Easy Flaxseed Muffins (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Slightly sweetened with a hint of cinnamon, these easy flaxseed muffins are tender with a moist crumb and perfect for breakfast or an anytime snack!

Super easy to make, with flaxseed meal being the secret ingredient for extra fiber, this recipe for flax muffins is totally gluten-free and dairy-free too, but no one would know! Bake a batch or two and freeze to enjoy homemade muffins anytime!

Jump to:

• Muffins for Breakfast or Anytime
• What is Flaxseed?
• Why It’s Best to Grind Your Own Flaxseed Meal
• Why This Recipe Works
• Ingredients You’ll Need:
• Ingredient Notes/Substitutions:
• How to Make Flaxseed Muffins (Step by Step)
• Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:
• Recipe FAQs:
• Other Muffin Recipes You’ll Enjoy:
• Breakfast Recipes to Start Your Day:
• Easy Flaxseed Muffins (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)

Muffins for Breakfast or Anytime

Lately, I’ve been on a muffin kick, because muffins make such an easy snack to carry along with you on the go, or to eat for breakfast when you need something quick for fuel.

Some of the muffin recipes I’ve been making include these amazingly moist and tender lemon muffins, our favorite banana nut muffins, these delicious cornbread muffins, and pumpkin muffins.

This time, I wanted to develop a recipe for flaxseed muffins – my idea was the create a muffin that was just slightly sweet (without being overly sweet so you can still enjoy it for breakfast or an anytime snack), and with a slight hint of cinnamon for a bit of extra flavor.

What is Flaxseed?

Flax, or flaxseed or linseed, basically comes from the flowering plant from the Linaceae family.

If you’ve never eaten flaxseed before, now’s a great time to start! Naturally a great source of fiber and omega-3, flaxseed is a great addition to your diet, and I’ve been trying to incorporate it more in the foods I cook and eat.

From quick breads such as this flaxseed coconut bread and this flax almond bread, to even flaxseed breakfast porridge, banana flaxseed waffles, and flax eggs (as an egg replacer), there are so many ways to cook and use flaxseed!

Why It’s Best to Grind Your Own Flaxseed Meal

I highly recommend that you grind flaxseed meal from whole flax seeds instead of buying storebought, because flaxmeal can only keep after for up to 1 week after being ground.

Learn how to grind flaxseed meal in just 5 minutes today – I show you just how easy it is and you’ll never go back to buying premade flaxmeal again!

All you need are whole flax seeds (brown flax seeds or golden flax seeds will both work), a high-speed blender, and a fine-mesh sieve and you’re almost done!

Why This Recipe Works

I’m not a fan of complicated recipes, which is why most of the recipes you see on this blog are simple, easy and straightforward.

This delicious recipe for easy flaxseed muffins is no exception. All you need to do literally is to mix the wet ingredients together, and then add the dry ingredients to the wet and mix well until you get a homogeneous batter that gets transferred to a muffin mold and baked to produce the most amazing flax muffins ever!

Soft, tender and slightly sweetened with just the hint of cinnamon, these muffins are going to be your next favorite snack!

Best of all, they’re also totally gluten-free and dairy-free (but honestly, no one would know!), so even those of you who are Celiacs or have gluten intolerances or allergies can indulge in them without worries!

Ready to bake a batch (or two) of these? Let’s get right on to it!

Ingredients You’ll Need:

Here’s a visual overview of the ingredients you’ll require to make this flaxseed muffins recipe. For exact ingredient quantities, please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.

Ingredient Notes/Substitutions:

• Oil: I like to use sunflower oil because I always have a bottle of it on hand. Alternatively, you may also use any other neutral-flavored oil.

• Sugar: I use white sugar but you can also use brown sugar if you prefer. Alternatively, if you are diabetic or insulin-resistant, I highly recommend using Lakanto monkfruit sweetener (a 1:1 substitute for normal sugar with zero-glycemic index).

• Eggs: Eggs are necessary in this recipe because they provide structure and help the flax muffins to rise.

• Milk: I like using my 5-minute homemade almond milk, but you may also use other non-dairy milk such as cashew milk, rice milk, soy milk, sunflower seed milk, or coconut milk. Alternatively, if you are not lactose-intolerant, you may use normal dairy milk instead.

• Gluten-Free All-Purpose Flour: I highly recommend using a good quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that is made up of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, corn starch, tapioca starch, potato starch) to ensure you get a light and fluffy texture. I do NOT recommend using a flour blend with heavier flours such as garbanzo bean flour as that will result in a denser texture.

• Baking Powder: Baking powder is necessary to help the muffins rise, so I do NOT recommend omitting it. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use certified gluten-free baking powder.

• Flaxseed Meal: I used brown flaxseed meal in this flaxseed muffin recipe, but golden flaxseed meal will work just as well! The only difference is that golden flaxseed meal is lighter in color and has a milder taste, compared to brown flaxseed meal which has a nuttier taste and is darker in color. Here’s my recipe for how to grind flaxseed meal in just 5 minutes (grinding it fresh is way better than storebought flaxseed meal that may be rancid)! 

• Cinnamon: I love using a bit of ground cinnamon for a hint of sweetness and extra flavor. However, if you don’t like cinnamon, feel free to leave it out instead.

How to Make Flaxseed Muffins (Step by Step)

1. Preheat and Grease:

Preheat oven to 350F and grease a muffin tin or silicon muffin mold.

2. Beat Oil and Sugar

In a large bowl, beat the oil and sugar together until combined.

3. Add Eggs and Milk

Add the eggs and almond milk and mix well to get a pale yellow mixture.

4. Whisk Dry Ingredients

In a medium bowl, whisk the gluten-free all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, flaxseed meal, and ground cinnamon together to combine.

5. Combine Dry and Wet Ingredients

Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and mix well to combine.

6. Divide Batter Between Muffin Mold Cups

Divide batter evenly between the cups in the muffin mold (approximately 1/2 cup of batter each).

7. Bake Until Golden Brown

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the flaxseed muffins are golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. 

8. Cool and Enjoy

Let the flaxseed muffins cool for at least 5 minutes in the muffin mold before removing them and letting them cool completely on a wire rack before enjoying.

Dish by Dish Tips/Tricks:

• Make Jumbo or Mini Muffins: If you prefer to make jumbo or mini muffins, you can use a 6-cup jumbo muffin mold or a 24-cup mini muffin mold instead of a standard one. For jumbo muffins, you’ll get 6 jumbo muffins, and they’ll require a slightly longer baking time (approximately 40 to 45 minutes). For mini muffins, you’ll get 24 mini muffins, and they’ll be done in less time (approximately 15 to 20 minutes). To test if the muffins are done, simple poke a toothpick in the middle of a muffin and if the toothpick comes out clean, the muffin is ready.

• Make Savory Muffins: If you prefer to make a savory version of these flaxseed muffins instead, simply leave out the sugar and cinnamon, and add an extra 1/2 cup of gluten-free flour. You can also add a pinch of salt as well as herbs and spices such as dried parsley, garlic powder, or even everything bagel seasoning.

• Use a Silicon Muffin Mold: I personally like using a silicon muffin mold which ensures that my muffins don’t stick to the mold and I don’t need to use paper liners for them.

Recipe FAQs:

Other Muffin Recipes You’ll Enjoy:

• Lemon Muffins (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Banana Nut Muffins (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Easy Cornbread Muffins (Gluten-Free, Dairy-Free)
• Pumpkin Muffins (Gluten-Free, Vegan)

Breakfast Recipes to Start Your Day:

P.S. If you try this recipe, I’d love for you to leave a star rating below, and/or a review in the comment section further down the page. I always appreciate your feedback. Be sure to check out my entire Recipe Index for all the recipes on the blog. You can also follow me on Pinterest, Facebook or Instagram! Sign up for my Email List to get fresh recipes in your inbox each week!

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