Greek Yogurt Blueberry Muffins (Low Sugar Recipe)
on Oct 12, 2022
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Everyone loves a good blueberry muffin, don’t they? Enter these super light, moist and airy blueberry muffins made with protein-packed Greek yogurt.
Super easy to make in around 30 minutes, these delicious yogurt muffins have a perfect ‘muffin top’ and always seem to turn out well. And as they’re relatively low sugar, you can enjoy one (or two – why not?) guilt free!
The best blueberry muffins you’ve ever had
I received a rare compliment indeed from Mr. Scrummy the first few times 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.” I take this as an extra vote of confidence that these are good – really good.
Years later, I still make these muffins regularly for morning or afternoon teas, lunch boxes, portable and healthy-ish breakfasts, and even gifts. Every time, I think to myself that this is definitely one of the very best recipes here on Scrummy Lane. I really hope you try them, and come to love them as much as we do!
Why you’ll love them
✔ THEY’RE EASY. Like, I’ll stick my neck out and say that these yogurt blueberry muffins are impossible to mess up. I’ve made them more times than I can count. I haven’t always (ahem) been super accurate with the ingredients amounts, but they pretty much never fail.
✔ PERFECT TEXTURE. You’ll love how light, fluffy and moist they are! They’ve been described as the fluffiest muffins ever, and also as having ‘the perfect muffin top’ – nicely risen, golden brown, and lightly crisp!
✔ THEY’RE A HEALTHY BLUEBERRY MUFFIN RECIPE. Or at least healthiER. Low sugar, high protein, packed with nutritious blueberries, and fairly low calorie. Each of these muffins only contain about 270 calories.
[I’m not sure if that makes these ‘skinny’ muffins, but then again Starbucks’ skinny blueberry muffins contain 317 calories, so I’ll leave you to decide ;-)]
✔ SO QUICK TO MAKE. You can cook up a batch within about 30 minutes. No fancy beating or creaming of ingredients. Just mix the wet ingredients into the dry, pop into muffin cases, and bake.
✔ ENDLESSLY ADAPTABLE. Really. Take a look at the hundreds of comments below the recipe. It constantly astounds me how many successful adaptations and substitutions readers have tried. Apparently, they even turn out well at high altitude!
5* Reviews
“I have been baking for well over 65 years and these are the best blueberry muffins I have ever made. I love them!” (Marybeth)
“Unbelievably amazing! I’ve finally found the perfect blueberry muffin recipe, so light and fluffy. They’re perfect for both breakfast or dessert!” (Ella)
About the ingredients
As you can see, you only need 7 main ingredients (plus raising agents and salt) to make these failsafe Greek yogurt muffins.
Here’s what you need to know.
All-purpose flour (plain flour): Sometimes I replace some of the flour with whole wheat flour (wholemeal). Readers have reported successfully using all white whole wheat flour, cake flour, and gluten free flour. I’ve also successfully substituted in a little spelt or coconut flour.
Sadly these muffins do not appear to work with all almond flour, but you can try substituting a little.
You may need to add a little more milk to compensate for different types of flour.
Baking powder: Yep, there’s a whole tablespoon of baking powder in these muffins – around a teaspoon per cup of flour. It might seem like a lot, but the muffins turn out with a great ‘muffin top’. And don’t worry, there is no horrible aftertaste.
Baking soda: Just a little, apparently to balance out the acid in the yogurt and make sure you get a good rise and colour on your muffins.
Sugar: For me, just half a cup of plain white sugar provides the perfect amount of sweetness. If you have a sweeter tooth, you might like to sprinkle a little extra over the top of the muffins before baking. You can also use even less sugar if you like.
The recipe doesn’t seem to depend on the sugar for the texture of the cake. Many readers have successfully replaced all or some of the sugar with alternative sweeteners such as Stevia.
Salt: After feedback from readers over the years, I now include half a teaspoon of salt to round out the other flavors.
Eggs: 2 large, lightly whisked. I haven’t tried it myself, but several readers have successfully used egg replacements to make the muffins vegan.
Oil: I use either canola oil (or another vegetable oil), light olive oil, or a mixture of the two. Another oil such as melted coconut oil would work, as would melted butter.
Several readers have tried substituting around half of the oil with more yogurt. They’ve been happy with the results!
Greek yogurt: I always use an authentic style Greek yogurt made with just yogurt cultures and milk. However, readers have reported using ALL KINDS of Greek and Greek style yogurts in this recipe, even flavored versions. It seems they all work!
Since the yogurt is the key ingredient in these muffins, I wouldn’t try to completely miss it out.
Milk: I usually add between a quarter and a half cup of milk. The amount I add seems to depend on the particular brand of yogurt that I use i.e. how thick it is. Add even more if you think the batter needs it. It should be quite thick and fluffy, but not dry.
Blueberries: Around a cup and a half of fresh blueberries makes sure there are blueberries in every bite! Feel free to use frozen blueberries. Frozen sometimes create a few blue streaks in the muffin batter. I don’t find this to be a problem if I fold the fruit in carefully with just a few brief folds with a wooden spoon.
How to make them
The step-by-step guide below should help you make the recipe perfectly first time. Scroll down to the end for the full recipe including ingredient amounts.
it couldn’t be easier to make a batch of these healthy blueberry muffins with yogurt. Here’s what you do.
Step 1: Line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper liners (or silicon if preferred). I usually lightly spray them with oil to help prevent sticking. I also start preheating the oven at this point.
Step 2: Mix together all the dry ingredients (including the sugar) in a large mixing bowl.
Step 3: Mix together all the wet ingredients in a medium mixing bowl or jug.
Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until ‘just’ combined.
Step 5: If the mixture is at all dry, add a little more milk until it isn’t any more.
Step 6: Fold the blueberries through the mixture gently. Then divide batter between the muffin liners (you can fill to the top).
Step 7: Bake for anything from 17 to around 25 minutes. This will depend on the size of the muffins, really. As soon as a skewer or sharp knife poked into the center of a muffin comes out clean, they’re ready!
Helen’s top tips
- Don’t forget the ‘basic’ rule of homemade 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.
- Don’t be afraid to add a little more milk than the recipe calls for. The batter should be thick but not dry.
- Experiment! Feel free to tweak the recipe to make these blueberry yogurt muffins your very own (see ideas for variations below!).
Variations
These Greek yogurt muffins are the most (successfully) tweaked and altered recipe on the site! It’s a fantastic recipe to experiment with and make your own.
Here are my favorite ideas (thanks to reader feedback over many years).
- Replace some or all of the blueberries with different fresh or frozen fruit. Make alternative healthy berry muffins with raspberries or blackberries, or how about grated apple, chopped pear, chopped banana or peaches? I’ve tried nearly all of these. All turned out great, and I’m pretty sure other fruits would work too.
- These Greek yogurt blueberry muffins have proven so popular that I decided to create a chocolate chip version. Take a look at my recipe for Greek yogurt choc chip muffins (also fairly low sugar) as well. Enjoy!
- Add chopped nuts or dried fruit.
- Add a teaspoon of vanilla extract or almond essence, or some lemon zest.
- In the mood for a slightly sweeter treat? Sprinkle a little brown sugar and cinnamon on top before baking.
- Make a Greek yogurt blueberry bread instead! It’s just as phenomenally delicious as the muffins. Simply reduce the oven temperature by 50F/10C and bake for about an hour until a skewer poked into the center comes out clean.
- Try these Greek yogurt banana muffins (with caramel chips) as well some time!
Recipe FAQ
4 days after baking, these muffins are still light, moist and delicious if they’ve been stored in an airtight container in a cool spot. In the summer, it’s best to keep them in the fridge. They’ll keep well for up to 5 days.
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!
Yes, these yogurt muffins freeze really well. Just make sure you cool them completely, then store in freezer bags for up to 3 months. Perfect for a grab-and-go healthy breakfast, or for school lunches or afternoon snacks.
A thousand times YES! I’ve never received so much positive feedback on a recipe after people have made different substitutions! You can make these with dairy free Greek yogurt (try coconut) and dairy free milk, with gluten free flour, with a sugar substitute such as stevia, and even with an egg substitute to make them vegan.
As already mentioned, you can even replace some of the oil with more yogurt, and reduce the sugar more if you like. If I haven’t mentioned the particular substitution that you want to try, I highly recommend browsing through the reader comments below. There’s a good chance your substitution has already been tried!
You can! Simply bake for 10 to 13 minutes, checking after 10 and then every minute after that if not ready.
More healthier cakes
- Not in the mood for blueberries? Try these Greek yogurt choc chip muffins instead, or these healthy banana muffins (also with Greek yogurt and low sugar!).
- Pumpkin season? This healthy pumpkin bread with pear is phenomenal, with just the right amount of sweetness.
- Looking for healthy party cakes? No one will believe this 30-minute healthy chocolate cake is a healthier cake, and these healthier vanilla cupcakes with a 2-ingredient cheesecake frosting are so easy to make.
Or check out all my healthier desserts.
Also check out this list of 25 low sugar cakes (that still taste great!).
IF YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE, LET ME KNOW HOW YOU GET ON BY LEAVING A COMMENT AND RATING BELOW… AND DON’T FORGET TO SIGN UP TO RECEIVE ALL MY NEW RECIPES BY EMAIL!
Greek Yogurt Blueberry Muffins (Low Sugar Recipe)
Ingredients
- 2½ cups all-purpose flour, (= plain flour) Cake flour also works. You can substitute some or all for white whole wheat flour if you like.
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda, (= bicarbonate of soda)
- ½ cup sugar, (heaped)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- ⅔ cups oil, (I use either canola or light olive oil, but any oil is fine.)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt, I prefer authentic Greek yogurt, but any Greek yogurt works. You may have to adjust the amount of milk.
- ¼ cup milk, (Actually, ¼ to ½ cup. The mixture should be quite thick, but if it's dry add a little more milk.)
- 1½ cups blueberries
- extra sugar, for sprinkling (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375F/190C (this is the temperature I bake them at in my convection/fan oven. If you're using a conventional oven, increase temperature to 400F/205C.)
- Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar and salt in a large bowl.2½ cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, ½ cup sugar, ½ teaspoon salt
- Combine the eggs, oil, yogurt, and milk in another bowl or jug.2 large eggs, ⅔ cups oil, 1 cup Greek yogurt, ¼ cup milk
- 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). The batter will be fairly thick, but not dry.
- 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.extra sugar
- Cool on a wire rack, then store in an air tight container.
sooo good! i successfully replaced all of the oil with a little extra yogurt and probably 1/3 + 1/4 cup applesauce 🙂 otherwise, no substitutions. i set my temp to 390F because i don’t have a convection oven and 20 minutes was perfect!
Hello Natalie! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know how you got on without the oil and in your regular oven. It’s great to hear that it still works well, and I’m very happy you enjoyed them! 🙂
These muffins are addicting. I made them for the first time last month and couldn’t wait to make them again. My family has gotten used to high sugar treats, so I added zest of a lemon the second time to sooth a fussing audience, and it was a great success !
I always find it the biggest compliment ever to hear that someone made a recipe more than once, Kaitlen. Thank you so much for letting me know!
Tried it the first time and the results were great. I used stevia (in liquid form) instead of sugar… just maybe one tablespoon was not enough. Next time I’ll add one and half. Still the taste was great and the texture excellent.
Very happy to hear that you’re developing your own version with the stevia, Martin. Thank you so much for letting me know!
This recipe is my absolute go to muffin recipe. I’ve made it as is and loved it and then I started playing with flavours and have made it into lemon poppyseed; orange chocolate chip; and my absolute favourite – lavender & blackberry.
Thank you sooo much for sharing this recipe ❤️
Thank you so much for letting me know, Rachel! It makes me very happy to hear how much you’ve enjoyed the recipe, and also how you’ve experimented with different versions. I love that! 🙂
Very pleased with this muffin recipe. My go to for blueberry muffins from now on. Today I ma going to try same recipe wit cranberries. Thank you.
The biggest compliment, Helen – thank you! A cranberry version sounds delicious. Others have tried it, and I think at least one has also added a bit of orange zest. I hope you like that version just as much! 🙂
My 11-year-old son couldn’t wait for me to finish my chores … so he stormed through the recipe himself! It was his first real foray into baking and he ended up making about 20 mini muffins. He was thrilled with the result, and so was I. Not too sweet, but still super light and moist. Great recipe. Thanks!
Aww thrilled to hear this, Hellen! How cute! Sounds a bit like my son. I’m also impressed that he managed to convert the recipe for mini muffins. Good on him, and of course I’m very happy to hear that you enjoyed them!
Just checking the amount of baking powder, as 1 tablespoon seems an awful lot ?
Hi Irene, yes you read right. Just go with it – they’ll be delicious!
I have made these about 10 times so far, and every time, they have turned out perfectly. My whole family loves them.
I’m so thrilled to hear this, Ksenia! Thank you! I’m actually just about to bake what must be my 100th batch. A keeper for sure 🙂
Light and delicious. Just sweet enough!
So happy to hear this and thanks for letting me know!
These came out great! I’d just made muffins the other day from another recipe source, and was very disappointed. They came out dry): THESE on the other hand were perfectly moist, tall, fluffy and delicious! I filled the tins over and they came out closer to bakery looking muffins. I also used grass fed melted butter instead of oil, omitted the salt, and sprinkled with brown sugar. Just delicious! Thanks for the recipe(:
Aww thank you so much for the kind review, Britney! It’s especially interesting to hear that you used butter successfully. I’m so happy you enjoyed them 🙂
This recipe is great. I chose it because it said it was highly adaptable and it really was. I thought I would share what I did.
I used PC brand gluten-free flour as I have celiac disease.
I wanted to use up some vanilla 2% fat Greek yogurt that I had way too much of and I used that instead of plain yogurt. Because I use sweetened yogurt, I cut down the sugar to about a third of a cup. I didn’t have any milk so I substituted water for milk to thin down the yogurt a bit. I wanted to use a little bit less oil so I used about a half cup of oil and substituted more yogurt in place of the oil.
The muffins were delicious and moist and we ate the whole batch in one day! I’m going to make another batch today. Thank you!
Hello Laureen! I’m always amazed at the adaptations that work with this recipe, but I’m especially pleased to read what you did to make them gluten free. It’s encouraging that they’re still moist and tasty. I’m so happy you enjoyed them so much, and thank you so much for letting me know!
This turned out fantastic and was SO easy! I used up a tiny bit of my cake flour and used APF for the rest. I used frozen blueberries. I dusted with turbanado sugar. My family loved it. Will absolutely be making this over and over! PS thank you for using metric as I love weighing ingredients instead of using cups!
Hello! Thank you so much for trying out the recipe. It always makes my day to hear someone say they’ll make a recipe again. I’m so happy you liked these muffins so much, and it’s helpful to hear that you like the metric measurements. I try to cover all the bases since I know readers are in different countries! 🙂
So I had to chime in and add my 5 stars because I made some adjustments that I thought others would be super happy to find out worked! While I did not use all almond flour, I substituted up to 1 cup of the AP flour, using 1-1/2 AP flour and it worked brilliantly…super tender and fluffy! I also subbed allulose/monkfruit sweetener (3/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup) and that also worked. Then I subbed cranberries for blueberries and added in 1 teaspoon of orange oil. Finally I made a glaze of erythritol/monkfruit sweetener plus milk plus a few more drops of orange oil. So for those looking for low carb recipes this worked fantastic! My husband loved them…he called them “magic fairy dust muffins”! 😂
Hello Grace! A happy new year to you and your family, and thank you so much for letting us all know how your modifications went. I often get questions on substitutions related to this recipe, so it’s incredibly helpful to both myself and other readers. I love the sound of your orange and cranberry version, and it makes me very happy to read what the hubby called them – thank you so much for making my day with that! 🙂
I’ve made a lot of blueberry muffins but this recipe is my keeper. I added 1 1/2tsp almond extract and they were fabulous. Thank you!!!
Biggest compliment ever! I’m so happy you found a new favourite in these, Carol. Thanks so much for letting me know – it means a lot! Happy New Year!
I had just enough of ingredients to make half of this recipe. WOW, I just loved it 😋. I followed the recipe and added some Demerara Sugar on top for some light crunch. I did add just a bit more splash of milk too for the batter. Used my large scoop and baked them. My new heirloom muffin recipe for sure! THANK YOU 😊
Awww SO happy to hear this!!! Thank you so much for the feedback and I’m so glad you enjoyed them 🙂
These are delicious! I added strawberries instead of blueberries. I love that they aren’t a sweet muffin. I think I’ll try blueberries and lemon zest next time.
Thank you so much for letting me know how you got on, Emma! The recipe certainly works just as well with different types of fruit, especially other berries. A touch of lemon zest is always nice, so yes do try that next time! I’m so happy you liked these less sweet muffins, and happy new year!
So good and so quick to make
So happy to read this, and thank you for taking the time to let me know. Happy New Year!
This is Avery nice recipe, easy to follow and moist muffins! I added raspberry filling and blueberries
Thank you for the feedback, Kimberly – that is so good to hear! I love that you added your own twist to the recipe, too 🙂
I did it with GF flour and it was amazing! The yogurt made it super creamy.
So happy to hear this, Crystal! It’s especially helpful to hear that they worked out well with the GF flour! 🙂
I bake a lot and I highly recommend this recipe. I followed it pretty carefully, but I cut down on the baking powder just a bit. I probably used 4/5th of a tablespoon. I know this may sound silly, but they were light and fluffy, and it worked (I get a little nervous about too much baking soda/powder.) I also added walnuts to half the batter. They were delicious.
Thank you so much for your thorough review, Rebecca! It’s so helpful to hear your feedback. Several readers have questioned the amount of baking powder over the years (this recipe has been around for a long time!), but I’m working on the basis of between 1 to 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder per cup of flour. Since this recipe includes acidic ingredients (the yogurt), I leaned towards the higher side. I love your idea of adding walnuts, and hope you’ll make the recipe again and again. I really appreciate you trying it, with all your baking experience. It feels like an honor – thank you! 🙂
i made these because my daughter loves muffins and she loves them and so do the rest of the family including grandchildren so easy to make and turn out perfect every time thankyou i some times half the mixture and add raspberries or chocolate chips which go down just as good
This makes me so happy to read, Catherine – thank you so much for letting me know! I love that you make the recipe your own – that’s just what I was hoping. Have a wonderful holiday period! 🙂
I used Duram wheat (baking for a diabetic) as that has a higher protein count than white flour. It is a tiny bit more grainy than normal flour but rose beautifully with a great textur once baked. I will admit that the 1/2 cup sugar is NOT enough for me (but as im cooking for a diabetic its not a bad thing) but otherwise these are pretty decent! I did have to add a lot more milk due to the denser flour.
I will add more blueberries next time, we like a LOT of blueberries. And probably a bit more sugar.
Hi, Lauren! Interesting to hear how they turned out with the special flour! Glad it worked well for your needs! If you’re ever making them for yourself (not for a diabetic) it will be absolutely fine to increase the amount of sugar and/or blueberries. Alternatively, you can sprinkle a bit more sugar on top before baking. I’m very happy you liked them, though 🙂