blueberry muffin bread pudding bake 2 ways {gluten free + vegan}
/The blueberry crumb muffins are back! Remember when I mumbled something about turning the muffins into a french toast bake if there were leftovers? I don’t expect you to remember that. Well, there were definitely zero leftovers from that batch, but I just couldn’t get my mind off the french toast bake idea.
I thought about breaking this up post into 2 posts.
I thought about not posting quite so many photos.
And then I thought those were both bad ideas.
Let that be your warning. Hold on tight.
Many of you ask about adapting my quick breads and bakes to be vegan as well as gluten-free. It’s not always as simple as switching out real eggs with flax-eggs. I’ve found in gluten-free and vegan baking [mostly quick breads + muffins] that flax-eggs typically result in a center that never fully bakes. It can also end up leaving a slimy texture that is just not appealing. Instead, adding ground flax to the dry ingredients and more milk works the best but sometimes even that doesn’t turn out.
However, this time it did.
I made VEGAN + GLUTEN-FREE BLUEBERRY BANANA MUFFINS and they don’t taste like crap!!!!!!!
I’ve failed many, many times before but these turned out soft, fluffy, and even hold together. No funky texture, unbaked center, or brick-like denseness. They even rose + cracked on top! Check it out for yourself.
I am incredibly excited. I don’t apologize.
The muffins are missing the crumb topping only because it was saved and added to the bread pudding bake you see below.
The reason I call this bread pudding instead of a french toast bake is because of its gooey, thick texture and lack of eggs.
The best part is that the crumb topping self-caramelizes with everything once baked. The combination between the gooey center and caramelized crumb topping is almost too much to handle.
But not really.
Only 1/2 of the batch is shown below from 1, 8x4 loaf pan – fyi.
This can be served warm with a spoon or cut into pieces once cooled and picked up with your hands. It turns into its own sticky, loaf-creation once baked.
You really need zero toppings for this. Promise.
And I must warn you. It’s really hard to share.
Blueberry Banana Crumb Muffins
gluten-free, vegan // 12 muffins
adapted from: blueberry crumb muffins
for the crumb topping:
*note: if making the bread pudding bake below, be sure to bake the muffins without the crumb topping
- 1/3 cup gluten-free rolled oats
- 5 tablespoons coconut sugar/sucanat/brown sugar
- 1/4 cup chilled coconut oil, or vegan butter
- 3 tablespoons gluten-free oat flour
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- pinch of salt
- Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mash with a fork or your fingers until well combined and crumbly.
- Use as a topping before baking the muffins or set aside to use in the bread pudding bake recipe below.
for the muffins:
- 3/4 cup raw buckwheat flour
- 1 cup gluten-free oat flour
- 1/2 cup almond meal
- 1/4 cup ground flax meal
- 1/4 cup coconut sugar/sucanat/brown sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2/3 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2/3 cup well-mashed banana
- 3 tablespoons melted unrefined coconut oil, slightly cooled
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 1/4 cup blueberries
- Preheat your oven to 350* Fahrenheit and line 1-2 muffin tins with liners.
- Combine all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine.
- Combine all of the wet ingredients in another bowl and vigorously whisk until combined.
- Pour the wet into the dry and stir/fold with a large wooden spoon until just combined.
- Gently fold in the blueberries. Do not over stir.
- Let sit 5 minutes then spoon evenly into the muffin liners about 2/3 the way full.
- If making only the muffins and not the bread bake sprinkle the crumb topping over each muffin.
- Bake for 32-38 minutes until the center is set [springs back] and a toothpick comes out clean.
- Let fully cool before peeling the liners. Muffins solidify as they cool.
notes/subs: Around 5,000’ altitude: use 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder and bake at 370*. The banana flavor is light but if you prefer to not use banana I would use 1/2 cup pumpkin puree and 3 tablespoons unsweetened applesauce. Another oil can be subbed instead of coconut oil.
Blueberry Banana Bread Pudding Bake
gluten-free, vegan // 1, 8x8 pan or 9-inch round
- 1 batch vegan/GF blueberry banana crumb muffins
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- 2 tablespoons coconut sugar/sucanat/brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons ground flax meal
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Preheat your oven to 350* Fahrenheit and thoroughly grease an 8x8 pan or line with parchment.
- Break apart all of the muffins into large pieces and spread evenly on a large baking sheet.
- Toast for 15 minutes then let cool for 10 minutes.
- While cooling, whisk together the almond milk, syrup, sugar, flax, cinnamon, and vanilla in a large bowl until combined.
- Place the toasted muffins in the wet bowl and gently fold the mixture to coat the muffins. Do not mash.
- Pour out into the 8x8 pan, sprinkled the crumb topping over top, and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake for 30min, remove the foil, then bake uncovered for 10min or until slightly toasted on top.
- Allow to cool for 10min before serving.
- Spoon out and serve with maple syrup, nut butter, coconut butter, or nothing at all!
notes/subs: 8x8 square or 9-inch round will properly fit this bake but you could also use 2, 8x4 loaf pans or even spoon into a lined muffin tin or greased mini baking dishes for individual portions. If using smaller containers bake time will decrease. Bake until set.
The reason for almost making 2 posts is because I also turned the gluten-free blueberry crumb muffins into a french toast bake. Similar to what you see above but not using the vegan/gf muffin recipe. This uses eggs in the batter and has a much more baked french toast quality.
Super thick, perfectly moist, and totally delicious.
Both recipes are geared towards breakfast with a light to medium overall sweetness. If you’re looking for something sweeter a maple syrup drizzle will certainly help, or you can add more maple syrup to the bake mixture itself.
Time to dig in.
Print this!recipe includes original muffin recipe as well as crumb topping
Blueberry Bread Pudding Bake gluten-free, dairy-free // 1, 9x9 pan or 10"-inch round
- 1 batch GF blueberry banana crumb muffins
- 1 batch crumb topping [use recipe above]
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/3 cups unsweetened almond milk
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
- Preheat your oven to 350* Fahrenheit and thoroughly grease a 9x9 or 10-inch round pan or line with parchment.
- Break apart 12 muffins into large pieces and spread evenly on a large baking sheet.
- Toast for 15 minutes then let cool for 10 minutes.
- Vigorously whisk the eggs, milk, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and salt in a large bowl.
- Place the toasted muffins in the wet bowl and gently fold the mixture to coat the muffins. Do not mash.
- Pour out into the pan, spread evenly, sprinkle with crumb topping, and cover tightly with foil.
- Bake for 35min, remove the foil, then bake uncovered for 10min or until slightly toasted on top.
- Allow to cool for 10min before serving.
- Spoon out and serve with maple syrup, fruit, yogurt, nut butter, coconut butter, or nothing at all!
notes/subs: 9x9 square or 10-inch round will properly fit this bake but you could also use 2, 9x5 loaf pans or even spoon into a lined muffin tin or greased mini baking dishes for individual portions. If using smaller containers bake time will decrease. Bake until set.
Breakfast this week? Leftovers of this with a side of eggs. But I think that was obvious.
Ashley
