! I sub apple sauce for pumpkin puree (don’t have apple sauce) and reduce baking soda to 1 tsp, I found too much baking soda have that weird taste. I used the leftover almond meal from home-made almond milk with 1/2 cup whole wheat pastry flour. I ended up have 16 muffins. great for anytime snack. thank you again for another great recipe.
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing, Amy!
MJ says
I made this and it was really good, recently started making almond milk and wanted to find something to do with the almond meal I made out of the leftover almond pulp. I’m not vegan so I substituted flax eggs for reals eggs and gluten flour for real flour and they came out really well
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Chelsea Ramoutar says
Can i use almond flour in stead of the oats?
Hi Chelsea, we haven’t tried with that modification, but we do think it would impact the texture. Oat flour is more dense, so if using almond flour, you will likely need to use more of it. Or perhaps try a blend of more almond flour and more GF blend? Let us know if you try it!
Christie says
I had to substitute oat milk and gluten free flour for the almond milk and flour. With these substitutions, this recipe came out pretty gummy and with a bit of an off flavor.
Hi Christie, we’re thinking the substitutions caused that. Is it possible you used a gluten free flour blend that contains beans? That can cause the flavor and texture to be off.
Brooke says
I measured 1/4 cup coconut oil and then melted it. My muffins were very oily. What do you suggest I do?
Hmm, did you modify anything else? Perhaps use slightly less oil next time. We didn’t encounter that issues ourselves.
Patty Eilers says
I made this with APF (I’m not gluten free) and mixed frozen berries (I baked them a bit longer). Very tasty–thanks for another great vegan recipe.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Patty!
Isabel says
Hello! So I have a bad track record with vegan baking … I decided to try again yesterday with these muffins and they smelt AMAZING … BUT they rose a bit but then ended up concave and a bit too soggy at the bottom! NOTE: It’s DEFINITELY Me and not you!
I have decided to be resilient and try again today but I have a few theories perhaps you can help me get to the bottom of it!
1. My teaspoon/tablespoon measurements may be off …
2. I think I over filled them (more than the 3/4 full instructed on the recipe)
Do you think one of these could be the issue or do you have another theory as to where I could be going wrong?
Thank you!!!! Im determined to get to the bottom of this and overcome my battle with vegan baking hahah
Hi Isabel, perhaps if a measurement was off that would cause it. Otherwise, what did you use for the gluten-free flour blend?
Lisa says
This is an excellent recipe; it’s absolutely delicious and foolproof (especially for a non-baker!) I’ve made it just as the recipe is written but wondered if I could use mashed banana in placed of applesauce?
We’re so glad you enjoy it, Lisa! That might work as long as you don’t mind a slight banana flavor. Let us know if you try it!
Michelle says
Can I use a real egg in place of the flax egg? Thanks!
We haven’t tried it, but it should work! We’d suggest 1 large egg. Let us know how it goes!
Carly says
I absolutely love these muffins! I’ve made them twice now, and they turned out great both times. I cooked them for 25 minutes, and found they were still deliciously moist.
Modifications:
All purpose flour (instead of the GF flour blend – 1:1)
Melted vegan butter (instead of coconut oil)
I also added chopped apple pieces the second time, which were a fantastic addition (inspired by the notes, which mention that this recipe was loosely adapted from the carrot apple muffins recipe). I found the apple worked really well with the raspberry.
Thanks Dana!
Whoop! Thanks so much for the lovely review and for sharing your modifications, Carly! xo
Dina says
By far the BEST GF muffins I’ve ever had. Fluffy and light. I couldn’t believe it. I’m a huge MB fan and use these recipes all the time. I really loved the carrot apple muffins, and these are my other new fave! Here’s the modifications I made: 1 XL egg, 1 lg apple, shredded (equalled ¾ c, with juices from shredding – in place of applesauce), blueberries, lemon zest + a couple drops lemon oil, omitted coconut, for the GF flour I used Cuisine Soleil all purpose blend, and almond flour for almond meal.
This will be my go-to muffin base for sure! So excited to experiment with other flavours.
Whoop! We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Dina! xo
Christine says
These muffins are amazing! I
Make them at least once a week.
In quarantine with husband and three college age kids (2 Vegan) , these are devoured! Always a favorite and requested often.
I’ve used the large coconut flakes, and often substitute 1-2 overripe bananas for the applesauce. Fool proof recipe!
Thank you!!!
We’re so glad everyone enjoys them, Christine! Thanks so much for sharing!
Bridget W. says
BEST MUFFIN RECIPE EVER! I seriously loved these. I enjoyed how dense, moist, and sweet they were! Very easy to make as well.
I made them blueberry muffins by using frozen blueberries. I mostly followed the recipe but omitted the shredded coconut. I opted for agave nectar, coconut sugar, and all purpose flour instead of GF flour.
I baked mine for 22 minutes at 375 degrees and they came out golden brown and fully baked. I allowed them to cool for a couple hours and then placed them in a container for the night.
In the morning, they were the perfect breakfast! Thank you Minimalist for another simple and amazing recipe!
Whoop! Thanks so much for sharing, Bridget! xo
Lea says
These muffins are so delicious and fluffy! I baked mine for about 31 mins and they were perfect. I did cut out all the sugar (liquid and granulated) since I am on a mostly sugar-free diet right now, and added in about 2 tsp of honey. The muffins ended up being sliiiightly savoury. Do you think the salt could be reduced or is the full 1/2 tsp important for the chemistry? Otherwise, I’ll continue playing with just a bit of honey :)
Hi Lea, thanks for sharing! Feel free to reduce- it shouldn’t impact the chemistry.
Helena says
If I use real eggs, then how many? Also, what should i sub for applesauce?
We would estimate 2 small eggs. For the applesauce, you could try a 1/4 cup of oil or 1/4 cup of banana? But we haven’t tried these substitutes and can’t guarantee results! Let us know if you try it!
Taz says
I made these and made a few adjustments to use more almond flour and oat flour instead of the GF Mix and I used mashed bananas instead of apple sauce. I omitted the shredded coconut and used coconut sugar instead of reg or brown sugar and they turned out amazing! Thank you for a great recipe!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Taz! Thanks so much for sharing!
Sofia says
If not gluten-free could I just do more oat flour instead of the gluten-free flour blend?
I wouldn’t recommend that – I’d recommend another flour such as spelt or all purpose. Oat flour on its own can get a bit dense and gummy.
Sofia says
Thanks for responding! I have almond flour ..would it work?
I’d say that’s worth a shot!
Libera Geller says
These came out delicious :) I ran out of apple sauce and didn’t realize it until half way through making them so I subbed in butternut squash purée instead and they turned out great. The batter was a little thicker but, I personally found them to still have a wonderful texture and flavor once baked.
Dielle says
These receipts are wonderful I made my sister the breakfast cookies she loves them and now wants them all the time. I put my own flair and substitutions and they are still awesome n those pancakes and muffins are outta this world!! Thanks so much I even used some in the Daniel Fast!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Dielle. 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
Carla @ Foodie Digital says
Absolutely loved these, and the recipe is very forgiving to substitutions. I subbed coconut milk for almond milk, subbed some pureed squash for part of the applesauce, used re-hydrated golden berries in place of fresh/frozen berries, and threw in a small handful of dark chocolate chips to offset the sour berries. I will be making these again and again!
We’re so glad you enjoyed them, Carla! Thanks for sharing!
Rachel says
Delicious. Made it today.
I left out the cane sugar and felt the sweetness level was perfect.
I ended up cooking it about 35 min since it seemed too moist still after the suggested time.
I had ONE issue (user error) that almost made me chuck the batter in the bin…I had added my maple syrup right out of the fridge so it was cold and I added my still warm from the micro melted coconut right after. I mixed it. Busied myself measuring the oats and look back at the bowl AHH my coconut had re-hardened in the batter (I’m guessing because the maple had made the batter cold). After troubleshooting, failing, almost giving up, I put the whole thing in the microwave for a few seconds to re-melt the coconut oil and it worked and thankfully didn’t negatively affect the end result. Will definitely be making these again.
Thanks for sharing, Rachel! We’re so glad you enjoyed them!
Jenna says
Really loved this recipe! Changes that I made (not vegan) – used 2 eggs rather than the flax eggs and whole milk rather than almond milk. Also used greek yogurt rather than apple sauce. They turned out very well!
Thanks for sharing! Next time would you mind adding a (1-5) star rating to your review? It’s super helpful to us and other readers! xo
Amanda Lewis says
Mine sank in the middle and were soggy in the middle. I followed the directions exactly and cooked them 24 minutes. What did I do wrong?
Strange! And you didn’t modify the ingredients at all? Were your berries fresh or frozen? Sometimes the added moisture from frozen berries can cause them to sink…
Jody Lynn Broker says
Loved these!!!
I didn’t use any sugar just the maple syrup and they tasted great!!
Thanks so much for the lovely review, Jody. 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
Michelle Schaefer says
I made these tonight and they were so good! I followed the recipe as written. I’m bringing them to a get together tomorrow where a friend has done lots of eliminating to figure out allergies while nursing her newborn. So excited to have something that 1. She can actually eat 2. Tastes so good! Thank you for another good recipe! (I was nervous about how they would taste bc I could smell the baking soda while baking, but totally not an issue when eating!)
What a great friend! So glad you enjoyed this recipe, Michelle! Thanks so much for sharing!
Erin says
These are amazing. I’ve just had to switch to gluten free due to an intolerance for it and was looking for a recipe that would taste good. Love this recipe. I subbed sorghum flour for the gluten free blend and instead of berries I put in carob chips. Yummy. Definitely will be saving this recipe.
Yay! Thanks for sharing, Erin!
Gitanjali Pinto says
The Minimalist baker is my go-to recipe each week on Sunday evenings – THANK YOU!! All your measurements are perfect, the comments true to form, and the outcome plain delicious. Thank you for helping me manage my Crohns condition by giving me so many recipes. Loved both the coconut berry muffin recipe and the morning glory recipe
Silkysausage says
Husband and daughter had an overwhelming taste of baking soda and spat them out but I didn’t get that…odd. Used frozen blueberries with no problem with consistency.c
Could do with
Drea says
These came out way too wet. Had to throw them out, which hasn’t happened to me with a recipe in a while and never with a Minimalist Baker recipe.. very disappointed.
Sorry to hear that! Did you make any changes to the recipe?
Liv says
I made these twice and they are delicious! They’re so moist and flavorful. I wanted mine less sweet, so the second time I made them, I skipped the 1/4 cane sugar and left everything else as written. I saw no difference in texture. They are my family’s favorite breakfast food. Thank you!