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.
These are a new family favorite!!! So quick, easy and delicious. I subbed 2 small ripe bananas for the oil and cut the sugar down to 1/3c and they were perfect. I will be making these again and again!
So happy to hear this, Sarah! It’s also really helpful to hear again and again that subbing in banana for the oil works well. 🙂
Fabulous muffins! I swapped part of the oil for apple sauce because my dairy was full fat and used half whole wheat/half all purpose flour. My family prefer plain or chocolate chip muffins so I made half blueberry for me and half plain for them. They also loved them! This is a great base recipe that’s forgiving to substitutes. Thank you!
Thank you so much for the great feedback, Alicia. And good for you for making some especially for yourself 🙂
These were great and the kids loved then. I did zest a little lemon as I ran out of vanilla. I’m sure with vanilla it would have been 5 stars. Great texture and SO easy!
Thanks so much for the feedback, Maggie! Happy the kids loved them and hope it gets 5 stars next time with the vanilla! 😉
I was very hopeful to try this recipe out… but it lacked flavor for me.
No worries, Kristine. Could be that you prefer muffins with butter? If so you could try the recipe again, subbing some of the oil for melted butter. See if that makes a difference!
Delicious big fluffy beautiful muffins! I added a teaspoon of lemon zest because I like the blueberry lemon flavor. I also added a teaspoon of vanilla just because I like vanilla in my baked goods. I did sprinkle a little bit of sugar on the tops of the muffins before cooking. One of the best blueberry muffins I have ever had. Thanks for the recipe.
Ahh thank you so much for the lovely feedback, Shir! I love the idea of adding lemon zest – I think that goes perfectly. Have a great day!
Loved them!! Added a some lemon zest and lemon glaze using sugar free icing sugar!! Delicious!! Very fruity
So great to hear you liked them, Lisa, and I love that you added the lemony twist! 🙂
The muffins look fantastic! Could I substitute unsweetened apple sauce for the cooking oil? Just hoping to cut out any unnecessary calories. Thanks in advance! 🙂
Hello, Nami! Try replacing around half of the oil with applesauce and see how you go. Should work well and I hope you enjoy them!
Tried this recipe twice, I don’t actually know what is wrong with the muffins they just haven’t tasted right the both times I made them. Might try again with a better yoghurt.
Sorry to hear that, Flick. The yogurt shouldn’t make too much difference. Did you use traditional thick Greek yogurt? Can you pinpoint what it was about the taste that you didn’t care for?
I’ve used this recipe and these muffins are amazing!!!!! Only issue is my kids love them and their friends love them too.
Any suggestions on adapting the recipe for Lemon muffin, would you just add lemon juice and lemon zest?
Hello Mark! Thank you so much for the vote of approval from you and the family! Now you have got me thinking about a lemon version. I think it would work well. I haven’t tried it yet of course but I think I’d start by adding the zest of at least 2 lemons, then I’d either mix the juice with some icing/powdered sugar to drizzle over the top of the finished muffins, or swirl some lemon curd into the top of the unbaked muffins before putting them in the oven.
Both of these changes would increase the sugar in the muffins a little of course, but you could always further reduce the amount of sugar in the batter to compensate. You could also use lemon juice instead of milk to thin out the batter or replace a little of the Greek yogurt with lemon juice. It always seems to be pretty hard to mess these muffins up as long as you keep the flour/eggs/yogurt/oil in there, so give it a go!
I have made these many times and love them! We are preparing to welcome baby #2 soon, just wondering if these freeze and reheat well?
Hello Emily! So happy you like them so much and congrats on baby number 2 – so exciting! Yes, these freeze very well – I’ve frozen them many times in an airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. You can also reheat them if you like. I’d either let defrost then microwave for just 10 to 15 seconds until warm, or you can pop them into the oven for 7 to 10 minutes (around 325F/160C) 🙂
Thank you for the tips!
Made a double batch this morning- one with blueberries and one with cranberries and orange zest- just cooling off now and I will pop them in the freezer!
Love the sound of the cranberry and orange batch, Emily. I hope you enjoy them!
If you want to get really silly sub the milk fur baileys Irish creme
Hahaha. The world’s most expensive blueberry muffins. Well, perhaps treat yourself at christmas, Brent 😉
Hello;
can I use frozen blueberries?
Hello Kim. Yes, definitely! I’ve used frozen many times. I usually just gently fold them into the batter and the muffins come out great!
To avoid major purple streaks from frozen blueberries, I toss the measured berries into a bowl with a bit of flour and gently swish together and use a spoon to coat the frozen blueberries before adding to the batter. Don’t worry, the tiny bit of extra flour makes no difference as it will absorb into the batter quickly, and the berries’ moisture dissolves it. Amount of flour is whatever I think it needs to coat the blueberries (it may depend if the berries are the huge cultivated ones, or the tiny wild ones. You can sift off the extra flour then pop the berries into the batter. They will still streak purple if you wait too long and mix too much, but if they are well-frozen to begin with, once the flour sticks to the frosty berry, you gain a few more seconds before they start melting and streaking. Still make sure to work fast at the end to get the into the muffin cups with minimal streaks. Can’t wait to try these top rated treats for a higher protein snack!
Thank you so much, Jules – that is so helpful! You’re right that you have to work fast! I really hope the muffins live up to expectations. They are still our favorites after many many years!
Loved this recipe! It was quick and easy to make as I was rushing to make blueberry muffins before family members arrived on a spur of the moment brunch time visit! It was the perfect sweetness I was looking for while using less sugar as outlined in this recipe. The texture was not too light and not too heavy, just the right balance you are looking for in a home made muffin. I made 12 very large muffins and could easily have made 14 medium size muffins following the recipe. Note: I only had 1/4 cup of corn oil so I added homemade applesauce to « top up » the oil ingredient and it worked beautifully. My family loved these muffins and I have even passed your recipe on to family members.
S with the recipe and could have easily made 14
Hello Helen! Thank you so much for the lovely and detailed review. I love that you liked the recipe, and it’s interesting that you made it work so well with applesauce instead of oil.
these muffins took much longer to cook through and get a crunchy top- they also lacked flavor.
No worries, Donna, thanks for the feedback anyway 🙂
Hello, I had Chobani vanilla oat milk and that worked really well. It’s not sweet and the vanilla flavor is very subtle. Great recipe!
This is wonderful to hear, Mary – thank you so much for letting me know. I’ve never tried the recipe with oat yogurt so it’s super helpful to know it worked out well! 🙂
Hi Helen.
I’m aboit go make these very delicious looking muffins.
Is it ok to sub the sugar with honey? And would you do the same amount?
Thank you
Sandy
Hello Sandy! Yes, several readers have reported using honey successfully. I would go for around half the amount of sugar, so a quarter cup, and see how you go, since honey is sweeter than sugar. I’d love to know how you get on! 🙂
Hi Helen,
I’m so glad I found this recipe! Thank you so much. They were delicious! I’m not a big sweets gal so these to me are perfect. I’m a working mom on the go and would love to add oats to this to make this a more complete breakfast option. How would you go about doing that? Also, my diabetic dad lives with me and has a serious sweet tooth. With this lower sugar recipe, I no longer feel guilty making muffins, which are my absolutely favorite. So thank you as well for that! ❤️
Hello Nicole, I’m so happy that these were a hit with you and your dad and kids. You can even reduce the sugar a little more if you need to for Dad. As for the oats, I haven’t tried it but these muffins always seem to be incredibly versatile, so I’d give it a go! Try substituting 1/3 to 1/2 of the flour for either oat flour or just oats and see how you go. Actually, now you’re making me want to try that too!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. The muffins are cooling now; however I couldn’t help but try one snd WOW! I followed the recipe and thought that thr batter was a little more dense than my muffins I normally make so I added 1 ripe banana (mashed) and a tsp of lemon juice bc I love blueberry and lemons together. The batter yields 12 large muffins and six mini muffins.
This recipe is definitely a keeper!
Hello Rebecca! That sounds wonderful – I’m so glad they turned out well for you! The batter can be slightly more dense than expected. That’s fine, but if it’s at all dry you can just add a tiny bit more milk. Different yogurt brands sometimes result in a slightly different consistency, but I find the muffins are always good!
So impressed by this recipe. I made them with gluten free flour and you would have never known. The green yoghurt made them so light and fluffy, they were so delicious and didn’t last wrong. Making them again tonight 😂
Hello Nicole! This is so good to hear! I think it’s the yogurt that’s the ‘magic’ ingredient. I’m so happy they turned out well for you! 🙂
This came out delicious! I used white whole wheat flour, and next time I make these I want to try replacing a little of the flour for flax meal 🙂 Thank you for the delicious and healthy recipe.
Thank you so much for the feedback, Richelle. I’m so glad the recipe worked out well for you, and you can definitely add some flax next time. 🙂
I loved your blueberry muffins. To save a little money can I bake them in a microwave. If so approximately how long should I cook them for. Penny
Hello Penny! I’m so glad you liked them! Hmm, I’ve never tried microwaving muffins before, but after a quick check with Mr. Google it looks like it is indeed a thing! I love how these blueberry muffins are slightly crisp on top when first baked, so of course you would lose that if microwaving them. If you don’t mind that though you could give them a try. Try microwaving on medium-high (70%) power for 3 minutes, then letting lest for another few minutes. Then microwave on high power (100%) for another 2 to 3 minutes until risen and cooked in the middle. I’m afraid I can’t guarantee the results, but I’d LOVE to know how you get on if you try it! 🙂
Delicious!!! I used a sugar substitute, can’t tell the difference. I will continue to make them.
That’s wonderful to hear, Elizabeth – I’m so happy they turned out well even with the substitute. Just FYI I just published a banana version in case you’d like to give theose a try too. 🙂
Hi Helen, just a quick question. When you do your oven temperature is that a for a fan oven or is it for a non fan oven? Thanks Helen x
Hello Helen! I’ve always made mine in a fan oven at that temperature, but they do work in a regular oven as well at the same temperature, they just sometimes need a few minutes longer. As long as they are cooked in the middle you’re all good (this is a pretty forgiving recipe!).