With sweet and salty kernels of granola studded inside and on top, these granola muffins are the perfect sweet and salty breakfast.
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These granola muffins, in general, are super customizable. Use whatever sort of granola you like, or even use another topping entirely. Just keep the insides the same, or they won't bake up nice. Think of them as “One Size Fits Many.”
You can use whatever granola you like. I used our maple almond granola, since it's my favorite kind and that recipe incorporates a lot of suggestions for how to mold it to suit your tastes.
The batter is thick, but quite soft, and has plenty of granola mixed in, with a sweet and salty topping that's like the best parts of granola sprinkled on top.
Granola Muffins
With sweet and salty kernels of granola studded inside and on top, these granola muffins are the perfect sweet and salty breakfast.
Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (315 g) granola divided
- ½ cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter at room temperature divided
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ½ cup (46 g) Saco cultured buttermilk blend you can use milk powder instead
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (56 g) sour cream at room temperature
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease or line a standard 12-cup muffin tin and set it aside.
Make the topping.
- In a medium-sized bowl, place 1 1/4 cups (175g) granola, the light brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 4 tablespoons butter, and mix to combine well. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill while making the muffin batter.
Make the muffin batter.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, buttermilk blend, remaining 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, baking powder, baking soda and granulated sugar in a large bowl, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the remaining 1 cup (140g) granola, and mix to combine.
- Add the remaining 8 tablespoons butter, sour cream and eggs, mixing to combine well after each addition. The batter will be thick.
Assemble the muffins.
- Divide the batter among the 12 prepared muffin cups. Remove the topping from the refrigerator, and crumble into clumps with your fingers.
- Scatter the topping evenly on top of the muffin batter. With wet fingers, gently press the topping into the batter, so none is loose.
Bake the muffins.
- Place the muffin tin in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the middle muffin comes out mostly clean.
- Rotate once during baking. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes.
- Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely, and serve.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. They should keep for about 2 days, after which they may begin to dry out.
Granola Muffins
With sweet and salty kernels of granola studded inside and on top, these granola muffins are the perfect sweet and salty breakfast.
Yield: 12 muffins
Ingredients
- 2 ¼ cups (315 g) granola divided
- ½ cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar
- ¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon divided
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 12 tablespoons (168 g) unsalted butter at room temperature divided
- 1 ¾ cups (245 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click thru for full info on appropriate blends)
- ¾ teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend already contains it
- ½ cup (46 g) Saco cultured buttermilk blend you can use milk powder instead
- 1 ¾ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup (100 g) granulated sugar
- ¼ cup (56 g) sour cream at room temperature
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 325°F. Grease or line a standard 12-cup muffin tin and set it aside.
Make the topping.
- In a medium-sized bowl, place 1 1/4 cups (175g) granola, the light brown sugar, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and 4 tablespoons butter, and mix to combine well. Place the bowl in the refrigerator to chill while making the muffin batter.
Make the muffin batter.
- In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, buttermilk blend, remaining 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, baking powder, baking soda and granulated sugar in a large bowl, and whisk to combine well.
- Add the remaining 1 cup (140g) granola, and mix to combine.
- Add the remaining 8 tablespoons butter, sour cream and eggs, mixing to combine well after each addition. The batter will be thick.
Assemble the muffins.
- Divide the batter among the 12 prepared muffin cups. Remove the topping from the refrigerator, and crumble into clumps with your fingers.
- Scatter the topping evenly on top of the muffin batter. With wet fingers, gently press the topping into the batter, so none is loose.
Bake the muffins.
- Place the muffin tin in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the middle muffin comes out mostly clean.
- Rotate once during baking. Remove the pan from the oven and allow the muffins to cool in the pan for at least 10 minutes.
- Transfer the muffins to a wire rack to cool completely, and serve.
- Store any leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature. They should keep for about 2 days, after which they may begin to dry out.
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Katey says
Nicole, I was excited to make these for weekend visitors until I saw that it requires this ingredient: Saco cultured buttermilk blend, which I don’t have and don’t have time to order online/search for to buy locally. Is there anything that can be substituted for that? Thanks for all your great recipes!
Nicole says
Hi, Katey,
I haven’t tested this recipe with any substitutions. You’d have to experiment! I would suggest trying some sort of protein powder.
xoxo Nicole
Lisa @ GF Canteen says
Ah! My favorite granola all wrapped up in a tidy muffin. Perfect. Those pans are awesome and I might just have to buying a couple after lining and greasing my regular crew (messy) and still having stuff stick to them.
Manuscript turn in = well deserved nap, chocolate, wine, and a whole pan of muffins to yourself.
Nicole says
Thanks, Lisa. :) You’d love the USA Pans muffin tin. Before that one, no matter how much I spent on a muffin tin, they never worked well — even greased — for more than a couple of batches. How ridiculous. I hate it when stuff fails of its essential purpose.
Would you believe I’m still obsessively testing that one last recipe?? You’re a good friend, Lisa. But if you were a really really good friend, maybe you’d knock on my door with one of your Peanut Butter Everything Cupcakes. Everything sounds like just what I’d like.
xoxo Nicole
Lynn says
Nicole- I have a question about the all-purpose flour. King Arthur has come out with a version of all-purpose flour; it’s easier to find than Better Batter. Do you know if, when using the King Arthur one, you can omit the xanthan gum like you can when using the Better Batter? I am such a newbie-scaredy cat (at gf baking, that is) and any help is most appreciated. These muffins look amazing! I want one…now! :o)
Nicole says
Hi, Lynn,
King Arthur’s gluten-free flour has been out for a while. I don’t recommend it, though. It works for some things (like muffins), but not at all for others (like yeast breads). It is also very expensive, since you can’t buy it in bulk like you can Better Batter. King Arthur’s flour does not contain xanthan gum, so you’d have to include that ingredient.
If you’re concerned about having success baking GF, I’d really recommend buying some Better Batter. Early success can be really motivating. :)
xoxo Nicole
Lynn says
I have learned so much from you; thank you!!
Nicole says
You’re welcome, Lynn. Thanks for being gracious. :)
xoxo Nicole
Anneke says
Hey Nicole! Your manuscript is great! I know, cause I know you. And the muffins look great, too! Be well! Anneke
Nicole says
Thank you, Anneke. :)
xoxo Nicole
Mandy Howerton on Facebook says
Hey Nicole! Have you heard of Simply Elizabeth? I got some as a freebie. It’s so awesome! You should check it out.