I don’t know why, but I’ve been thinking about this blueberry coffee cake from a cafe called Hobee’s. I used to have it quite often when I lived in California. They served tall slices of cake loaded with blueberries. And the crusty topping was delicious!

I now live thousands of miles away, I moved away from California 15 years ago. So I can’t drop in to Hobie’s for the cake. And due to intolerances in the family, I cook a lot of gluten free meals. So I set out to make my own recipe.

Here is the final result. I will say Yes, there are quite a few ingredients. But I think you’ll find it’s worth it!

It helps to prep ahead of time. The lemon can be zested and refrigerated. The dry ingredients can be mixed beforehand. And the end result is a coffee cake muffin you’ll really enjoy! And the muffins freeze really well.

To make this recipe dairy free, you can substitute coconut oil for the butter. Or a dairy free butter such as Miyokos. We personally use goat butter in our recipes. It’s easier on the digestive system.

My approach to this recipe is the same that I use for all baking recipes, and it’s something I learned in pastry class. I combine the dry ingredients separately. Then I combine the wet ingredients. Finally, I bring the dry and wet ingredients together.

Speaking as a mom that has kids with sensory issues, this muffin has a lot of texture. Your kid may not care for the bumpy, squishy blueberries. Or the crumbly topping may bother them. That’s ok! Exposure helps them develop a tolerance for these kinds of textures. They can touch and feel the topping, and maybe you can cut them in half so they can see and touch the inside. Playing with food as they call it, can help your kid move towards gradual acceptance. I’ll always remember when we worked with a physical therapist, she said ”If they’re not comfortable touching the food, they’re certainly not going to be comfortable putting it in their mouth”. There’s definitely truth to that. So we start by having them play with it, get used to the feel. Then maybe they muster the curiosity to try a bite. They may not like it. They may spit it out. And that’s ok too! At least they tried it, so make sure you praise them for that. In my household, we have one kid that will eat blueberry muffins. The other one gags trying to take a bite. So I don’t force it on him. He does observe us eating them and I can see he’s thinking. He’s probably wondering why we love such a ghastly treat! Who knows. Maybe one day he’ll grow to love them. You never know.

If you make this recipe, let me know how it turned out!

Gluten Free Lemon Blueberry Coffee Cake Muffins

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Course Breakfast, Dessert, Side Dish

Servings 12

Equipment

• 1 Large bowl for dry ingredients
• 1 stand or hand mixer
• 2 6 count muffin Pan
• 12 Muffin Pan liners

Ingredients

  

• 2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1/2 cup fine ground almond flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 1 cup plain yogurt

Topping (Optional)

• 1/8 cup Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour
• 1/8 cup fine ground almond flour
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons sugar
• 1 Tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 1/2 Tablespoons oats
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
• Dash ground ginger
• Pinch salt

Instructions

 

• Take butter and eggs out, and let it warm to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine the dry ingredients (Flour, Almond flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, lemon zest and salt. Measure them out to a mixing bowl. Then stir to combine. Set aside.
• In a large mixing bowl, add sugar. Then add butter, vanilla, and apple cider vinegar. Beat together until light and fluffy.
• Add two eggs and mix to combine. Then slowly add milk and yogurt.
• Add dry ingredients and stir to combine.
• Gently fold in blueberries.
• Optional – sprinkle topping over muffin batter before placing in the oven.
• Pour the batter into paper lined muffin pan cups.
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until slightly golden brown on top.
• Remove from oven and cool for 5-10 minutes before serving.

  Enjoy!

Notes

Quick tip: If you want to skip taking out the butter and letting it come to room temperature, use goat butter. I find that it has a soft consistency. I slice it into thin pieces before adding to a recipe. I never have to worry about taking it out ahead of time.