blueberry cornmeal muffins

gluten-free

While I remain chained to my sewing machine David and Thomas are having fun with Deacon, Aubrie, Jane, and Theo in Waterton. A stop at Uncle Dean's to ride the horses and then on to eat, sleep, and play in the mountains. Throwing rocks in the lake (endlessly entertaining), bike-riding, hiking, picnics, swimming. 

A weekend in Waterton needed some yummy 'vittles' to keep the troops happy. Since neither of the men wanted to be in the kitchen much (who would when Waterton is on the other side of the door?!) and it was a good idea for the food to be easily grabbed and absolutely portable (four kids between the ages of 2 and 8) I made a batch of muffins for them to take along. The qualifiers also included  gluten-free, major kid-appeal, and at least semi-healthy. I had a big box of perfect fresh blueberries in the fridge so that factored into the choice as well. Usually I class blueberry muffins in the cake category as far as nutrition goes and to be honest these are not terribly far off that mark but they are made with a gluten-free whole grain mix, no refined sugars, and coconut oil. And of course, blueberries! So although these are not loaded like my favourite (or these) muffins they are a pretty good compromise. Plus they have the obvious advantage of appealing to people who really have no appreciation for the virtues of hempseed hearts, flax, and dates.


These came out of the oven and went straight into the food bag (aside from the one that I wolfed on the spot) so I have no reports yet from my small taste-testers but the one muffin I ate was pretty yummy and I wish I had been a little more selfish.


If you don't have buttermilk just sour fresh milk by adding a bit of vinegar or lemon juice. You can also use any other oil of your choice but I like the health advantages as well as the taste of the coconut oil - butter is always a yummy choice. I used coconut palm sugar because it is an unrefined sugar - if you wanted to use regular sugar instead 3/4 cup would be the amount. Or 1/2 cup of honey and decrease the milk to 1 1/8 cups. And finally, although I haven't tried it yet I am confident that you could substitute regular flour for the gluten-free blend cup for cup with good results.


gluten-free blueberry cornmeal muffins


2 cups (275 gm) whole grain gluten-free flour mix ( or your favourite commercial blend)
 1/3 cup + 1 Tbsp (75 gm) cornmeal
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp sea salt
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups (180 gm) coconut palm sugar
1 1/3 cups buttermilk 
1/2 cup coconut oil
1 1/4 cups fresh blueberries


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12 cup muffin tin with parchment cupcake papers or grease thoroughly.


Whisk together the flours, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and melted coconut oil. Add to the dry ingredients and stir just until all the flour is mixed in.  Gently fold the blueberries into the batter. Fill the muffin cups evenly and bake until the muffins are nicely golden and the top springs back when touched - about 25-30 minutes.