The Ultimate Healthy Blueberry Oatmeal Muffins
These muffins are supremely moist and tender, and they’re the perfect combination of soft oats, cozy cinnamon, and sweet juicy blueberries! They’re great for quick grab-and-go breakfasts or snacks, and they freeze really well, too. Leftover muffins should keep for at least four days (if not longer!) if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
Ingredients
- 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 liquid stevia (see Notes!)
- 1 ½ cups (210g) fresh blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and coat 12 muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray. (If using liners, then line 12 muffin 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 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.
Notes
IMPORTANT MEASURING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: It's really important to measure your oats and flour correctly, using this method or a kitchen scale. (← That’s the one I own!) Too much of either will make your muffins turn out bland and dry. This is especially true of the oats because they act like sponges and soak up lots of moisture from the batter.
IMPORTANT MIXING NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: Do not use a stand mixer or hand-held mixer to make the batter. This will result in rubbery, gummy, dense, or tough muffins. Use a whisk where instructed, and use a fork for everything else.
IMPORTANT FLAVOR NOTE – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: For sweeter muffins, increase the liquid stevia by an additional ¼ to ½ teaspoon.
OATS NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: Instant oats are also called “quick cooking” or “one-minute” oats. They’re smaller and thinner than traditional old-fashioned rolled oats, so they soften faster (which gives these muffins their moist and fluffy texture!). They only include one ingredient — oats! — just like old-fashioned rolled oats. You can find instant oats right next to the traditional old-fashioned rolled oats at the grocery store. (They are not the ones in the small flavored packets of oatmeal!)
In a pinch, to make your own, add ¾ cup (75g) of old-fashioned rolled oats to a blender or food processor, and pulse until they’re ⅛ to ¼ of their original size.
FLOUR ALTERNATIVES: Whole wheat pastry flour, regular whole wheat flour, or all-purpose flour may be substituted in place of the white whole wheat flour.
CINNAMON NOTE: I prefer Saigon cinnamon (I buy it online here!) because it tastes slightly stronger, richer, and sweeter than regular cinnamon.
EGG WHITES NOTE + ALTERNATIVE: 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 maintain their shape and texture while cooling. Without both egg whites, the muffins will collapse while cooling and turn out much denser.
If you prefer to use whole eggs, then use 2 large eggs AND decrease the milk by 1 tablespoon to compensate for the added volume from the yolks.
STEVIA NOTES + ALTERNATIVES: Many stevia brands and products have different sweetness levels, so they’re not necessarily 1-for-1 substitutes for each other. For the best taste and texture results, use the same liquid stevia that I do. I buy it online here (← that’s the best price I’ve found!), and you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine too. (It's one of my favorite ingredients!)
However, if you strongly prefer to omit the liquid stevia from the muffins, substitute ½ 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.
MILK ALTERNATIVES: Any milk may be substituted in place of the nonfat milk.
BLUEBERRY NOTES + ALTERNATIVE: 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.
GLUTEN-FREE OPTION: Use certified gluten-free instant oats. For the gluten-free flour, use the following: 1 cup (120g) millet flour, ½ cup (60g) tapioca flour, ½ cup (60g) brown rice flour, and 1 ½ teaspoons xanthan gum. Many store-bought gluten-free flour blends (I like this one from Bob's Red Mill) will work as well, if measured like this.
HOW TO STORE: Store the muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They should keep for at least four days, if not longer.
FREEZING TIPS: Peel off the paper liners before freezing. (It’s harder to peel them off after thawing or reheating the muffins!) I like to thaw individual muffins in the microwave on 50% power until they’re warmed all the way through. They almost taste freshly baked like that!
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, lower sugar}
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I'd love to hear what you think of it in a comment below! If you take a picture, tag @amys.healthy.baking on Instagram or use the hashtag #amyshealthybaking.