Ideas for Adapting Muffin and Loaf Recipes

* CHOOSE A RECIPE: Choose a recipe that gets some of its moisture from grated fruit or mashed bananas or applesauce, grated vegetables, or nut butters - something with substance. Choose a recipe with 2 cups or less of regular flour per 12 muffins.
* REPLACEMENTS: Replace flour with a proportional amount of gluten-free mix. For 2 cups mix:Try 3/4 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup amaranth flour, 1/2 cup potato starch, and 1/4 cup tapioca starch. Or, al- ternatively, soy flour often works well with fruit and nut loaves.Try 1/2 cup rice flour, 1/2 cup soy flour, 1/4 cup amaranth flour, 1/3 cup potato starch, and 3 tbsp tapioca starch.
* GF NECESSITIES: Add 1/2 tsp xanthan gum and 1/2 tsp gelatin to the dry ingredients.
* EGGS: Choose a recipe with eggs in it. Then, increase the egg. If the recipe calls for 1 egg, use an ultra-jumbo egg or 2 small eggs. If the recipe calls for 2 eggs, increase it to 3.
* FLAVOURING Increase spices, vanilla, or other flavourings to compensate for the bland flavour of rice flours - though using amaranth flour will make a big difference to the flavour, too.
* LEAVENING: Increase baking powder and baking soda a bit - use heaped teaspoons rather than level teaspoons.
* DON’T: Don’t bother adapting bran muffin recipes. Rice bran tastes like sawdust. Really, really low-fat muffins and loaves are likely to adapt poorly, too.
* VEGETARIAN NOTE: If you omit the gelatin for vegetarians, you may want to get the same effect by whisking the flaxseed meal in the recipe with the milk, buttermilk, or other wet ingredients and letting it sit for half an hour, so that it softens and gels. I almost always include 1/4 to 1/2 cup flaxseed meal in every muffin or loaf recipe to get this effect and to increase the fibre content anyway.
* STORING AND FREEZING: Always freeze muffins and (sliced) loaves soon after they have cooled completely. Gluten-free baked goods do not keep at room temperature. For some reason, gleten-free food with baking powder or baking soda is especially prone to spoiling. By day four after baking, your muffins will be inedible.

Quinoa Herb Muffins

Based on herbed rice muffins that are somewhere else on this blog, these quinoa-stuffed muffins are great with soup. I am not fond of quinoa flour, but I love quinoa itself, so when I wanted herbed rice muffins but had no brown rice cooked, the best idea seemed to be to cook up some quinoa and swap it into the recipe.

1/2 cup quinoa, cooked in 1 cup water until tender and water is absorbed, then cooled a bit

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 tsp xanthan gum
4 tso baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each dried basil, marjoram, and oregano
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

3 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/4 cup (generous!) freshly, finely grated Parmesan cheese

Grease 12 muffin tins.

In a medium bowl, whisk flours and starches, flaxseed meal, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, herbs, and cheese.

In a large bowl, combine quinoa (making sure it's cool enough to not cook the eggs), oil, eggs, milk, and cheese. Whisk until well combined.

Stir into dry ingredients, just to mix.

Fill prepared muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake muffins at 400F for 20 to 25 minutes.

Apple Streusel Muffins

A somewhat decadent muffin with a streusel topping to add glamour and a sense of occasion.

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter

2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
1 medium apple, grated

2 tbsp grated lemon rind
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbsp sugar

Put flours and sugar in a large bowl. Rub in butter until crumbly. Reserve 1/2 cup of this mixture for topping.

Beat egg and add with milk all at once to remaining flour mixture. Beat lightly just until mixed — the batter should still be lumpy. Stir in apple and 1 tbsp of the lemon rind. Spoon into 12-tin greased muffin tins, filling each muffin cup just 2/3 full.

Topping:
Add reserved crumb mixture to remaining lemon rind, walnuts, and sugar. Sprinkle this mixture on top of the muffins. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.

Makes 12 muffins.

Pumpkin-Cream Cheese Muffins

In pumpkin season, pumpkin recipes are indispensable! We have any number of pumpkinny squash proliferating in our garden (read: taking over our entire yard and property). This is a tasty and not-too-sweet cheesecakey muffin.

3/4 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup amaranth flour (or another 3/4 cup brown rice flour)
1/4 cup tapioca starch flour
1/4 cup soy flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp ginger
pinch nutmeg
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
1/4 tsp allspice
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
3/4 cup cooked pumpkin
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup sour cream
1 4-oz pkg cream cheese, cut in 12 cubes

In a large bowl, mix flours and starches, sugar, spices, baking powder, and salt. In a small bowl, mix eggs, pumpkin, butter, and sour cream. Add to the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Fill greased muffin cups 1/3 full. Place a cube of cream cheese in the centre of each. Add more batter to fill cups 2/3 full. Bake at 400F for approx. 15 to 20 minutes.

Banana Muffins

While we're on the topic of overripe bananas . . . (I recently overestimated my baby's interest in eating bananas and underestimated their appeal for fruitflies.) These muffins are delicious with chocolate chips (what isn't?) but just as tasty with fresh or frozen berries, dried fruit, or chopped apple chunks instead of the chocolate chips. If using fruit, you might like to add some grated lemon peel or cinnamon to the batter. I have to keep my muffins simple and chocolate-free until the baby is old enough to taste citrus or chocolate.

1 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour (or another 1/2 cup brown rice flour)
1/2 cup potato starch
1/3 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup flaxseed meal (optional)
1 tsp xanthan gum
1 tsp unflavoured gelatin (omit for vegetarians)
2 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt

1 cup milk (soy milk works fine)
1/4 cup canola oil
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup mashed, ripe bananas (about 3 bananas)
1 cup chocolate chips, blueberries or other berries, or chopped fruit

Preheat oven to 375F. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin or use liners. Whisk together dry ingredients until well-blended. In another bowl, whisk milk, oil, eggs, and vanilla until very smooth. Pour into flour mixture and stir just until ingredients are moistened. Fold in mashed bananas and additions (chocolate or fruit). Spoon batter into tins, filling 2/3 to 3/4 full, depending on how big you like your muffins and how many you wish to make. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until tops of muffins are lightly browned and centres test clean with a skewer. (Note: If using frozen bananas or frozen berries, you may need to allow a little longer for muffins to cook.) Remove from oven, then turn out onto a rack to cool.

Makes 12 to 15 muffins.

Savoury Ricotta Muffins

Another savoury muffin recipe. I must admit these required too much work for me to commit to making them very often. Hours after cooling, though, they were still moist (a wee bit sticky) and still nicely crunchy on the edges. Cottage cheese would probably work just fine rather than ricotta -- it would leave some nice wee lumps of curd in the mix.

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp salt
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp dry mustard powder (check that it's gluten-free)

3/4 cup milk
3 tbsp melted butter
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup ricotta cheese
1 small onion, minced finely
1/4 cup parsley, minced finely

1/2 cup grated very old Cheddar
1/2 tsp paprika

Prepare 12 muffin tins by greasing them well. Preheat the oven to 400F.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flours and starches, xanthan gum, flaxseed meal, salt, mustard, and baking powder. In a larger bowl, wuickly beat together milk, butter, and egg; fold in ricotta, onion, and parsley. Stir in dry ingredients until just combined.

Spoon into prepared muffin tins, dividing evenly. Sprinkle evenly with Cheddar cheese and sprinkle with paprika. Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.

Herbed Rice Muffins

Savoury quickbreads to serve on their own or with cheese or soup or other deliciousness. Much simpler to put together than yeast bread, and a great way to use leftover rice. If you wished to add to these muffins, some chopped sun-dried tomato in oil would be lovely, or, alternatively, some minced red and/or green sweet pepper.

1 cup cooked, cooled brown basmati rice
3 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs
1 cup milk

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1 tsp xanthan gum
4 tso baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp each dried basil, marjoram, and oregano
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup (generous!) freshly, finely grated Parmesan cheese

Grease or line 12 muffin tins.

In a large bowl, combine rice, oil, and milk. Whisk until well combined.

In a medium bowl, whisk flours and starches, flaxseed meal, xanthan gum, baking powder, salt, herbs, and cheese. Stir into wet ingredients, just to mix.

Fill prepared muffin tins about 3/4 full. Bake muffins at 400F for 20 to 25 minutes. (The colder the leftover rice is, the longer the cooking time.)

Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins

These "muffins" are cupcakes, really. They adapted surprisingly well to gluten-free flours -- the rice flour makes them a little crisper on the edges, but it’s a nice texture. The recipe makes 9 full-size muffins. I'm not sure how well they keep -- they got eaten up too fast at the potluck we brought them to!

75 g cream cheese
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 cup brown rice or amaranth flour (or a combination)
1/4 cup potato starch
1/4 cup soy flour
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp gelatin
1/2 cup sugar
3 tbsp cocoa
2 tsp (heaping) baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk

Beat cream cheese and 2 tbsp sugar until light and fluffy. Set aside.

Combine flours, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, and salt and whisk well. In a smaller bowl, combine egg, oil, and milk and whisk. Combine wet and dry ingredients with a light hand.

Spoon 2 tbsp chocolate batter into each of nine prepared muffin cups, drop 1 tsp cream cheese mixture on top, then cover with remaining chocolate batter.

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.

Morning Muffin Bites

Adapted from a recipe for six full-sized muffins in Canadian Living, these are perfect little muffin bites when cooked in mini-muffin tins.

1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/3 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
3 tbsp tapioca starch
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
dash salt
1/4 cup dried cranberries or raisins or currants
1/4 cup medium unsweetened coconut
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas) or sliced almonds
1 large egg
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup plain, unsweetened yogurt (soy yogurt works fine)
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup grated carrots (2 small to medium)
1/2 cup grated peeled apple (1 small to medium)

Grease 24 mini muffin cups. Set aside. Preheat oven to 350F.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours and starches, flaxseed meal, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum, and salt. Stir in dried fruit, coconut, and pumpkin seeds, allowing each fleck to be coated by a bit of flour or starch.

In a separate bowl, whisk egg, brown sugar, yogurt, and oil until well combined. Stir in carrot and apple.

Stir wet ingredients into dry, mixing just until moistened. Spoon batter evenly into prepared mini-muffin tins and bake, testing doneness after 12 to 15 minutes. Time might depend on your oven and the moisture of the carrot and apple you used.

Makes 24 bite-sized muffins.

Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

This recipe is based on Bette Hagman's muffin recipe, with additions of whole grains and a flavourful sprinkling of cinnamon sugar from my mother's wheat-based blueberry muffin recipe. If possible, it’s best to let these cool an hour or so before eating them. When they’re hot, the texture is quite nice, but they taste too “eggy” for my liking. The muffins freeze well and heat nicely in the microwave.

Topping:
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup softened butter
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups brown rice flour
3/4 cup amaranth flour
3/4 cup potato starch flour
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
5 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 cup soy milk
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 cup blueberries or other chopped fruit

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease 12 muffin cups. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside.

In a large bowl, cream sugar and butter. Beat in eggs. Sift together dry ingredients and add alternately with the milk. Don’t overbeat. Stir in vanilla. Fold in blueberries. (The dough will seem sloppier than regular muffin dough.) Pour into muffin cups, filling 2/3 full. Sprinkle with cinnamon sugar mixture. Bake about 20 minutes, until muffins test done.

Makes a dozen muffins.

Oatmeal-Blueberry Muffins

I like these best with the dark, granular, molasses-y evaporated cane juice -- which is just what it sounds like: really, really unrefined sugar. They work just fine with light brown sugar, instead.

Be sure your oats are certified pure and uncontaminated like the ones sold by Cream Hill Estates here in Canada. Make sure also that any celiac muffin-eaters-to-be are okay with oats.

1 cup pure, uncontaminated rolled oats
1 cup buttermilk
2 large eggs
1/2 cup organic evaporated cane juice (or light brown sugar)
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup brown rice flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp gelatin
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 baking soda
1 cup blueberries (frozen are fine)

Preheat oven to 400F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine oatmeal and buttermilk, and soak for at least 15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients and do a little dance around the kitchen to kill any extra waiting time.

In a small bowl, whisk together flours, xanthan gum, gelatin, baking powder, and baking soda.

Add eggs, sugar, and melted butter, stirring well to combine.

Stir in dry ingredients, just to combine. Fold in blueberries. Divide batter into 12 prepared muffin cups, and bake for 20 minutes until slightly risen and evenly golden or until the muffins test clean. (Muffins made with the evaporated cane juice will be darker than you will expect.)

Makes a dozen delicious muffins.

Gluten-Free Peanut Butter-Banana Muffins

Since I always buy more bananas than I care to eat before they turn black and gooey, I make a lot of banana bread and banana muffins. These have an unusual texture -- dense and moist but ever so slightly crumbly -- and they have a satisfying bit of protein added to a chocolatey muffin! I have also made these with almond butter -- subtle and yummy.

I adapted this recipe from a brand-promoting recipe I received in the mail before Christmas. Can't recall the brand . . . didn't use it anyway.

3/4 cup brown rice flour
1/2 cup amaranth flour
1/2 cup potato starch
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 cup flaxseed meal
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
1/2 tsp gelatin (omit if vegetarian)
2/3 cup sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup oil
1/2 cup soy milk (or regular milk)
2 medium eggs
2 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup peanut butter (organic, natural peanut butter or almond butter worked just fine)
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Whisk flours, xanthan, gelatin, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. In a separate bowl, combine wet ingredients. Stir into dry ingredients just until combined. Add chocolate chips and stir a very little bit more.

Bake at 375F for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden.

Makes 12 muffins.

Gluten-Free Morning Glory Muffins

I keep meaning to make a more low-fat version of these muffins, which are much too much like carrot cake for breakfast in the incarnation described below.

However, every time I set out to make the muffins, I find I have all kinds of vegetable oil and absolutely noto a scratch of the plain yogurt I would need for the low-fat version). And then I think of the lovely crunch to the muffin top in the not-even-close-to-low-fat version, and somehow, I've made carrot cake for breakfast. Again.

Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl:
3/4 cup brown rice flour
3/4 cup amaranth flour (or another 3/4 cup brown rice flour)
1/2 cup tapioca or potato starch
1/4 cup flaxseed meal (optional)
1/2 tsp xanthan gum
2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup sugar (or evaporated cane sugar)
2 tsp cinnamon

Stir in evenly:
2 cups grated carrot
1/2 cup nuts or pepitas (pumpkin seeds)
1/2 cup raisins or dried cranberries or other chopped dried fruit
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
1 apple, peeled, cored, and grated

In a separate small bowl, beat:
3 eggs
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsp vanilla

Stir the wet ingredients into the flour-fruit-nut mixture until just combined.

Dollop into well-greased muffin tins.

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes. Makes 15 nice, fat muffins.