Gluten-Free Cooking For Dummies
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Because muffins are derived primarily from a gluten-free flour base, if you are converting a wheat recipe, you’ll need to add extra flavoring in the form of stir-ins (nuts, coconut, fresh, canned, or dried fruit, shredded carrots or zucchini, mashed bananas, applesauce or jars of baby fruit, chocolate chips, or even liqueurs) or added flavoring (extra vanilla, almond, or other liquid flavoring plus additional or increased amounts of spices).

Add an extra egg and 1 tablespoon of mayonnaise to help the pastry rise. It also helps to substitute some of the liquid called for in the recipe with something more flavorful, like brewed coffee, juice, or sweetened condensed milk.

This recipe already has these adjustments made, so start baking!

[Credit: ©T.J. Hine Photography, Inc.]
Credit: ©T.J. Hine Photography, Inc.

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cook time: 20 minutes

Yield: 16 large muffins

Nonstick cooking spray

3/4 cup 2 percent milk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 eggs

1 egg white

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup olive oil

1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 tablespoon mayonnaise (not low-fat version)

3/4 cup gluten-free flour mixture

1/4 cup coconut flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1-1/3 cups dried cranberries

1/2 cup chopped, toasted pecans

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Spray muffin tins with cooking spray.

  2. In a small bowl, stir together the milk and lemon juice; set the mixture aside for a few minutes to thicken.

  3. In a mixing bowl, use the mixer to whip the eggs and egg white for 1 minute.

  4. Add the thickened milk, sugar, oil, vanilla, almond extract, and mayonnaise, and continue to whip for another minute.

  5. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour mixture, coconut flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt.

  6. Add the flour mixture to the egg mixture; blend the dry ingredients in thoroughly using a whisk.

  7. Fold in the cranberries and pecans.

  8. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins.

  9. Bake the batter for 15 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

  10. Cool the muffins slightly, and then remove them to a wire rack.

Keep leftover muffins stored in the freezer to keep them from drying out. To thaw, wrap a muffin in wax paper and pop it into the microwave or wrap it in foil and bake at 300 degrees F for 15 minutes.

With wheat flour muffins, the directions usually say, “Stir the ingredients just until blended.” With the gluten-free flours, whip the liquid ingredients first to incorporate air so the finished product will be lighter.

Per serving: Calories: 183; Total fat: 8g; Saturated fat: 1g; Cholesterol: 28mg; Sodium: 185mg; Carbohydrates: 27g; Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 12g; Protein: 3g.

Gluten-Free Flour Mixture

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Yield: 5 cups

2-1/2 cups rice flour

1 cup potato starch flour

1 cup tapioca flour

1/4 cup garbanzo bean flour

1/4 cup cornstarch

2-1/2 tablespoons xanthan gum

  1. Sift all the ingredients into a large bowl, and then stir them together with a whisk.

  2. Spoon the mixture into a self-seal freezer bag and freeze until needed.

Per 1/4 cup: Calories: 138; Total fat: 0g; Saturated fat: 0g; Cholesterol: 0mg; Sodium: 1mg; Carbohydrates: 32g; Fiber: 2g; Sugar: 0g; Protein: 1g.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

Danna Korn is a respected and leading authority on the gluten-free diet and the medical conditions that benefit from it. She has been featured in People Magazine, on ABC's 20-20, and dozens of other national media outlets. Connie Sarros is a nationally recognized advocate for healthy eating and nutrition whose work has appeared in Cooking Light, the Chicago Tribune, and other publications.

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