Soft Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins with Irresistible Crumb Topping

Have you been browsing through some muffin recipes? If so, you might have noticed that blueberries are the default when fruit is included in the recipe. What about those other types of berries you probably have in your fridge if you’re as much of a berry lover as I am?

Blueberries might get all the attention in muffin recipes, but blackberries are a real hidden gem. They’re juicier, a little bolder, and bring a rich berry flavor that instantly makes a batch of muffins feel more special. This recipe is for anyone ready to break out of the blueberry habit and try something just as comforting, but far less expected.

These gluten-free blackberry muffins bake up soft, moist, and full of sweet-tart blackberry flavor, with a buttery crumb topping that takes them straight into bakery territory. They’re easy to make, naturally more memorable than the usual berry muffin, and perfect when you want a recipe that feels both familiar and a little different.

Why You’ll Love These Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins

It’s natural to be skeptical. Many gluten-free muffin recipes promise a perfect bakery-style crumb, but end up with the wrong texture. I’ve been there; it took me several tries to get this recipe exactly right! Now, with this recipe, I can get the perfect crumb for my muffins every time.

The secret lies in the balance of ingredients, the mixing method, and one simple step many bakers skip: letting the batter rest before baking. That short rest gives the gluten-free flours time to hydrate, so the muffins rise better and hold together beautifully instead of turning crumbly or dense.

The blackberries make a fun, bold addition that really adds flavor to these muffins. The crumb on top also makes these muffins seem a little fancier without adding much extra work. While gluten-free baking can sometimes be a challenge, these blackberry muffins don’t need to be!

Equipment for Blackberry Muffins

• Digital Food Scale
• Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
• Rubber Spatula
• Medium Mixing Bowl
• Handheld Mixer
• Two Muffin Tins

About These Ingredients for Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins

Curious about any of these ingredients? Each of them brings something unique to these muffins.

Gluten-Free Flour Mix

280 grams gluten-free flour mix (about 2 1/2 cups)

I like to use this recipe for gluten-free flour because it’s a workable mix of white rice flour, brown rice flour, tapioca, cornstarch, and potato flour. You may notice it doesn’t include xanthan gum, which is common in store-bought flour mixes, but that’s okay. We’ll add the xanthan gum separately.

Why a flour mix? It’s rare for “single-grain” gluten-free flours to include everything needed to replace the gluten in wheat flour. Gluten forms when two proteins in wheat are exposed to water. They combine to form a web that holds in moisture and supports the structure of baked goods. I’m going for the right blend of protein, carbohydrates, and dietary fiber to simulate the effects of gluten. So I’ll use a mix of flours and starches.

Almond Flour

80 grams almond flour (about 3/4 cup) for muffins

47 grams almond flour for crumble topping

I originally called these “almond flour blueberry muffins” until someone pointed out that you can barely notice the almond flavor you’d expect from this flour. Which is fair, since it’s not even the majority of the flour in this recipe.

Brown Sugar

150 grams brown sugar (about 3/4 cup)

If brown sugar seems to have a more robust sweet flavor than white granulated sugar, you aren’t fooling yourself. The brown color actually comes from a bit of molasses added to the sugar! When shopping for brown sugar, look at the ingredients list. If the ingredients have only two items, sugar and molasses, it’s genuine brown sugar.

Baking Powder

2 teaspoons baking powder

Baking powder is one of two chemical leavening agents that you’ll need for these muffins. Baking powder typically includes a weak base, such as a carbonate or bicarbonate, a weak acid, and a starch that prevents the two other components from reacting before it is added to the recipe. When mixed into the muffin batter, the base and acid react to produce the carbon dioxide bubbles that give the muffins a fluffier texture.

Baking Soda

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Baking soda is another chemical leavening agent, consisting of pure sodium bicarbonate, that reacts with the acid in other ingredients to produce more carbon dioxide bubbles.

Xanthan Gum

1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum

I know that’s not much xanthan gum, but you usually won’t need much for muffins. In gluten-free baked goods, xanthan gum is most often used to add elasticity and stickiness to batters.

Salt

1/4 teaspoon salt in muffins

1/8 teaspoon in crumbly topping

Salt supports many of the chemical reactions that give these muffins some flavor. In the topping, it balances the sweet flavors, though I like to limit it to 1/8 teaspoon to keep from overwhelming the sweetness.

Dairy-Free Butter

127 grams dairy-free butter (about 9 tablespoons) for muffins

2 tablespoons dairy-free butter for crumble topping

Dairy-free butter provides much of the fat these muffins need. For recipes like these muffins, I like to use stick butter. For dairy-free butter, Country Crock Plant Butter is my favorite.

For the crumble topping, the butter will provide something to mix the dry ingredients with, making it look “crumbly.”

Almond Milk

4.5 ounces almond milk (about 2/3 cup)

Almond milk is one of my favorite dairy-free milks for adding creamy moisture to baked goods. It may also add a little more nutty flavor to these muffins, though it rarely gets overwhelming.

Dairy-Free Sour Cream

140 grams sour cream (about 2/3 cup)

The dairy-free sour cream adds a bit more creaminess and a little of the acid that the chemical leavening agents need to react with.

Eggs

2 eggs

Eggs provide the binder needed to keep these muffins from falling apart after baking. They contain a protein that uncurls and binds with other ingredients to help hold the muffins together. The yolks also contain an emulsifier called lechithin that helps the fat and water mix together more thoroughly.

Pure Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Vanilla extract enhances the flavor of baked goods with its sweet, aromatic notes. It can also have a slight bitter note due to its alcohol content, so it may not be pleasant to taste on its own. (Don’t worry, most of the alcohol will likely evaporate while the muffins are baking.)

When shopping for vanilla extract, look for brands that list only vanilla beans, water, and alcohol as ingredients. That way, you can be more confident that you’re buying genuine vanilla extract.

Apple Cider Vinegar

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

Apple cider vinegar contains most of the acid that the baking soda needs to react with. It is a little stronger-tasting than white vinegar, so it’s usually a good idea to use a little less to avoid overwhelming the flavor of your muffins.

Fresh Blackberries

1 cup fresh blackberries

Of course, the blackberries are the whole point! I like to use fresh blackberries for the flavor. When they’re in season, I might even go out to one of those “pick your own berries” farms near me to see if they have blackberries!

Tapioca

32 grams tapioca

You’ll sometimes see tapioca referred to as “tapioca flour.” However, it’s technically a type of starch derived from cassava root. Tapioca’s binding power can help keep the crumbly topping from completely falling apart and off the muffins.

Coconut Sugar

1/4 cup coconut sugar

I like coconut sugar because it adds sweetness and a light coconut flavor to the crumble you’ll sprinkle on top of the muffins.

Ground Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Cinnamon is a favorite for complementing the sweetness in desserts and snacks. It adds a slight sweet-spicy taste to the crumble that won’t overwhelm the berry flavor in the muffins.

How to Make Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins

Now for the fun part: Actually making the gluten-free blackberry muffins. (Well, actually, the fun part is eating them. But making them is not so bad, too.)

Step One: Bring Ingredients Up to Room Temperature

I’ll start by bringing all the ingredients up to room temperature. It’s easiest to measure them out, and then cover them and leave them on the counter for a bit. This helps the ingredients mix more smoothly. It may also help with some of the necessary chemical reactions in the batter, such as chemical leavening agents reacting with acids to produce carbon dioxide bubbles.

Step Two: Mix the Dry Ingredients

In the stand mixer’s bowl, add the gluten-free flour mix, almond flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Mix with the paddle attachment for 30 seconds or until combined.

Step Three: Add Butter

Add the butter and mix for 45 seconds, occasionally scraping down the butter, until the mixture looks crumbly.

Step Four: Mix Liquid Ingredients

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, use a handheld mixer to combine the almond milk, sour cream, eggs, vanilla extract, and apple cider vinegar.

Step Five: Add Liquid Ingredients to Dry Ingredients

Add the liquid ingredients to the dry ingredients in the stand mixer’s mixing bowl. Adjust the mixer to the low setting and mix until fully combined. Stop the mixer and scrape it down, then mix again for 3 minutes.

Step Six: Gently Add the Blackberries

The key with delicate blackberries and any delicate fruit is to gently fold them into the batter. You don’t want to crush the berries, so use a rubber spatula and gently fold them just until they’re mixed in.

Step Seven: Let Batter Rest

Set the batter aside and cover it with some plastic wrap. Let it rest for 30 minutes. Make sure you keep young children and pets away from it while it’s resting.

Step Eight: Preheat Oven and Prepare Muffin Tin

While the batter is resting, preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit (190 degrees Celsius). Spray each cup of a 12-cup muffin tin and 3 cups of another pan with cooking spray.

Step Nine: Make Crumbly Topping

Mix almond flour, tapioca, coconut sugar, cinnamon, salt, and butter until a crumbly texture forms.

Step Ten: Add Batter to Muffin Tin Cups

Portion the batter into the cups, filling each to the top.

Step Eleven: Sprinkle Crumbly Topping Over Muffins

Sprinkle 2 teaspoons of crumb topping over the top of each muffin

Step Twelve: Bake Muffins

Place the muffins in the preheated oven. Bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.

Step Thirteen: Cool Muffins

Cool in the muffin tins for 10 minutes. Remove from the muffin tins.

Step Fourteen: Serve Muffins or Store in an Airtight Container

I like to serve these muffins while they’re still a little warm. They can also be stored in an airtight container on the counter for 2-3 days.

Substitutions for Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins

My favorite part: Most berries that are somewhat similar to blackberries will work in these muffins. Blackberries bring a nice sweet-tart flavor, and I also like to use raspberries, blueberries, and even boysenberries when I can get my hands on some.

You can use dairy milk, butter, and sour cream in this recipe instead of the dairy-free alternatives if you don’t mind the muffins not being dairy-free. If you still want to use a dairy-free milk, coconut milk can work almost like almond milk in a recipe.

Don’t want to use xanthan gum? Psyllium husk powder makes the best 1:1 replacement for xanthan gum. Here’s a handy guide to replacing xanthan gum in gluten-free baking.

FAQ for This Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffin Recipe

While I think this recipe is relatively easy to make, we do get questions sometimes! I did my best to answer some of the most common questions here. If you think of one we haven’t answered yet, feel free to ask in our comments section, and we’ll do our best to answer.

Why did my muffins turn out dry?

Muffins can turn out dry if too much flour is added, the wrong type of gluten-free flour is used, or they are overbaked. It’s also possible that too little liquid was added.

I insist on measuring my flour in grams because precision is important when adding it. Flour can vary in density, which affects how much of it can fit into a measuring cup. So it’s important to use a digital food scale to avoid muffins turning out too dry or too gummy.

The number one thing to remember about gluten-free flours is that they aren’t always easy to substitute for one another. They can vary in protein and dietary fiber content, which affects their ability to absorb moisture. If you try replacing the gluten-free flour mix with a flour that’s notorious for absorbing moisture, like amaranth flour, your muffins can come out dry!

It’s also important to add enough liquid to ensure the flour has moisture to absorb. I’ve seen people skimp on the almond milk because they didn’t like it, and then their muffins came out dry. If that’s the case, use dairy milk or coconut milk!

Why are my muffins too dense or heavy?

Muffins can come out dense if the batter was overmixed or the leavening agents had lost their effectiveness. I know it’s a delicate balance when mixing. You want all the dry ingredients to be thoroughly mixed with the wet ingredients. Overmixing it can also cause the “binder” proteins, like the ones in eggs, to over-extend themselves and lose effectiveness. It can also cause air bubbles to pop, which makes the muffins less fluffy.

It is also possible for baking soda to absorb too much of the ambient “odors” and react to them. This causes it to lose effectiveness. Again, you can make sure the baking soda hasn’t lost effectiveness by adding a little to some vinegar. If it fizzes, it’s still good.

Why did my blackberries sink to the bottom?

Blackberries can sink to the bottom of the muffins if they’re damp. If you rinse them before adding to the batter, gently pat them dry with some paper towels. Make sure they’re completely dry before adding to the batter.

Why are my muffins gummy in the middle?

Gummy muffins might have been underbaked, or they had too much liquid. The blackberries might have also been damp or especially juicy. Very often, a few more minutes in the oven can help them become less gummy. They may also need to cool in the muffin tins for a little bit longer to let the centers set.

Why is the crumb topping melting instead of staying crumbly?

This usually happens if the butter is too soft or the topping is overmixed. The topping should look crumbly before it goes on the muffins. If needed, chill it for a few minutes before sprinkling it over the batter.

Why do my blackberries make the batter purple or streaky?

Blackberries are more delicate than blueberries and can break apart easily during mixing. Fold them in very gently so they stay more intact. A little streaking is normal and does not affect the flavor.

Other Berry Recipes You May Like

Did you like these muffins? If so, you might also like these additional berry recipes!

• Gluten-Free Strawberry Shortcake
• Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins
• Gluten-Free Blueberry Cake
• Gluten-Free Blackbery Scones
• Gluten-Free Blackberry Cobbler
• Almond Flour Cranberry Cookies

Did you like these muffins? Do you have any questions or suggestions? Feel free to let us know in the comments section, and don’t forget to rate this recipe!