These healthy blueberry muffins are made with whole wheat flour and oatmeal for added nutrition, but they still taste as good as the original recipe!
All kids like muffins right?! Well, two of my girls do. My youngest is hit or miss. If there are chocolate chips involved she’ll consider it – and by consider it I mean she’ll pick the chocolate out and leave the rest behind. I’m pretty sure she survives primarily on air, with a few yogurt raisins thrown in for good measure.
Muffins can be a great snack for kids – they’re portable, fun to eat and can be customized in so many ways. The only catch is that many muffin recipes are loaded with fat and sugar – no wonder kids love them, they’re like cupcakes without the frosting! That’s not what I want to be feeding my girls on a regular basis. My friend Olga shared this recipe for blueberry oatmeal muffins with me a few years ago and these muffins have been part of our snack rotation ever since. These healthy blueberry muffins are loaded with oats for nutrition and contain just a little bit of canola oil instead of heaps of butter. I made them even healthier by adding whole wheat flour into the mix. I use white whole wheat flour in my recipes, it creates baked goods with a lighter texture than standard whole wheat flour. You can use fresh or frozen berries, I often use a mixture of blueberries and cherries.
These muffins have a heartier texture than a typical blueberry muffin because of all the oats. Do my picky eaters notice or care? Nope, the twins gave these a thumbs up! One of my the twins typically won’t eat oatmeal OR blueberries so her approval was quite a victory in my book.
The coarse sugar on top is optional but it adds a bit of crunch and sparkle. I’ve also sprinkled cinnamon sugar over the tops with great results.
These healthy blueberry muffins are perfect for when you want a more wholesome snack without all the guilt!
Still hungry? Follow Dinner at the Zoo on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest for more great recipe ideas!
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see my full disclosure policy for details.
Healthy Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- cooking spray
- 1/2 cup whole wheat flour (I prefer white whole wheat flour)
- 1/2 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cups oatmeal (quick or rolled oats)
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 cup milk (I use 1%)
- 1 egg
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 cup of blueberries fresh or frozen
- 2 tablespoons coarse sugar (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl.
- In a separate bowl whisk together the milk, egg, oil and vanilla.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Stir just until all of the ingredients are combined.
- Gently fold in the blueberries.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.
- Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with the coarse sugar.
- Bake for approximately 20 minutes until muffins are lightly browned and a toothpick comes out clean.
Recipe Notes
Make Ahead: The batter can be made up to a day in advance. Follow the instructions through step 5. When you're ready to bake the muffins, add the blueberries and proceed with the rest of the recipe.
Freeze It: The muffins can be frozen for up to 2 months. I freeze them in a resealable bag. When you're ready to eat them, you can thaw them at room temperature for 30 minutes or microwave them straight from the freezer for about 20 seconds.
Little Helpers: This is a great recipe for getting your kids involved in the kitchen. My girls love doing all of the measuring, pouring and stirring for this recipe. They also love sprinkling the tops of the muffins with the sugar.
Things You’ll Need (Or Want!)
These look perfect for breakfast! I love the idea of making a bunch and freezing them so they’re ready to go.
I love the hearty texture of oatmeal anything, and these look to be right up my alley. My daughter sounds like your little one… except every once in a while she says “Mom… I just can’t fill up!” Love those days. And I have a feeling these would work for her, she loves blueberry everything!
Blueberry Muffins are my FAVORITE breakfast food – Cannot wait to give these a try this weekend!
It’s always great to find a way to put some hidden nutrition in there- in this case, oats and blueberries! 🙂
my almost 3 year old loves muffins too! These look like a great way to add some healthiness back into them because I usually just grab store bought! They look delicious!
LOVE oats in muffins! You’re completely right about them making the whole batch heartier! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!
Your lovely blueberry muffins made me think I need to go and pick some fresh blueberries this summer! My kids would love these as they devour muffins! Pinned, too,
These look perfect for breakfast! Can’t wait for blueberry picking season 🙂
My daughter would gobble these right up…only if I left her any. They look great.
So good! And kid-approved! The only think I will change next time is to use fresh blueberries instead of frozen!
Lisa, I”m so glad you liked them! Thanks for reporting back 🙂
I frequently exchange applesauce when a recipe calls for oil, do you think this would work in these muffins?
You could try it, but it might make the muffins a bit on the gummy side. Since there are so many oats in this recipe that oil is really needed to keep things moist. If you try it, please report back!
I have exchanged half the oil in a recipe with natural applesauce (make your own with apples and nothing else) with excellent results. Also have always cut down the amount of sugar (white or brown) in a recipe by 1/2 with good results, too. Our palates have acclimated us to all this sugar and we just have to let our palates adapt to less…it’s not that hard. I’ve successfully replaced almond milk for white milk with very good results. The only time it wasn’t too successful was when I made rice custard. How do you feel about substituting honey in place of sugar in some recipes. Have any of you made your own home-made pizza crust and what did you use in place of white flour? Thanks!!
I think honey can work in lieu of sugar, but it really depends on the recipe. It seems like honey produces a denser baked good. I have used 1/3-1/2 whole wheat flour in pziza dough with good results!
Can you smell this? Follow your nose to this recipe! I made these this morning and they were delicious! Only change was to leave out the vanilla and add lemon zest to dry ingredients and juice of half a lemon to wet. Nice job Sara! Thanks for sharing!
So glad you liked them, the lemon zest is a great idea!
Can I give this 10 stars?! Oh my gosh these are so good. Made the first batch with the only change some added cinnamon to the sugar topping. Second batch that just came out of the oven I added the cinnamon to the dry ingredients and a bit of lemon zest just to change it up since I am making them a second time two days later. This recipe will be my new go to blueberry muffin recipe. I was so hoping it would be good with the whole wheat flour and oatmeal being healthy additions. Third time I will try reducing the sugar to 3/4 cup and see how that goes.Oh and I reserved a bit of the flour/oatmeal mixture to mix with the frozen blueberries. That way they don’t colour the batter.
Thank you for sharing the recipe.
I’m so glad you liked them! That’s such a smart idea to mix the flour with the berries!!
Did you thaw the blueberries befor putting them in?
I leave them frozen, otherwise they turn the batter completely purple!
These were wonderful. Perfectly sweetened, and a little heartier than some low fat muffins. I wants more for the week, so I made a second batch and will freeze them if necessary! Thanks for the recipe!
So glad to hear you liked them!
Can you make this using only all purpose flour? I have to use gluten free flour and it’s an all purpose flour. Thanks!
Yes, that’s totally fine!
Hi, Just wondering . How many calories is in each muffin ?
140 calories, nutrition information is at the bottom of the recipe!
What do you mean by oatmeal? I’ve never seen that listed as an ingredient. Is it not just regular oats? Do you have to cook the oata first and the measure them? Like they would count as a wet ingredient? I bake all the time but I honestly don’t know what this means!
It’s just regular dry oats, you can measure it straight from the carton!
I Made These,—This Morning, They were Amazing, I used Self riseing Flour, And Just A pinch of Baking Soda,—And Two Tablespoons of Coconut Oil—Instead of Canola Oil,—-In the Large Muffin pans, To Die For With Butter!—
Has anyone tried using ONLY the white whole wheat flour, instead of 1/2 of white and 1/2 wheat?
I haven’t heard of anyone trying it, they would most likely be more dense.
Yes, when I Don’t Have whole wheat Flour!—-
I completely agree with you on this… when you can find a yummy healthy recipe that you kids can eat, you stick with it! Looks really yummy 🙂
Just made these! I doubled the recipe and used all whole wheat flour and it is delightful! They are so hearty and filling, I am sure they would make a wonderful breakfast to-go. I am bringing them in to work tomorrow for a meeting because I felt like we needed a healthier alternative to donuts, haha.
Can you subsitute cocoanut or almond milk for the 1% milk?
That should work!
Can you make this as a bread instead of muffins? Like a single loaf in a bread pan?
I have never tried it that way, I think you’d need to try either making 1.5x or 2x the batter because one batch would produce a pretty small loaf. Hope that helps!
I made these muffins for breakfast this morning, and everyone loved them. I used coconut oil instead of canola, and added about 2 tbs ground flax seed for extra protein. Any suggestions for how to make them a little more moist? Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Did you use quick or rolled oats? The rolled oats make for a heartier texture so you may want to try the quick oats next time. My other suggestion would be to increase the oil by 1 tablespoon to increase the moistness. Hope that helps!
Hi, I want to make these tomorrow. Do I need to thaw the frozen blue berries? Should I mix them with flour so they don’t sink? Thank you for the recipe.
You should not thaw the blueberries, otherwise the juices will turn the muffins purple! You can toss them in 1-2 tsp of flour if you like to prevent sinking.
I just made these and all i can taste is baking powder! 1 tablespoon seemed like too much and I’m afraid I was right. They also pretty dry and not sweet enough in my opinion. I really wanted to like these since they are healthy and looked delicious But no luck!
Yeah our muffins didn’t turn out anything like the pic unfortunately. Could’ve have used a little more sweetness and too high of a blueberry ratio that inhibits the inside of the muffin from cooking.
Just made these today! I’ve been looking for a healthy breakfast I can take with me on the way to work. I did make some changes to make them a bit healthier; I used all white whole wheat flour, coconut oil instead of canola, almond milk instead of regular milk, and then I added a teaspoon of cinnamon (cause I love adding cinnamon to everything!) and raspberries. They turned out perfect! Very hearty and filling, but healthy and delicious! Everything I need to start my day! Thanks so much for the recipe!
So glad to hear you enjoyed them!
What a wonderful recipe! I made these yesterday with the following substitutions:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
omitted all-purpose flour
substituted coconut sugar for granulated
substituted coconut oil for canola oil
added 1/2 cup of shredded coconut
And they came out amazing! 1 day later and already half gone 🙂
Thanks so much for posting this!
Wow! These are so great. I followed the recipe exactly and they turned out perfect. I will be adding this recipe to my current list of favorites. Thank you!!
none of us liked them and we are big blueberry muffin fans.
Can you use honey instead of sugar? If so, how much should be substituted? Thanks so much for this recipe!
I have never tried it with honey before, so I can’t give you an exact measurement substitution, but this article has a lot of great information about using honey instead of sugar for baking: http://healthimpactnews.com/2014/how-to-use-raw-honey-in-place-of-sugar-in-baking/. You could also use coconut sugar in place of the white sugar if you’re looking for a healthier substitute!
This recipe has become a staple in our household. We LOVE them! I always freeze half of them for later and was surprised how well they heated from frozen to toasty in 30 seconds in the microwave. Our family thanks you!
I made these as per the recipe (minus the sugar on top) and they turned out great. These muffins are hearty and flavorful – and the recipe works well at high altitude.
Is this supposed to be a teaspoon or a tablespoon of baking powder? Thanks
The tablespoon is correct!
Can you substitute butter back in? I know they are supposed to be healthier because of the oil, but we’re on an Atkins diet plan and we want the butter. If so, how much should be substituted, the same amount as the oil, do you think?
You can use butter, I’ve never tried it before but here’s a butter to oil conversion chart! http://www.goodcooking.com/conversions/butt_oil.htm
These look amazing. I love blueberries so much. I like the idea of using half frozen blueberries & half frozen cherries. I happen to have both in my freezer. Think I will use almond or coconut milk, coconut oil & coconut sugar to make them a little healthier. I might add some drops of lavender essential oil to the batch & the 2nd batch do what someone else did & leave out the vanilla & add the zest & juice of a half lemon. Blueberry & lemon goes so well together. Might add a drop or 2 of lemon essential oil to give it more of a citrus flavor , but I don’t want to add to much lemon essential oil that would take to much away from the blueberry or blueberry/cherry flavor. Can’t wait to make these in my new stand mixer. I will mix wet ingredients first in a bowl then add to the flour/oatmeal mixture. So excited to make these. Hope they taste as good as they look. I have frozen raspberries in my freezer to. May have to make a third batch &. & give a mixture of the muffins to friends in a pretty package. Thanks so much for this healthier muffin recipe
This recipe is not only the best blueberry muffin I’ve ever had but possibly the best muffin! Do you think it is possible to change the fruit component? I’d love to try this with banana or apple. Thanks again for the recipe.
I think apples would work great, as would peaches or other berries. I’m not sure about the banana, unless you mashed it up and added it to the batter!
I just made these and they are fabulous! I can’t wait to try them again with all whole wheat flour. I figure if they taste this amazing as is, making them even healthier can’t hurt. Great recipe!
Love a healthier version of a muffin! Added lemon and it was so good! Definitely going to be making these again!
These were so delicious. My husband loved these. Already made about 4 times. So good.
Made these and everyone loved them!
Just made these muffins and they are delicious! This will be my go to recipe for blueberry muffins. Thanks for sharing!
How did you come up with the sodium content in your nutrition breakdown? I wouldn’t think the content would be that high considering you are only using 1/4 t. and dividing it into 12 muffins. I apologize if I am missing something!
The sodium is from the baking powder, most baking powder has 488 mg per teaspoon. Hope that helps!
I made these yesterday. Followed the recipe exactly, using muffin liners and spraying them just in case. They were amazing – whole family loved them. Husband said they were better than any full fat muffins I’ve made. Thanks so much for a great recipe.
I made these just this morning. Absolutely delicious! I had frozen mixed berries when I thought I had blueberries, but the mixed berries included blueberries and were great. I put a little less sugar (watching sugar for health reasons) and it was delicious. I will definitely be making these again, and they looked like I picked them up at a bakery, they were so nice looking. I feel that you could make them with any fruit you had on hand in a pinch. Perfect for breakfast, and I enjoyed a couple cups of hot tea with them.
I substituted 1/2 cup of wheat PT germ for 1/2 cup white flour and added 1/2 cup of flax seeds. Nice additions!
These were a huge hit for Mother’s Day brunch and I’m making them for my staff meeting tomorrow. Moist and healthy with the right amount of sweet. I’m going to try it with the lemon zest this time. My favorite breakfast muffins ever!
I’m a seasoned baker and love healthy recipes for me and my kids. But I gotta say…. This didn’t come out right… I think the baking soda amount is wrong. Probably supposed to be tsp instead of Tbl. Just didn’t taste good at all 🙁
The recipe calls for baking powder not baking soda; using baking soda would definitely produce a different result!
I have tried so many blueberry muffin recipes that are healthier and by far, this one is the best! I love them and have been eating them all week for breakfast! Can’t wait to put these as a rotation in my meal plans!
I just made these using frozen blueberries and old fashioned oatmeal. They are delicious! Next time I will try them with fresh blueberries. Thank you for a healthy muffin recipe. 🙂