Fluffy Blueberry Chickpea Muffins

My gluten-free blueberry chickpea muffins are tender, fluffy, and bursting with fresh blueberries in every bite. Chickpeas give them a moist, soft crumb (and they really have no business tasting as good as they do).

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If you’ve made my chickpea blondies or fudgy black bean brownies, you already know what legumes can do in a baked good. This is that same concept…applied to breakfast.

Because yes, chickpeas do belong at the breakfast table. Just look at my chickpea pancakes!

And no, you can’t taste the chickpeas! The chickpeas blend completely smooth into the batter, adding protein and fiber without contributing any beany flavor.

The testing on these took over five rounds to nail down. The challenge with a flourless muffin is getting enough lift without the gluten network that flour provides. The combination of almond butter for structure and butter for richness turned out to be the right answer, and it wasn’t obvious until we tried every other combination first.

Here’s why we love them

After four rounds of testing across multiple fat and leavening combinations to land on the right structure and crumb, here’s what makes these worth making:

• No flour needed, chickpeas replace it entirely
• Bursting with fresh blueberries in every bite
• An optional chickpea streusel topping that adds crunch and makes these feel like a proper bakery muffin

Key ingredients

• Chickpeas: Two full cans, blended completely smooth before anything else goes in. The paste needs to be very smooth with minimal clumps.
• Almond butter: The structural backbone of the batter. It provides the binding and lift that flour would normally handle.
• Eggs: Four eggs provide lift and structure. Whisk them until fully incorporated and the mixture looks glossy before moving on.
• Cornstarch: Added to the batter for a slightly more cake-like crumb rather than a dense, fudge-like texture. Also useful tossed onto the blueberries before folding in to prevent sinking!
• Fresh blueberries: Fresh produces a cleaner, brighter flavor than frozen and keeps the batter from getting too wet. If using frozen, don’t thaw them first and toss in cornstarch.
• Vanilla extract: The supporting flavor that makes the whole muffin taste warm and bakery-like.

The optional chickpea streusel

The streusel is optional, but it’s really good and worth making if you have the time!

It’s built from blended chickpea paste, rolled oats, brown sugar, cornstarch, butter, and vanilla, which sounds unusual but produces a crunchy, crumbly topping that bakes into something close to a classic oat streusel. The chickpea paste acts as a binder that holds the oats together without any flour.

Prepare the streusel before starting the muffin batter so it has time to chill while you mix everything else.

These work as a standalone breakfast, but they pair naturally alongside high protein overnight oats for a full meal prep week. For a weekend brunch spread, serve them next to frozen blueberry bites and vegan apple muffins for a pastry spread that requires almost no effort.

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Fluffy Blueberry Chickpea Muffins (Gluten-Free)

5 from 2 ratings

By: Sarah Bond

Prep: 30 minutes minutes

Cook: 30 minutes minutes

Total: 1 hour hour

Servings: 16 muffins

My gluten-free blueberry chickpea muffins are tender, fluffy, and bursting with fresh blueberries in every bite.

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 15-oz cans chickpeas, 440 g
• ▢ 1 cup granulated sugar, 200 g
• ▢ 6 Tbsp melted unsalted butter, 80 g
• ▢ ½ cup almond butter, 130 g
• ▢ 4 large eggs, 200 g
• ▢ ½ cup milk, 115 mL
• ▢ 2 tsp vanilla extract, 8 g
• ▢ 4 tsp cornstarch, 12 g
• ▢ 1 tsp salt, 6 g
• ▢ 1½ tsp baking powder, 6 g
• ▢ ¼ tsp baking soda, 2 g
• ▢ 2 cups blueberries*, 300 g

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Instructions 

• Prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a total of 16-cups or about two muffin tins with liners.
• Blend Chickpeas: Drain and rinse 2 15-oz cans chickpeas thoroughly. Blend until completely smooth using a food processor or immersion blender. You may need to occasionally scrape down the sides to get it all. The paste should be very smooth with minimal clumps.
  
• Wet Ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together 1 cup granulated sugar, 6 Tbsp melted unsalted butter, and ½ cup almond butter until mostly incorporated, about 1 minute.

  Add 4 large eggs and whisk until fully emulsified and glossy, another 1 minute.

  Finally, whisk in ½ cup milk and 2 tsp vanilla extract, just until incorporated.
  
• Dry Ingredients: Add 4 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp salt, 1½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp baking soda. Whisk until combined.
  
• Chickpeas & Blueberries: Whisk in blended chickpea paste until completely smooth and no clumps remain.

  Use a spatula to fold in 2 cups blueberries*
  
• Assemble: Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling about ¾ full.
  
• Bake: Bake for 30 minutes, or until tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

  Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
  

Notes

*To prevent the blueberries from sinking, you can optionally toss them in a little bit of cornstarch before folding them in. Ensure the blueberries are very dry, then toss them in one teaspoon of cornstarch to lightly coat them. 

No Peeking: It’s important not to open the door too often while baking! This allows the heat to escape, which deflates the muffins before they’ve fully cooked, causing them to be flatter.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to three days, or in the fridge for up to five. The texture holds up well over time without drying out, which makes these one of the better breakfast meal prep bakes on the site.

To freeze, wrap individual muffins and store for up to two months. Thaw at room temperature or microwave for 30 seconds from frozen.

Can I use frozen blueberries? Yes, with one adjustment. Don’t thaw them first. Add them straight from frozen and toss them in a teaspoon of cornstarch before folding into the batter. Frozen blueberries release significantly more moisture than fresh as they bake, and the cornstarch absorbs enough of that liquid to keep the crumb from getting wet and dense. Fresh is still the better choice if you have it, but frozen works well with this small step.

Nutrition

Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 220kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 7g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0g | Cholesterol: 55mg | Sodium: 170mg | Potassium: 180mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 160IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1.5mg

Nutrition information calculated by Sarah Bond, degreed nutritionist.

did you make this?Leave a comment below and tag @liveeatlearn on social media! I love seeing what you’ve made!