Everyone loves a good blueberry muffin, don’t they? Enter these super light, moist and airy blueberry muffins made with protein-packed Greek yogurt. And as they’re relatively low sugar, you can enjoy one (or two – why not?) guilt free!
Get ready for the best blueberry muffins you’ve ever had
I received a rare compliment indeed from Mr. Scrummy the other day when I made these Greek yogurt blueberry muffins.
He said “As you know, I’m not much of a muffin man, but I think this was the best muffin I’ve ever tasted. It was perfect.”
Now maybe this isn’t saying much coming from someone who isn’t really a fan of muffins (how can that be?!), but all the same I’m going to take it as a compliment, and as an extra vote of confidence that these are good – really good.
This was one of those recipes that I was expecting to have to experiment with for a while to get right. But to my surprise it actually worked out perfectly first time. I think the thing with muffins is that there is a bit of wiggle room with the ingredients. If you add a tiny bit more or less liquid or sugar, for instance, you’ll still likely get a decent result, so long as you follow some simple guidelines.
UPDATE 2019: Just take a read through of the comments below. Many readers have made adaptations and substitutions and these muffins always seem to turn out well!
What guidelines, you ask?
Well, nothing earth-shattering – but there’s nothing wrong with a little reminder!
I think the keys to success for these particular Greek yogurt muffins are the following:
1 Don’t forget the ‘basic’ rule of muffin making i.e. keep the dry and wet ingredients separate until the last minute, then mix until barely combined. A few lumps are fine. You just don’t want to overmix, get the gluten in the flour all excited and make your muffins tough.
2 Add a tiny bit of milk (about a quarter cup) to thin out the mixture a bit. Using loads of Greek yogurt is great, but it’s thick, so we need to keep the consistency right!
3 As well as using baking powder, add a half teaspoon of bicarb of soda to balance out the acid in the yogurt and make sure you get a good rise and colour on your muffins.
4 Add PLENTY of blueberries so there are blueberries in every bite. Mmmm!
5 Erm… don’t forget the oil! I made these again last weekend and ended up having to make them twice as I forgot to add the oil the first time. I wondered why the batter was so dry and added more milk before I realised what I’d done. Duh. Can I still blame baby brain?
I really enjoyed making these muffins because, well… BLUEBERRY MUFFINS!!
Not quite skinny muffins!
But also… I have to say it’s pretty satisfying enjoying a truly light and airy muffin that also happens to be fairly light on sugar. And if calories happen to be important to you, each of these muffins only contain about 270 calories.
I’m not sure if that makes them ‘skinny’ muffins, but then again Starbucks’ skinny blueberry muffins contain 317 calories, so I’ll leave you to decide.
It’s also very satisfying being able to cook up a batch of these so quickly. As they contain oil not butter (I used a combination of canola and olive, but any is fine), there’s no creaming or even melting involved.
Just throw everything together (but not too quickly, in case you forget an ingredient like I did a few days ago!), pop into muffin cases, and bake.
How long do these blueberry muffins last, and can you freeze them?
I thought I’d have to freeze some of these muffins as we wouldn’t be able to eat them all before they went past their best, but no. I just ate the last one 4 days after baking (sorry not sorry, Mr. Scrummy!), and it was still light and moist. Although I do find they don’t last quite as long in the summer.
And when they truly are on their last legs, just pop them in the microwave for about 15 seconds before eating. Spoon over a little extra Greek yogurt (why not?) and enjoy!
But you can freeze them of course, if for some bizarre reason you can’t eat them all in a few days. Just make sure you cool them completely, then store in freezer bags for up to 3 months!
Update: October 2018
These Greek yogurt blueberry muffins have proven so popular (and I still make them ALL THE TIME) that I decided to post a chocolate chip version!
You can find my recipe for Greek yogurt choc chip muffins (also fairly low sugar) here. Enjoy!
I’ve also added a how-to video to this post (scroll down to below the recipe, or see top of post on desktop). You’ll see that I’m making the chocolate chip muffins in the video, but the method and ingredients for this blueberry muffin recipe are exactly the same. Just switch the chocolate for blueberries!
Greek yogurt blueberry muffins (low sugar recipe)
Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)
- 2½ cups plain flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- ½ cup sugar (heaped)
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- ⅔ cups oil (I used a mixture of canola and olive, but any is fine. Add a little more milk if the mixture still seems too thick)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup milk
- 1½ cups blueberries
- extra sugar for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 190C/375F.
- Combine the flour, baking powder, soda and sugar in a large bowl.
- Combine the eggs, oil, yogurt, and milk in another bowl or jug.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Stir until just combined. Fold in the blueberries. Add a tiny bit more milk if the mixture still seems too thick (the consistency of the batter can vary depending on which brand of yoghurt you use). You want the batter to be a soft dropping consistency.
- Spoon the batter into muffin cases placed in muffin pans (you can fill almost to the top). Sprinkle a little extra sugar (white or brown) over the top of the muffins, if you like, then bake for 17 to 20 minutes or until risen and golden and a skewer pushed into the centre comes out clean.
- Cool on a wire rack, then store in an air tight container.
Anne says
Hi Helen,
I would like to ask if I can use frozen blueberries?
Thanks.
Helen says
Hello Anne! Yes I’ve made these many times with frozen blueberries. Just try to stir them in in just a few strokes. The batter may get coloured purple slightly anyway, but this has never bothered myself or anyone else I’ve served them to. Enjoy!
Anne says
Thanks Helen! I’ve been looking for a muffin recipe that use yoghurt and does not use butter. I made this today and oh my the best blueberry muffin I had! Golden on the outside and fluffy in the inside. Thank you so much! I will definitely make this again!
Helen says
You’re so welcome, Anne! Thank you so much for the feedback. They work really well with other kinds of fruit like raspberries too, and of course chocolate – just in case you’d like to try some variations 😉 So glad you enjoyed them!
Barbara says
Every time I make these , they r a huge hit. I divide batter in 3 and make some choc chip, strawberry and of course blueberry. I add coconut sugar on top before baking. I won’t go to any other recipe..thank you
Helen says
Hello Barbara. Thank you so much for taking the time to review these. I made them again myself just this past weekend. I grilled them by mistake (!!!) but they still ended up pretty good! I love that you make 3 different kinds. 🙂
Alisha says
Just perfect, and I bake a lot of muffins, so I know 🙂
Helen says
Hi Alisha. Wow, what a compliment! Thank you! 🙂
April says
Ok these were amazing! I lessened the sugar a wee bit but added a vanilla glaze! Family LOVED them! 🥰😊!
Helen says
Hi April (what a lovely name!). Thanks so much for the feedback. I’m so glad you enjoyed them so much, and I like your idea of adding a glaze. Mmm!
Naomi says
Just made these for a third time. Super recipe! First time exactly as you have it written and they were perfect. Second time with thawed frozen berry mix, lemon zest and a spritz of lemon juice topped with a shake of lemon sugar. Third time with a huge grated apple, half whole wheat flour/half white and a handful of walnut pieces. All three times perfect! Thank you for a fantastic and versatile recipe!
Helen says
Hi Naomi! Thank you so much for reporting back – I really appreciate you taking the time to do that. This has been my experience with this recipe too. Very adaptable! I’m so happy it’s not just me 😉 In case you’re interested I have a few other recipes on the site that are a little healthier than average and seem to work out well every time. Try this pumpkin and pear bread for starters: https://scrummylane.com/healthy-pumpkin-pear-loaf-cake/
Kate says
Hi Helen! This is Kate again; after a disappointingly-textured lemon-herb-honey cake following another recipe (which also used yogurt + oil) I decided to try adapting this recipe for the same flavours.
I used 2/3 cup honey, as well as lemon juice, zest and herbs (either rosemary or thyme would work). I kept all the proportions pretty much the same but cut the sugar by half (might have been a mistake, I want it a bit sweeter) and also halved the amount of oil, since I figured the honey would affect the amount of liquid+sweetness+moisture in the mix. Would be curious to know your thoughts on this as a more experienced baker, and if there are changes you would make to the proportions if using honey!
Helen says
Hello Kate! Wow, it never fails to amaze me what kinds of substitutions people try making to this recipe! Usually they work well, surprisingly, but there’s the odd occasion when it’s just too much of a difference to the original recipe.
In this case, from my research it seems that up to 1 cup of sugar, you can do a straight replacement with honey. I think especially in this recipe it should work because the sugar amount is relatively low, and sometimes you have to add a bit of extra milk to thin the batter slightly. So you can judge that just before putting the batter in the muffin cases.
So I wouldn’t actually halve the amount of oil. Try using the full amount stated in the recipe and see if the muffins are better. If you’re adding lemon juice, I’d just leave out some of the milk in the original recipe to compensate.
In theory, that should be all the changes you need to make. Would love to hear how you get on if you try this again. They sound yummy!
Gloria Proulx says
I just tried substituting almond flour for regular flour and they caved in and did not set properly. All the blueberries sunk to the bottom as well. Guess I won’t do that again!
Helen says
Hi Gloria! Aw, that was a great idea, but sorry it didn’t work out! You could try replacing just a little of the flour with almond flour and see if that works. Say 1/2 a cup? I’ve done something similar where I replaced some of the flour (actually up to half) with wholemeal or spelt or even a little coconut flour, and usually I still get great muffins. You might need to experiment a bit until you get the perfect ratio. Good luck, and let me know how you get on if you try the recipe again.
JJ says
I followed the recipe and I the batter was super stiff. This is more like a scone type batter. I had to add more everything liquid and then after I realized thus is way too much flour. Most muffin recipes call for 1.5 C flour. Maybe cutting the flour portion down might be better. The batter just totally seized up.
Helen says
Hi! Did you actually make the muffins in the end? Sometimes the thickness of the yogurt makes a difference to the thickness of the batter, but if it’s a little thick you just add a tiny bit more milk, as stated in the recipe notes. The recipe has been tested over many years and virtually always makes good muffins, so there’s definitely the right amount of flour. But thanks anyway for the feedback 🙂
Sarah says
Could I replace the sugar with artificial sweetener? Has anyone tried this and would it be a like for like swap ( eg 100gms artificial sweetener for 100gms sugar?). Thank you.
Helen says
Hi Sarah! I’m pretty sure it would work well. Maybe famous last words but people have tried so many substitutions in this recipe and it always seems to work. Good luck!
Kiran Matharu says
How long would I bake for mini muffins? Thank you
Helen says
Hi Kiran! 10 to 13 minutes should do it. Check from 10 minutes and then every minute after that if not done. I found this article really helpful: https://www.craftsy.com/post/mini-muffins/#
Kiran says
Thanks so much!
Alice Claridge says
Made these today with my 6 and 4yo girls, my changes were to use half wholemeal flour, and added some grated apple. Yummo! I think with addition of apple I might use less sugar next time. Thanks for an easy, tasty recipe! Hoping they will freeze well for lunches!
Helen says
Hello Alice! I’m so glad you liked them! And don’t worry, they’ll freeze perfectly! 🙂
Marybeth Haydo says
I have been baking for well over 65 years and these are the best blueberry muffins I have ever made. I love them!
Helen says
Hello Marybeth. Wow, that’s a compliment indeed! Thank you so much! 🙂
Eileen says
Just want to know if yogurt must be Greek ? Or can use natural yogurt. I don’t know difference is
Helen says
Hello Eileen! It’s fine to use regular natural yogurt instead of Greek. It’s just that Greek yoghurt is a bit thicker so you might need to add a little less milk if you use regular yogurt that’s all. To be honest though this is a pretty forgiving recipe, so you should be fine!
Kate says
Hi Helen, I’m going to give these muffins a try next weekend! I have some vegan roommates who don’t eat eggs but might be amenable to dairy – do you think I could add an extra 1/2-1 cup yogurt as a substitute for the eggs?
Helen says
Hi Kate! These muffins have proven themselves again and again to be very flexible and all kinds of substitutions have worked. I’ve never heard of anyone trying to skip the eggs, but I suspect you could make it work. I can’t guarantee success, but try looking into flax eggs and other vegan egg substitutions. I’m not sure just extra yoghurt would work, but then again it might be worth trying… I’d love to know how you get on if you do give it a try!
Kate says
Hi Helen! I tried these yesterday, I made 1 batch with eggs and another eggless half-batch.
I had to add extra milk (full fat) to both as my yogurt was quite thick – I could only find 10% fat greek yogurt which may have affected things as well.
For the eggless half-batch, I added an extra 1/4 cup yogurt and a pinch of extra baking soda. They still turned out beautifully fluffy, if a touch denser than the batch with eggs! I suspect that subbing an extra 1/4-1/3 cup yogurt + 1/4-1/2 tsp baking soda per egg, to fulfil the moisture + leavening properties would be the perfect ratio!
I baked mine at 180C after noticing they were browning a little fast in my oven.
I will say that these also work well as ‘muffin tops/lumps’ aka thick batter just plopped onto a parchment lined baking sheet. I only own one 6-hole muffin pan so I made a mix, and a day later they are almost gone!
Kate says
oops! I meant to say baking powder, not baking soda!! i kept the bicarb of soda measurement the same
Helen says
Thanks for clarifying, Kate! 🙂
Helen says
Thank you so much for the detailed review, Kate. It’s incredibly helpful to know how to make these without eggs. Let me know if you try the recipe again with the ratio of yoghurt you suggest. These do often brown quite fast but I like the firm tops. As you say they would make great muffin tops! 🙂
Deena Miller says
The muffins were yummy . Recipe easy to follow…The blueberries were imported from Peru, baked in Phoenix,Arizona, with a recipe from Perth, Australia..Very International..Thanks..I am planning to make your quiche this week..ciao, Deena
Helen says
Hello Deena. Thank you so much for the feedback. International muffins indeed! I really hope you enjoy the quiche as much as we do. Happy New Year!
Satee Dookhy says
Best blueberry muffins ever!
Helen says
Thank you Satee! I have to agree with you 😉
Teresa says
Hi there just wanted to check the oven temp for fan ovens. Going to make these today as I love blueberry muffins
Helen says
Hi Teresa! I always bake these at 180C, whichever oven I’m using, and they always seem to turn out well! 🙂
Teresa says
Thanks Helen
Courtney says
Hi there, I plan on making these for my 9 month old (with the blueberries smushed beforehand) and I’m so excited to try them out but I have two questions.. is using whole wheat flour an okay substitute? And also can I use apple sauce instead of oil? I know for most oil calling recipes it’s okay but wondering if you’ve tried it. Thank you!
Helen says
Hi Courtney! I haven’t tried this exact way of making them, but what I can say is that people have tried all kinds of substitutions and 99% of them seem to work out well. I can’t guarantee anything but I’m confident enough that it will work to suggest that you risk it! Good luck – I’d love to hear how you get on if you do try it!