Dairy-Free Blueberry Muffins

Name: Dairy-Free Blueberry Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 cups self-raising flour; ¼ cup brown sugar; ½ cup white sugar; 1 tsp vanilla; 1 egg; ½ cup canola oil; 1 cup almond milk; 1 cup frozen blueberries

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These dairy free blueberry muffins are super soft and sweet, bursting with pockets of tangy, juicy blueberries. This low fuss recipe is so easy yet produces a delicious café-style muffin every single time. This is my favourite blueberry muffin recipe and the only one you’ll need!

Blueberry muffins are such a classic and this is the recipe I’ve been making over and over again for years. I love how easy it is to make and that it’s made using regular everyday ingredients that I’m likely to have on hand.

To make these muffins dairy free, we have substituted the traditional butter and milk with oil and almond milk. I love using almond milk in my baking as I find it is more subtle in flavour than some other nut-based milks, and I love the softness that it provides. Oil will add moisture to baked goods, but it also results in a more open or coarser crumb than a traditional butter muffin would.

Two dairy free blueberry muffins stacked on top of each other.

I find that the combination of these two ingredients create a muffin that is pretty indistinguishable from its dairy-filled friend with the texture being both light and soft, with a nice crumb exactly as you would expect.

There is not too much that can really go wrong with this recipe, it’s one of the reasons why I keep making them!

These muffins are the perfect weeknight baking recipe to make as they are easy, quick to clean up, and can be frozen for grab and go breakfasts or snacks later in the week. But honestly, nothing beats that first one still warm from the oven!

all ingredients needed for blueberry muffins laid out in small bowls.

Key Ingredients

A few key ingredients will help ensure your blueberry muffins are soft and full of flavour without the need for any dairy.

Self-raising flour – a common ingredient in Australia and the UK, this flour already has a leavener added meaning you don’t need to add baking powder. If you don’t have any you can use regular plain (all purpose) flour and add baking powder.
Brown sugar – adds flavour and moisture.
White sugar – also known as granulated sugar, to sweeten the muffin but also to sprinkle a little extra over the top for that sparkle and crunch.
Vanilla – to flavour the muffins make sure to use vanilla extract.
Egg – to help bind, add lift and give the muffins extra moisture.
Canola oil – adding moisture and resulting in an open or coarser crumb. You could also use melted coconut oil if you prefer but I wouldn’t recommend olive oil as the flavour would be too strong.
Almond milk – my preference for these muffins but you can really use any dairy free milk you prefer such as soy milk or oat milk.
Frozen blueberries – you could use fresh blueberries instead but I find frozen work perfectly in muffins and means you can enjoy them year round.

Blueberry muffins in the muffin pan freshly baked.

Step-By-Step Instructions

These muffins are super simple to make with the batter coming together in one bowl. You’ll only need a whisk and a spatula meaning you don’t need to get out your electric mixers which of course is less things to clean up afterwards. I’ll take that thank you!

In your bowl, whisk together your egg, oil, vanilla and sugars until it all comes together.

Step one and two of making the muffin batter in a glass bowl.

Once combined, sift the self-raising flour directly into the bowl and then using your spatula, slowly fold it through adding in the almond milk bit by bit until combined. You want to mix just until the flour and milk have been incorporated and not more or the muffins will turn out dense and flat. If a few lumps remain in the batter, that is ok!

Finally, add in the frozen blueberries. Give the batter a couple of turns with the spatula just so that the blueberries are incorporated, but not too much or the blueberries will bleed leaving you with a blue/purple/brown mess.

Blueberry muffin batter in a bowl and in a muffin tin ready for baking.

Spoon the muffin batter into a lined muffin tin and sprinkle the tops with a little bit of extra white sugar to give them that sparkle.

Bake in a preheated oven at 220°C for 5 minutes before turning the oven down (don’t open the door!) to 180°C and continue to bake until cooked through. This will allow the tops to puff up and give you that nice golden brown muffin top.

Blueberry muffins on a white table from above.

Recipe FAQs

How to store muffins?

These muffins are amazing fresh from the oven, but if you don’t want to eat 12 at once, then you can store them in an airtight container for up to 3 days, otherwise I recommend freezing them.

Can you freeze muffins?

You can freeze these blueberry muffins for up to 3 months. To defrost, let the muffins come to room temperature on the kitchen bench (or your desk at work/in a lunchbox).

To give them that fresh from the oven feel, zap it in the microwave for just 10 seconds and they’ll be just like a fresh one!

Can I make these muffins gluten free?

Yes! To make these gluten free blueberry muffins simply replace the flour with your favourite gluten free self raising flour blend.

Can I use plain flour instead of self-raising flour?

You can make your own self-raising flour by mixing 2 teaspoons of baking powder to every 1 cup / 150 grams of plain flour (all purpose flour).

More dairy free muffins:

Vegan Chocolate Muffins
Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins (Dairy-Free)
Vegan Banana Walnut Muffins
Earl Grey Blueberry Crumb Muffins