For all four years during high school, I participated in marching band. With nearly the same competition season as football, from mid to late September through Thanksgiving, we began practicing nearly two weeks before school officially started.
Band camp consisted of “9 to 9’s” nearly every day. We rehearsed from 9 am to 9 pm, with two breaks from 12 to 2 pm and 4 to 6 pm. We always spent the afternoon session indoors to learn the music for our field show, and we always walked down to the football field for the evening session to go through the show’s formations. We split the morning sessions between the football field and the band room—it just depended on the outdoor temperature and whether our band director was worried about heatstroke!
I basically collapsed into bed shortly after arriving home each night, completely exhausted after the full day of rehearsals, and I slept in as late as I could before heading back to campus the next day. Since each year’s show was nearly 15 minutes long, that was a lot of music and formations to learn—and my brain needed to sleep as a break, too!
Before driving back to campus each morning, I usually poured myself a bowl of cereal for breakfast. Although it took very little effort to make, I couldn’t exactly eat it in the car for fear of spilling… So I knew I’d have to set my alarm a little bit earlier to have enough time to eat.
But these Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins would’ve been a much better option! They’re totally portable and perfect for quick grab-and-go breakfasts and snacks (unlike bowls of cereal!), and they’re really moist and tender, just like true bakery muffins. Yet they contain no refined flour or sugar, and they’re just 118 calories!
I definitely would’ve loved to eat one or two of these for breakfast back then… Yummy muffins + extra sleep = bliss!
Let’s go over how to make these ultimate healthy blueberry oatmeal muffins!
You’ll start with instant oats (this kind—or this for gluten-free!). Instant oats are also called “quick cooking” or “one minute” oats. They’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats. That means they soften faster, which gives your ultimate healthy blueberry oatmeal muffins the best moist and tender texture!
Hint: You can usually find instant oats in containers right next to the old-fashioned rolled oats at the grocery store!
You’ll mix your instant oats with some Greek yogurt, milk, and vanilla extract next. This trick makes a huge difference in these ultimate healthy blueberry oatmeal muffins’ texture… And their appearance! Soaking the oats gives these muffins a really moist and tender texture, and it also helps them rise taller. Don’t skip this step!
Just remember, it’s extremely important to measure your oats (and flour!) correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either ingredient will dry out your ultimate healthy blueberry oatmeal muffins and make them crumbly, instead of moist and tender. This is especially true of the oats because they act like little sponges and soak up as much moisture from the batter as they can!
As the next step for these healthy blueberry oatmeal muffins, you’ll whisk together white whole wheat flour (like this!) with baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon (this kind is my favorite!). Although cinnamon isn’t usually an ingredient in blueberry muffins, it pairs perfectly with the oats and gives these muffins an even more irresistible flavor!
As for the white whole wheat flour, such a thing actually exists… And it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and whole wheat flour! White whole wheat flour is made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier type of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits, but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the moist and tender texture of your ultimate healthy blueberry oatmeal muffins truly shine!
And speaking of texture… The Greek yogurt also plays a big role in that! You’ll only add ½ tablespoon of butter to your ultimate healthy blueberry oatmeal muffin batter, and Greek yogurt adds the rest of that moist and tender texture—for a fraction of the calories! Plus it gives your muffins a big protein boost, too.
Healthy blueberry oatmeal muffins + low calorie + moist and tender = math I love!
You’ll skip the refined granulated sugar and sweeten your ultimate healthy blueberry oatmeal muffins with one of my favorite ingredients: vanilla stevia. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean-eating friendly!). It’s also highly concentrated… You just need 1 ½ teaspoons for these healthy blueberry oatmeal muffins!
This is the kind I use because I love its warm flavor and don’t notice any strange aftertaste, like with some other stevia products. Although you can find it at many health-oriented grocery stores, I buy mine online here because that’s the best price I’ve found. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!)
Now for the star of the show… Fresh blueberries! It’s basically impossible to make the ultimate healthy blueberry oatmeal muffins without fruit, right?? I prefer using fresh blueberries because frozen ones dye the batter a weird gray color… But both fresh and frozen will still taste the same, regardless of how your muffins look!
One last thing! If you’re using muffin liners like I did in these photos, then remember to coat your muffin liners with cooking spray. This simple trick means your muffin liners will easily peel away from your muffins! Low-fat batters, like with these ultimate healthy blueberry oatmeal muffins, stick to liners like superglue… But misting your liners with cooking spray helps prevent that!
I definitely think I just found my new favorite blueberry muffins… These truly are the BEST!! ♡ And when you make your own, remember to snap a picture and share it on Instagram using #amyshealthybaking and tagging @amyshealthybaking IN the photo itself! (That guarantees I’ll see your picture! ?) I’d love to see your ultimate healthy blueberry muffins!
| The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins | | Print |
- ¾ cup (75g) instant oats (gluten-free if necessary and measured like this)
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp (270mL) nonfat milk, divided
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups (240g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted and cooled slightly
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla stevia
- 1 ½ cups (210g) fresh blueberries
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. (If using liners, then line 12 muffins cups with liners and coat them with cooking spray.)
- In a medium bowl, stir together the oats, Greek yogurt 6 tablespoons of milk, and vanilla extract. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. In a third bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, and vanilla stevia. Stir in the oat mixture, mixing until no large lumps remain. Alternate between adding the flour mixture and remaining ¾ cup of milk, beginning and ending with the flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the flour mixture in 4 equal parts.) Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 21-24 minutes or until the top feels firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
For the gluten-free flour, use the following: 1 cups (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this one!) will work as well, if measured like this.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the whole wheat flour.
Remember to measure your oats and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much of either will make your muffins turn out dry. This is especially true of the oats because they act like sponges and soak up lots of moisture from the batter.
The muffins require 2 full egg whites. The whites contain the majority of the protein in eggs, and that protein is required to ensure the muffins maintains its shape and texture while cooling. Without both egg whites, the muffins will collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.
I do not recommend substituting for the vanilla stevia, if at all possible. (It’s one of my favorite ingredients, and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!) I buy mine online here because that's the best price I've found.
However, if you really prefer to omit the vanilla stevia from the muffins, substitute ¾ cup + 2 tablespoons (120g) granulated sugar, brown sugar, or coconut sugar and reduce the milk to ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (195mL). You may also substitute ½ cup + 2 tablespoons (150mL) pure maple syrup, honey, or agave and reduce the milk to ½ cup (120mL) instead. The baking time may vary with either of those substitutions as well.
Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
I highly recommend using fresh blueberries! In a pinch, you can substitute frozen blueberries—just remember they typically dye the batter a grayish color. The baking time may also increase when using frozen blueberries.
Do not use an electric mixer to mix up the batter. This will result in dense or tough muffins. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}
View Nutrition Information + Weight Watchers Points
You may also like Amy’s other recipes…
♡ Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies
♡ Healthy Blueberry Banana Bran Muffins
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Muffins
♡ Healthy Oatmeal Raisin Scones
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Scones
♡ Healthy Blueberry Pie Protein Overnight Oats
These muffins are revolting! Complete waste of precious ingredients I had to throw them out they taste like cardboard!
I’m so honored that you tried making these muffins Steffanie! That sounds really disappointing and not like how these muffins should turn out at all, so I’d love to help figure out what went wrong. 🙂 Did you make any modifications to the recipe, including those listed in the Notes section? Did you use the same liquid vanilla stevia that I did and linked to in the Ingredients list and Notes section? (My links are the pink-colored text!) Was it just the flavor that was off (I’m assuming they weren’t sweet, if you compared them to cardboard!), or was the texture off as well?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but once I know your answers to all of them, I’ll have a much better idea of what could’ve caused the issues you experienced!
I made these muffins several times. I like that they are so low calories and they taste very yummy!
I’m SO honored that you’ve made these multiple times Joan! That’s the best kind of compliment, and I truly appreciate you taking the time to let me know. Hearing that made my day — thank you so much!! 🙂
They were so good! I had to sub in coconut sugar instead of vanilla stevia because I didn’t have any, but they were still wonderful! Next time I think I would also add in a little bit of maple syrup as well as I believe this would greatly compliment the other flavors as well. They are also very fillings, so they make for a wonderful snack!
I’m so glad you enjoyed these muffins Macey! I’m honored that you think you’ll make them again too. Thank you for taking the time to let me know — that truly means a lot! 🙂
Unfortunately these muffins turned out pretty bad for me 🙁 An almost cardboard consistency and more salty than sweet, followed the recipe precisely including all the ingredients. Nice try but it’s a pass from me
I’m so honored that you tried my recipe Sophia! That sounds really disappointing and not like how these muffins should turn out at all, so I’d love to help figure out what happened with the batch you baked. 🙂 Did you make any modifications, including those listed in the Notes section? Did you use the same vanilla stevia that I did? Did you use a hand-held or stand mixer to make the batter? How did you measure the ingredients: with a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If the latter, can you describe how you used them to measure, especially the oats and flour?
I know I just asked a LOT of questions, but once I know your answers to all of them, I should have a much better idea of the culprit and how to fix it! 🙂
Hi Amy,
Just came across your wonderful resipes and rave reviews. Quick question:
What can I subsitute for the Agave? Does it have to be liquid like Agave? Can I use something like honey?
The recipe I want to try is the overnight blueberry pie recipe with oats.
You’re a gem!
Thanks!
I’m honored that you’d like to try my recipe, Marcia! Yes, honey would work perfectly as a substitute for agave, as would pure maple syrup. They all have a very similar consistency and sweetness level, so they’re usually interchangeable in my recipes! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of my blueberry pie protein overnight oats recipe, if you end up making it!