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Sweet and crumbly are two of the characteristics of these gluten-free Mixed Berry Cornbread Muffins that make them so delicious. They’re dense in texture and bursting with raspberries, blueberries, and a strawberry jam.
Healthier Muffins
Muffins have easily become my children’s favorite food to consume at just about any point during the day. They love them for snacks, breakfasts, and just because they’re in the house, but honestly, sometimes muffins aren’t always the healthiest.
These gluten-free mixed berry cornbread muffins are the perfect ratio of crumbly and dense, but they’re also not too sweet because of the cornmeal. It’s not necessary to make these gluten-free, in fact, when I first made them back in 2017 they were prepared with all-purpose flour, but I swapped it for this recipe. I love gluten-free muffins like these pumpkin spice muffins.
Since I knew my kids would devour these muffins the moment they walked through the door from school though, I wanted to also have a healthy version. I swapped out regular flour for coconut flour, and there’s healthy fat from the coconut milk. You can also increase the maple syrup to 2 tablespoons and omit the brown sugar.
I also love these cinnamon sugar banana muffins which are also a slightly healthier option.
Ingredients
These aren’t your standard fluffy muffins and there are some unique ingredients such as canned coconut milk and maple syrup in them. Many of the ingredients though are standard pantry items.
If you plan on making these gluten-free then please check all your labels to ensure there isn’t any hidden gluten.
- Flour (use gluten-free flour if making these without gluten) – for this recipe I used coconut flour, but you could also use your favorite gluten-free flour.
- Cornmeal
- Baking Powder
- Brown Sugar
- Salt
- Butter
- Maple Syrup – I recommend using a high-quality maple syrup when you’re baking because it does enhance the flavor.
- Eggs
- Canned Coconut Milk – try to use a combination of the coconut cream at the top of the can and the milk at the bottom for a smooth mixture once it’s beaten into the batter.
- Vanilla Extract
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
- Strawberry Jam (optional) – at the last minute I decided to stir in some of this strawberry sauce, but you can use jam as well. This is a purely optional ingredient.
How to Make Mixed Berry Cornbread Muffins
- Preheat your oven to 350ºF and grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper muffin liners.
- In a mixing bowl whisk the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt together.
- Using an electric mixer or a handheld mixer beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- While the mixer is set to low add the dry ingredients to the bowl and combine.
- Add the raspberries, blueberries, and strawberry jam (if using) to the batter and use a spatula to gently fold the berries into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the tops begin to turn a golden brown.
How to Store
- To Store – these muffins will last for about 4 or 5 days if stored in an air-tight container. There’s no need to place them in the fridge.
- To Freeze – these muffins don’t freeze particularly well, however, it is possible. They will just be a tad dry when they thaw, which isn’t a bad thing. Wrap the muffin individually in plastic wrap and store them in an air-tight freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Recipe Notes and Expert Tips
- Low sugar: to lower the sugar or change the refined sugar content of this recipe you can remove the brown sugar and increase the maple syrup by 1 tablespoon.
- For some added sweetness you can dust the muffins with powdered sugar as I did in the photos. This information is not in the recipe card below, but you’ll need about 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar.
- The strawberry jam is optional. You can use a mixture of fresh blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries if you’d like.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have not tried to make them dairy-free, however, I do think it can be done. To do so swap the butter for a dairy-free butter alternative and use flax eggs instead of regular eggs. A flax egg consists of 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of warm water. Double that for this recipe since it calls for 2 eggs.
If you’re trying to make these cornbread muffins dairy-free and are not concerned with gluten then I recommend using regular all-purpose flour instead of gluten-free flour. This will ensure the muffins end up a little more fluffy instead of super dense.
In order to make super soft and moist muffins, you will need to swap the coconut milk for buttermilk, sour cream, or plain yogurt, which improves the texture.
Corn muffins are a much sweeter muffin, which makes them great as a dessert, however, cornbread muffins are generally more savory. These muffins though, with added sugar and berries are sweet.
Mixed Berry Cornbread Muffins
Equipment
- Mixing Bowls
- Measuring Cups and Spoons
- Electric Mixer
- Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- 1 cup Gluten-Free Flour or all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup Cornmeal
- 1/2 cup Brown Sugar
- 1½ teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/4 teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 cup Unsalted Butter room temperature
- 2 large Eggs
- 1/2 cup Canned Coconut Milk
- 1 tablespoon Maple Syrup
- 2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 cup Blueberries
- 1/2 cup Raspberries
- 1/4 cup Strawberry Jam optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with paper liners.
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk the flour, cornmeal, brown sugar, baking powder, and salt until fully combined.
- Using an electric mixer or a handheld mixer beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the eggs, coconut milk, maple syrup, and vanilla extract and mix until combined.
- While the mixer is set to low add the dry ingredients to the bowl and combine. If using a handheld mixer add half the dry ingredients to the bowl, mix it in and then add the remaining and mix.
- Add the raspberries, blueberries, and strawberry jam (if using) to the batter and use a spatula to gently fold the berries into the batter.
- Divide the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the tops begin to turn a golden brown. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes before removing them from the muffin pan.
Notes
- In the photos, I dusted these muffins with powdered sugar for a little added sweetness.
I really enjoyed the use of the coconut flour in this recipe. The added cornmeal gives if a bit more texture. These are delicious and will definitely be made again at my house.
Thank you, Angela! I’m so glad you enjoyed them.
Everything about these muffins is fantastic, the taste is sublime, and the mixed berries are perfect! I made them yesterday as a treat for Sunday afternoon, and they all went crazy over them! Even my two kids, who are super picky, couldn’t get enough. Miracle! I would not change a thing! Thank u so much!
Thank you, Jenny! I’m so glad these were a hit.
These sound like they’d be a nice copycat of Tim Horton’s Fruit Explosion muffins! Can’t wait to try for myself
Oh, yum! I’ve never tried the Tim Horton’s muffin before. I love that they’re close.
I am always searching for healthier muffins! These are gorgeous and so filled with fruit!
Thank you, Pam! I love muffins so much and really try to make them as healthy as possible.
These berry muffins sound amazing! I have a little one at home I know will love these as much as your kids!
Thanks, Emily! These are definitely kid-approved around here.