Healthy Blueberry Muffins
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These Healthy Blueberry Muffins are moist and fluffy without any compromise on flavor! This blueberry muffin recipe is low in sugar and saturated fat by using whole wheat flour, oatmeal and buttermilk.
Blueberry muffins have a bad reputation for being high in calories, fat and sugar. But it’s possible to enjoy healthy muffins that are better for you by making a few simple changes to the mix. This recipe is so delicious that you wouldn’t know it contains whole wheat flour, buttermilk, oatmeal and canola oil!
Baking at high temperature produces perfect volcanic muffin tops, while coating blueberries with flour mix prevent the blueberries from bleeding or sinking.
Blueberry Muffins Made Healthy
- Reduce saturated fat by using vegetable oil instead of the melted butter and low-fat buttermilk instead of whole milk.
- Reduce sugar by using less of it or using natural sugar substitutes such as stevia/erythritol.
- Boost fiber by adding oatmeal. You can also use oat bran, wheat bran or flaxseed meal.
- Raise nutritional value by using whole wheat flour instead of refined flours.
Fresh vs. Frozen Blueberries
Fresh blueberries produce the best flavor in muffins, plus they’re plumper. Frozen blueberries tend to melt during baking and are somewhat less flavorful. By the way, there’s no need to thaw frozen blueberries before adding to the batter.
How To Make Healthy Blueberry Muffins
- Combine flour, oatmeal, baking soda and salt.
- Whisk the egg, buttermilk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and canola oil together.
- Whisk the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until thick and smooth.
- Fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the muffin pan.
- Bake at 400°F (204°C) for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden.
How do you stop blueberries from sinking in muffins?
Blueberries sometimes sink to the bottom during baking. To prevent this from happening, toss them with a teaspoonful of flour per cup of blueberries before use. This technique helps the berries adhere to the batter so they hold their positions, while also minimizing bleeding in the muffins.
Baking Temperature and Time
A higher baking temperature (400°F to 425°F) is how you achieve a volcanic muffin look. The high temperature allows the outside to set quickly while the inside continues to rise, leading to nice peaks with a fluffy texture.
Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Are blueberry muffins bad for you?
Most store-bought blueberry muffins are not very good for you according to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health finding the typical muffin is high in calories, sugar and salt.
How do you store blueberry muffins?
Let the muffins cool down completely and leave them in the paper liners.
Then place them in a plastic bag, seal, and store at room temperature for up to 3 days. They will last for 1 week in the fridge and up to 2 months in the freezer.
Healthy Blueberry Muffin Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole wheat flour, 195 grams
- ½ cup quick oats, or oat bran
- 2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk, see note
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup canola oil, or sunflower oil
- 1 cup fresh blueberries, or frozen blueberries (8 oz)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C).
- Grease a 12 standard-size muffin cups with oil (see note). Alternatively, line the pan with cupcake liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, oat bran, baking soda and salt.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the egg, buttermilk, maple syrup, vanilla extract and canola oil together.
- Whisk the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until thick and smooth.
- Optional: Toss the blueberries with 1 tsp flour to coat. This will prevent them from sinking to the bottom.
- Fold the blueberries into the batter.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan so the cups are ¾ full.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes until the tops are golden and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and let cool completely in the pan.
Notes
- Buttermilk is low-fat fermented dairy that typically has 0.1-1% butterfat. If you can’t find it, you can use unflavored kefir.
- If you have a jumbo muffin pan, this recipe will make 8 large muffins. If you have a small muffin pan, this recipe will make 16-20 mini muffins.
- You can substitute raspberries, chopped strawberries or small berries in this recipe.
- Store muffins for up to 3 days in an airtight container at room temperature. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in a sealed ziptop bag.
Please read our nutrition disclaimer.
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These Muffins were Delicious! They were just sweet enough with the maple syrup and fresh blueberries. My 2 year old loved them. I didn’t have buttermilk or kefir so I had to improvise a bit and make my own. Will definitely make again. Thanks!
Hi Crissy, That’s awesome to hear and love the kefir substitution. Thanks for your comment and congrats!
These are so fluffy and delicious! Will make again.
Hi Tara, So glad you like them and thanks for your review 🙂
M’mm…..these were so yummy and full of delicious blueberries! I loved that they’re a little on the healthier side, too.
Hi Justine, Thanks for letting me know. Glad they turned out well! 🙂