Low Histamine Muffin Recipe: Blueberry Cassava Flour Muffins (Medium Oxalate and Low Lectin with Low Salicylate Options)
This low histamine recipe for cassava flour muffins is always a hit!
Muffins go fast around my house. So, I actually make 2 batches at a time.
I designed this recipe to be made in the blender. That makes the prep easy and fast. No need to dirty separate bowls for dry ingredients and wet ingredients.
I use 2 blender jars and make 2 batches at a time so I get multiple servings out of it.
TIP: Just make sure you divide and put it separately in two bowl or blender jars as you measure out. A double batch won’t fit in one blender bowl.
And these cassava flour muffins freeze really well.
These blueberry muffins work well for our community with Histamine Intolerance and MCAS because they are:
- Low histamine
- Medium oxalate
- Low lectin
- Nut free
- Dairy free
- Grain free
- Vegan
And I’ve got a low salicylate option for you, too.
I love making recipes that my friends without MCAS and HIT can also enjoy. These low histamine muffins fit the bill.
They are perfect for a yummy Sunday brunch with family and friends.
I like to pair them with my low histamine yogurt or mango blueberry basil salad.
Why Cassava Flour Muffins?
Cassava flour is not only low histamine and low lectin, but it’s also:
- Paleo
- Low carb
- Gluten free
- Grain free
If you’re sensitive to oxalates, it’s medium oxalate above ¼ cup so limit your servings or about 1 muffin.
I only use Otto’s brand cassava flour in my cooking. I’ve tried other brands and reacted to all of them. I suspect this is because other brands ferment the flour.
Cassava is in the rubber plant family. It’s part of the tapioca plant.
Bananas and latex come from the same family. So, if you have allergies to latex or bananas (besides histamines), then you may want to test a tiny amount first to make sure you don’t react.
Although, I’ve had some with latex allergies do fine with cassava.
TIP: If cassava bothers you, some people have made this low histamine muffins recipe with white rice flour with decent results. Just remember that white rice flour isn’t as low lectin as cassava.
I find cassava flour easier to work with than coconut flour for grain free baking. And it works for more of our community than almond flour which is high oxalate and high lectin.
More Cassava Flour Recipes with Otto’s
- Low Histamine Cassava Tortillas – Low Lectin & Medium Oxalate
- Low Histamine Cassava Herb Crackers – Low Lectin, Medium Oxalate & Low FODMAP
- Low Histamine Herbed Olive Oil and Cassava Flatbread – Low Lectin, Medium Oxalate & Low FODMAP
Making Cassava Flour Muffins into Low Histamine Muffins
Just because you have Histamine Intolerance doesn’t mean you have to give up some of your favorite foods.
I really like to think about replacing high histamine foods instead of just eliminating them.
Sometimes all it takes to make a recipe low histamine is a few ingredient swaps.
Making these cassava flour muffins low histamine was super easy.
Here are the substitutions I made.
Learn more about the low histamine diet here.
Blueberry Muffins
My favorite flavor is blueberry muffins. For the blueberries, I like using frozen blueberries.
It’s convenient since I usually keep them on hand for my low histamine smoothies.
You can also use fresh blueberries. Either one works well with cassava flour.
Blueberries are low histamine. You don’t need to worry about them. But here are some of the swaps you should know about.
TIP: If you sub rice flour, the large blueberries will drift to the bottom of the pan. But they still taste delicious!
Flavoring
I prefer raw vanilla bean powder over vanilla extract. The alcohol in vanilla extract is high histamine.
It’s an investment up front. But it lasts a long time if you store it in the fridge. And a little goes a long way.
Make sure you’re buying just raw, ground vanilla beans. The powder should be brown, not white. White means it has been highly processed.
Sweeteners for Low Histamine Muffins
Many muffin recipes call for applesauce. Applesauce can be a substitute for eggs. And it can add moisture and sweetness.
But I generally recommend staying away from packaged foods. Most foods build in histamine the longer they sit on a shelf.
And just because something says organic or gluten-free, doesn’t necessarily make it healthy.
Premade applesauces are often high histamine (even when they are organic and the only ingredient is apples!)
They may have additives to extend the shelf life.
Or they may have high histamine ingredients like cinnamon or sugar.
And apples are almost always on the Dirty Dozen food list for high pesticide residue.
So, with Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance, it’s often better to just make your own. And it’s so easy!
To make low histamine applesauce for muffins, I like to throw the apples straight into the blender.
I leave the skins on for added nutrition and fiber. Apple skins contain quercetin which is mast cell supporting. It doesn’t affect the texture of the muffins at all.
I use green apples because they are lower in naturally occurring sugars.
But you can use any apples here. Other types of apples will give this a sweeter flavor.
Some cassava flour muffin recipes call for mashed bananas or chocolate chips to add sweetness. But they are both high histamine.
Other grain free muffin recipes will use coconut sugar or honey or maple syrup.
But these can spike your blood sugar.
This is important because spiking your blood sugar can increase histamine release.
But you don’t need bananas, chocolate chips, sugar, honey, or syrup to make these muffins sweet.
I recommend monk fruit and stevia as sweeteners.
These will not spike your blood sugar as much. The keto diet has made them more popular so they are fairly easy to find nowadays.
Flax Eggs
Some people do well with chicken eggs.
But some people may be avoiding eggs if they are in Phase 1 of the low histamine diet.
I used to have trouble eating 2 or more eggs at a time if I was just eating eggs straight
But if it is a small amount in a recipe like this, I was fine. When you break it down, it comes to about 1/6 of an egg per muffin. I was able to tolerate that.
You’ll have to experiment for yourself to see what is right for you.
I recommend using pasture-raised eggs if you do want to use chicken eggs.
But if you can’t do any eggs at all don’t worry! Flax eggs work just fine.
If you haven’t made flax eggs before, it is super easy.
See the bottom of the recipe.
The flax makes a gel that thickens the batter like real eggs. It won’t rise quite as much. But it will still taste great.
Low Histamine Muffins Baking Ingredients
Here are a few other easy swaps I made with this recipe.
Coconut milk is my go-to dairy free milk.
However, it can be really hard to find coconut milk without thickeners.
Thickeners like xanthum gum can cause mast cell issues and histamine problems.
Fortunately, Native Forest Simple makes a 100% coconut milk. That works great for this muffin recipe.
When I sweet recipe calls for oil, I like the flavor of coconut oil best. In this low histamine muffin recipe, it adds a hint of sweetness.
I find that avocado oil and olive oil can add odd flavor notes or aftertastes in baked goods.
And you’ll notice there isn’t any baking powder in this recipe.
I only use baking soda. Most baking powders contain corn.
Corn isn’t high histamine, but it is in the lectin category. This will be a concern if you have Lectin Intolerance.
And it’s been my experience that generally, a lot of people in the Mast Cell 360 clinic don’t do well with corn or corn-based products.
Related Article: What to Know About Corn if You Have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome or Histamine Intolerance
Thankfully, Otto’s now has a cassava based baking powder. You can check out the cassava baking powder here!
Even with these changes, you won’t miss a thing!
So whip up a batch (…or 2…or 3) of these cassava flour muffins.
These muffins are gluten free, but even your friends who eat wheat flour will enjoy them! My guests want seconds of these blueberry muffins anytime I make them!
TIP: If you use muffin liners, be sure to get them unbleached so you don’t have toxic chemicals leaching into your delicious muffins!
Learn more about how to make a low histamine meal plan here.
Low Salicylate Muffin Recipe Swaps
If you need low salicylate substitutions, here’s what to use:
- Peeled yellow or red delicious apples
- Cream (dairy-based) or homemade pecan milk instead of coconut milk
- Chicken Eggs instead of flax eggs
- Ghee instead of coconut oil
- Mango instead of blueberries
- Omit vanilla and stevia
Be sure to adjust the ingredients below if you need low salicylate.
How to Make a Double Batch of Cassava Flour Muffins
With a lot of recipes, you just double the amount of ingredients and follow the same instructions.
But there’s a secret tip you’ll want to know when doubling this recipe.
All your ingredients aren’t going to fit in one blender if you double it. (Unless you have a huge blender.)
So, I use two blender jars (that’s the part that looks like a pitcher.)
I get all the ingredients I need for a double batch prepped. But I make sure to keep everything separate as though I were making two single batches.
Have you heard of mise en place? It’s a cooking term for when you prep and organize ingredients before you start cooking.
It often involves separating measured ingredients into small bowls.
It’s really helpful. Especially if you have brain fog.
So, when you are organizing your ingredients for a double batch, you can go ahead and get all your eggs out, for example. Just be sure to keep half of them for one blender jar and half for the other.
I do this by cracking 3 eggs in blender jar and 3 eggs in a separate blender jar.
Do this with all the ingredients.
I hope this tip helps! I don’t want you to get halfway through only to find out all your ingredients aren’t going to fit for a double batch!
Low Histamine Muffin Recipe: Blueberry Cassava Flour Muffins (Medium Oxalate & Low Lectin with Low Salicylate Options)
Equipment
- Knife
- High Speed Blender (2 jars)
- Muffin Pan
Ingredients
- 2 Small Organic Green Apples (or 1 large)
- 1 cup Coconut Milk
- 3 Pasture Raised Eggs (or 3 flax eggs)
- 3 Tablespoon Coconut Oil
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla Bean Powder
- ¼-½ teaspoon Smart Monk 100% Pure Monk Fruit Powder (or 1 teaspoon liquid monk fruit extract)
- 10 drops Stevia
- 1 teaspoon Redmond Real Salt
- 1½ cups Ottos Cassava Flour
- 2 teaspoons Baking Soda
- 1½ cups Blueberries (fresh or frozen)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325º F.
- Grease muffin tin well with ghee or coconut oil. Or use unbleached paper baking cup liners.
- Chop apples into large chunks.
- Add to blender the following wet ingredients: apple chunks, coconut milk, eggs, softened ghee or coconut oil, and stevia.
- Blend on high until smooth.
- Add the following dry ingredients to the blender: cassava flour, baking soda, monk fruit powder, vanilla powder, salt. Blend on low just until smooth. Depending on your blender, you may need to hand mix if it’s not high powdered.
- If using fresh blueberries, wash and dry.
- Spoon batter into a bowl and gently fold in blueberries.
- Fill muffin cups evenly.
- Bake 25-35 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. Time depends on your oven and how full the muffin tins are.
- Cool for 5 minutes. Use a sharp knife to gently release the edges of the muffins from the pan. Then transfer to a backing rack to cool for about 15 minutes before eating. (Or if using baking cup liners, transfer muffins in baking cups to cooling rack. Allow to cool completely before removing baking cups.)
- Freeze leftovers before they reach room temperature.
How to Make Flax Eggs
- Mix 3 Tablespoons ground organic flaxseed meal with scant ½ cup water.
- Let sit for 5 minutes.
- 1 Tablespoon of flax mixture equals 1 egg. Use in place of eggs for baking. You won’t get as much rise as eggs. But the flax eggs do help hold everything together.
Notes
What’s your favorite way to make low histamine muffins?
More Low Histamine Dessert Recipes
- White Chocolate Cookie Dough – Medium Oxalate, Low Lectin
- Carrot Cake – Medium Oxalate, Low Lectin
- 6 Layer Cranberry Trifle – Low Oxalate, Low Lectin
- Pecan Clusters – Medium Oxalate, Low Lectin
- Ginger Cardamom Breakfast Rolls – Medium Oxalate, Low Lectin, Medium FODMAP
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References
Li, Y., Yao, J., Han, C., Yang, J., Chaudhry, M. T., Wang, S., Liu, H., & Yin, Y. (2016). Quercetin, Inflammation and Immunity. Nutrients, 8(3), 167. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu8030167
This looks great! I was recently advised to avoid rice products and began to seriously wonder how I’d manage. You sent me this recipe just at the right time! Thanks, Beth!
Can u try other fruits in the muffin or even carrot ?
Yes, you could!
how much applesauce would be the equivalent of blenderizing 2 small or 1 large apple? I would like to use grated carrots, grated zucchini or mashed pumpkin for variety.
can you use tiger nut flour?
Is the recipe on the this page for Flax Eggs equal to one egg or the 3 eggs, as called for in the main recipe? I’m assuming it’s making 3 but want to make sure.
Hi Lisa,
Yes, the flax egg proportions listed on the blog post = 3 eggs
my mini muffins have just come out of the oven – they are delicious – I followed the recipe verbatim!
Yay! So glad to hear this Brenda! Thanks for letting us know!
Can you substitute applesauce for the apple? If so, how much?
Thanks!
Hi Cara,
I’m really not sure about this. This was what I could find on the web: Spoon applesauce into the measuring cup. Spoon in enough so that it is roughly at the 3-oz. mark. Gently shake the measuring cup to level the sauce. Adjust the amount of applesauce by spooning more in or out until it is exactly at 3 oz. This is one apple’s worth of sauce. If you try it and have success, please let us know!
I am allergic to apples. Can I replace with coconut sugar? If so, how much?
Hi Donna,
We’ve never tried to do that, so not sure. If you find that it works, please let us know!
There is another brand of coconut milk with no additives. Organic Coconut Milk by Natural Values.
They are yummy, more on mushy side. I used pears instead of apples and only 1tb of coconut sugar.
Thanks so very much for this fun recipe. First time I made it, I thought “blender “ was meaning a mixer so I just used a hand held mixer in a mixing bowl. The batter was kind of runny but the end result tasted great to me ! Finally the light bulb went on and since I don’t have a blender, a food processor worked out nicely. The batter was light and fluffy, not drippy and my second batch is almost done. Eating low histamine has been a life changer. Also they are really good after chilling in the fridge. I pray God’s Best to you always.!
Hi Kim,
Thanks for letting us know your experience. I’m glad it ultimately worked out!
Suz
Cassava flour was recently tested and reported in Susan Owen’s Low oxalate group and is VERY HIGH oxalate. 🙁
Hi Maria! I made this today and for some reason they came out really mushy! The tops were nice and crisp but the inside almost seemed underdone! 🙁 Is it possible it was because of the fresh blueberries? Maybe there was too much moisture? It almost seemed like the ghee didn’t mix in well even though the batter looked okay to me. I just spooned the ghee out of the jar container. My first time using it but it was soft so I figured it was fine. Any suggestions would be apprecaited it. The taste of them is good and I really want this to work! lol
Hi Jessica,
It’s hard to say as with baking there are so many factors, including the oven itself. If anyone here has tips to share, that would be great. Beth has made these with success. I do tend to find that with cassava flour, baked goods don’t have quite the same consistency that they would with wheat flour. I’ve also found that smaller and or thinner is the way to go. For example, I made the cranberry crumble and used the wrong size pan. So it was too thick and needed to cook waaaaaay longer. Also I have a gas oven so that isn’t quite as consistent as an electric oven. I hope others who have tried will be able to give you their tips, too!
Suz
Hello, I made this recipe this morning and the batter was very runny. They came out looking absolutely beautiful and then they flopped because they were not cooked on the inside. I had them baking for 35 minutes. I feel like another cup of flour would have been better. Any suggestions?
Hi Christine,
We haven’t had that experience, but climate and location can make a difference in cooking. So can the oven. You can experiment with adding a little bit of flour at a time for a very runny batter. I probably wouldn’t start at a whole cup. Try a tablespoon at at time until you reach the desired consistency. I can tell you from my own experience cooking, that with a gas oven, I have to cook everything on the longer end of the time frame and then sometimes even more still. I also recommend that when someone is experimenting with a recipe, they half the recipe while they are testing out changes. That way you won’t be wasting as much if it doesn’t turn out. We’d love to hear back from you with your experience if you do try again with more flour. It might help someone else out who is facing the same issue.
Best regards,
Suz, MC360
Hello! I used flax eggs instead of eggs and frozen wild blueberries. My batter was nice and thick. I baked for 35 minutes
Awesome! Thanks for sharing!
Hi Beth,
Just popped these in the oven but very concerned just don’t look right and I don’t know why. Almost solid mixture by the time I was trying to fold the blueberries in. I made the flax eggs and I used cassava flour. I am an experienced baker so rather frustrated! Help!xx
Hi Alice,
We haven’t experienced this, so I’m not sure what happened for you. My only guess would be that it needed more moisture. I have had an issue with cassava flour where I need to add more water to either get it to roll out into a sheet or to get it to form a dough that isn’t crumbly. Curious how they turned out. If you could let us know, we would appreciate the feedback. We may need to go back and revisit the recipe to see if we can make anything clearer or if something needs to be adjusted.
I have an allergy to coconut. Could I use another nut milk for the muffins? Just wondering if it would come out the same.
We’ve only tried it with coconut milk, so we can’t say for sure, but I think another type of milk would work just as well. If you experiment, please come back and let us know! You can always make half a recipe to see if it will work, that way you won’t have wasted ingredients if it doesn’t turn out quite right. Best of luck!
I don’t do well with Stevia. Could I add more monk fruit or some coconut sugar? Thank You sooo much.
Hi Suz, you can always leave out the stevia or experiment with monk fruit or a little coconut sugar.
Stuck to the recipe but, while they rose in the oven, they deflated rapidly once out. Too moist. Not at all muffin consistency. Liquid consistency. Would really like to get these right as I am new to this and am stuck for breakfast items. PS. My batter was liquid. You could drink it. Being Australian make a difference?
Hi John, I’m sorry the recipe did not work out for you. We haven’t had that same experience, but climate and location can make a difference in baking. The oven can also make a difference, but it sounds like a batter issue for you. You can experiment with adding a little bit of flour at a time for a very runny batter, maybe try a tablespoon at at time until you reach the desired consistency. If you give it another try, maybe try cutting the recipe in half as you experiment.
I was hoping this recipe would be good but it was awful. I followed the directions and used the ghee version. The batter was much thicker than a normal muffin batter. They had a weird texture and taste. I will not waste the time and money to make again.
Hi Kathy,
I’m so sorry you didn’t like this recipe. It’s a favorite among the team and many readers. When making low histamine recipes, you won’t always get an exact match for the high histamine version, but we try to offer options to suit a variety of tastes. I hope our next recipe will be more to your preference!
really nice muffins! a little too moist because of the size of the blueberries used. For next time I would cut down the blueberries and would maybe coat them in the flour prior to adding, so they don’t sink as much during the bake. I increased the heat and did them on convection at 350 degrees. They still needed 30 minutes and probably could’ve used a little more time because the bottoms were a bit soggy. Only changes to original ingredients were to substitute the monk fruit extract with stevia powder in addition to liquid stevia as directed.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
These muffins are tasty! It is so hard to find something bread-like on gluten, dairy, and egg free – plus low histamine. I was really excited. However, I have oxalate issues and am working to be on a low-medium oxalate diet. I didn’t realize that cassava flour falls into a VERY HIGH level of oxalates. Above it says medium oxalate with 1 muffin, so I didn’t initially look further into it. I also usually had 2 muffins for breakfast. I just want to emphasize that if oxalates are an issue, I think it would be better to not have cassava flour. I have no idea what I can actually eat for breakfast. 🙁
Hi Elizabeth,
We’re glad to hear you found the muffins tasty! Oxalates are unfortunately very tricky. Typically, when we say a recipe is low or medium oxalate it means it is low or medium at one serving, which may be helpful to keep in mind when looking at recipes on our site. Here is a list of low-oxalate recipes: https://mastcell360.com/category/recipes/low-oxalate/, here is a smoothie recipe you may be interested in to see if it fits your needs: https://mastcell360.com/cherry-smoothie-recipe/
With oxalate levels it is about quantity and whether you are affected by soluble or total oxalates. Mast Cell 360 sponsored Otto’s cassava flour testing through Dr. Liebman at the University of Wyoming (this is the same lab Susan Owen’s Trying Low Oxalates Facebook group uses) and Otto’s cassava was tested as 17mg soluble oxalates per 1/4 cup. This equates to 8.5 mg soluble oxalates per 1/8 cup. Some people count total oxalates and others count soluble oxalates. We consider 8.5mg soluble oxalates per 1/8 cup to be moderate. However, if someone is on a kidney stone diet or otherwise counting total oxalates, then Otto’s cassava flour would be too high oxalate 53.8mg TOTAL oxalates per 1/4 cup. It depends on how you are counting and what your limit is. If preferred, you can substitute white rice flour for cassava, which is lower oxalate. It will change the texture some and may need a little tinkering, but should still turn out ok.
These are soooo good. I did have to bake them a good bit longer than the recipe states–about 45-50 minutes in my oven. When fully baked, the inside is still dense, not fluffy, but they are super good, especially with some butter. Thank you!
I’m glad you’re finding our recipe section so useful.
-Kam
Can’t wait to try the recipe! What can I use in place of Stevia? Can I use raspberries instead of blueberries?
Hi Sharon,
Depending on your personal tolerance levels you can certainly swap raspberries for the blueberries. Generally, people tolerate raspberries better in the later stages of a low histamine diet.
In place of stevia, we often use monk fruit extract (make sure it’s not mixed with anything else like erythritol).
These are the two we generally use and recommend:
Powder- https://mastcell360.com/monk-fruit-powder (powdered)
Liquid- https://amzn.to/2QqCKiZ (liquid).
Let us know how it comes out!
Best,
Kam