Enjoy a taste of summer any time of year when you make these quick and easy vegan gluten-free raspberry muffins. They are dairy-free, egg-free, and of course, gluten-free, so they can be devoured by all.
They’re moist and bursting with flavour, plus, you can make them with either fresh or frozen berries.
Save This Recipe!
In a rush? Don't have time to scroll through this page right now? Enter your email below and this recipe/article will be sent straight to your inbox so you can come back to it when you're ready. Plus, you'll receive delicious recipes every week! You may unsubscribe at any time.
The summer, and all of the fresh, in-season berries that go along with it come and go so quickly, which is why when it's here, you should take advantage of all the summer berries, fruits, and vegetables as much as possible.
That's why you'll find many recipes calling for summer produce (like zucchini bread and mini peach cheesecakes) on my website, including these fruity muffins:
- Vegan Gluten-Free Blueberry Muffins
- Vegan Gluten-Free Strawberry Muffins
- Vegan Gluten-Free Blackberry Muffins
- Vegan Gluten-Free Banana Blueberry Muffins
- Vegan Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins
I have another berry-filled muffin to share with you, my vegan gluten-free raspberry muffins. They're soft, fluffy, and filled with fresh raspberry flavour. Sounds delicious, right?
Have them as a quick snack, as part of a quick breakfast, or at brunch.
Before I get into everything you need to know so you can make them, too, you should know that if it's not summer where you are, that's okay, you can make your raspberry muffins with frozen raspberries, too!
All of the details are below.
Ingredients You'll Need
Like all of my other vegan gluten-free muffin recipes, this one also calls for simple ingredients.
I always recommend sticking with the recipe the way it's written for the best results, but below you will find info about each ingredient and what you can and cannot substitute.
Ingredient Notes
Gluten-Free Flour Blend – I have only used Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (the one in the RED bag without xanthan gum) to make this recipe, I have not tried any others.
It’s extremely important to always use the same flour the recipe calls for to get the expected results (not just this recipe, but any vegan gluten-free recipe you are following!)
NOTE: When baking, measuring your flour accurately is so important to get the best results. Check out my article about how to measure flour correctly before you start.
Sugar – I use organic cane sugar in this recipe, mainly because it keeps the colour of the muffins light, but if you only have coconut sugar or brown sugar they can be used instead, your muffins will just turn out darker in colour. I have not tried making this recipe with liquid sweeteners (like maple syrup or agave) or sugar alternatives, so I am unsure how they would work.
Not all sugar is vegan, some are processed using animal bone char, so to be sure that yours is, buy an organic brand (organic sugar is not processed using bone char) or one that is labelled as vegan.
Raspberries – Fresh, in-season berries work best for this recipe but frozen can be used if fresh aren’t available, details on the steps you need to take use frozen can be found in the "Recipe FAQ" section below.
Applesauce – Use plain, unsweetened applesauce so you can control the flavour and sweetness.
Coconut Oil – Any type of neutral flavoured vegetable oil can be used in place of coconut oil, such as safflower or sunflower. If you do use coconut oil, make sure that all of your other ingredients are at room temperature before starting so it does not solidify when it comes into contact with a cold ingredient.
Baking Powder - Make sure your baking powder is fresh, it's the only leavening agent in the recipe, so it must be active so it can do its job. It cannot be replaced with baking soda.
Turbinado Sugar – This is an optional ingredient, but I like to sprinkle a little on the top of each muffin before they bake to give them a little crunch.
Are you new to vegan gluten-free baking? If so, be sure to read all of my vegan gluten-free baking tips!
How to Make Them
(Note: I’ve outlined the step-by-step on how to make this recipe here, but find the full recipe, ingredients, and directions at the end of this post.)
1. Mix the dry ingredients, and set aside.
2. Mix the wet ingredients.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix them into a batter.
4. Add the raspberries to the batter.
5. Gently stir the berries in, don't over-mix or they will break apart and the juice will change the colour of the batter.
6. Divide the muffin batter into your prepared muffin pan. You can use either a spoon or a scoop to do this. I like using a scoop because it’s quicker and easier to divide the batter, this is the scoop I’m using in the picture below.
An optional step you can take here (it's not shown below) is to sprinkle a small amount of turbinado sugar on top of the muffins.
7. Remove the muffins from the oven and let them sit in the pan for a few minutes before removing them and placing them on a cooling rack.
Flavour Variations
- Raspberry Lemon Muffins - Stir 1 ¼ teaspoon of lemon zest into the wet ingredients.
- Raspberry Orange Muffins - Stir 1 ¼ teaspoon of orange zest into the wet ingredients.
- Raspberry Almond Muffins - Replace the vanilla with almond extract and sprinkle sliced almonds on top of each muffin before putting them in the oven.
- Raspberry Chocolate Muffins - Stir in ½ cup of mini or regular vegan chocolate chips to the batter when you add the raspberries.
- Raspberry White Chocolate Muffins - Stir in ½ cup of vegan white chocolate chips to the batter when you add the raspberries.
Not sure which chocolate chip brands are vegan? Or which brands make vegan white chocolate chips? Read my article "Are Chocolate Chips Vegan" to find a comprehensive list of vegan brands to look for at your grocery store.
Storing Leftovers and Freezing
Since raspberries contain a lot of moisture, these muffins will only keep for up to two days at room temperature, in an airtight container.
If you still have leftovers after two days, place them in the refrigerator where they will keep for another 2-3 days.
You can also freeze them by wrapping them tightly (once they've cooled completely) so they’re airtight and then place them in a container or freezer bag and freeze. They will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
When you’re ready to serve, thaw at room temperature. You can even take it a step further and warm them up in a toaster oven or microwave.
Want more muffins? Be sure to look through this list to see all of my vegan gluten-free muffin recipes!
What's the Texture Like?
They are fluffy, moist, and tender with fresh, juicy raspberries in every bite.
But to get this texture, you must follow the recipe exactly as it’s written. If you make any substitutions or changes, outside of what is discussed above, you risk your muffins not turning out as expected.
Tips for Success
- Use the same flour I use. Baking vegan gluten-free can be tricky because different flours produce different results. I know this particular flour works perfectly for this recipe, so to duplicate that perfection, please use Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour (in the RED bag!).
- Measure and have all your ingredients ready to go before starting. This will make the process run smooth, quick, and easy. Make sure all of your ingredients are at room temperature.
- Measure your ingredients correctly. I highly recommend using a scale (this is one I have (Amazon Link) and my weight measurements when making this recipe. If you don’t have a scale, lightly spoon the flour into your measuring cup until it is overflowing and then drag the flat edge of a butter knife across the top to level it off. (NEVER dunk the measuring cup into the flour to fill your measuring cup because this will guarantee an incorrect measurement of up to 1.5x more flour and a recipe fail.) Learn more about how to measure flour correctly.
- Make sure your baking powder is fresh. This is an important ingredient that makes the muffins rise and become fluffy, it is the only rising agent in the recipe. If it's not fresh, your muffins will turn out dense and gummy.
- Read this post from top to bottom before you start. I’ve included many tips and tricks to get things right. Also, read through the actual recipe before getting started.
- Follow the recipe exactly as it’s written for the very best results.
Recipe FAQ
Yes, you can, unless the recipe specifically calls for fresh berries. For this recipe, fresh, in-season raspberries are the best option because they will give you the best flavour, and texture, AND result in better muffins, overall. However, frozen can be used instead if you don't have fresh.
To use frozen raspberries, thaw them completely on a paper towel, and pat away all extra moisture (this is important because any extra moisture can alter the recipe). Gently fold them into the batter, don't over-mix or the berries will break down and the batter will turn pink.
This is likely due to the acid in the berries reacting with aluminum in your baking powder. I prefer to use aluminum-free baking powder over aluminum for reasons like this. For a full list of aluminum-free baking powder brands, read my article: "Is Baking Powder Gluten-Free?"
Yes, they do! To freeze them properly, individually wrap them tightly (once they've cooled completely) so they’re airtight and then place them in a container or freezer bag and freeze. They will keep in the freezer for up to three months.
When you’re ready to serve, thaw at room temperature. You can even take it a step further and warm them up in a toaster oven or microwave.
If You Make This Recipe...
Please tell me how your delicious vegan raspberry muffins turned out! Leave me a star rating and comment below or you can post a picture on Instagram and tag me so I can see them. I’m @delightfuladventures on Instagram.
And If You Like This Recipe...
You may like these other vegan gluten-free muffin recipes:
Vegan Gluten-Free Raspberry Muffins
Suggested Equipment:
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 6 tablespoons water
- 1 ¾ cups (245g) gluten free flour blend **see important note about flour below**
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup (100g) sugar
- ½ cup (123g) plain unsweetened applesauce
- ⅓ cup (80ml) melted coconut oil (plus extra for greasing muffin tin)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (120g) fresh raspberries (chop if large, frozen can be used, see notes below)
- turbinado sugar (for sprinkling on top, optional)
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 350° F (177° C).
- Prepare your flax eggs by whisking together ground flax seeds and water. Set aside to thicken.
- Line a muffin pan with liners or generously grease the inside of each cup with coconut oil.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a medium bowl, mix the sugar, applesauce, coconut oil, vanilla, and flax eggs until blended.
- Slowly add the dry mixture to the wet mixture and stir until combined. Fold in the raspberries.
- Using a spoon or a large scoop, divide batter into the 12 muffin cups.
- If using, sprinkle turbinado sugar on top of each muffin.
- Bake for 18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the largest muffin comes out clean.
- Let muffins cool in the muffin pan for a few minutes and then remove and place them on a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes:
- Please read all of the info above and below before making this recipe.
- It's important to know that different gluten-free flour blends use different ingredients and ratios, so results will always vary if you substitute. I have never used any other brand of flour to make this recipe (other than Bob's Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (Amazon link) in the red bag, NOT the blue bag), so please know that your results may not be the same as mine if you substitute with another gluten-free flour blend.
- This recipe will NOT work with coconut flour or any other single gluten-free flour, it must be a blend, the one mentioned above for the best results.
- Make sure to measure your flour correctly.
- Frozen raspberries can be used for this recipe. If using frozen, thaw them fully and pat them dry, then halve them, if they are very large, before folding them into the batter. See the "Recipe FAQ" section above for more info.
- Any type of neutral flavoured oil can be used in place of coconut oil, such as safflower or sunflower.
- Because of the moisture from the raspberries, these muffins will only keep for up to two days, in an airtight container, at room temperature. If you still have leftovers after two days, place them in the refrigerator where they will keep for another few days.
- To freeze, once they have fully cooled, wrap them up tightly so they're airtight, place them in a container or freezer bag, and freeze. They will keep in the freezer for up to three months. When you're ready to serve, thaw at room temperature.
- Nutrition info is based on one muffin. Nutrition info is only to be used as a rough guide. Click to learn how nutrition info is calculated on this website.
Karen says
Can I use Bob's Red Mill egg replacer for the egg? That is what I have here. Thank you.
Gwen Leron says
Hi Karen, I have not tested this recipe with the Bob's Red Mill egg replacer, so I am unsure of what the result would be like for this recipe.
Deb says
can I substitute something that is natural and unprocessed for the sugar?
Gwen Leron says
Hi Deb, I haven't tested the recipe with any liquid sweeteners or anything that is natural or unprocessed like dates or date paste. The closest thing that I know will work is coconut sugar, the only difference will be that the muffins will turn out darker than what you see in the pictures.