Moist and flavorful healthy blueberry muffins that are made without refined sugar or butter. No one will ever be able to tell that these muffins are better for you!
I always believed that muffins should always be on the healthy side. A muffin filled with a bunch of sugar and butter is basically a cupcake without any frosting. I'd rather just go all out and add the frosting at that point. Instead, I want a muffin that is wholesome and I can feel good about eating first thing in the morning or giving to my daughter whenever she claims she is "totally, tooooootally starvinggggg" (which is about 8 times a day, by the way).
And again, as I said before in my healthy banana bread recipe, this adheres to my own personal version of healthy which may or may not align with your definition. And that is perfectly okay. If you need something that fits your needs, like vegan, or paleo, there are so many talented bakers out there that have their own amazing versions. But if you want something that is wholesome and guilt-free that tastes just as amazing as your favorite bakery blueberry muffins, you are in the right place.
These muffins are refined sugar free, butter-free, and made with whole wheat flour. To keep them from being dense, I added a bit of arrowroot starch (you can also use cornstarch) to keep them incredibly light and fluffy.
To add to the depth of flavor, we add lemon zest which brings a brightness to the healthy blueberry muffins while the vanilla rounds everything out. You can use fresh or frozen blueberries. If you use frozen blueberries, I especially love Wyman's of Main wild blueberries. Do not thaw frozen blueberries.
The muffins are amazing as-is, but for the purposes of the photos, I added a sprinkling of coconut sugar to the tops of the muffins. It isn't necessary and doesn't add anything to the muffins, but I did want to point that out.
- Flour - For these muffins, we use white whole wheat flour. The whole wheat give us added fiber, plus a plethora of vitamins and minerals. The white whole wheat bakes more similarly to all-purpose flour, so there isn't any differences in the ratios when making your batter. Feel free to use a gluten-free baking mix - a mix that allows you a 1:1 replacement works best. Many of my readers have suggested to leave your muffin batter to rest and hydrate for a minute or two before baking.
- Oil - Some muffins are made with butter, but I prefer to use oil in my muffins. Oil tends to give you a nicer rise and texture. For these particular blueberry muffins, we use refined coconut oil (it doesn't taste like coconut when you bake with it) because it is higher in healthy fats, plus raises the good HDL cholesterol in your blood. Also, don't quote me on this, but it is believed that coconut oil helps with fat burning.
- Yogurt - We use plain nonfat yogurt in this recipe, I prefer using Greek yogurt. It is higher in protein, filling, as well as being lower in calories.
- Milk - You can use any type of milk you prefer in these muffins. Personally, I use unsweetened almond milk because it's my preferred milk, plus it is lower in calories. You can also try coconut, oat, flax, soy, and skim milk. They are all really amazing choices here in these blueberry muffins. It all really depends on what your personal preferences are.
- Sweetener - So, I try not to use refined sugar in my healthy blueberry muffins. The easiest replacement that is easier to find in most stores is pure maple syrup. It also doesn't taste overly like maple, especially in these muffins. Feel free to experiment with your favorite type of sugar replacement. Remember most replacements like stevia are a 0.5:1 replacement (so use half the amount)
These healthy blueberry muffins last for about 5 days in an air tight container and freeze well.
Recipe Card
Healthy Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups white whole wheat flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot starch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- zest of one lemon
- ⅔ cup melted coconut oil
- ½ cup plain nonfat yogurt room temperature
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- ½ cup almond milk room temperature
- ½ cup pure maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups blueberries fresh or frozen
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
- In one bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cornstarch, salt, and lemon zest, set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the melted coconut, yogurt, eggs, almond milk, maple syrup, and vanilla together until completely incorporated together.
- Create a well in the bowl of the flour, then add the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. There should be plenty of lumps in the batter.
- Fold in the blueberries without mixing too much. You want for there to still be many lumps.
- Evenly divide the batter among the cupcake liners and bake for 15 - 19 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to the wire rack to cool completely.
Julia says
Look at all these blueberries! These muffins look so good and delicious. I love the tip about adding corn starch to make them light and fluffy. I wonder, since you are using yogurt that contains dairy, can regular dairy milk be used instead of almond milk?
Amanda says
You totally can! I am just not a fan of regular dairy milk and the almond milk also helps cut down on the calories for those that are concerned about that! 🙂
Sarah says
I love this! I'm not a fan of unhealthy muffins, because I think (like you said), that I might as well eat a cupcake lol. I bet this is amazing with the whole wheat flour!
Sues says
I agree- if you're going to have a muffin for breakfast, it should probably be healthy, but also delicious... And these totally fit the bill!
Neha Mathur says
these are perfect to serve for breakfast. Healthy and loaded with goodness of blueberries. Going to me on my table very soon.
michele says
Im already to make these as Ive been waiting all week to make them after finding your recipe. Did you use a special sugar to top them with... I love how the sugar on top is so sparkly...and want to make sure to get the right kind of sugar for that!
Amanda says
I used a light colored coconut sugar I found and usually don't add it to the muffins I make regularly, but I do love the bit of shine they add when I need a bit more pizzazz!
Annissa says
Blueberry muffins with a twist of lemon. Can't go wrong with that combination! I love that you've uses maple syrup instead of white sugar.
Kathy McDaniel says
I am a big fan of muffins but a healthy muffin is impossible to resist! These sound amazing and those blueberries... yes please! So delicious and good for you is definitely a winning combination!
Kris says
These look so full of flavor and so moist. Are they still healthy if I eat an entire plate of them? 🙂 Great looking recipe and will definitely be making these soon. I'm drooling
Gloria says
I love blueberries....and muffins!! I would love these for breakfast any day of the week. Since they are healthy....why not right. Afternoon coffee breaks would be great with one of these babies for sure.
Faiza says
Hii do yo think i can use honey istead of maple syrup and butter insteaf of coconut oil? Thanks for this recipe!!
Amanda says
Hi! You can try using honey, however, it will make the muffins taste a lot like honey. If you aren't too interested in the overall health of the muffins, you can substitute the maple with sugar. And yes, you can use melted butter or vegetable oil!
Michaela says
They look super good! I love blueberry muffins, so will try these soon! Thanks for sharing!
Bethany says
Oh, they look so good! Love the sprinkling of sugar on top!
Gemma says
Most beautiful blueberry muffins I've ever seen, really! I just saw the picture on Foodgawker and was love at first sight! <3
You have such a beautiful blog so full of mouth-watering recipes, congrats!
xo
Inci @ Bella's Apron says
Wow these look delicious. Love the pictures and the amount of blueberrys that you put in just make them look so yummy
Amanda says
I love blueberry muffins that are loaded with berries. No skimping around these parts! I hope you get a chance to try them!
Bethany @ athletic avocado says
These blueberry muffins look like they should be in a bakery window! They look amazing! Can't believe they are healthy!
Amanda says
Oh thank you! They certainly don't taste healthy which is the best part. I hope you try them one day!!