Short Cut Gluten-Free Coffee Cake Muffins Recipe - Our WabiSabi Life (2025)

FAQs

Why are gluten free muffins dry? ›

Gluten-free baked goods have earned the reputation of being dry and gritty. That grit—that evil grit! —is the result of gluten-free flours that are often high in starches and rice flour, which take longer to absorb moisture than regular “gluten” flour.

Muffins have more or less all ingredients used in cakes but the proportion is different. There is more flour, more liquid, less sugar and fat in muffin batter. Most cakes need two or more eggs while muffins use only one. Baking powder is used for batter rise but yeast is never used in muffins.

If you have dry or crumbly gluten free muffins, you need more liquid wet ingredients in your muffin batter. Every gluten free flour blend will have a slightly different amount of liquid needed. Blends with dried milk powder will need less liquid, but a starchy blend may need more.

There are 440 calories in 1 muffin (100 g) of Trader Joe's Gluten Free Cinnamon Coffee Cake Muffins.

Honey and agave as a sugar substitute can enhance moisture as well, but be aware that you should cut down slightly on the other liquids you are using in the recipe, as honey and agave are not solid ingredients. Adding an extra egg or oil can also help, but use caution.

Brown rice flour contains one single ingredient—brown rice. And while all brown rice flours are naturally gluten free, it's essential to check that the one you're using was made in a gluten free facility. In recipes, brown rice flour works best in bread, muffins and cookies.

Then, almost by accident, we found that letting batters sit, covered, for 30 minutes before baking made all the difference. It simply gave the flours and starches time to absorb the liquid and soften before baking. It also helped batters become thicker and doughs to firm up so that they were less sticky.

Gluten-free baked goods often benefit from extra liquid to hydrate the flour blends, eliminate grittiness, and achieve a less dense or dry texture. However, it's very important to drive off this extra moisture during baking, or you'll wind up with a gummy texture.

YOUR CAKE IS SINKING IN THE MIDDLE OR NOT RISING

You may not have used enough raising agents. I do recommend experimenting with double action baking powders. Otherwise try using 25 percent more chemical raising agents (baking soda or baking powder) if you're converting a recipe to gluten free.

But the real key to making these Gluten Free Muffins (and our other versions) so delicious is the inclusion of sweet cream buttermilk and sour cream, which contribute a decadently moist texture. Of course, these particular Muffins also have the bonus of both cocoa and chocolate chips!” So how are they? Oh, quite yummy.

Are there carbs in gluten-free muffins? ›

1 serving of gluten-free muffins (Dawn) contains 220 Calories. The macronutrient breakdown is 57% carbs, 39% fat, and 4% protein. This has a relatively high calorie density, with 344 Calories per 100g.

Trader Joe's has an entire section of gluten-free breads and buns—hamburger buns, English muffins, and even pumpkin bread. But classic white bread can't be beat for toast, pb&j sandwiches, paninis, and homemade croutons. You can make whatever your heart desires with Trader Joe's gluten-free white bread.

Add extra liquid: Gluten-free flours tend to absorb more liquid than regular flour, so you may need to add more liquid to your recipes to compensate. This can help to keep your baked goods moist and prevent them from becoming dry and crumbly.

Dry cake can happen if you don't use enough liquid ingredients. Some gluten free flour blends are starch-heavy and need a different liquid-to-flour ratio than others. Try adding a bit more fluid, such as milk, and mix the ingredients until just combined.

I also recommend that you don't pre-slice any gf bread before use, unless you're going to freeze it. Doing so may cause it to dry out prematurely, so leave the loaf whole and slice as needed, but wrap the remaining loaf tightly in between.