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 190C/375F.
- 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.
Hi !
Great muffins… one quick question
is the calorie count for just one of the muffins or the whole batch?
Tasted Great
Thankyou!
Hi Eve! Just for one – it’s 272 calories (roughly) per muffin. Full nutrition info is below the recipe!
Thankyou so much!! Can’t believe I found such a great recipe… everyone loves them 💙
So wonderful to hear this, Eve – thank you so much for letting me know!
Another healthy winner Helen! I used Tamar Valley vanilla Greek yoghurt and also the stevia/raw sugar baking combo mix….YUM….👏👏👏
Hi Rana! The adaptations this recipe can handle seem to be endless! Good to know this works well with Tamar, too! I usually buy Chobani blue because it’s the only one without cream in it, but seems like the muffins can take a bit of extra creaminess. Thank you so much for the review! 🙂
I have just made a batch of these for a camping trip tomorrow and couldn’t resist trying one – they are the best blueberry muffins I have ever made, absolutely delicious.
Thank you for the recipe!!
Hi Rachel! Oooh, the baker always needs to test the goods before anyone else! Totally approve! Thank you so much for letting me know they’re the best blueberry muffins you’ve ever had. What a compliment!
Hi made these and they were so amazing they went in a day . Gone to make more but I have ran out of plain flour
Can I use self raising flour?
Hi Sarah! Sorry for the delayed reply! Did you try these again with sr flour? They will definitely turn out fine with sr flour. Just add 2 teaspoons of baking powder for every cup of plain flour and you should be fine 🙂
Hi Helen, I intend to try this recipe as well! Can I confirm if I still have to add any baking powder and soda if I am using self raising flour?
Hi Kate! So, each cup of self raising flour should contain 1.5 teaspoons of baking powder, so yes you’ll be fine using self raising flour instead of plain flour plus baking powder. I would still add the 0.5 teaspoons of baking soda though if you have it! It helps to counter the acidity in the yoghurt! Good luck! These are beautiful muffins that get really good feedback, so I hope you enjoy them as much as we do!
I used gluten free flour and half sugar and half stevia equivalent. Turned out great, though next time will add a pinch of salt.
So great to hear this, Robin. Thanks so much for letting me know!
There were so light!
I used all yogurt , omitted the milk
Used raspberries and blueberries and cut back the sugar further by 20grams and they were perfectly sweet
Thankyou for the recipe
Hello Zara! Thank you so much for bothering to leave a review. I always appreciate hearing how people have adapted this recipe and still ended up with perfect muffins! For some reason this recipe is almost indestructible!
Is it 272 calories in each muffin?
Hi Adriana! Yes, that’s right! You can even reduce the sugar content a bit more if you like. Enjoy!
Never made muffins before, but was looking for a relatively low fat treat. Substituted frozen blueberries for fresh, and found the recipe a breeze. Very happy with the results. Thanks.
Hi Mike! Thank you so much for leaving your review. I often use frozen berries and find it works really well too. So glad you liked the recipe!
Hello Helen!
Can I check with you, if i don’t use any sugar at all for this blueberry muffin, will it affect the texture? or rather, in order to make this edible, what is the lowest sugar level you would recommend? I am a beginner as i just got my first oven for 2 months… i know it will definitely affect the taste .. I’m currently 34 weeks pregnant and I’m craving for muffins ! but my gynaecologist asked me not to have too much sugar! sighs! another quick question, is it ok if i use only whole wheat flour pls? thanks!!
Hello Jo! Congratulations on your pregnancy! Not long to go now!!!
I’ve never made the muffins without any sugar at all, but these days I usually further reduce the sugar to about 1/3 cup (instead of 1/2). I’d say you could ‘safely’ reduce the sugar to about 1/4 cup and they’d still taste pretty good, especially if you tip in a few extra blueberries 😉
I don’t think the recipe depends on the sugar to work.
If you’re feeling really brave maybe you could skip the sugar altogether and squirt in a little date syrup instead?
Would love to know what you decide and how you got on! These muffins pretty much ‘never fail’ no matter what you change, very bizarrely, so I’d be interested to know what a no sugar version turns out like!
I have made these by replacing the sugar with same amount of date puree. Excellent.
Very interesting to hear this, Sandra! I really like baking with date syrup – just a bit hard to find where I live!
I’ve used your recipe twice now.
Today I did 2 batches, choc chip and raspberry. For the choc chip I used ‘Sweet and natural Greek style yoghurt’ (from Aldi) and didn’t add any sugar at all. For the raspberry ones I also used the sweet yoghurt, but added the sugar, as the raspberries usually are tart (frozen ones).
They are both fantastic, will definitely make them again.
Thank you so much for a fantastic recipe
Great ideas, Trina – thank you so much for letting me know! I’ll have to try that – I’m thinking all kinds of flavoured yogurts would work!
Very easy to make,they come out just as the one i buy …but the soda taste and smell is just to much? I wonder if that should be normal? Thanks anyway for the easy and yummy recipe,i will try them again with less soda 😉
Hi Florina… hmmmm. I’ve never noticed this, but you could certainly try putting in just a bit less baking powder next time and see if you like them better that way. I think you’d still get a good rise with say half a tablespoon! Good luck