Mini Blueberry Olive Oil Cake (Gluten Free & Dairy Free)

Mini Blueberry Olive Oil Cake (gluten free, dairy free & refined sugar free)

if you love a soft, fluffy loaf cake but want something a little lighter and made with more wholesome ingredients, this mini blueberry olive oil cake is exactly that. it's small enough that it doesn't turn into a five day leftover situation, but it still has that proper loaf cake feel when you cut into it, which is honestly the balance i'm always going for with these recipes.

it's gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free, and the whole thing comes together in one bowl, which is one of my favourite things about it. there's no creaming butter and sugar, no separate bowls for wet and dry, you just whisk the eggs, olive oil, almond butter, maple syrup and vanilla together, fold in the dry ingredients, then fold in the blueberries and pour it straight into the tin. less washing up, and honestly, less washing up is often the difference between actually making something on a tuesday night and just thinking about it.

fresh blueberries are what i use, and i'd stick with them if you can get good ones, since they hold their shape a little better in the batter. if all you've got is frozen though, they'll work just as well, you just want to skip thawing them first because that extra moisture can throw the batter off. either way, tossing them in a teaspoon of oat flour before you fold them in helps stop them all sinking straight to the bottom, which is such a small step but makes a real difference. blueberries are also one of the more antioxidant dense fruits you can bake with, the anthocyanins that give them that deep blue purple colour are the same compounds behind a lot of their health reputation.

the olive oil stands in for butter here, keeping the crumb moist and tender, and it means the ingredient list stays short and the whole loaf stays dairy free without any awkward substituting. it's got such a mild, slightly fruity flavour that you honestly wouldn't clock it's in there once the cake is baked, and it keeps things moist for longer than butter tends to, which is a nice bonus if you're not planning on finishing the whole loaf in one sitting. there's a nutritional upside too, olive oil is rich in polyphenols and monounsaturated fats, both linked to lower inflammation and better heart health, so it's a swap that pays off beyond just flavour.

the almond butter earns its place here too, it's what actually binds the batter together alongside the eggs, so it's not just an add on for flavour. it brings healthy fats and protein along with it, and that combination helps slow down how quickly the maple syrup and coconut sugar hit your blood sugar, so you get a steadier lift rather than a spike.

almond flour and oat flour are what give the loaf its structure while keeping everything gluten free, and they do really different jobs here. the almond flour brings healthy fats and a slightly nutty richness, while the oat flour is what gives you that light, soft crumb you'd expect from a normal loaf cake. together they hold up properly when you slice into it, which isn't always something you can say about gluten free bakes.

you can swap the blueberries out for raspberries, blackberries or diced strawberries if you want to switch things up, the method stays exactly the same either way. if i'm honest though, a teaspoon of fresh lemon zest stirred in with the wet ingredients is one of my favourite additions here, it brightens the whole loaf without needing any actual lemon juice. blueberry, olive oil and lemon might be one of my favourite flavour combinations in baking, full stop.

if you love fruit forward bakes, try my sugar free apple fritters or my sugar free blueberry fritters next.

this batter also works really well as muffins if that's more useful to you. just divide it between a lined muffin tin and cut the bake time down to 18 to 22 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean, they're honestly great for meal prep or lunchboxes if a whole loaf is more cake than you actually need in one go!

let the loaf cool completely before you slice it, i know it's tempting not to but it's what stops it crumbling apart instead of cutting cleanly. after that it keeps well, an airtight container at room temperature for a couple of days, up to five in the fridge, or wrap individual slices and freeze them for up to a month if you want one on standby.