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
Ingredients
- 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 (see Notes!)
- ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- 3 tbsp (45mL) distilled 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
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
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!
Your instructions mention cocoa powder however the ingredient list does not. Could you please clarify? Thank you.
Thanks for catching that typo — all fixed! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these blueberry muffins if you try making them, Brenda!
Ditto Brenda’s question. Love your recipes!!!
You’re so sweet Carol! That really means a lot to me that you’re enjoying my recipes! 🙂 Thanks for catching that typo — all fixed! I’d love to hear what you think of these blueberry muffins if you try making this recipe too!
Dear Lovely Amy
I have a fondness for blueberry muffins – and my current favourite is one that has 170 cals. So … this morning I tried your recipe. I’ve always trusted your recipes and know how delicious they are – they have never failed to hit the spot. THIS is now my go-to recipe. They were fabulous! One bowl – 104 cals! Thank you … and love to the US from the UK x
Oh Sally, your incredibly sweet comments always make my day! I’m so truly honored that you baked these muffins the same day that I posted the recipe, and it means the world to me that you’d say that this is now your new go to recipe after only trying it once! My heart is about to burst! ♡ Thank you SO much for taking the time to let me know!!
Hi Amy!
Blueberriy muffins are delicious! They’re my fave! I’ll be making these soon. I have a bunch of blueberries and live your recipes! Thanks again for sharing all of your knowledge.
You’re so sweet Francheska — that means SO much to me that you’re enjoying my recipes! I truly appreciate you taking the time to let me know! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these blueberry muffins too!
I’ve been following the blog for a long time but these are the first things I’ve actually tried to make! I had to use 1 cup powdered stevia instead of liquid (which I figure gives off a little more of that “low calorie funk” that i’m picking up), and I used .5 cup unsweetened almond milk instead of nonfat because my mixture was a little too thick to work with, but they turned out good! Very dense, but good. Was I meant to whip the egg whites until they were soft peaks?
For being only ~110 cals, they’re pretty darn filling! Blueberries are my mom’s favorite and she’s going nuts for them. I made a dozen on Monday, and it’s Wednesday and we’re down to 4 left.
I’m for sure ordering some liquid stevia in the near future.
I’m SO incredibly honored that you’ve been following my blog for such a long time and tried this as your first recipe, Sara! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know! 🙂 What’s the brand name and exact powdered stevia product that you substituted? Most powdered stevia products don’t actually dissolve into liquid the same way that cane or coconut sugar do, so it’s usually necessary to add a lot more liquid when using powdered stevia instead of traditional sugar. Once I know the exact powdered stevia that you used, I’ll have a much better idea of how much milk you should need to use to get the correct texture, if you decide to make these again with that powdered stevia!
Also, did you use a stand mixer or electric mixer to make the batter? Or did you use a fork, a spoon, or something else? No need to whip the egg whites until they’re soft peaks though! I just whisk them until they’re a teensy bit frothy/bubbly and broken up. 🙂
I’m so glad you and your mom still enjoyed these muffins! If they’re disappearing that quickly, that’s the best kind of compliment! 😉
Turns out it was actually Splenda, not Stevia at all.
I used a hand whisk – before I added the extra liquid, it was like a dry bread dough. Next time, I’ll buy the liquid stevia for sure and try to follow the recipe more closely!
Thanks for sharing Sara — this is super helpful! If you’d like to use Splenda again, and if it’s the granulated kind that’s supposed to sweeten cup-for-cup like sugar, then I actually recommend using the full amount of milk. Also, don’t use an electric hand whisk! Electric mixers tend to overmix low-fat batters like this one, and overmixing creates that dense, somewhat gummy texture. Use a regular whisk where explicitly instructed and a fork for everything else for the best moist and fluffy texture! 🙂
Does almond extract taste anything like almonds?
I know I’ve asked this question before and previously you suggested that I get Wilton’s brand. However it’s very expensive in my country and I also fear it’s my problem with almond extracts instead of the other brands I used. So does almond extract actually taste like normal raw almonds?
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Sue! To me, almond extract doesn’t taste like raw almonds — or even toasted almonds. It has a much sweeter and very distinct flavor! Are there other brands of almond extract where you live? If you can’t find it or its cost is prohibitive, then you can always substitute additional vanilla extract! 🙂 I’d love to hear what you think of these muffins if you try making them!
I was excited to try this blueberry muffin recipe and it didn’t come out well this first time around. I see one of my mistakes was not using cooking spray inside the liners (next time I will just use cooking spray inside the muffin pan itself and skip the liners). Moving beyond the sticking to the liner issue, the muffins were kind of gooey. Were they under cooked or did the fact I had to refrigerate the muffin batter for an hour before baking them contribute to a less than stellar product. I definitely want to try this again but would like a bit of guidance to make sure I am not wasting time and good ingredients. Thank you!
I truly appreciate your interest in my recipe Jeanette! I’m happy to help with those issues! 🙂 Yes, the cooking spray with the liners makes a huge difference. As I talked about in the blog post above the recipe, this batter sticks to liners like superglue, which is why Step 1 mentions to coat the liners with cooking spray. 😉
How long did you bake your muffins? Did you use an hand-held or stand mixer to make the batter? Did your muffins look wet and raw inside? Or by “gooey,” do you mean dense and rubbery? Also, did you make any modifications to the recipe (other than refrigerating the batter), including those listed in the Notes section?
For the best results, I definitely recommend baking the muffins as soon as you’ve made the batter, rather than refrigerating it. However, your answers to the questions above will help me determine whether there was something else that contributed to the texture issue. I know I asked a lot of questions, but it’ll be really helpful to know your answers to all of them. I don’t want you to waste your time or ingredients either! 🙂
I used a whisk to beat the wet ingredients and then folded the dry ingredients in by hand with a wood spoon. I used distilled white vinegar instead of white vinegar, powdered Truvia instead of liquid Stevia, and an extra half cup of blueberries. The berries were large ones and tended to sink to the bottom. I baked the muffins for 24 minutes and the tops sprung back to the touch like they were done, but the bottom 1/4 of the muffins were gooey in texture in part because of the density of the berries but I am not sure why the cake part was also so moist in the bottom layer.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this information Jeanette — it’s super helpful! Using a different sweetener just might have contributed the problem. How much Truvia did you use? Was it the spoonable kind from a jar, or was it one of Truvia’s other products? Also, how much milk did you use?
PS Just a little tip — I actually recommend using a fork instead of a wooden spoon! The tines of the fork allow the ingredients to incorporate faster with less stirring, so there’s less likelihood of overmixing… Which then leads to a better texture! Just something I’ve discovered over the years that I thought I’d share. 🙂
I used Truvia baking blend product and 3/4 C fat free milk. Thanks for the fork blending tip.
You’re welcome Jeanette! 🙂 And how much of the Truvia baking blend did you use?
Can I use lemon juice instead of the vinegar? Thank you been looking for a healthy muffin recipe for ages I’m going to batch make these and store them in the freezer.
I think that should be fine! I can’t wait to hear what you think of these muffins Tahira! 🙂
I used 1-1/2 tablespoons of the Truvia baking blend in my batter.
Thanks for sharing Jeanette! Did your blueberry muffins happen to taste more like bread and not very sweet?
No, they tasted like muffins, just gooier,
Interesting! The reason I asked was that you added the equivalent of 1 ½ tablespoons of sugar to your muffin batter… Whereas the stevia I use added the equivalent of at least 1 cup of sugar. So I assumed your muffins would’ve tasted much more like bread and fairly bland on the sweetness scale. As long as you’re fine with that sweetness level, then that’s all that matters! 😉
After all of this investigating, it does sound like your blueberries sinking to the bottom of the muffin cups were what caused the issue. You can solve this a couple of different ways. First, make sure you drain your blueberries really well after rinsing them so that you don’t add excess water to the batter! Excess water will thin out the batter, and blueberries sink in thinner batter. Also, you can add a little less milk to the batter (about 2 tablespoons less would be a good place to start!) because thicker batter will hold the blueberries “in place” better while you’re filling the muffin cups and sliding the muffin tray into the oven. Finally (or in addition to — it’s your choice!), you can reserve 1 tablespoon of flour from the bowl and toss your blueberries in that before folding them into the batter.
Does all of that make sense? 🙂