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.
I’ve made these at least a dozen times, and they’re perfect every time! I measure in grams, so I used 120 grams of sugar to mimic a heaping 1/2 cup, plus sprinkled a little more sugar on the tops. Sweet enough without being too sweet. Texture is lovely, too! The only thing to note is that the muffins have a lot of oil, and some oil can bleed through the muffin cups a little bit, making the cups kind of damp once the muffins are baked. Not a big deal though.
Oh thank you so much for the great feedback, Giannina – I appreciate it so much! As for the muffin cups, others have noted that before too and I’ve experienced it occasionally myself. What I’ve found fixes it is to use either foil muffins cups, or non-stick cups. Sometimes they are labelled ‘professional’ or ‘grease-proof’. If you’re not sure, you can also use double cups – this helps too! But thank you again – I love that you’ve made them so many times – such an encouragement for me! 🙂
Hey! Me again! Today I used chopped fresh peaches. Next time I will add a little sugar to the peaches to bring out more flavor. I forgot to add vanilla or almond flavoring like you suggested. I sprinkled brown sugar on top but next time I will mix cinnamon with it.
I can’t wait to try other fruits.
This is so wonderful to hear, Sherry! I love that you’re enjoying experimenting. A little bit of lemon zest can help to bring out more ‘peachy’ flavor, too, or you could lay thin slices over the top before baking so the peach is the first thing you taste. Thank you so much for letting me know how you’re getting on – it’s lovely to hear about!
I made these muffins and they are sooo delicious! Usually i’m weary about “healthy dessert recipes” because they don’t usually come out tasting the best, but this changed my mind! I made these with a monkfruit allulose blend to make it sugar free and they came out fantastic. I also used melted coconut oil and i loved it. They somehow still tasted buttery although not using any butter! The texture and flavor was on point— kind of reminding me of a blueberry pancake! I’m making more tomorrow but with strawberries (: Thank you for this recipe! I got so many compliments from family with this one.
Hi Mia! This makes me so happy to read. It’s always the best feeling when the compliments roll in, and I’m so glad you got that with this recipe. I hope it becomes a family favorite 🙂
awesome. I’ve made them before but my 11year old grandson wanted some& i couldn’t find the recipe
So happy to hear this, Cheryl. It’s also the biggest compliment when someone makes a recipe more than once. Thank you!
Made these for first time, and will be making them again! Love that they’re light, and not so sweet. Sprinkled sparingly with brown sugar as directed and came out perfect for me.
I halved the recipe, and made 6 cupcake-sized muffins and six tiny one-bite muffins with the rest of the mix. I used my toaster oven and the large ones cooked in about 13 minutes, tiny ones in about 9 minutes. So happy to find your recipe!
This makes me smile, Linda! It’s the biggest compliment that you’ll make them again. It’s also helpful to hear exactly how they turned out for you. Thank you so much!
These are so apetising i love the texture of the greak yogurt and we even added some blackberries in them to make the dessert even better! Thank you so much for this recipe have a great day! 😊
You’re so welcome, Jozefina. I bet they were delicious with blackberries! Thank you so much for the feedback!
Thank-you for inserting the ingredient amounts into the instructions !!!! What a great idea. It has always frustrated me, with scrolling back and forth, back and forth.
Me too, Ross! I love that feature! Thank you so much for letting me know – it means a lot!
Amazingly light and fluffy. I used frozen raspberries. Everyone loved them and they were so easy. Definitely recommend this recipe.
It’s so good to hear this, Cheryl! I love them with raspberries, too. Thank you so much for taking the time out of your day to share your thoughts! 🙂
I made these this morning and they are DELICIOUS! Especially for being a low sugar recipe. I will definitely make them again but I’m wondering how to get the top to brown like the bottom? The top of the muffins came out white.
Hi Cara! I’m very happy to hear that you found the muffins so tasty! As for the tops… you’re right that they should be nice and golden, and they usually are when I make them. However, I have heard a few similar comments from certain readers over the years. Question: Do you have a conventional oven or a fan (convection) oven? Note that if you have a conventional oven you’ll need a higher temperature (it’s stated in the recipe but just thought I’d check that first…). Otherwise, try placing them higher in the oven, using all-purpose flour (and not cake flour), and also making sure your batter isn’t too wet. The batter should be relatively thick (not dry, but also not runny). If you do think it seems a bit ‘runny’ then simply stir in a bit more flour. Lastly, you can try a sprinkle of sugar on top to help with browning! If you do have more success next time, then I’d love to hear about it if you get a moment! 🙂
I made these this morning! Success! When I make them again- and I will make them again— I will add more sweetener. I used Swerve granulated. Awesome recipe! Husband approved!
So happy you enjoyed them so much, Theresea! It’s all about making the recipe your own, so great idea to tweak the level of sweetness next time. Thank you so much for the feedback!
Getting ready to make these now and wondering if you have tried replacing the oil with applesauce and if it worked well?
Hi Terra! I really hope I’m replying in time! Over the years readers have successfully made all kinds of substitutions and most of them have worked well. A few have definitely replaced some of the oil with applesauce. I would be conservative the first time and replace 20 to 50%, then if it works see how you go next time! I hope you like them, and I’d love to hear how you get on! 🙂
Just made these and they’re so yummy! I sub’d 1/3 of the oil with applesauce and it worked out great! It helps with lowering the cals and fat but doesn’t take away any flavor! Thank you!
So happy to hear this, Rebecca, and that’s a great idea to sub some of the oil with applesauce – it works well. Thank you too!
Beautiful appearance and sooooo tasty!! These blueberry muffins were a hit!!! Magically, they disappeared! Yummy!!
SO happy to hear this, Kat! Hopefully they’ll become a household favorite. Thank you so much for letting me know – it means so much! 🙂
I subbed coconut oil and the muffins were light and moist. They were such a great hit that I’m making them again!
That’s the best encouragement to hear, Debora – thank you so much for letting me know! And it’s helpful to know that your coconut oil version came out just as light and fluffy as the olive oil version! 🙂
This recipe’s popular at work today & thrilled baking actually turned out for me – thank you!
This is the nicest thing to hear, Alison – that these muffins made you popular! Thank you so much for trying the recipe and for letting me know how you got on! 🙂
Helen, I never write reviews and I haven’t even made these muffins yet, but your instructions are phenomenal! Thank you for writing such a well written recipe… Can’t wait to try them!
Thank you, Joey. I appreciate you telling me this, and I so hope you enjoy them!
These were great! I used fat free Fage greek yogurt, reduced oil to 1/3 cup, and added 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Nice flavor, very soft texture. This made 20 muffins and according to my WeightWatchers recipe calculator, 4 points per muffin.
Hi Sara, I’m so pleased to hear this! Another readers was asking just yesterday if she could sub in applesauce so the feedback is really helpful. I’m also very happy that they fitted in nicely to your dietary needs. Thank you so much for letting me know how you got on!
This is my go-to recipe for blueberry muffins. They rise perfectly, are moist, with just the right touch of sugar. I have been making blueberry muffins for over 45 years using Maine blueberries . Simply the best!
Hello Arlene! I take this as a huge compliment since you are such an accomplished blueberry muffin baker! Thank you so much for trusting me enough to try the recipe, and for the great feedback. I appreciate it so much!
Great and reliable recipe for not so sweet muffins!
I used Skyr yogurt instead of Greek as it had double the amount of protein. Skyr is thicker than Greek so I thinned it down with double volume of milk. The muffins turned out great and with more protein packed into one!
So happy to hear this! I’ll have to look out for that yogurt and try it myself. I certainly love the idea of packing in more protein. Thanks so much for letting me know!
Delicious. I will definitely make these again.
There’s so many blueberry muffin recipes and I have tried several. I looked up muffins using Greek yogurt and I’m very happy I chose this. A big plus for me was you had the measurements in the steps! I didn’t have to keep scrolling up and down on my phone.
Thank you
Thank you so much for choosing this recipe, Sherry, and I’m so happy to hear that it didn’t disappoint. It’s also helpful to hear that you like the ingredients listed with the steps. It actually annoys me now when a recipe doesn’t have that! I really hope this becomes a go-to! It also works with other fruit so feel free to experiment according to what’s in season 🙂
Have you tried fresh chopped peaches? I will let you know how delicious they are after I make them. Seriously, plain whole milk Greek yogurt is the key to this recipe! I sprinkled brown sugar on top.
Thank you so much for your enthusiasm for the recipe, Sherry! I definitely share it! Over the years I’ve tried so many different combinations of fruits, chocolate etc.! I have actually tried fresh peaches and found them delicious. A bit of vanilla or almond extract would pair well with that fruit, I think. I usually use low fat Greek yogurt, but only the authentic kind with just milk and yogurt cultures. Thank you so much for sharing how you like to make the recipe – I appreciate it so much! 🙂
Made this with vanilla Greek yogurt that I needed to use up and saskatoons. Delicious
Hello Sandy! Thank you so much for letting me know. I had to look up what saskatoons are – that’s wonderful that you made them with what you had! I’m so happy that you liked them and hope you’ll make them again 🙂
I’m out of fresh berries. Will recipe work with frozen?
thanks. Di
Yes, absolutely! Just fold them in gently and they’ll work just as well as fresh. I’ve done that many times! 🙂
Wow! Just made these! Great way to use leftover Greek yogurt. They taste amazing! And they look so appetizing. Browned up perfectly with convection oven. Love this recipe
Oh, thank you so much for letting me know, Carol! The domes do brown perfectly with that little boost from the convection! I’m so happy to have provided a tasty way for you to use up those leftovers. 🙂