Gluten-Free Goddess Blueberry Muffins- No Xanthan Gum

Baking Without Xanthan Gum, I Am.

When I first set foot on this lonely gluten-free road (it was 2001, remember, pre-gluten-free boon; there was nary a gluten-free bagel or wheat-free blueberry muffin in sight), I wrestled with converting my beloved tried and true wheat flour recipes, gamely baking and tossing too many gluten-free hockey pucks and brick loaves to count. Until I discovered xanthan gum- the weirdo secret ingredient that gave gluten-free batter and dough a hint of that elusive stretchy tenderness that gluten once gifted. Xanthan gum was a find.

And it has been a nifty little problem solver for many years.

Until it wasn’t.

After a decade or so of cooking, baking, and eating strictly gluten-free I began to feel- shall we say- less than wonderful after eating something with xanthan gum (or guar gum, or locust bean gum, or carrageenan).

Ingredients my grandmother never heard of. Ingredients I never used to eat. Or bake with.

I had a gluten-free shakabuku.

I was seeing gums and emulsifiers added to everything. From coconut milk to olives, from gluten-free gingersnaps to vegan ice cream.

Then I read this.

And I decided to go back to the way I used to eat- still gluten-free, of course- but- no xanthan gum. No guar gum. No carrageenan.

Guess what?

My tummy is (WAY) happier. My digestion is normal (translation- no pain, no bloat, no kill me now existential ennui).

I’ve been experimenting with baking without xanthan gum. And I’m here to share my blueberry muffin success. I’m using flax seed meal to help the batter a bit. And so far?

So good.

Bake on, Lovelies.

Karina xo

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins without xanthan gum from Karina #glutenfree

Gluten-Free Goddess Blueberry Muffins Recipe – Without Xanthan Gum

By Karina Allrich April 6, 2015.

To help the batter behave without gums, I added a tablespoon of Organic Flaxseed Meal.

First:

Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a 12-muffin tin with paper liners.

Ingredients:

In a mixing bowl, whisk together:

1 cup Gluten-Free Oat Flour
2/3 cup Gluten-Free Buckwheat or Fine Corn Flour
2/3 cup almond meal/flour
1/2 cup cassava starch/flour or potato starch (not potato flour)
1 tablespoon organic flaxseed meal
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoons good vanilla extract

Beat in:

1 1/4 cups light brown sugar
2 tablespoons light olive oil or coconut oil
2 large organic free-range eggs
1/2 cup warm water

Beat the batter until it is smooth, much like a thick cake batter.

Add in:

1 cup blueberries, patted dry

Stir gently and briefly.

Instructions:

Spoon the batter into lined muffin cups.

Bake in the center of a preheated oven for 22 minutes if using convection.

If not using convection, bake for 23 to 25 minutes, until golden and firm to the touch.

A wooden pick inserted into the center should emerge clean.

Cool the muffin pan on a wire rack for five minutes. Gently pop the muffins out to continue cooling on the rack (it’s always best to cool them out of the hot pan, to avoid soggy bottoms).

These muffins taste simply divine warm from the oven. The convection gives these gems a slightly crusty golden top.

Wrap and freeze cooled muffins for future breakfast treats.

Makes one dozen.