Blueberry. Oat. Muffins.
Three of my favorite things got married and became one. Something about that is wrong, but let’s just move on.
If am going to eat grains, it is almost always oats. And if I am going to eat baked goods, it’s almost always muffins. And blueberries are like little balls of blue candy full of nutrients.
When my friend Bridgett asked me for a gluten free blueberry muffin recipe, I instantly said yes. I always look for excuses to make muffins. And then when my husband comes home and sees more muffins, I’m like, “sorry babe, Bridgett made me do it.”
Honestly though, when he saw these muffins, he wasn’t really complaining. Even if you don’t like muffins or blueberries or oats and you think this recipe isn’t for you, can you at least admit how stinking beautiful these are?
One of the challenges I came up against making these is that I am sort of over the whole, “it tastes just like the real thing,” trend. We all know what a real blueberry muffin with gluten and brown sugar tastes like, and we all know that it’s rare that something actually tastes like the “real thing.” So I didn’t want another muffin that I had to sell up, knowing that it wasn’t really “it.”
I wanted IT.
So I got to work and talked my friend Sarah into coming over to taste test. After the first batch, we both agreed that they just weren’t sweet enough to make the cut.
But how the heck was I going to make them sweeter and keep them healthy?
So I got to work again, and then again, and finally I figured it out. It all came down to ratios and balance.
These blueberry muffins may not have refined sugar crystals on top and be loaded with butter and sugar, but I can promise you they are as close to the real deal as possible.
But they won’t leave you feeling like you have to hit the gym for an extra hour.
They are honest, clean, and delicious.
Oh, and super easy.
Oh, and here’s a fun fact. I (once again) danced around the kitchen afterwards singing the muffin man song. I just had to.
PS… I take the “No Muffin Left Behind Act” very seriously, so if you want that perfect release from your muffin pan, be sure to oil and flour it. Trust me.
Need a good deal on Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 flour?
They are in the oven now. Can’t wait! Question: why did you add wet ingredients one at a time instead of mixing them all together and then stirring in to dry ingredients? Knowing you there is a cool food-science (or “just works better”) reason, and I’m trying to learn all I can about better GF baking and cooking. Related question: have you ever written, or considered writing, a short primer on gf baking methods/differences? Stuff like, do we let the batter sit for a minute or two to absorb liquid, etc (I was concerned at first that I had mid-measured something, because batter was very loose. Had to do something else for just a minute, and it soaked up the excess liquid like a sponge and thickened up nicely). Would love the chance to learn from you.
Super interesting questions! And I am glad you asked! For this recipe, the eggs and oil *can* go in at the same time. But The reason I like to add the milk or milk substitute last is because like I have mentioned in other recipes, you can’t take away liquid. You can always add more. But the oil and eggs are more important “liquids” than the milk. The reason I add the honey separately is because I like to add a little at a time to get my desired level of sweetness! Also, yes, I ALWAYS let my batters sit when they are gluten free. Especially batters that have baking powder as the primary rise agent! Gluten free is SO tricky, so I just like to eliminate the possibilities of disaster as much as possible!
I made these yummy muffins yesterday and my husband said, “these are the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever had!!” I highly recommend this Blueberry Muffin recipe.
I wish I had known! I would have made these when y’all were here!