Gluten Free Raisin Walnut Muffin Recipe

Perfect vegan breakfast muffin, healthy & satisfying

Applesauce, xanthan gum, oil, and ground flax seed give these gluten free vegan breakfast muffins a moist firm crumb, avoiding the typical dry and crumbly texture of gluten free muffins.

For an ovo-lacto version, replace gr. flax seed and almond milk with eggs and dairy milk.

Total prep & cook time: 45 minutes

12 medium muffins, 1 per serving

Nutrition Data Per Serving, 90g: 264 cal, 13g fat, fat cal 110, 36g carb, 211mg sodium, 4g fiber, 11g sugars, 5g protein, low Cholesterol, good source Manganese. Estimated glycemic load: 19

Wet Ingredients:

1 Tbsp ground flax seed + 1/4 cup warm water OR 2 eggs, beaten
1 cup raisins (or dried cranberries or currants)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup agave syrup
1/2 cup almond milk or other non-dairy milk, OR dairy milk
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients:

2 1/4 cups all purpose gf flour mix (our mix or your choice)
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp xanthan gum (don't add if your flour mix already contains zanthan gum)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Lightly oil a 12 cup muffin tin, or use paper muffin liners
Whisk together the ground flax seed + 1/4 cup hot water OR beat the eggs. Set aside.
Soften and 'plump' the raisins by soaking in boiling water 5 minutes, then drain and set aside
Chop walnuts in small pieces.
Measure applesauce, oil, agave syrup, almond milk, vinegar, and vanilla. Mix with ground flax seed + water and lemon juice, or eggs.
Measure and mix dry ingredients thoroughly using a whisk or electric mixer
Add wet to dry ingredients with nuts and raisins
Mix well, more than you usually would for muffins
Fill muffin cups full and mounded
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes, until browned and firm to the touch
Cool muffins 5 minutes in the pan, then turn out onto a cooling rack
Allow muffins to cool 15 minutes before eating

Recipe Tips:

Walnuts usually have a bitter outer coating. Soaking for a few hours (before chopping), then draining and rinsing, will get rid of any bitterness, plus make your muffins moister. OR soak walnuts for 15 minutes in boiling water, then rinse. I confess that I usually skip this step, and don't care about any residual bitterness. For parsley walnut pesto now, that's different!

'Plumping' the raisins with boiling water softens them and adds moisture to the muffins (instead of taking away).

Usually with quick breads or muffins, the volume of wet to dry ingredients is the same. GF flours have less moisture and fat than wheat flour, so the wet volume needs to be about 20% more, and the fat in the recipe about 10% more.

Oil works better in this recipe than either veggie spread or butter.

Unlike quick breads or muffins, GF batter must be well mixed for best rising. Because there is no gluten, the result won't be tough or have holes in it. Gluten free also needs a little longer baking time because it's slower to rise and takes longer to brown.

1 Tbsp baking powder + 1 tsp baking soda may seem like a lot of leavening, but GF baking seems to need more than the usual amount. The vinegar also assists rising.

Xanthan gum helps rising and binding, and makes gf baking less crumbly. It's available in most natural food stores, often in bulk, and large grocery stores. Make an effort to find xanthan gum if you plan to do a lot of GF baking. If you can't find it or don't want to use it, add another 1/2 Tbsp gr flax seed and 2 Tbsp water.

GF baking mixes are available now in most grocery stores. But they usually come in expensive, small packages. If you bake even just once a month, it's worth making up your own mix. Ours is adapted from Ricki Heller's all purpose mix in her Naturally Sweet and Gluten Free Dessert cookbook. This mix can be substituted 1:1 for all purpose wheat flour, as it has a similar starch|protein ratio, which makes it easy to make your favorite recipes gluten free.

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