Nut-Free, Grain-Free Coconut And Tapioca Flour Blueberry Muffins

Was there a “special breakfast” you ate growing up or always made for your kids?

Whether it was Mother’s Day Brunch, Easter, or my birthday, for my family’s “special breakfast” we always had blueberry muffins.

And while I don’t encourage eating baked goodies on a daily basis, eating them for a week straight isn’t likely to hurt your gut and likely may help your emotional body. So if you make them, I hope you enjoy them without shame or blame or concern.

The Right Flour

This recipe uses a blend of coconut flour and tapioca flour for a light and chewy texture that is grain and nut-free.

Why nut-free?

While nuts aren’t an inherently “bad food,” nut-flour-based baked goods are a surefire way to eat too many nuts, too quickly. Instead of almond or other nut flours, we use a blend of coconut and tapioca.

While no flour-based food (be it nut, coconut, tapioca, or any other type of flour) should become a staple food in your diet, we love having the flexibility to make a muffin or pancake out of grain-free flours.

Just Sweet Enough

Just 1/3 cup of honey or maple syrup provides subtle sweetness that allows the other flavors to shine through.

Unlike store-bought gluten-free blueberry muffins that contain 21 grams of sugar per muffin, these muffins have just about 7 grams each. The gentle sweetness allows the blueberry flavor to stand out.

About Baking Powder

This recipe uses baking powder, not soda.

Have you ever wondered what the difference is or when you can switch them out?

Both baking powder and baking soda help the muffins to rise up and be airy. Just like when you combine baking soda and vinegar, the reaction between the soda or powder and an acid create air bubbles in the batter.

The difference is that baking powder contains baking soda plus an acid. If you combine some baking powder with water, you’ll see it fizz up. Baking soda, on the other hand, must be combined with some acid – like lemon juice or vinegar – to create a fizz. If a recipe doesn’t contain an acidic ingredient, you’ll get better results using baking powder than soda.

But many commercial baking powders contain added aluminum. We recommend you look for a brand that either doesn’t contain added aluminum, like this one, or make your own using baking soda and cream of tartar.

To make your own baking powder, just combine 1 part baking soda and 2 parts cream of tartar. For this recipe, combine 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 teaspoon cream of tartar, stir to combine, and then measure out 1/2 teaspoon of the mixture for the recipe.

An Egg-Free Option

Are you avoiding eggs? This recipe can still work for you.

Make sure you check out this article to learn how to make gelatin eggs.

Replace the 4 eggs in this recipe with 4 gelatin eggs to make these muffins egg-free (If you are wondering – yes, they still taste good).

Year-Round Goodness

This recipe works equally well with frozen or fresh blueberries – that means you can enjoy them year-round!

To keep the batter from turning blue or the berries from sinking to the bottom, try adding the blueberries to each individual muffin tin after the batter has been poured. Just drop as many blueberries as you want on top, mix them in with a spoon, and bake.

I hope you enjoy them!

– Steve