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!
PS I even talked about how to make these easy and yummy muffins on TV! You can see my TV segment here!
| 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!
Hi Amy—
I am hoping you can provide some insight ….
This was my first attempt for this recipe. The muffins turned out poorly! I followed the recipe almost exactly, but substituted the stevia with Agave and used whole wheat flour. I omitted the milk as recommended if using a liquid sweetener. The batter was the consistency of cookie dough—thick and sticky—and the muffins came out dark and dense. My batter produced 18 muffins, which I won’t throw away because I hate to waste food. (However, I’ll need to be creative with topping them off with some PB or almond butter to help with the taste.) I wonder if adding the milk would have made a difference? Any thoughts??
Thanks in advance….
I’m so honored that you tried making my recipe, Tina! That sounds really disappointing and not like how these muffins should turn out at all, so I’d love to help solve those issues you experienced. 🙂 Can you describe their taste and texture a bit more? Were they sweet enough? Did they taste burnt? Were they dry, gummy, or something else?
Did you make any other modifications or substitutions (besides the regular whole wheat flour and using ¾ cup of agave for the stevia and omitting the milk)?
How did you measure the flour? Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If the latter, can you describe in detail how you used them to measure?
How did you mix together the batter? Did you use a whisk, a wooden spoon, a fork, or perhaps a hand-held or stand mixer?
What size muffin pan did you use? That’s really strange that you got 18 muffins instead of just 12! How long did you bake them at 350°F?
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 potential culprit and how to fix it! 🙂
As for salvaging your current batch of muffins, I think your idea of topping them with nut butters would help! So would a dollop of jam or jelly (I have a couple of homemade jam recipes here and here, if you’re interested!), or maybe a drizzle of maple syrup, agave, or a sprinkling of powdered sugar (or your favorite no-calorie sweetener!). You could also cut them into small bits and make a yogurt parfait out of them along with more fresh blueberries — or maybe even use them as toppings for a smoothie bowl! Just some ideas that came to mind… No pressure to use any of them! 😉
I believe the muffins turned dense because you used whole wheat flour. Even when baking breads, bakers do not use JUST whole wheat flour because it will turn too dense. Imagine doing this mistake with a indulgent sweet like a muffin! Hence, use either WHITE WHOLE WHEAT flour (finer grain = won’t turn dense), PASTRY whole wheat flour (same logic), or a ratio of 2:1 regular flour and whole wheat flour. Hope this helps!
I appreciate you sharing your perspective, Lana! A 1-for-1 substitution of regular whole wheat flour for the white whole wheat flour won’t actually make these muffins dense. I’ve done that before, and the texture is the same as when made with white whole wheat flour — only the flavor turns out a tiny more “wheat-y.” That’s why I include it as an alternative in the Notes section of the recipe. 🙂
I also make my whole wheat breads and bread rolls (and cinnamon rolls!) with 100% whole wheat flour, and they all turn out deliciously moist and tender! It’s all about the ratio of the other ingredients and the mixing methods, not the flour. 😉 If you’re interested in learning more, I share my favorite 100% whole wheat yeast bread rolls here, 100% whole wheat yeast-less bread rolls here, and 100% whole wheat cinnamon rolls here!
Hi Amy,
My daughter would like real pistachio muffins. Do you have a recipe for them?
CSilva
I’m honored that you’d like to make one of my muffin recipes for your daughter, Christa! I don’t have a recipe for pistachio muffins yet, but you should be able to substitute ¼ to ½ cup of chopped pistachios for the blueberries in this particular recipe, if you’d like. 🙂 I’d love to hear what you and your daughter think if you end up making these! (And if your daughter is a huge pistachio fan, then I highly recommend these pistachio cookies. My family calls them the BEST cookies I’ve ever made, and I’ve shared more than 250 cookie recipes on my blog! 😉 )
Hi Amy, I love your healthy recipes!
I tried the blueberry muffin recipe and followed everything you said, except I didn’t have almond extract and used vanilla instead. The texture of the muffins was fine but almost all the blueberries (I used fresh as per your recipe) burst while in the oven as a result the final products didn’t look good visually. what do I need to do to have the blueberries looking pretty just like the ones in your photos?
Also there was a slight after taste from the liquid stevia (I used the same one as yours) and I could almost taste the vinegar too, although not sure if that came from the burst blueberries.
Any advice?
I’m so honored that you’re enjoying my recipes and that you tried this one, Melissa! That really means a lot to me! ♡ If you look through all of my photos (especially the third one from the top and the second from last!), then you’ll actually see that some of my blueberries burst open too. That’s actually a good thing — it means your blueberries are really ripe, sweet, and juicy! If none of your blueberries burst open, then they’re probably under-ripe and a bit sour. However, my trick for making the ones on top appear pretty is to put the “frilly” side down into the batter and the stem side facing upward. If you look closely, you might be able to see that little stem hole in the center of the blueberries, especially in that second from last photo! 😉
As long as you used the same amount of distilled white vinegar and baking soda, there shouldn’t be a vinegar aftertaste. I calculated the amount of vinegar based on the amount of baking soda, so all of the vinegar should’ve reacted with the baking soda while the muffins baked… I’m wondering if it was something else, maybe a clump of baking soda or baking powder? You could also try adding an extra teaspoon of vanilla because its flavor isn’t nearly as strong as almond extract, and that should help make the muffins taste more buttery and rich — and mask some of the stevia aftertaste, if you thought it was too prominent!
Does all of that make sense? 🙂
Amy, thank you so much for your advice. I will have another go.
In the meantime, I have a general question for all your muffin recipes. if I want to make a smaller batch, say 6 muffins instead of 12, can I simply half all the ingredients or does the science not work like that?
It’s my pleasure, Melissa! I’m happy to help! 🙂 In general, yes! The only tricky part is if a recipe calls for an odd number of eggs or egg whites. But as long as my muffin recipes call for an even number of eggs or egg whites, then it should be fairly straightforward to halve the recipe and make just 6 muffins instead of 12!