Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins

If you're looking for a tasty morning treat, try baking these gluten-free blackberry muffins. These delicious muffins are made with fresh blackberries, making them both sweet and tart—the perfect addition to your breakfast routine. With a drizzle of lemon glaze, these muffins are ready in under 30 minutes, making them a great last minute breakfast option.

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A single gluten-free blackberry muffin with lemon glaze on a dessert plate with fresh blackberries surrounding it.

A stack of two gluten-free blackberry muffins with lemon glaze with additional muffins and fresh blackberries in the background.

While I’ll always love a good blueberry muffin recipe, why let blueberries have all the fun? These gluten-free blackberry muffins are packed with juicy blackberries making them sweet, tart and so delicious!

What goes better with blackberries than lemon! A little lemon zest is mixed with granulated sugar to perfume the sugar and give the blackberry muffins a brightness. Paired with a little lemon drizzle after baking, these homemade muffins are so bright and fresh.

I love easy muffin recipes like this. They can be on the table in under 30 minutes, which makes them a great last minute breakfast recipe when you are having guests over. It’s also one of my favorite recipes when I find myself with leftover blackberries.

You’ll love this recipe because:

No mixer needed. Gluten-free muffins are always a breakfast favorite in our house because they don’t require any special equipment, like an electric mixer. All you need are two mixing bowls and a whisk. So easy!
They’re quick and easy. Muffins can be baked in the oven in under 30 minutes and these blackberry muffins are great for quick breakfasts or snacks on the go.
They’re gluten-free! Using a gluten-free flour blend, like Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour, makes this muffin recipe gluten-free. Follow all of my tips and tricks throughout the post to help you make these gluten-free muffins.

Table of Contents

Ingredients

Ingredient Notes

Gluten-free flour blend – I tested this recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour in the blue bag. This blend already contains xanthan gum, so you will not need to add it to the recipe. I cannot verify that other brands of gluten-free flour blends will work in this recipe as I have not tested them. For best results, weigh your gluten-free flour with a food scale instead of scooping it into measuring cups.
Lemon zest – I love the flavor that the lemon zest adds to the muffins, but it is optional if you either don’t have lemon on hand or don’t want to use it. Rubbing the lemon zest together with the granulated sugar releases the natural oils from the lemon zest and perfumes the sugar. It’s my favorite way to add citrus zest to recipes.
Baking powder – While 1 tablespoon of baking powder may seem like a lot for a muffin recipe, I find it necessary for gluten-free muffins. Make sure that your baking powder is not old so that your gluten-free muffins can rise in the oven effectively.
Baking soda – A little bit of baking soda goes a long way in these blackberry muffins when combined with the baking powder.
Milk – I used whole milk in this recipe, but have also tested it with unsweetened almond milk as well if you are in need of a non-dairy option.
Eggs – Use large eggs, which are approximately 50g each, for this recipe. The size of eggs that you use will affect the recipe.
Vegetable oil – I love to use a neutral oil in muffin recipes because it keeps the muffins really moist without adding too much flavor. This helps the blackberry and lemon flavors shine through. You can use other neutral-flavored oils like canola oil, avocado oil or grapeseed oil, too.
Blackberries – I used fresh blackberries for this recipe, but you could also use frozen blackberries if fresh berries are not in season or available to you. If using frozen, do not let them thaw and just add them straight to the batter. For frozen blackberries, I like to toss them in a tablespoon of the gluten-free flour from the dry ingredients first to soak up some of the extra juices.

I like to cut my blackberries into smaller pieces for muffins so that you get some blackberry in each bite. It also helps prevent the blackberries from weighing down the batter and sinking to the bottom of the muffin.

Step-by-Step instructions

These gluten free blackberry muffins are so easy to make, they’re ready in just about 30 minutes. The below steps and matching photos are not the full recipe but are meant to help you see the recipe made at various stages so you can make these muffins perfectly every time.

For the ingredient list with measurements, full instructions, printable recipe, and additional notes, please scroll down to the recipe card.

A glass mixing bowl with lemon zest and granulated sugar mixed together. — Add the lemon zest and granulated sugar to a large bowl. Rub the lemon zest into the granulated sugar until the natural oils of the lemon zest release and perfume the granulated sugar. The sugar will start to feel a bit moist at this point from the oils.

A glass mixing bowl with granulated sugar, lemon zest, gluten-free flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in it before mixing together. — In the same bowl, add the gluten-free flour blend, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Whisk until combined. Set aside.

A glass measuring cup with two eggs, vanilla extract, oil, and milk in it before mixing together. — In a measuring cup or small bowl, add the milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla extract. Whisk until smooth.

A glass mixing bowl with a gluten-free flour mixture topped with an oil and egg mixture before mixing together.. — Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients.

A glass mixing bowl with gluten-free muffin batter being stirred by a blue spatula. — Mix until combined and no more steaks of flour remain.

A closeup of a ice cream scoop filled with gluten-free blackberry muffin batter over a whole of more batter. — Add the chopped blackberries to the batter. Gently mix together, being careful not to mix too much as the blackberry juices will turn the batter a purple or grey color. Once mixed, use a portion scoop to portion out the batter.

A closeup of a silver muffin tin filled with gluten-free blackberry muffin batter before baking in the oven. — Portion the muffin batter into the muffin tin lined with paper cups. Bake for 15-17 minutes until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

A bunch of gf blackberry muffins drizzled with lemon glaze that are cooling on a wire cooling rack. — Once the muffins are cool, stir together the powdered sugar and lemon juice to form a thick glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the top of the muffin. Let it set before serving.

Recipe FAQs

What gluten-free flour blend should I use for baking muffins?

I’ve tested this blackberry muffin recipe with Bob’s Red Mill 1-to-1 Gluten-Free Baking Flour (in the blue bag), which already contains xanthan gum. I cannot verify that other brands of gluten-free flour will work.

Do I need to add xanthan gum to this recipe?

If your gluten-free flour blend does not contain xanthan gum already, you will need to add it to the recipe. I recommend using a blend that already has xanthan gum added to it.

Can I reduce the amount of sugar in this recipe?

The muffins are not very sweet, so I do not recommend reducing the amount of sugar in this recipe. The sugar is important for the structure of the blackberry muffins.

hints & tips

Use ripe, sweet blackberries for the best flavor, and if you’re using frozen, don’t let them thaw first. Mix them with a tablespoon of the flour blend and then add them right to the batter frozen.
Blackberries are really big so I prefer to cut mine up into 2-3 pieces depending on the size. This way you get blackberry flavor in every bite without having any really big blackberries in the muffin.
Once the blackberries are added to the batter, try not to overmix as the natural purple color from the blackberries will seep into the batter and turn it a grey/purple color.
For best results, weigh your ingredients. The way that you scoop certain ingredients into measuring cups, like gluten-free flour, can greatly affect how the recipe turns out. I prefer to weigh my ingredients with a food scale to ensure that the amount of flour is the most accurate. For that reason, I’ve included the metric measurements in this recipe.
Use an ice cream scoop or portion scoop to fill the muffin cups. This will help you fill the muffin tin without making a mess and make sure that your muffins are all the same size.
Fill the muffin cups almost to the top of the rim of the baking pan to get taller gluten-free muffins. Gluten-free muffins do not rise as much as gluten-full ones do, so you can fill the muffin well higher than you would with a traditional muffin.

Storage instructions

Storage: Store leftover blackberry muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days. They’re best the day they are made, but will keep for a few days.
Freezer Option: You can freeze leftover muffins for up to 3 months. Place muffins in a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for an hour. Once frozen solid, place them in a freezer safe container or bag for longer storage.
Defrost: Let frozen muffins stay out at room temperature for about an hour to defrost them.

A gluten-free blackberry muffin on a dessert plate that has a bite taken out of it.

More gluten-free muffins to try

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Did you make this recipe?

I’d love to know! Please rate it and leave a comment below. You can also share your pictures and tag @adashofmegnut on Instagram.

I’m Megan

A gluten-free food blogger from Chicago and lover of all things food, showing you gluten-free can be easy and delicious, too. Let’s make gluten-free stress free together! Read more…