Blueberry Muffins

It takes a really great muffin recipe to get me excited. Otherwise, I would rather wait for a cupcake to come around. Isn’t that the truth? But when a muffin is made right and tastes moist and flavorful – you have my full attention. Sweet muffins loaded with fresh, ripe blueberries and pretty little domed tops are worth it. I stepped things up with this recipe – we can have those luscious qualities in a muffin and call it healthy. I hope you’re excited!

I’ve made this recipe about five times and each time, fell more in love with their delicious flavor. I gently tweaked each trial to test different flours and sweeteners. After trying a few recipes and tasting them a few too many times, I’m afraid my pictures don’t do these muffins justice. But I could hardly wait to share these healthy muffins with you so here’s my best attempt. These soft muffins are filled with healthy fats, juicy berries and made without white sugar or flour! I did add one indulgent detail and that was to top each muffin with a natural sugar topping. Yes, do it!

I took inspiration from Smitten Kitchen’s suggestion to add nutmeg or coriander to blueberry muffin recipes. I use both spices and while subtle, it’s a secret ingredient to make the flavors pop!

You know how amazing coconut milk is in bread recipes, right? I followed my gut and added full-fat coconut milk to the batter. I’m telling you, they really plump up the batter and contribute great flavor and height. Don’t be bashful with the amount of blueberries in these, either. They add sweetness and help with the plumpness. Another secret for perfect muffins: fill those muffin tins.  Thick batter piled to the top is the ultimate secret for… you guessed it. Rich, plump muffins with perfect domes. Berries bursting, juices running wild, caramelized edges and sugared tops… this is what we want in a muffin. Be sure to enjoy one hot from the oven!

Healthy Blueberry Muffins

1/3 cup softened Butter, Earth Balance Butter or Coconut Oil
1/4 cup Agave or Honey
1/3 cup Maple Sugar, Powdered Honey, Coconut Sugar or Raw Sugar, plus more for sprinkling on top.
1 cup Full-Fat Coconut Milk (from the can), at room temperature
2 Large Organic Eggs, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon Lemon Zest
1 1/2 teaspoons Double Acting Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Sea Salt
1/16 teaspoons Ground Nutmeg + Coriander
1 2/3 cups Gluten-Free Flour Mix (Trader Joe’s is fantastic or use White Spelt Flour)*
1 1/3 cups Fresh Blueberries (Frozen Berries also work!)

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pan with liners and gently spray. In a large bowl, mix together the first 5 ingredients. Add lemon zest, baking powder, salt and spices and mix. Add the flour and blueberries together and gently fold in to incorporate, careful not to over mix. The batter should be very thick! Scoop about 1/4 cups of batter into the muffin tins (be sure to fill generously!). Sprinkle about a teaspoon of granulated sweetener over the tops of the muffins. Bake at 375 degrees for 20-22 minutes.

Yields 10 large muffins or 11-12 smaller sized muffins

Please Note: Not all GF Flour mixes are alike. I found Trader Joe’s GF mix worked really well but when using Bob’s Red Mill, I had to increase the amount by 1/3 cup. Some also change the color of the muffins (another brand I tried for these pictures gave a stronger yellow hue). You can add a bit more flour as needed to create a nice thick batter.