RECIPES: Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins

May 13, 2009— -- Who doesn't love a good dessert? Cupcakes and muffins can be delicious delights for many, but for people with food allergies these treats can cause a lot of health problems. Luckily for them, Erin McKenna created the allergy-friendly BabyCakes NYC bakery, and she's now sharing her recipes with the world in her new cookbook, also titled "BabyCakes."

Here is the gluten-free blueberry muffin recipe McKenna made on "Good Morning America Health."

Blueberry Muffins

Is there anything better than having older sisters? When Kathy and Suzi left for college in Northern California, we younger sisters were shipped off for month-long summer visits. With Kathy, days were spent ripping around in her Honda sedan, blasting Prince, popping doughnut holes by the bucketful, and making emergency stops at Contempo Casual. After we blew our baby-sitting money on stretch pants, we'd head over to Suzi's and rehab our sugar hangovers by getting back to nature. We'd raft down to the grocery store (seriously) and take leisurely bike rides. Suzi's pantry was stuffed with strange cereals (where were the neon purple pieces?), whole-wheat pancake mix and blueberry muffins. Bridget immediately went on a hunger strike, while I snuck snacks in the laundry room, discovering this new world of health-minded food. I quickly fell for the blueberry muffins, and they've been a close friend ever since. What follows is my version -- it's light and sweet, and I think you'll find it perfect for nearly every occasion.

Ingredients:

2 cups Bob's Red Mill All Purpose Gluten-Free Baking Flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon xanthan gum

½ cup coconut oil

2/3 cup agave nectar

2/3 cup rice milk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon pure lemon extract

2/3 cup fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line a standard 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, xanthan gum and salt. Add the oil, agave nectar, rice milk, vanilla and lemon extract to the dry ingredients, and stir until the batter is smooth. Using a plastic spatula, gently fold in the blueberries just until they are evenly distributed throughout the batter.

Pour 1/3 cup batter into each prepared cup, almost filling it. Bake the muffins on the center rack for 22 minutes, rotating the tin 180 degrees after 15 minutes. The finished muffins will bounce back slightly when pressed, and a toothpick inserted in the center will come out clean.

Let the muffins stand in the tin for 15 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack and cool completely. Store the muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.