Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins

What is almond flour?

Almond flour is made by grinding whole almonds into a fine powder. It's great for gluten-free and low-carb baking because it adds a nutty flavor and a moist texture to baked goods. This flour makes a delicious pie crust, which works well in recipes like Meyer Lemon Curd Tart.

Almond flour is different from almond meal, which is made by grinding almonds with their skins still on. Almond meal has a coarser texture and a darker color than almond flour. It's a good choice for breading foods like these Air Fryer Asparagus Fries.

Why you'll love this recipe

• Easy: This almond flour blueberry muffin recipe is easy to make and requires just a few simple ingredients, one bowl, and only 30 minutes.
• Healthier: These healthy blueberry muffins are low carb, and gluten-free. Almond flour contains heart healthy fats and it's rich in vitamin E and antioxidants. Which makes it a healthier alternative to regular flour. (Try banana blueberry oat muffins for another delicious alternative).
• Freezer friendly: This almond flour muffin recipe is great for meal prep because the muffins freeze beautifully.
• Adaptable: This is a gluten-free muffin recipe already. And you can easily adapt this healthy muffin recipe to fit different dietary needs, such as a keto diet or paleo diet.

Here's what you need to make them

Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.

• Almond flour: The main ingredient. Look for a fine-ground almond flour, and not almond meal. A finer texture makes it more suitable for baking.
• Baking soda: Baking soda is our leavening agent for this recipe; it helps the muffins to rise and become fluffy.
• Cinnamon: I like the flavor of cinnamon and blueberries, but I sometimes add lemon zest because lemon and blueberries are also a great combination.
• Eggs: Eggs are the best leavening agent and binder for baking with almond flour. You will need three large eggs for making these almond flour muffins. Almond flour absorbs more moisture than all purpose flour so an extra egg helps to counteract this. I haven't tried this recipe using flax eggs or an egg replacer, so I can't advise. If you do try it, I would love it if you share in the comments how it worked.
• Butter: You can substitute any oil, (olive oil is a great choice), or use melted coconut oil instead of butter to make these gluten-free muffins dairy-free as well.
• Maple syrup: These almond blueberry muffins are sweetened with maple syrup, keeping them free of refined sugar. However you can use honey, coconut sugar or brown sugar. If you do use a granulated sweetener, add a couple of tablespoons of almond milk or Greek yogurt to compensate for the lost liquid.
• Blueberries: You can use fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries. (Don't defrost).
• Vanilla extract: If you want to increase the almond flavor, use almond extract instead of vanilla.

How to make these muffins

These delicious almond flour blueberry muffins are so quick and easy. Here's how, step by step.

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
2. Add the eggs, melted butter, maple syrup, and vanilla extract. Stir until combined.
3. Fold in the blueberries.
4. Spoon the batter evenly into the prepared muffin cups.

Helpful Tips

• Room temperature: For best results in baking, eggs should be at room temperature. If you don't remember to pull the eggs from the fridge ahead of time, submerge them in a bowl of warm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.
• Frozen blueberries: If you're using frozen blueberries, don't thaw them. They are easier to mix into the batter without turning it blue, when frozen.
• Don't over mix: Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients quickly, using a few strokes until just combined. Overmixing can cause tough, unevenly baked muffins.
• Batter: The muffin batter will be thick, so you shouldn't have any problems with blueberries sinking to the bottom.
• Grease the muffin pan: You can use paper liners, but the muffins will still stick to the liners. 
• Storage: Keep the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
• To Freeze: Freeze these almond flour muffins individually on a tray until firm, then pack them into a freezer bag or container. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the muffins in the fridge, uncovered. If you like warm muffins, heat them in the microwave.

Variations

• Sweeter muffins: These healthy almond flour blueberry muffins are not overly sweet. If you have a sweet tooth, you can increase the maple syrup by ¼ cup.
• Keto blueberry muffins: Replace the maple syrup with sugar-free maple syrup.
• Paleo blueberry muffins: Replace the butter with melted coconut oil or ghee.
• Dairy free muffins: Replace the butter with any other oil.
• Additions: Add nuts like almonds or pecans for extra protein and crunch. Add chocolate chips, (sugar-free if needed). I recommend ½ cup.
• Berries:  Swap the blueberries for raspberries, sliced strawberries, or blackberries.
• Mini muffins: Use a mini muffin tin to make 24 mini muffins. You will need to shorten the baking time to 10 or 12 minutes.
• Flour: Almond flour is the best choice for these muffins, of course. However, I have made this recipe with a gluten-free all purpose flour using the same measurements. It works, but the muffins won't have the same texture or almond flavor. I haven 't tested this recipe with oat flour, cassava flour, coconut flour or any other flour. If you want to experiment with other nut flours, try hazlenut flour, cashew flour, or walnut flour.

Frequently Asked Questions

More Almond Flour Recipes

I love using almond flour for delicious gluten-free desserts like Apple and Blackberry Crumble, Cherry Almond Clafoutis, Strawberry Dutch Baby, and Peach Cobbler. And it works beautifully in baked goods! Try another healthy muffin recipe: Pumpkin Pecan Muffins or a cake: Apple Ricotta Cake.