Muffins are a great way to start the day – especially when they have fresh fruit in them! This blueberry muffin recipe without milk is to DIE for, and it’s so easy to make! They are made with juicy blueberries, and they make the best blueberry muffins around! It’s a delicious fluffy muffins recipe that you will love!
Do you have fresh blueberries that need to be used? Or perhaps you have a bag of frozen blueberries in the back of the freezer needing to be used. Perhaps you are just really craving a blueberry muffin (it’s easy to do!) but you need it to be dairy-free. Whatever the reason you have for landing on this page, you will LOVE this easy blueberry muffin recipe. We’ve provided detailed instructions for how to have the best results the first time you make this recipe!
Dairy Free Bluebery Muffins
Our family loves breakfast. For breakfast, lunch, or dinner, it doesn’t matter. And one of our very favorites is blueberry muffins. They’re flavorful, easy, and fun for the kids to make and eat. This recipe is totally dairy-free, but you would never know it’s not a regular muffin.
It took a lot of work to the best results; removing dairy without rebalancing the ingredients leaves the muffins dry, crumbly, and flavorless. This recipe for dairy-free blueberry muffins is hands-down one of the best muffins I have ever made, with or without dairy. I started with my original recipe and adapted it until I was able to make something that I could truly call a great recipe. It will easily become your go-to recipe from here on out!
This truly is an easy recipe that doesn’t require any unique or uncommon ingredients – you might very well have them all in your patnry (the only thing you might not have are the blueberries!)
Because it’s summer and wild blueberries are in season, we’ve been making this muffin a few times a week. It’s so easy and so good, you’ll definitely add it to your regular rotation as well.
What makes this recipe work
Dairy is an important ingredient in baked goods. It adds moisture and makes a softer crumb, and it gives the baked good the all-important golden brown color. Removing dairy can result in stiff, cardboard-like muffins that have no flavor. Because this recipe is dairy-free, we had to find alternatives to bring the same light texture. So, we made sure to add a little extra oil for softness, water to replace the moisture, and an extra egg for texture. With these ingredients, the recipe is perfect.
Take it to the Next Level
This recipe also includes two special ingredients: lemon zest and freshly grated nutmeg. These ingredients are great combinations with blueberries, and give the muffins a little extra lift and flavor. The lemon brings a lightness and freshness, and the nutmeg adds a warmth and flavor that makes the muffin memorable and delicious. Without these flavors, the muffin would taste boring and overwhelmingly sweet. As an alternative, or in addition to nutmeg, you can also add a dash of cinnamon, which is another classic blueberry spice.
Fresh or frozen berries?
One of the great things about this recipe is that you can use fresh or frozen berries, it doesn’t matter. Either will work great! Some people prefer frozen berries because the berries are soft and ready to go, but if you can add fresh, it makes the most beautiful muffin with big, beautiful berries. Fresh berries hold up better and are less likely to bleed into the batter than frozen, and they burst in your mouth like a tasty surprise.
If you’re using fresh berries, be sure to rinse the berries very well and pick the stems from the berries. Let them dry well, so they don’t sink to the bottom of the batter while the muffin is cooking.
If you use frozen, you can pop them straight from the freezer into the batter and mix in. Doing this will keep the berries from bleeding through the batter and turning it purple. It will increase the cooking time by one to two minutes, so don’t be surprised if they take longer in the oven to reach their full height and be cooked through.
Either way, it’s important to fold the berries into the batter gently. Doing so protects the berries from bursting. A muffin mix that has been blended so much it turns purple will taste good, but won’t be as high and airy, and it will not have the beautiful contrast between sweet muffin and tart, fresh berry that makes a really good muffin so special.
Supplies
- Muffin tin, greased or lined with muffin liners
- Large mixing bowl
- Lemon zester or microplane grater
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup water, room temperature
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- zest of one lemon
- large dash of freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon
- white sugar or Turbinado sugar for sprinkling, optional
Recipe
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and spray or line a 12-muffin tin. Get the oven heating right at the start, because making the batter only takes a few minutes, and you don’t want a mix with a lot of baking powder resting on the counter before going in the oven.
- Mix the oil and sugar together for three to five minutes. It will not cream together like butter and sugar, but taking the time to dissolve the sugar will make a better muffin.
- Add the eggs and mix thoroughly. Add the water, vanilla, lemon, nutmeg, and blend
- Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt), and mix into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the blueberries gently with a spatula or spoon. This helps you avoid breaking the blueberries, while evenly distributing the berries.
- Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup, ice cream scoop, or cookie scooper to add the batter to the greased or lined muffin pan. When filling, be sure to fill up to the muffin line, but not above; it will spill over as it bakes.
- If your muffin batter doesn’t fill every tin, put water in the empty tins. This will increase the moisture and make a softer bake. It will also prevent the pan from scorching in the high heat.
- Right before popping them in the oven, you can sprinkle a little sugar (granulated or Turbinado). Often, the sugar is somewhat absorbed by the batter unless the grain is quite large, but the crunch and shine remain.
- Bake the muffins for about 12-15 minutes for fresh berries, and add one to three minutes for frozen berries. You will know they’re done when they’ve got a nice rise in the pan, are not shiny or wet looking, and have a golden brown color. You can use a knife or toothpick to test for doneness, but their appearance is an accurate indicate of being ready.
- You can move to a wire rack for cooling if you desire
Mouth-Watering Dairy-Free Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 3/4 cups white sugar
- 1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup water, room temperature
- 1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 tablespoon vanilla
- zest of one lemon
- large dash of freshly grated nutmeg, about 1/4-1/2 teaspoon
- white sugar or Turbinado sugar for sprinkling, optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit and spray or line a 12-muffin tin. Get the oven heating right at the start, because making the batter only takes a few minutes, and you don’t want a mix with a lot of baking powder resting on the counter before going in the oven.
- Mix the oil and sugar together for three to five minutes. It will not cream together like butter and sugar, but taking the time to dissolve the sugar will make a better muffin.
- Add the eggs and mix thoroughly. Add the water, vanilla, lemon, nutmeg, and blendCombine the dry ingredients (flour, baking powder, and salt), and mix into the wet ingredients until combined. Do not overmix.
- Fold in the blueberries gently with a spatula or spoon. This helps you avoid breaking the blueberries, while evenly distributing the berries.
- Use a 1/4 cup measuring cup, ice cream scoop, or cookie scooper to add the batter to the greased or lined muffin pan. When filling, be sure to fill up to the muffin line, but not above; it will spill over as it bakes.
- If your muffin batter doesn’t fill every tin, put water in the empty tins. This will increase the moisture and make a softer bake. It will also prevent the pan from scorching in the high heat.
- Right before popping them in the oven, you can sprinkle a little sugar (granulated or Turbinado). Often, the sugar is somewhat absorbed by the batter unless the grain is quite large, but the crunch and shine remain.
- Bake the muffins for about 12-15 minutes for fresh berries, and add one to three minutes for frozen berries. You will know they’re done when they’ve got a nice rise in the pan, are not shiny or wet looking, and have a golden brown color. You can use a knife or toothpick to test for doneness, but their appearance is an accurate indicate of being ready.
- You can move to a wire rack for cooling if you desire
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 232Total Fat: 10gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 179mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 1gSugar: 15gProtein: 3g
Please verify this information with your preferred nutrition calculator.
How many muffins does this recipe make?
This batter makes 12 generous muffins or about 16 smaller muffins.
How can I store these?
The muffins will stay fresh for three or four days or will freeze fine for a few months.
These make a great breakfast-to-go, if you wrap one or two muffins in a freezer bag or parchment paper and store in a freezer-safe bag. Simply pull them out the night before you want to eat them, and you’ll have a great-tasting breakfast ready to go!
You can also store them in an airtight container on your countertop or refrigerator for several days.
How can I make gluten-free blueberry muffins?
We have not tested this recipe with any type of gluten-free flour blend, almond flour, or oat flour. However, you could certainly try and 1:1 gluten free flour substitute. If you are more familiar with gluten-free baking, you could experiment with some other ingredients to see what works best for you!
Are these healthy blueberry muffins?
These aren’t muffins made with any particularly healthy ingredients. They do have sugar and all-purpose flour in them! However, they aren’t as unhealthy as many manufactured or homemade recipes are. You can make adaptations to make them a little healthier.
What are some additional adaptations I can make to this recipe?
There are lots of things you can to do change these recipes up! Here are a few ideas:
- Top with coconut sugar
- Add almond extract instead of vanilla
- Brush the tops of the muffins with butter
- Top with brown sugar
- Use whole wheat flour (may need to adjustments to the amount)
- Make a lemon juice glaze to add to the top
- Add chocolate chips
- Use coconut oil instead of canola (this has not been tested)
- Use maple syrup in place of some of the sugar (this has not been tested)
Can I use a dairy-free milk instead of water?
We have not tried using a non-dairy milk with this recipe – instead, we chose to just use water as the liquid. You could try using soy milk, unsweetened almond milk, or coconut milk in place of the water, though we cannot guarantee the results!
Are these Vegan blueberry muffins
If you are looking for a vegan muffins recipe, this one can fit the bill! Make sure you use an oil that is vegan-friendly. There are no dairy products in this. Don’t forget some vegan butter for spreading!
can I turn this into bread?
While we haven’t tried this, you could try putting the batter in a loaf pan and cooking!
What are the best muffin cups?
If you want to cook these directly in the muffin pan, that’s just fine! However, many do prefer to use muffin cups. We aren’t partial toward paper liners versus silicone! Whatever is more convenient for you.
More Recipes You May Enjoy:
- Homemade Cornbread Crouton Recipe
- How to Make a Bread Bowl from Frozen Roll Dough
- Quick and Easy Blueberry Biscuits Recipe
- Simple Layered Blueberry Jello Salad
- Easy Sourdough Zucchini Bread Recipe
- Keto Pumpkin Bread with Pecans–Simple Ingredients
This dairy-free blueberry muffin recipe results in fluffy muffins that are perfect for breakfast time! They are the best way to start the day, and you are almost guaranteed to always have good results.
- About the Author
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Natalie Clark is a mother of three children and a cooking enthusiast. She can often be found concocting delicious meals for family and friends in her kitchen. Homemade cookies are what she’s made for. From working in Washington DC to being a stay-at-home mom and part-time editor, Natalie has done it all. Through her life adventures, she’s developed her cooking skills and has developed some of the most popular recipes on Simply Side Dishes.
Mary says
Turned out great! You left out where to add the water & I almost left it out haha. We’re great
Katie Clark says
Glad you loved them! But whoops! Thanks for pointing that out.
Tammy says
Where in the recipe does the water get added?
Katie Clark says
Hi! Thanks for pointing this out. We have updated step three to say “Add the eggs and mix thoroughly. Add the water, vanilla, lemon, nutmeg, and blend”
Greta says
Thank you! Great recipe, I was out of milk but had everything else you called for- tastes great!