Healthy Blueberry Muffins Recipe

My family loves muffins, and these healthy blueberry muffins are a favorite. We like to bake them together on weekends and then enjoy them for breakfast throughout the week.

Since this gluten-free muffin recipe is healthy, I love to cook it with my kids. They see us using wholesome ingredients and get to enjoy something good for them that they helped to make.

Ingredients for Healthy Gluten-free Muffins

• 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour + 1 tablespoon (divided)
• ¾ cup rolled oats
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup whole milk or milk substitute of your choice
• ¼ cup unsalted butter or coconut oil (melted and at room temperature)
• 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
• ⅓ cup pure maple syrup or honey
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 pint fresh blueberries

How to Get Blueberries in Every Bite

You’ll notice in the ingredients that there is an additional tablespoon of flour. Before adding the blueberries to your batter, you will toss them in this flour to coat them.

Coating the blueberries in flour will absorb some of their liquid as they bake. This ensures that they will evenly disperse in the muffin batter rather than sinking to the bottom of each muffin. So you get juicy, fresh blueberries in every bite and not a gooey, blueberry-flavored muffin bottom.

Instructions

Here are all the steps to make this delicious gluten-free muffin recipe.

Before the steps below, start by preheating your oven to 400°F (204°C) and spraying a muffin tin well with cooking spray. 

Step 1 – Coat the Blueberries

Combine the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour and stir to coat. Set aside. 

Step 2 – Mix the Dry Ingredients

In a large bowl, combine the 1 ½ cups gluten-free flour, rolled oats, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt. Whisk to mix and set aside.

Step 3 – Whisk the Wet Ingredients

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, melted butter or coconut oil, applesauce, maple syrup or honey, and the vanilla extract.

I like to use applesauce in my healthy muffins because it means the recipe requires less oil. Unsweetened applesauce is a great healthy alternative to oil when baking.

Step 4 – Make the Blueberry Muffin Batter

In the large bowl with your dry ingredients, create a well in the center of the dry ingredients. Add your cooled butter or oil. Next, pour in your wet ingredients. Stir using a wooden spoon just until combined.

Gently fold in your blueberries. Only mix in the blueberries coated in flour; do not add any of the excess flour. Do not overmix the batter—overmixing results in heavy, dense muffins.

The batter should be wet, but not liquidy or doughy. The consistency will be between cookie dough and cupcake batter. If it’s too wet, add a tablespoon more flour. If it’s too dry, add a splash of milk.

Step 5 – Fill the Muffin Tin and Bake

Divide the batter evenly into a 12-muffin baking tin. Bake at 400 (204°C)  for 15-17 minutes. Check them at 15 minutes by sliding a toothpick into the center. If it comes out clean, the muffins are done. If some batter is stuck to the toothpick, bake for another 1-2 minutes and check them again. 

Step 6 – Cool and Enjoy!

And voila–you now have healthy gluten-free muffins! Hopefully in less than half an hour.

Let the muffins cool in the tin for about 5 minutes and then cool them completely on a wire rack. 

Store them in an airtight container or zip-top bag for 3 to 4 days on the counter. Or you can keep them for up to a week in the refrigerator.

Cookware Used

These are some helpful tools when making these healthy blueberry muffins.

Mixing Bowl Set: This recipe uses several bowls in different sizes. Having a set with multiple sizes comes in very handy when baking because you often need to mix wet and dry ingredients separately.

Wooden Spoon: Nothing beats a wooden spoon when it comes to folding in delicate ingredients. I like using a medium-sized wooden spoon to avoid popping the blueberries in this recipe.

Muffin Tin: A non-stick muffin tin is great for making healthy muffins. Less oil is required and they still pop out easily. If you are worried about removing your muffins after baking, you can also use muffin liners.

Wire Cooling Rack: A wire cooling rack allows air to circulate and cool things quickly and evenly. The quicker they cool, the sooner you can eat them!

Substituting Frozen Blueberries 

I use fresh blueberries for this gluten free muffin recipe, but you can absolutely make a delicious blueberry muffin with frozen berries. 

If you are using frozen berries, reduce the milk from ½ cup to ¼ cup. Do not thaw the berries and add them into the batter in step 5 above just as you would fresh blueberries. You will want to coat them with flour as you would fresh blueberries.

Reducing the milk and adding them in while frozen helps keep the moisture content down so you don’t end up with soggy muffins.

How to Freeze Healthy Blueberry Muffins

If you would like to make these healthy blueberry muffins ahead and freeze them, you can! Just follow all of the steps above and store the muffins in a zip-top freezer bag. Lay them flat in your freezer for up to 3 months. 

When you’re ready to eat them, just thaw them overnight in the refrigerator and then bring them to room temperature before serving. Once thawed in the fridge, you can microwave them to speed up the process, but do it in short increments. 

Gluten Free Muffin Recipe Variations

This is an excellent gluten free muffin recipe that you can make your own. Try it with other berries or with delicious toppings.

Gluten Free Muffin Recipe with Raspberries

You can make the healthy muffin recipe above using raspberries instead of blueberries. Follow the same directions. You could also add a tablespoon of lemon zest at the same time you add your berries for a delicious lemon raspberry flavor.

Healthy Blueberry Muffins with a Streusel Topping

Make these healthy blueberry muffins even more delicious with a streusel topping. After dividing the batter into the muffin tin in step 6 above, just do the following.

Combine 3 tablespoons rolled oats, 1 tablespoon gluten-free flour, ¼ teaspoon cinnamon, and 1 tablespoon of butter that has been softened.

Use your hands to mix the ingredients and crumble the topping evenly over each muffin before baking.

Now, It’s Your Turn!

Fancy some gluten-free breakfast muffins? Then get baking!

I can’t wait for you to try this easy recipe for healthy blueberry muffins. I love the flavors of maple syrup and cinnamon with fresh blueberries. These are one of my kids’ favorite muffins.

Be sure to coat your blueberries to keep them from sinking and don’t overmix your batter. You’ll have delicious, fluffy, and healthy muffins to eat for the whole week!

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