Product Review...Authentic Foods Blueberry Muffin Mix

When I was asked to try and review some products for Authentic Foods, I was excited to see what products I'd receive. If you've read my blog, you know that I do not typically buy or use gluten-free mixes of any kind. So this was a unique opportunity for me to try some products and see what I had been missing. If you have tried anything from Authentic Foods before, I am sure you know the high quality they produce. This gluten-free mom was impressed!

The packaging is simple, clean and appealing. For me, a very visual person, that was appealing. It is not flashy or over done. You can look at the package and know just what you are getting. They have their products clearly labeled so that if you are avoiding dairy, soy or nuts, you know right off that their product is safe.

Blueberry muffins are a favorite here in my household. Since we have removed gluten from our diet, this is not something that I have made often. Let me tell you, it has been sorely missed. This was a review that my family was dying for me to finish so they could enjoy the muffins too!

The blueberries in this mix are dried, but they are the biggest dried blueberries I think I have ever seen. I'll be honest, I did not expect to like these much when I started to make these muffins. To my mind, fresh is always best, but I was willing to give them an honest and open minded try.

Like most gluten-filled mixes for muffins and such, the standard eggs, oil and milk or non-dairy options are required. Mixing up these muffins was fast and easy. I had 12 beautiful muffins mixed and baked in just over a half hour. A huge bonus to a busy mom!

So far so good, at this point I am sold! The packaging, the look of the mix itself and the ease in which it all came together was quite convincing. However, as they say, "The proof is in the pudding" and I had yet to taste the muffins.

They smelled amazingly good while baking. My kitchen smelled like a bakery! The muffins rose nicely, had a golden brown top and were not dense or heavy when I took them out of the muffin pan. Once they cooled a bit, I cut one of the muffins in half. The crumb texture was wonderful, not dry and not rubbery as some gluten-free baked goods can be.

The only shortcoming that I found was the amount of blueberries per muffin. This could totally be a result of me not making sure there were an equal amount put into each muffin as I filled the pan. That being said, keep in mind that I love blueberries and I honestly don't think there can be too many of them in a muffin. The blueberries that were in the muffins were plump, flavorful and delicious. I just wished there had been a few more of them.

Over all, these muffins are a winner in my book! I loved them, the flavor was spot on and the crumb was perfect. They were moist, fluffy and had just the right amount of sweetness. In the past, I have tried muffins made from a mix and they were overly sweet. I was not disappointed with these muffins, and they did not have a "gluten-free flavor" that some products have.

The Authentic Foods Blueberry Muffin Mix delivers a wonderful product.