Sometimes, you need a whole pan of lasagna for dinner guests. Other times, you need just one square of chocolate for a solo indulgence. And sometimes, you need two muffins – one for you, and one for another (_______ <- insert: husband, friend, boyfriend, guy it’s complicated with, random neighbor, landlord still waiting on your rent, teacher who doesn’t like you. You get the idea). These muffins are for just that.
I’m not an expert on gluten-free baking (yet), but I’m getting there! I relied on a gluten-free flour blend my friend shared with me and it performed quite nicely. However, if you aren’t gluten-free, simply sub all-purpose or whole-wheat pastry for an equally stellar muffin. (In case you’re dying to know, it’s 3/4 cup brown rice flour, 1/4 cup potato starch, 2 Tbsp tapioca flour, 2 Tbsp white rice flour.)
These muffins are made of simple ingredients and require just one bowl (thanks to a little trick I share). From start to finish they take a little more than 30 minutes, and are ready to eat right away. I could hardly stand letting mine cool before digging in.
These babies are moist, sweet and very blueberry-y. I will disclaim that the gluten-free flour gives these a slightly crumbly texture, as it doesn’t absorb liquid like all-purpose. But, if you’re a gluten-free eater, I’m sure you’re more than familiar with this concern. With that being said, I’d recommend loading these babies up with as many blueberries as possible so you get an equal muffin:blueberry ratio. That’ll clear that crumbly texture issue right up.
I absolutely adored how simple this recipe was, how big and flavorful the muffins were, and how I didn’t have tons of leftover muffins to pass out. I don’t do well with leftovers; something I’m working on.
Plus, it makes the perfect romantic breakfast treat for 2, something us empty-nesters appreciate in this season of life. If you’ve got more mouths to feed, simply double or triple the recipe. It’ll work just the same.
Vegan Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins for 2
Ingredients
- 1/2 Tbsp flaxseed meal (to make flax egg)
- 2 Tbsp water (to make flax egg)
- 3/4 cup gluten-free flour blend*
- 2-3 Tbsp brown sugar*
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 pinch salt
- 3-4 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk (plus more as needed)
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp vegan butter (melted // such as Earth Balance)
- 1/4 cup blueberries (plus more for topping)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 C) and lightly butter two small ramekins with non-dairy butter.
- To make flax egg: In a liquid measuring cup, add flaxseed meal and water and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine flour blend, brown sugar, baking soda, salt and whisk.
- To the liquid measuring cup, add almond milk, vanilla, melted butter, flax egg and stir. Add to dry ingredients and stir until combined. If batter appears a bit too thin, add another Tbsp or so of flour. If batter appears to dry, add another Tbsp or more of almond milk.
- Toss the blueberries in 1-2 Tbsp of the gluten-free flour blend so they don’t settle to the bottom when baking (amount as original recipe is written // adjust if altering batch size). Then fold them in to combine.
- Divide batter evenly into the two ramekins – about 1/2 to 3/4 full – and sprinkle with a few more blueberries. If using a standard muffin tin, it will likely make 3 or 4 (amount as original recipe is written).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick or knife inserted comes out clean.
- Let cool for a few minutes, then remove from ramekins and serve warm. A little vegan butter would make the perfect addition, but not necessary. Will keep in an airtight container for a couple days. Freeze to keep longer.
Notes
*I used 3 Tbsp brown sugar and they turned out quite sweet. If you prefer a less sweet muffin, stick with 2 Tbsp.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.
Vaibhavi Patel says
Hello! What can I use instead of the GF flour blend? Thanks!
Hi Vaibhavi, for all purpose flour, we’d suggest a lesser amount here as well. Hope that helps!
Claire says
These were delicious! I tripled the recipe to make 12 standard muffins. I used the end of the range for brown sugar, but next time I’d add more.
Substitutes: dairy milk and butter; all purpose flour (next time I’d use a little bit less); used frozen blueberries successfully. They were done in only 20 minutes!
Thanks for sharing, Claire!
Chris says
I increased recipe for 6 muffins. Not sure what went wrong but it was epic fail. I used whole wheat pastry flour, the mix was so dry I added more milk but it turned into a weird glue glob, I used coconut oil instead of butter the blueberries were frozen but I coated them in flour. They baked fine but were rubbery and awful. Any suggestions?
Oh no! Sorry to hear that, Chris! We wonder if it was the flour swap? We haven’t tried these with whole wheat.
Juliana says
I am nine and I have made this delicious recipe twice and my siblings, parents and I have loved it! It is a great breakfast treat. I used 2% cows milk, regular chicken eggs, and unsalted butter instead. The second time I added chocolate chips.
Yay! Thanks so much for sharing, Juliana! xo
Caroline says
Hello! When following the recipe, adding in the flax egg is missing. I realized just after I had put them in the oven (saw the egg still sitting there) so pulled out and added in. Just wanted to let you know so you can adjust the recipe above. I’ve been enjoying making many of your recipes and love how easy and delicious they all are! Thank you!
Thanks for letting us know, Caroline! We’ll take a look and adjust as needed!
Cinde says
These are soooo good. Made with raspberries because that is what I had. Very yummy. Added one extra Tbsp of sugar.
Lilly says
excellent, thank you Dana
Yael says
Dear Dana
Thank you for your marvelous work. I love your site. All your recipes I tried are fabulous. Thank you again. Keep on doing.
BTW, I have your book too
Emily says
Love this recipe. I always double it and add 1tsp cinnamon and 1/4 tsp nutmeg and use eggs. Makes 8 small muffins. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Thanks for sharing your recipe changes, Emily! We’re glad you enjoyed them!
Judith Lainer says
There is something seriously wrong with te milk amount in this recipe. I had to add more like 1/2 plus cup of the milk. It was so thick! And was still thick! I put the blueberries on top and pushed them in. I used Namaste brand Perfect Flour Blend. It came out gummy and really awful. I’m sad!
Angeles says
I had the same experience :(
Hi Angeles, Sorry to hear that, but thank you for letting us know! We will take a look at the recipe and modify, as needed. Different gluten-free flour blends vary in how much liquid they absorb which could be the issue! Would you mind sharing which brand you used? Thanks so much!
Charan says
Thanks a ton Dana for all your delicious yummy recipes. I made the blueberry muffin today and it tasted so good. The top brown layer was quite thick, can anything be done to soften it?
Hi Charan! For a softer and more moist muffin, you may want to try adding a little bit more vegan butter.
Amanda says
I’ve made these two days in a row! A few adjustments — I used Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 baking flour blend (the kind with xanthan gum and without chickpea flour), coconut oil instead of Earth Balance, and chopped dark chocolate (about 1/3 of a bar) instead of blueberries. Went with the whole 3 T. of brown sugar, and needed to add more like 1/3 cup of almond milk to pull the batter together. Baked as 4 regular muffins — loved by all, including a 6-year old and my 70-ish year old parents :). Thanks for this recipe!
Grace says
I wish I had read your comment before I made these muffins. My dough was thick even though I added more almond milk (2 tablespoons) . Unfortunately, my muffins came out dry even though I baked them for less time (21 minutes). Next time I would add more almond milk (3/4-1 cup).
I increased the recipe for 4 muffins, but the actual yield was 8 muffins.
Bretony MacDonald says
I made these today, they turned out awesome! It made about 5 regular muffins, my boyfriend ate all of them haha, I made it with 3 Tbsp of brown sugar and didn’t find them too sweet.
trish says
I am really looking forward to making these muffins! I have a lot of sensitivities and most vegan glutenfree recipes have something in them I can’t readily substitute…or there are so many ingredients I don’t have them in stock! I can’t wait to try these…though I’ll multiply by 3 as I usually make a couple of batches of something and freeze them…no point in heating up the oven every day :) Since I don’t have butter, I’ll use oil…hopefully that’ll be ok…either almond or olive. If you have any rice flour recipes – that don’t use the mix , could you let me know…as I can’t eat tapioca or potato starch…I’ll try corn starch instead :). thanks!
Alicia says
Any idea how to make a whole batch of these?
Hi! Multiply the recipe by 3 and you should be good to go! As it is, the recipe should make 3-4 muffins in a standard sized tin. Good luck!
Kathleen maRTIN says
could i replace the gluten free flour with chickpea flour?? also could i replace the butter with coconut oil?
I don’t think that would work, sorry.
Holly says
These were great, but needed just a little sprinkle of salt. I didn’t have GF flour so I used 1/3 cup cornmeal, 1/3 cup WW flour, and 1/3 cup oat flour. Almond extract was also fantastic in this recipe.
Jenny says
These are totally delicious! So quick and simple.
I used cold-pressed macadamia oil (instead of the vegan butter), coconut sugar (instead of the brown sugar), homemade almond milk, and baked in regular muffin cases.
(My home-made gluten-free flour blend is 35% brown rice flour, 35% white sorghum flour and 30% arrowroot – this worked perfectly.)
Thanks for another fantastic recipe Dana. :-)
Andrew says
I’d be nice if you showed what the substitutions would be for a real egg and other types of flour. I’m afraid of substituting for an egg cause I don’t know if it’s the same amount?
Wendy says
Hi Dana
I am so grateful to find you and your recipes mmwwahhhh!!
I just tried your great recipe as I am very new, ‘Learner’ to gluten free baking and cooking. I didn’t quite get the results you did looking at your pics.
When I added the wet to the dry ingredients the mixture seemed very dry and I added a little more almond milk. I may not have added the almond milk in the first place! Practice is certainly going to make my baking almost perfect haha!
The mixture could have stretched to 4 ramekins for me! I can use less blueberries than I did (7 in each) and the muffins rose well above what I expected oh my!
The end result of the muffins seemed like a batter type looking texture and not cakey/crumbly. I’m not sure how to post pics or if I can for you to see.
Ha! Yes, GF Baking does take practice. It seems like the almond milk was maybe the issue…perhaps adding too much made them runny? I hope you still enjoyed them!
Wendy says
I wonder how difficult it is to swap ingredients for gf in a muffin recipe? I have a basic muffin recipe that I use and just add additional ingredients to it. Its mainly flour, sugar and egg…I might give it a go but thought I would ask you Dana because you may have already experimented.
Shai says
Thank-you for this wonderful recipe! I made a few substitutions here and there based upon my own dietary needs/what’s in my pantry, but kept them gluten-free and dairy-free. And they were delicious! I got creative this week and already made three simple variations: Blueberry Cornmeal, Lemon Poppy Seed, and Banana Nut. This recipe is now my go-to for baking muffins :)
Carrie says
If you add xantham gum they won’t be as crumbly. :)
Vv says
I’m a blueberry junkie, so anything related to it is a MUST have! Is it possible to sub vegan butter with coconut oil?? Since it’s quite hard to find vegan butter in my country :(
That should work!
Vicky says
Could I use avocado oil instead? I’m not supposed to consume butter not coconut oil bc of the high amount of saturated fats. What’s a good substitute? Thanks!
Avocado would be great!
Bob says
I double this recipe and it made six very full-size normal muffins. The only substitution I made was all-purpose flour instead of gluten free flour. Like most of your viewers, I had to add a little extra almond milk.
We were very disappointed with these. They were bready, kind of like a banana muffin without the bananas, instead of a light blueberry muffin. Also, the taste of baking soda was quite noticeable. Overall they were just unpleasant to eat. Yeah man
We’re so sorry you didn’t enjoy these, Bob!
Mary says
A batch just came out of the oven and they are great. I added the cinnamon and nutmeg as suggested and 1/4 teaspoon of xanthum gum. For flour, I used the King Arthur Flour Gluten Free Whole Grain mixture. No problem with texture. Wonderful flavor!
Lindsay says
Thank you, thank you! I have been looking (well, not actively lately…) for a “minimal” GF & V muffin recipe, and this one is fabulous. Even my husband who is celiac and dislikes all things ‘cake’ gave it a winning nod.
I made some changes/substitutions, which worked out well: frozen raspberries (a bit more than your recipe) instead of blueberries (using what we have on hand), maple syrup for the sugar, and I added a bit more unsweetened soy milk because the GF all-purpose flour I use tends to need more liquid .
Tomorrow morning I test them on the kids!
Again, thanks. Super easy recipe with loads of flavour.
Yay! So glad you and the fam enjoyed them, Lindsay!
Lauren says
I needed to quickly make some vegan-friend-in-crisis-sustenance-muffins and these were perfect! Like some of the other reviewers, I needed to add quite a bit more liquid than is called for in the recipe. The liquid required is going to vary based on type, age, and quantity (volumes are tricky in baking!) of flour, so it’s par for the course that liquids will vary – just watch what your mixture is doing.
I used whole wheat pastry flour and mesquite – both are liquid loving and next time I’ll use even more liquid, maybe some applesauce. Instead of blueberries, I threw in a handful of chopped fresh cranberries and walnuts, along with orange zest and, as suggested above, nutmeg and cinnamon. Will definitely play with this recipe again – thanks!
Abby says
These are delicious! I made them for the first time yesterday and used whole wheat flour since that was what I had. Today I made them again with a few adaptions and theynwereneven better! I added 1/2 tsp each cinnamon and nutmeg, and since we had some homemade like butter left over from a party, used that instead of regular butter. The mixture was crumbly so I added an extra 3 Tbsp of almond milk. When they were done baking I sprinkled a dash of sea salt on top, yum!!! Even better today!
Ryan says
I’ve never seen the term “flax egg” before. Also, why are the contents not egg-like?
If vegan or gluten-free is not an issue, can a regular egg be used?
Susan Parker says
Yes. I’m not Vegan, but I’m Gluten, Lactose & Preservative Free and I use Cage Free eggs in her GF recipes all the time. However, we ran low the other day on eggs, and since I like fried eggs with my pancakes and I’d asked my Hubby to make me 2 pancakes – he made them with Flax Eggs. They were better with the Flax Eggs than with the regular ones!! I’m SOLD on the Flax Eggs!!
Morgan says
Yes in place of one flax egg you can use a regular egg. A flax egg is just ground flax seeds and water mixed and let set for 5 min. It has the same binding power as an egg which is why it is called a flax egg. Usually 1 tbsp ground flax + 3 tbsp warm water.
carolyn says
this is neat…..being a single person, I’d love to see other recipes for single or double servings. One of my fav. quick meals is taking two corn tortillas filling with cheese and onion…roll up on a plate. cover with jarred green sauce. place a serving of beans on the side. put in microwave till cheese is melted….instant enchiladas for one.
Kiran @ KiranTarun.com says
Perfect for the husband and I! I love small serving desserts. Can’t imagine keeping myself away with a whole pan of muffins ;)
Abby @ The Frosted Vegan says
I so agree, sometimes you only need 2, not the whole batch!
thelittleloaf says
I love the idea of baking just two perfect muffins, yum!
Irene says
Just a note: if you toss the blueberries w/a little flour before adding them to the batter, they won’t sink to the bottom. Can’t wait to try these!
Ashley says
Two beauties!! Yummmm
Lisa says
I am going to need to buy myself 2 ramekins! So cute :)
Heather || Heather's Dish says
I’m thinking I’d have to double the recipe because two muffins…is more like one for me ;)
Tieghan says
I have always loved blueberry muffin. I am not sure why, but I am a sucker for them! I think I would eat both all by myself!
Elisabeth says
I love this idea! I didn’t follow the recipe exactly…I had blackberries instead of blueberries and it didn’t turn out as lovely.
A suggestion? Maybe weigh your gluten free flour blends. I didn’t use your blend since I have been gluten free almost a year now and I always have some of a blend on hand. This caused the batter to be very dry and I had to add another T of almond milk…no biggie, but some people might get more consistent results if the blend was weighed instead of measured.
Elisabeth, that’s a great tip! I currently don’t measure my flours but am realizing gluten free baking is much more delicate. Another problem might’ve been the cooking time? Perhaps I should lower the time range so you can check it before it gets too done. Thanks for your advice, though!
Elisabeth says
I just figured out the measuring flours thing yesterday! I was making a gluten free recipe and weighed while using the measuring cups and wow! My mix was much lighter then the mix the recipe called for because I had to put 1/2 c plus extra in than what it called for. I didn’t think that weighing as opposed to measuring would make that much difference before yesterday!
I think my mix was too heavy for these muffins…plus my mix has almond flour in it. Bright side they didn’t taste AT ALL grainy, but they did have a lot of crumbs…I probably should have added more almond milk then I did and maybe some extra sugar to compensate for the sourness of the raspberries. When I eat the other muffin I’ll put some cinnamon sugar on top. :)