It was only when I was well underway with making these delicious gluten free strawberry muffins, that I realised the recipe is very similar to the blueberry muffin recipe I already have on the blog. However, after making the muffins and discovering they’re terrific, I had to crack on and share the recipe with you.
These soft, and oh so tasty muffins, studded with a generous amount of juicy strawberry pieces, are nice and simple to pop together and smell divine as they bake.
The original recipe for these gluten free strawberry muffins came from the rather splendid website, once upon a chef. If you’ve never visited the site, then you really must! Jenn, a classically trained chef, who writes once upon a chef, shares truly fabulous, tried and tested recipes. And most of her standard recipes will adapt superbly into gluten free creations.
Ingredients
250g (9oz) gluten free plain/all purpose flour or mix – plus 2 teaspoons more to toss in with the chopped strawberries (I use ASDA free from flour)
2 teaspoons gluten free baking powder
½ teaspoon *xanthan gum (not required if flour or mix already contains this or guar gum)
¾ teaspoon salt (not required if using salted butter)
110g (4oz) softened unsalted butter
220g (8oz) caster sugar
2 large eggs, room temp
1½ teaspoons *vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon *almond extract
100ml milk (I used semi skimmed but any milk should be OK)
340g (12oz) washed and diced strawberries
1 tablespoon demerara or turbinado sugar (to sprinkle over the muffins before baking)
Method
Preheat the oven to 190C/375F/Gas 5/170C Fan.
Line a 12-hole muffin tray with large paper muffin cases.
Add the gluten free flour, baking powder, xanthan gum and salt (if using unsalted butter) to a medium sized bowl and whisk or stir to blend the ingredients together.
Place the softened butter and caster sugar into a large mixing bowl. Then using an electric whisk or stand mixer whisk for about 1 minute or until the mixture becomes pale and creamy.
Add the eggs to the butter and sugar and beat well. Scrape down the mixture from the side of the bowl and give everything another quick whisk.
Pour in the vanilla and almond extract and whisk briefly.
Gradually add the flour mixture, alternating with additions of milk. Whisk on a low speed in between each addition.
Continue to whisk until smooth and creamy.
Stir two teaspoons of gluten free flour through the chopped strawberries. Reserve ½ a cup of strawberries to scatter over the muffins.
Tip the larger bowl of strawberries into the batter and using a spatula gently fold them though the mixture, ensuring they are nice and evenly distributed. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared muffin cases.
Gently scatter over the remaining chopped strawberries.
And then using a teaspoon, sprinkle over the demarera sugar.
Pop the tray into the oven and bake for 30 minutes until the muffins are golden brown and when a skewer is inserted into the centre of a muffin, it comes out clean.
Remove the tray from the oven and leave the muffins to cool for 15 minutes before transferring them onto a cooling rack or serving plate to cool completely.
Recipe notes and suggestions:
The muffins will keep for 2-3 days when wrapped in foil or stored in an airtight container. They can also be frozen. On Jenn’s website, she recommends the following freezing guidance: “After they are completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminium foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in heavy-duty freezer bag”. The muffins will be OK in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw for 3-4 hours on the countertop before serving.
To reheat the muffins wrap them individually in aluminium foil, place onto a baking tray and pop them into a preheated oven (175C/155C Fan) until warm.
I love these muffins just as they come. They’re also rather gorgeous, when served up with syrupy fresh strawberries – washed and diced strawberries, sprinkled with a lots of sugar and left in the fridge for a while, to allow a fabulous syrup to develop – and creme fraiche. A good *vanilla ice cream would also work a treat with this combo.
Thanks for checking out this recipe for gluten free strawberry muffins. Credit and thanks to Jenn Segal over at Once Upon a Chef, for the original strawberry muffin recipe, that I ever so slightly adapted to make them gluten free.
Any questions please do give me a shout!
For now,
Liz x
*Check this product to ensure there are no gluten containing ingredients or ‘may contain’ or ‘not suitable’ warnings on the pack. If in doubt leave it out.
