The Best Crumb Cake Muffins you’ll ever have.

When I first bit into these muffins I said to myself “DID I REALLY JUST MAKE THESE???”

My standards are painfully high. Its super rare that I make something that exceeds what I know I’m capable of creating.

These are the greatest muffins you will ever make or eat. I stand by that statement. Too often you’ll see a recipe labeled as the best- but I often wonder- is it really?? But I promise you, these are as good as it gets gluten free or not. The crumb texture is SO SOFT and airy. They melt in your mouth.

My husband came home from work the day I made them and ate 4. He said they reminded him so much of the Starbucks crumb cake & I completely agree. Only I think the texture of these muffins may be even softer and fluffier. Both versions are incredible.

Speaking of that- lately I have been creating two versions for my muffin recipes. The first is just gluten & dairy free (using 1 egg). The second is egg free. Both are amazing. The ones with the egg are a tiny bit fluffier. No matter which you choose you will be happy either way.

HOW TO MAKE THEM SUGAR FREE

Here’s the deal with sugar free sweeteners.. some have and after taste & some don’t. Only the granulated cup for cup blends are meant for baking- so please only use one of them.

Erythritol and xylitol (which is what most bags of sugar free sugar are made from- look at their labels. They market them as if they are different and they all work exactly the same for the most part.) have a bit of an icy after taste and you can avoid that by using less. I would start with 1/2 cup in your batter and give it a taste to see If you need more. Less is more - I promise.

If you opt for Alluose that has left of an after taste as you may be able to get away with using that one cup for cup with good results.

How to make them CORN FREE

Off the top of my head every single one of my recipes is corn free- except for one ingredient. Double Acting Baking Powder. There are brands of corn free baking powder are easier to find. But double acting corn free is trickier. A lovely member of the club told me about THIS product. You can also order it directly from the Bakewell website. Its called “starch free double acting baking powder”.

If you cant get your hands on a double acting version, don’t stress just use what you have. What is the difference between regular and double? It’s pretty straight forward. Regular contains only one acid that begins to do its thing the moment it comes into contact with liquid. As long as you are mixing and then baking right away this isn’t a big deal. Which is the case for things like muffins, pancakes and quickbread.

Double contains TWO acids instead of one. The first acid is the same as regular, the second is an acid that reacts only to heat. This means it doesn’t activate until its sitting in your hot oven. My preference is double for this reason it gives more assurance that the recipe will rise perfectly every time.

Using other gluten free all purpose flour blends

The bad news is that there isn’t truly a gluten free measure for measure flour or cup for cup. Its a marketing ploy. There are blends that work decent in place but never exactly. Each and every blend is totally different. For example I LOVE better batter - but in this recipe it would make for some seriously gummy muffins. I chose King Arthur as its lower in gum and therefore I knew my muffins would end up soft, light and delicate.

So of course you are welcome to experiment. But please keep in mind that there are no guarantees. Any change means the recipe will change.

Expandex

These muffins are special because of the magic of expandex. It is a modified form of tapioca starch that was formulated to improve gluten free baking. The word Modified tends to worry people- so let me explain further. Essentially they studied tapioca and removed portions of it leaving only the parts that would allow for it to cause amazing elasticity (aka its name) in gluten free recipes. This flour allows me to get an incredible rise with everything I use it in. It traps the air bubbles in the dough just like regular flour with gluten does! Its honestly incredible. If you eat any processed or store bought foods you have eaten many forms of modified starch. Its nothing new- its just semi new to the home baker. Its non gmo and I typically get it from the brand Judee’s on amazon. Under no conditions can you sub it out for another regular starch.

Outside of the US there is a product called Ultratex 3 I have not worked with it but from what I understand its comparable! I would use that in the exact same quantity as the expandex amount that I call for.

Gluten & Dairy Free Crumb Cake (this version uses eggs)

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Yield: - 10 Muffins +

Author: Brittany Angell

( 0 reviews )

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 24 MinTotal time: 34 Min

IngredientsUSMetric

Muffin Batter

• 171 grams King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour
• 33 grams Expandex
• 166 grams Organic Cane Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 80 grams mild flavored oil
• 1 Large Egg
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 162 Grams Milk (Regular or Dairy Free)
• 2 Tsp Double Acting Baking Powder

Crumb Topping

• 6 Tbsp King Arthur measure for measure
• 6 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
• Pinch of Salt
• 3-3.5 Tbsp Melted Butter (regular or vegan)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Add a double layer of muffin cups to 10 spots in your muffin tin. (doubling them up prevents overcooking on the bottom.) Set aside
2. Make the crumb topping: Add to a small bowl all of the dry ingredients and whisk. Pour in the melted butter and use a fork to stir until the mixture becomes crumbly. Set aside.
3. Make the muffin batter: Add all of the ingredients to your bowl being careful to measure accurately. Whisk until completely smooth. Divide batter among the 10 cups (they should be about 2/3 or a little higher full.)
4. Top each one with crumb topping. Pour water Half way up in the open spots on the muffin tray for even baking. Bake for 22-25 minutes until golden brown, firm to touch and a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Serve at any temperature. Store in a sealed bag or container at room temperature or freeze for another day.

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Gluten Free + Vegan Crumb Cake Muffins

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Yield: - 8 muffins +

Author: Brittany Angell

( 0 reviews )

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 24 MinTotal time: 34 Min

Ingredients

Muffin Batter

• 171 g King Arthur Measure for Measure Gluten Free Flour
• 33 grams Expandex
• 150 grams Organic Cane Sugar
• 1/2 Tsp Salt
• 80 grams Mild Flavored Oil (Avocado, Vegetable ect.)
• 186 grams Dairy Free Milk
• 2 Tsp Vanilla Extract
• 2 Tsp Double Acting Baking Powder

Crumb Topping

• 6 Tbsp King Arthur Measure for Measure
• 6 Tbsp Brown Sugar
• 1 1/4 Tsp Cinnamon
• pinch of salt
• 3-3.5 Tbsp Melted Vegan Butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Line a muffin tin with 8 cups (double stack the cups - gluten free muffins take longer to bake and this prevents burnt bottoms).
3. In a small bowl make the crumb topping. Add all the dry ingredients together and mix. Then stir in the melted butter until clumps form. Set aside.
4. Place a large bowl over a baking scale and carefully measure each muffin ingredient to it. Whisk until smooth. Evenly add the batter to the prepared 8 muffin cups. The batter will come almost to the top. Sprinkle all of the crumb topping onto the muffins. Add water the remaining 4 cups for even baking.
5. Place into the oven and bake 22-25 minutes. Until the muffins are golden brown, firm to touch and a toothpick comes out clean. Enjoy at any temperature! Store in a sealed bag or container at room temperature or freeze for another day.

Did you make this recipe?

Tag @bakingangell on instagram and hashtag it #bakingangell