Gluten Free Corn Muffins

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Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Homemade muffins are the best muffins! My Gluten Free Corn Muffins whip together in just a few minutes and can be adjusted to your preferences.  This delicious and nutritious baked good makes a light breakfast, snack and goes well with chili and stews.

Gluten Free All Purpose Flour

There are SO many gluten-free flours available, and, in my opinion, the best for baked goods is a blend of flours. Food companies like Bob’s Red Mill and King Arthur Flour make a good blend that you are welcome to use.  But, by making your own blend you will save money and have a hefty supply for all your baking/cooking projects!

My favorite flour blend to use for my Gluten Free Corn Muffins is a recipe from Fine Cooking. Many gluten free flours have a pungent flavor that would alter the taste of these Gluten Free Corn Muffins. This blend has a mild and pleasant flavor.  The recipe combines white and brown rice flour, tapioca flour/starch and potato starch.  It’s recommended to store the flour in an airtight container for up to a month and in the refrigerator or freezer for longer storage. 1

Buttermilk

Buttermilk is an under appreciated dairy product that deserves more of a spotlight! The word “butter” in buttermilk refers back to when people churned their own cream into butter, and buttermilk was the leftover liquid in the churn.  Buttermilk has long been appreciated for its tangy flavor and rich creaminess.

In our current, industrialized food system the process of making buttermilk is similar to that of yogurt.  Pasteurized low-fat/skim milk is inoculated with cultures and fermented for 12-14 hours. This gives us a slightly sour, thin, low-to-no fat product.  The acidic profile of buttermilk when paired with baking soda makes it a powerful leavening agent.  The combination of baking soda, buttermilk and baking powder in my Gluten Free Corn Muffins lead to a fluffy, light muffin.

DIY Buttermilk

It can be so frustrating when you are missing just one ingredient to make a recipe like my Gluten Free Corn Muffins.  If buttermilk is that ingredient, you can make a suitable replacement!  Combine one cup of your preferred milk (whole, low-fat, skim or dairy-free) with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar.  You can also use sour cream or yogurt thinned with water.

None of these substitute mixtures will get as thick and creamy as buttermilk, but it will make just as yummy Gluten Free Corn Muffins.  Nutritionally, buttermilk is lower in calories and fat than whole milk.  It is still a significant source of potassium, vitamin B12, calcium, and riboflavin. 2

Oil vs Butter in Baking

Oil is often preferred in cakes and muffins because it provides a superior texture to butter.  Cakes made with oil are typically more tender, moist and light.  Butter is more rich and flavorful; it is about 80% fat, 15% water and 5% milk solids.  The water in butter makes the cake crumb more dense and less tender than a cake made with oil.  Oil on the other hand is 100% fat.

You can swap oil for butter in most baked goods, but it’s important to note that oil is lighter than butter; so a recipe that calls for 1 cup of butter only requires ¾ cup of oil.  Since oil is a shelf-stable liquid it is convenient and quick to measure! Using oil in my Gluten Free Corn Muffins saves time by avoiding the hassle of having to melt butter.

Vegetable Oil

Vegetable oil is my preferred oil to use in my Gluten Free Corn Muffins as well as cakes.  It is coveted for its neutral flavor and ability to enhance the flavor of other ingredients, making it ideal for baked goods.  Vegetable oil also works well for frying and sautéing because it has a high smoke point.  This is the temperature an oil starts to smoke, signaling the oil is breaking down.  Olive oil has a distinct flavor and pairs well with certain cakes, but if you want a neutral flavor than vegetable oil is the go-to.3

Let’s Get Baking!

The only thing left to do is make these versatile, moist Gluten Free Corn Muffins! You now know how to swap butter for oil and how to make a buttermilk substitute.  Share in the comments what you think!

Similar Pages

Looking for my yummy muffin recipes? Try my Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins, Healthy Pumpkin Muffins or Zucchini Muffins.

References

  1. Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour – Recipe – FineCooking. https://www.finecooking.com/recipe/gluten-free-all-purpose-flour. Accessed March 29, 2020.
  2. Milk, buttermilk, fluid, cultured, reduced fat Nutrition Facts & Calories. https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/dairy-and-egg-products/7544/2. Accessed March 29, 2020.
  3. All-Purpose Vegetable Oils. https://www.cooksillustrated.com/taste_tests/489-all-purpose-vegetable-oils. Accessed March 29, 2020.
corn muffins

Gluten Free Corn Muffins

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Course: Breakfast, Snack
Keyword: gluten free, kid friendly, muffins
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 18 minutes
Total Time: 28 minutes
Servings: 12 muffins
Author: Chef Abbie Gellman RD

Ingredients

  • 1 cup Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour
  • 1 cup yellow cornmeal
  • 1/4 cup maple sugar
  • 2 teaspoons. baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup frozen corn

Instructions

  • Pre-heat oven to 375°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with muffin liners.
  • In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cornmeal, maple sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt until well combined.
  • In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, oil, and buttermilk.
  • Pour the liquid mixture into the flour mixture and stir until combined. Fold in corn.
  • Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup until nearly full and mounding the batter in the center to the top of the cups, or slightly above.
  • Bake until golden brown and a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean, 16 to 18 minutes.
  • Remove the muffins from the pan, transfer to a wire rack, and cool.
  • Serve warm or at room temperature.

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