These healthy blueberry muffins are full of protein and fiber, and they’re naturally sweetened with only fruit and maple syrup. They even have a sugar-free blueberry icing for the perfect finishing touch!
Blueberry muffins are always a treat, and there’s a reason for that—a standard muffin recipe is a total sugar bomb. But what if I told you that you could get your blueberry muffin fix without all the sugar? These healthy blueberry muffins are a treat you can feel good about eating!
We're talking moist, tender, gluten-free, vegan blueberry muffins that are not just healthy, but also delicious. They’re not too sweet, they’re studded with juicy blueberries, and it’s all topped with an incredible (and yes, still healthy!) blueberry icing.
What Makes a Muffin Healthy?
When it comes to making muffins, there are a few things we can do to make them a healthier breakfast option. You just need to make some simple swaps:
- The flours. You want to use whole grain flours in muffins rather than all-purpose flour, which is stripped of most of its fiber and nutrients. Since I want these muffins to be something you can eat for breakfast and actually feel sustained, I made sure to pack in fiber and protein. The secret? A blend of oat flour, quinoa flakes, and almond flour.
- The sugar. If you look at the nutrition facts for a muffin at your local bakery, you might be shocked to see how much sugar is in there. But blueberries are already sweet! You can easily cut out the white sugar, add applesauce and banana for more sweetness, and then you just need a touch of maple syrup.
- The fat. Most traditional muffin recipes call for a lot of oil, a lot of butter, or a lot of both. These healthy blueberry muffins are completely oil-free, and they're still super moist and tender!
Do Blueberries Have Nutritional Value?
Yes, blueberries are one of the healthiest foods you can eat! They’re a good source of fiber, along with important vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, vitamin K, potassium, and manganese. They’re also one of the original superfoods thanks to their potent antioxidants. (One cup of wild blueberries has 13,427 total antioxidants!)
What You’ll Need
Scroll down to the recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.
- Flax egg – If you’ve never made one before, you simply combine a tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water.
- Mashed banana
- Applesauce – Be sure to use an unsweetened variety so you don’t end up sneaking sugar back into your muffins!
- Maple syrup
- Non-dairy milk
- Oat flour – You can purchase this or make your own by grinding oats in a high-powered blender or food processor.
- Quinoa flakes
- Almond flour
- Baking powder
- Cinnamon
- Sea salt
- Fresh blueberries
For the glaze:
- Coconut butter – This isn’t the same as coconut oil! It’s rich, creamy, just a touch sweet, and full of tropical flavor.
- Blueberry powder – If you can’t find this, you can buy freeze-dried blueberries and pulse them in your food processor until they form a powder.
How to Make Healthy Blueberry Muffins
You’re just 30 minutes away from sweet, moist, perfect blueberry muffins! Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Prepare. Preheat your oven to 350ºF and either line a muffin tin with paper liners or grease it with coconut oil.
Mix the wet ingredients. Beat all of the the wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl.
Mix the dry ingredients. In another bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.
Combine. Pour the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until they're incorporated. Fold in the blueberries.
Bake. Divide the batter between the muffin cups and place the muffin tin on the center rack of the oven. Bake for 20 to 23 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
Cool. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.
Glaze. Melt the coconut butter over a double-boiler, then whisk in the blueberry powder. Drizzle the mixture over the cooled muffins and sprinkle them with additional blueberry powder, if desired.
Tips for Success
Here are some hints and tips to help make sure your healthy blueberry muffins turn out perfect.
- Dry the blueberries well. If they still have droplets of water clinging to them when you add them to the batter, they’ll introduce water into it and affect the texture and baking time.
- Need to use frozen blueberries? That will work, but make sure they’re frozen when you add them to the batter. If they’ve thawed, they’ll turn your batter purple!
- Don’t switch up the flours. I developed this recipe using these exact flours; swapping them for other gluten-free flours will yield different results.
Why Do My Muffins Come Out Flat?
If your muffins are flat flat, with no dome at all, there are a few potential causes. One possibility is that you're not mixing the ingredients properly and not getting enough air into the batter; this is less of a factor when you’re not using eggs.
Another possibility is that you're using too much liquid or not enough baking powder or soda, which is what makes muffins rise. Your baking powder or soda could also be past its prime and not working like it should.
It’s also possible that your oven isn't hot enough, making your muffins under-baked. If you have this problem often, it may be worth investing in a thermometer to pop into your oven to check the temperature.
How to Store
Place these healthy blueberry muffins in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for 3 to 4 days.
Can These Muffins Be Frozen?
Yes, you can freeze these blueberry muffins for up to 3 months. Place them in a freezer bag or airtight container; they can be warmed up in the microwave or left on the countertop at room temperature to thaw.
More Healthy Muffin Recipes
- Strawberry Banana Oatmeal Muffins
- Skinny Pumpkin Pie Quinoa Muffins
- Spiced Coconut Yogurt Quinoa Muffins
- Blackberry Lime Oatmeal Muffins
Healthy Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
for the muffins:
- 1 flax egg (1 tbsp flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp water or regular egg)
- 1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 medium)
- 1/2 cup applesauce
- 1/4 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup non-dairy milk
- 1 1/4 cups oat flour (made from ground oats)
- 1/2 cup quinoa flakes
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
- 2/3 cup fresh blueberries
for the glaze:
- 1/4 cup coconut butter
- 1/2 teaspoon blueberry powder
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF. Line a muffin tin with paper liners (or grease with coconut oil) and set aside.
- Beat together wet ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Add dry (minus the blueberries) and stir together until incorporated. Fold in the blueberries.
- Divide batter evenly between the muffin cups (this recipe makes about 9 – 10 muffins). Bake on the center rack for 20 – 23 minutes until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Allow muffins to cool in the pan for 5 minutes then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Once cooled, make the glaze. Melt the coconut butter over a double boiler until it's smooth and runny. Whisk in blueberry powder and drizzle over muffins. Sprinkle each with a touch more blueberry powder if desired and enjoy!
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Nutrition
