Healthy Blueberry Muffins

These healthy blueberry muffins are golden, fluffy, moist and delicious! No one will guess this recipe is made with 100% whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup.

959 Reviews
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healthy blueberry muffins with honey

Would you look at those blueberry-studded beauties? These blueberry muffins are golden on top, and moist and fluffy on the inside.

Best of all, theyโ€™re bursting with jammy blueberry flavor. These are my favorite homemade blueberry muffins, and itโ€™s about time you met them.

blueberry muffin ingredients

These healthy blueberry muffins are easy to make, too. Forget those box mixes! You can make these wholesome muffins from scratch with basic grocery store ingredients. No special equipment required.

wet mixture

What makes these blueberry muffins healthy?

These muffins are more healthy than your average blueberry muffins. Theyโ€™re made with 100 percent whole wheat flour (I used white whole wheat flour, which you can hardly taste). Whole wheat flour offers redeeming whole grain nutrients and extra fiber.

The muffins are also naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup, which lend subtle honey or maple flavor to the muffins. Theyโ€™re lower in overall sugar content compared to coffee shop muffins.

Last but not least, I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, which lends the same irresistible tang but with more protein and less fat. I donโ€™t think that yogurt passes for sour cream on tacos, but it totally works in muffin recipes.

blueberry muffins batter

how to make blueberry muffins

Blueberry Muffin Recipe Tips

You can make these muffins with fresh or frozen blueberries. Do not defrost frozen blueberries before using; just stir the frozen blueberries into the batter as directed.

Tossing the blueberries with one teaspoon of flour prevents them from sinking to the bottom. This way, you can use a full cup of blueberries without risking the integrity of the muffins.

Sprinkling 1 tablespoon of raw sugar on top of the muffins before baking yields deliciously sweet, crackly muffin tops. You can buy raw sugar in the sugar aisle of most grocery stores these days, or just grab a few extra raw sugar packets from your go-to coffee shop (I wonโ€™t tell).

These muffins taste best after theyโ€™ve had time to cool completely. Or better yet, let them rest for a couple of hours at room temperature before serving. This is true for most baked goods!

healthy blueberry muffins batter

how to scoop muffins

Recommended Equipment

I love this sturdy, made-in-the-USA muffin panย (affiliate link). I donโ€™t ever have to grease it, thanks to the silicone non-stick coating. Clean-up is a breeze, too. Iโ€™ve never had to soak or scrub on this pan.

healthy blueberry muffins in muffin tin

Watch How to Make Blueberry Muffins

healthy blueberry muffins - side angle

healthy blueberry muffins

Love these muffins?

Here are more of my favorite naturally sweetened, whole-wheat muffin recipes!

Please let me know how these muffins turn out for you in the comments! Iโ€™m always so eager for your feedback.

healthy blueberry muffins recipe

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Healthy Blueberry Muffins

  • Author: Cookie and Kate
  • Prep Time: 13 minutes
  • Cook Time: 22 minutes
  • Total Time: 35 minutes
  • Yield: 12 muffins

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These healthy blueberry muffins are golden, fluffy, moist and delicious! No one will guess this recipe is made with 100% whole wheat flour and naturally sweetened with honey or maple syrup. Recipe yields 12 muffins.

Ingredients

  • 1 ยพ cups plus 1 teaspoonย white whole wheat flour or regular whole wheat flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ยฝ teaspoon baking soda
  • ยฝ teaspoon fine salt
  • ยผ teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
  • โ…“ cup melted coconut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
  • ยฝ cup honey or maple syrup
  • 2 eggs, preferably at room temperature
  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt*
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • 1 cup (6 ounces) blueberries, fresh or frozen
  • 1 tablespoon turbinado sugar (also called raw sugar), for sprinkling on top

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. If necessary, grease all 12 cups on your muffin tin with butter, coconut oil or cooking spray (my pan is non-stick and doesnโ€™t require any grease). Or, use muffin liners if you prefer.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 ยพ cups of the flour with the baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix them together with a whisk.
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the oil and honey or maple syrup and beat together with a whisk. Add the eggs and beat well, then add the yogurt and vanilla. Mix well. (If the coconut oil solidifies in contact with cold ingredients, gently warm the mixture in the microwave in 30 second bursts.)
  4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and mix with a big spoon, just until combined (a few lumps are ok). In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 teaspoon flour (this helps prevent the blueberries from sinking to the bottom). Gently fold the blueberries into the batter. The mixture will be thick, but donโ€™t worry.
  5. Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups (I used an ice cream scoop with a wire level, which worked perfectly). Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with turbinado sugar. Bake the muffins for 16 to 19 minutes, or until the muffins are golden on top and a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean.
  6. Place the muffin tin on a cooling rack to cool. You might need to run a butter knife along the outer edge of the muffins to loosen them from the pan. If you have leftover muffins, store them, covered, at room temperature for 2 days, or in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze leftover muffins for up to 3 months.

Notes

Recipe adapted from my blueberry maple muffins (recipe available in my cookbook) and lemon raspberry muffins.
*Note on Greek yogurt: Iโ€™ve used a variety of fat percentages and the muffins have always turned out well. Higher fat yogurt will yield a somewhat more rich muffin. You can also substitute plain (not Greek) yogurt, but your muffins might not rise quite as high.
Make it vegan: You can replace the eggs with flax โ€œeggs.โ€ Replace the yogurt with a smaller amount of vegan buttermilkโ€”just mix โ…” cup non-dairy milk with 2 teaspoons vinegar. Let it rest for 5 minutes before adding it to the other liquid ingredients. Or, use 1 cup vegan yogurt.
Make it dairy free: See buttermilk option above.
Make it egg free: Substitute flax eggs for the regular eggs.
Make it gluten free: Substitute an all-purpose gluten-free flour blend for the whole wheat flour. Bobโ€™s Red Mill makes a gluten-free blend that works well.
Lemon variation: For lemon blueberry muffins, whisk the zest of 1 medium lemon (about ยฝ teaspoon), preferably organic, into the liquid ingredients. You could even double that amount for extra-lemony muffins.
Mini muffins: Use a mini muffin tray with mini liners. Use 1 heaping tablespoon per muffin to yield 30 muffins. Bake at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 10 to 12 minutes.
Change it up: Substitute 1 cup of any other muffin-worthy fresh fruit for the blueberries. If youโ€™re using strawberries or other large fruit (like peaches), chop them into small pieces first.
2/18/19 note: Iโ€™ve changed the baking temperature from 350 degrees Fahrenheit to 400, and reduced the baking time from 22 to 24 minutes to 16 to 19 minutes. These changes improve the muffin texture (less spongy in the center) and produce more irresistibly golden muffin tops.

Nutrition

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionistโ€™s advice. See our full nutrition disclosure here.

Kate and Cookie

HELLO, MY NAME IS

Kathryne Taylor

I'm a vegetable enthusiast, dog lover, mother and bestselling cookbook author. I've been sharing recipes here since 2010, and I'm always cooking something new in my Kansas City kitchen. Cook with me!

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Comments

  1. Jenny

    My coconut oil says heat up to 350 degrees. Do I have to reduce the baking temperature or can I still bake at 400?

    1. Cookie and Kate

      Hi Jenny,

      Coconut oil has a smoke point of 350 degrees for frying or sautรฉing, but you can bake with it at 400 degrees.

  2. Peggy

    Iโ€™m on a no salt diet . Do you have any like that ?

    1. Cookie and Kate

      Hi Peggy, you can eliminate salt in recipes, but itโ€™s important to be aware of the potential impact on flavor and texture.

  3. Paul P

    I have a general question, so Iโ€™ll post it here, since itโ€™s relevant: in many of your recipes, you suggest either coconut oil or olive oil. Iโ€™ve read online that coconut oil may not be healthy (so, if itโ€™s questionable, Iโ€™d rather avoid it), and olive oil feels too โ€œstrongโ€ for a muffin recipe. So, my question is why donโ€™t you suggest organic canola oil?

    1. Cookie and Kate

      Hi Paul, Canola oil is highly refined, and I prefer to use less processed options when cooking. Olive oil can lend a subtle floral note to baked goods which I enjoy. A โ€œlightโ€ version will have a less pronounced flavor. Every individual has unique dietary needs so other options may work better for their nutrition needs. Consulting with a doctor or nutritionist is the best way to determine what is healthy for you.

  4. Lily

    Super easy and yum! Made it gluten free with Bobโ€™s Red Mill 1:1 flour. Stays moist for days in the fridge!

  5. Kate Hounsom

    Hi Kate my son loves muffins but bit weird on the texture of stuff sometimes. Can I blitz the blueberries or will that ruin the whole muffins?
    Has anyone tried it please? Looking to make something healthier so this looked a good recipe.

    1. Cookie and Kate

      Hi Kate, I do think that blending the blueberries would significantly alter the texture. If he doesnโ€™t like the blueberries in the muffin, you might try another muffin recipe, like the banana or pumpkin.

  6. Robin

    These are so good! I went with the maple syrup option, used whole wheat pastry flour, and subbed avocado oil for the coconut/evoo. Theyโ€™re light, moist, and the perfect level of sweetness. Canโ€™t stop eating them!

  7. Lynn Martin

    Made these this morning. Delicious! Used unsweetened applesauce instead of oil. Turned out perfectly. Trying to find a way to boost protein but not sure what protein powder would work.

    1. Bob Kinosian

      Try hemp hearts (2 T = 10 gms protein) and I usually add 6 โ€“ 8 T to my muffin recipes. It does not seem to affect taste.

  8. Deserai

    These were fantastic. I made them GF with a cup for cup, added a scoop of vanilla Protein powder and half a cup of apple sauce to balance texture. I only had strawberry Greek yogurt and it actually turned out great!

    Instead of blueberries we added some mini chocolate chips. The kids were a huge fan!

    1. Jamie

      What a wonderful blueberry muffin recipe โ€“ thank you!! Iโ€™m not a baker at all, and seem to always ruin things when I attempt to bake. This recipe turned out perfect! The blueberry muffins not only look beautiful but taste delicious! I used ghee instead of olive oil/coconut oil, vanilla honey yogurt and chose to use honey. I loved the outcome! They taste a lot healthier and less sweet โ€“ just the right amount. It was great with the sugar sprinkled on top! Thank you again! Might try adding protein powder next time.