During my sophomore year of high school, our marching band director organized a trip to Hawaii during our week-long spring break. Bright and early on that particular Saturday, all 250 of us (plus dozens of chaperones!) gathered at the San Francisco airport to board planes for our trip.
We stayed in Waikiki just a block or two away from the beach, but we ended up with very little downtime at our hotel during the week. Our band director scheduled a short parade for us one day, along with a full performance for each of the three concert bands and the two jazz bands.
Throughout the week, he also set up plenty of sightseeing excursions around the island. We spent half a day at Pearl Harbor and the memorials there, soaking in the sobering sights; wove around the city in our five large charter buses for a driving tour, including passing by ‘Iolani Palace, the residence of the final Hawaiian monarchs; walked around the largest mall on the island for an afternoon of souvenir shopping; and headed to a different dinner, luau, banquet, or show every single evening.
I’m sure the nonstop activities were intentional… and probably his way of keeping certain mischievous individuals out of trouble!
Despite the different activities that filled our days, the mornings always started the same way. Our band director had prepaid for all of our breakfasts at a buffet spot located two blocks up the street from our hotel, so we traipsed over there shortly after waking up to grab fuel for our jam-packed days.
Each morning, we found almost the exact same options: chafing dishes filled with hot scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, bacon, pancakes, and toast; massive platters piled high with fresh tropical fruit; a made-to-order omelet station alongside a cook cutting thick slices of hot ham; and a half dozen baskets holding warm bagels, croissants, donut holes, and muffins.
As a carb-loving girl even back then, I usually served myself a small spoonful of scrambled eggs… then headed straight for the fruit and pastries to fill the rest of my plate. Once satisfied, I looked around to find a table with my friends to eat my meal.
Towards the middle of the week, I decided to reach for a blueberry muffin instead of my usual lemon poppy seed (the only muffin flavor I’d eat as a little girl!), and after sitting down, I tore off a small piece and popped it into my mouth. As I swallowed, my eyes widened…
It was the best blueberry muffin I had ever tasted! Supremely sweet, so moist with a cupcake-like texture, absolutely bursting with juicy berries… I nearly forgot about the rest of my food on my plate as I hopped up to grab a second, and I ate one every day as part of my breakfast for the rest of the week!
In hindsight, those muffins probably tasted so incredible and dessert-like because they were filled with lots of butter, sugar, and heavy cream…
But these Healthy One-Bowl Blueberry Muffins taste just as amazing — and they’re definitely much healthier! They have no heavy cream, refined flour or sugar… Yet they’re still just as sweet, moist, and cupcake-like as the muffins I ate in Hawaii!
Even better, these healthy blueberry muffins are simple to make. You just need one bowl and a fork. That’s it! And they’re 104 calories!
HOW TO MAKE THE BEST EVER HEALTHY BLUEBERRY MUFFINS
Let’s go over how to make these healthy one-bowl blueberry muffins! First, grab your favorite mixing bowl and a fork. That’s all you need, which makes me one very happy girl… I’m always excited when I end up with fewer baking dishes to wash!
You’ll start with a couple of egg whites and teensy bit of melted butter or coconut oil — a mere ½ tablespoon! That very small amount definitely helps keep your healthy one-bowl blueberry muffins low calorie and low fat, yet they still taste just as moist and fluffy as traditional oil- or butter-laden recipes thanks to another healthy ingredient you’ll add in a bit. More on that soon!
Next, you’ll add a splash of vanilla extract and almond extract. I absolutely love almond extract… It’s my all-time favorite baking extract! It has such an irresistible sweet and sophisticated flavor, and by adding a bit to the batter, it makes your healthy one-bowl blueberry muffins taste like gourmet bakery-style muffins. YUM!
Tip: If you aren’t a fan of almond extract or don’t have any at home, just substitute vanilla extract. That additional vanilla will give your healthy one-bowl blueberry muffins an even more rich and buttery flavor!
Instead of the ample amounts of refined granulated sugar often found in muffins — and definitely in those ones I ate in Hawaii! — you’ll use liquid stevia, one of my favorite sweeteners. Stevia is a plant-based, no-calorie sweetener that contains nothing refined or artificial (aka it’s clean eating friendly!), and it’s also highly concentrated. You just need 2 ½ teaspoons to sweeten all 12 of your healthy one-bowl blueberry muffins!
Tip: Many stevia brands and products actually have different sweetness levels! So for the best results, I highly recommend using the same one I did. I buy it online here because it’s the best price I’ve found, and I don’t notice any strange aftertaste like with some other stevia products. (You can also use it in all 200+ of these other recipes of mine too!)
Remember how I mentioned these healthy blueberry muffins taste just as moist and fluffy as the cupcake-like ones I ate in Hawaii? Even with almost no butter or oil? That’s because you’ll add lots of…
Greek yogurt! If you’ve browsed through my recipes before, then you probably know how much I love baking with it. I’ve used Greek yogurt to make everything from muffins and scones to brownies and cupcakes… And even frosting and cheesecake! Here, Greek yogurt adds the same moisture as extra butter or oil but for a fraction of the calories, and it gives your healthy one-bowl blueberry muffins a protein boost too!
Before you turn to the dry ingredients, you’ll also add milk and plain white vinegar to your mixing bowl. Yes, vinegar! It’s a secret ingredient in these muffins… And one of the big reasons (along with Greek yogurt!) that they taste so moist and cupcake-like! Here’s the nerdy reason why…
In a moment, you’ll add baking soda. Baking soda is a base. Vinegar is an acid. When you combine the two together, they react and create air bubbles (carbon dioxide, to be exact!). Those air bubbles help your healthy one-bowl blueberry muffins rise, and they also create a more tender texture. Since all of the vinegar reacts with the baking soda while your muffins are in the oven, you can’t taste the vinegar at all once they’ve finished baking!
How cool is that kitchen chemistry?? 😉
But before you add the baking soda, pour white whole wheat flour into your mixing bowl first… And then gently sprinkle the baking soda and baking powder over the top of the flour. Don’t just dump them in! Sprinkling them over the top helps prevent clumps, which means your healthy one-bowl blueberry muffins will bake evenly and have the best texture imaginable!
And just in case you haven’t heard of it before… White whole wheat flour actually exists, and it’s not a combination of white (aka all-purpose) flour and regular whole wheat flour! Instead, it’s made by finely grinding a special type of soft white wheat (hence the name!), whereas regular whole wheat flour comes from a heartier variety of red wheat. They both have the same health benefits (like extra fiber!), but white whole wheat flour has a lighter taste and texture… Which lets the sweet flavor and cupcake-like texture of your healthy blueberry muffins really shine!
Of course, there’s one more key ingredient… The blueberries! I always try to use fresh blueberries when it comes to baking muffins because I’ve found that frozen ones often stain the batter a strange gray color. Both will work and taste equally delicious though!
One last tip for you! If you’d like to use cupcake liners like I did in these photos, then you must generously coat them with nonstick cooking spray before you add the muffin batter. Low-fat batters (like with these amazing healthy blueberry muffins!) stick to liners like superglue, so coating them with cooking spray first helps the liners peel away from the muffins much more easily!
Tip: If you forget — or if you don’t coat them well enough! — then seal your muffins inside of an airtight container, and refrigerate them for 24+ hours. That will help loosen the liners a bit more!
Now all that’s left to decide is…
Will you eat these for breakfast? Snacks? A pre-bedtime treat? Or all of the above? 😉 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 healthy one-bowl blueberry muffins!
| Healthy One-Bowl Blueberry Muffins | | Print |
- ½ tbsp (7g) unsalted butter or coconut oil, melted
- 2 large egg whites, room temperature
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp almond extract (see Notes!)
- 2 ½ tsp liquid stevia
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp (45mL) plain white vinegar
- ¾ cup (180mL) nonfat milk
- 2 ¼ cups (270g) white whole wheat flour or gluten-free* flour (measured like this)
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¾ tsp baking soda
- 1 ½ cups (210g) fresh blueberries
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. (If using liners, then line 12 muffin cups with paper liners, and coat the liners with cooking spray.)
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the butter, egg whites, and salt. Whisk in the vanilla extract, almond extract, and liquid stevia. Stir in the Greek yogurt. Stir in the vinegar. Stir in the milk. Add the flour. Sprinkle the baking powder and baking soda on top of the flour (to avoid clumps and make sure the muffins bake evenly!). Stir until just incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Divide the batter between the prepared paper liners. Bake at 350°F for 21-24 minutes or until the centers feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few crumbs attached. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
If you prefer not to use stevia, substitute ¾ cup (180mL) of agave, honey, or pure maple syrup for the liquid stevia. Omit the milk if using any of those liquid sweeteners. Alternatively, substitute 1 cup (192g) of coconut sugar, brown sugar, or granulated sugar in place of the liquid stevia, and reduce the milk to ¼ cup (60mL). (The batter should be fairly thick. With these substitution alternatives, your muffins won’t taste quite as sweet as the original recipe version above, but they’ll still be delicious!)
I absolutely love almond extract! It makes these homemade muffins taste like gourmet bakery-style muffins. If you don’t have almond extract (or you’re not a fan like I am!), then substitute vanilla extract for the almond extract.
The vinegar reacts with the baking soda to help your muffins rise and give them a more tender texture. You can’t taste the vinegar in the fully baked muffins — I promise! (Just don’t taste the raw batter!)
Any milk may be substituted for the nonfat milk.
Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour or all-purpose flour may be substituted for the white whole wheat flour.
For the gluten-free flour, use the following blend: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ¾ cup (90g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Most store-bought gluten-free flour blends (like this!) should work as well, if measured like this.
Remember to measure the flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own and love!) Too much flour in the batter will make your muffins dry and crumbly, rather than moist and fluffy.
I prefer using fresh blueberries whenever possible because frozen ones often stain the batter a strange gray color. Frozen ones will still work and taste delicious though! The baking time may increase by a couple of minutes if you substitute frozen blueberries.
{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 Muffins
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Scones
♡ Healthy One-Bowl Blueberry Pancakes
♡ Healthy Blueberry Waffles
♡ Healthy Blueberry Almond Banana Bread
♡ Healthy Lemon Blueberry Scones
♡ The Ultimate Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
♡ …and the rest of Amy’s healthy muffin recipes!
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