Dairy-Free Strawberry Pecan Muffins – Gluten Free

Very Best Dairy-Free Strawberry Pecan Muffins are gluten-free, light, extra soft, moist, and loaded with fresh strawberries and crunchy pecan topping. The muffins are sweetened with honey and are made with olive oil. The bonus, these dairy-free strawberry muffins are super easy to make. They won’t disappoint!

How do you make healthy gluten-free strawberry muffins?

I used almond and millet flour to keep this strawberry muffin recipe healthier. Both flours are nutrient-rich and provide a good amount of fiber. 

Millet is rich in dietary fiber, both soluble and insoluble. The insoluble fiber in millet is known as a “prebiotic,” which means it supports good bacteria in your digestive system. Millet is nutrient-packed and highly recommended healthy grain in a gluten-free diet.

Almond flour has a fair amount of soluble fiber (12 g per 1 cup). This type of fiber is believed to help lower total blood cholesterol levels by lowering low-density lipoprotein, known as bad cholesterol.

Pecans are a good source of calcium, magnesium, and potassium, which help lower blood pressure. These nuts are also high in fiber, iron, copper, zinc and protein.

Strawberries are in the top 20 fruits in antioxidant capacity and are a good source of manganese and potassium. In addition, they are low in calories, and 8 strawberries have enough recommended vitamin C for an entire day.

If you are looking for healthy gluten-free muffins you may enjoy these Gluten-Free Carrot Blueberry Muffins or the Gluten-Free Low Fat Cranberry Muffins.

How to store strawberries?

When buying these berries, choose ones with bright red colour, a natural shine and fresh looking green caps. Strawberries should always be refrigerated and kept dry until just before serving or baking. With green stems still intact, rinse the berries under cool water to clean them. After rinsing, gently blot dry.

Fresh or frozen strawberries for muffins?

Fresh strawberries are best in muffins. The frozen strawberries tend to get soggy and sink to the bottom of the muffins. Fresh are also more flavourful. This Gluten-Free Baked Jelly Donut recipe is another delicious sweet snack.

Why can some gluten-free muffins be dense, crumbly and dry?

One reason is the type of gluten-free flour or a combination of flours you use. For example, adding almond flour helps to keep gluten-free baked goods moist.

Another reason the muffins become dry and crumbly is overmixing the batter. Stir the batter just enough to no longer see dry patches—about 10 times.

Add oil to a gluten-free muffin batter. I always use heart-healthy extra virgin olive oil. The oil will make the muffin moist and is a healthier option than butter. 

How to make the best dairy-free strawberry muffins

in 4 easy steps.

Make the pecan topping. This means mixing the topping ingredients and refrigerate until ready to use.

Next, make the batter. Very simple, mix the dry ingredients, then add the wet ingredients and briefly mix to combine. Pour the batter into the muffin pan.

Top the batter with chopped fresh strawberries.

Crumble the pecan topping over the top and bake. DONE!

Why aren’t the strawberries mixed into the batter?

This dairy-free muffin batter is fairly thin, which is why these muffins are light and moist. When the strawberries are mixed into a thin batter, they often sink to the bottom. However, when strawberries are added on top of the batter, once the muffins are baked, the batter will rise past the berries, keeping them uniform throughout the muffin. 

Muffin vs Cupcake 

The main difference is the mixing method. Muffin batter is mixing the dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls, then gently combining them, stopping as soon as the ingredients blend.

Cupcakes are similar to cakes, except in a miniature size. The batter is beaten longer, has more sugar and fat such as butter, and typically includes frosting.

Which one would you choose for breakfast? 

I can’t find one good reason not to try these dairy-free strawberry pecan muffins. They are gluten-free, healthy, and easy to make and their texture and flavour are spectacular. 

This gluten-free and dairy-free strawberry muffin recipe is a must add to your repertoire. Enjoy!