Good-For-You Blueberry Muffins

good for you blueberry muffin recipe ellie krieger

Yields 12 muffins.

by Ellie Krieger
from Fine Cooking
Issue 103
Last Edit Date: 4/1/2010 8:52:35 AM

Applesauce keeps these muffins tender and moist, allowing me to reduce the overall fat and sugar in the recipe. And using half whole-wheat flour and half white flour adds antioxidants, fiber, and essential minerals, while maintaining the tender lightness produced by white flour. These muffins are at their tastiest while still warm from the oven.

Read the post Dream Muffins for more of Ellie's tips on making your favorite bakery-style treats both healthful and delicious.

more about:

Nonstick cooking spray
4-1/2 oz. (1 cup) unbleached all-purpose flour
4 oz. (1 cup) whole-wheat flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. table salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
2 large eggs
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup natural unsweetened applesauce
1-1/2 tsp. finely grated lemon zest
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup low-fat buttermilk
1-1/2 cups fresh blueberries

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 400°F. Coat a 12-cup standard muffin pan with cooking spray.

In a medium bowl, whisk both flours, the baking powder, salt, and baking soda.

In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, and oil until the mixture is pale and slightly frothy. Whisk in the applesauce, lemon zest, and vanilla. With the whisk, stir in about half the flour mixture, then half the buttermilk. Repeat with the remaining flour and then the remaining buttermilk, stirring until well incorporated. Gently fold in the blueberries.

Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them to the top. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air bubbles. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of one of the muffins comes out clean, 20 to 30 minutes.

Let cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the muffins to loosen them and then unmold. Serve warm or let cool completely and store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days, or wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months.

Serving Suggestions

Pair the muffins with Spinach-Mushroom Frittata and Cherry, Kiwi & Mango Salad for a healthy weekend brunch.

nutrition information (per serving):
Calories (kcal): 200; Fat (g): 6; Fat Calories (kcal): 50; Saturated Fat (g): 0.5; Protein (g): 4; Monounsaturated Fat (g): 3.5; Carbohydrates (g): 33; Polyunsaturated Fat (g): 1.5; Sodium (mg): 220; Cholesterol (mg): 35; Fiber (g): 2;

Photo: Scott Phillips

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by lemon4, 4/3/2012This is my favorite blueberry muffin recipe - they are full of such healthy ingredients and are lower in fat and calories. I will try to adapt this recipe to other fruits and add-ins.

by SVcook, 6/25/2011I made these for a brunch this morning and was asked for the recipe; everyone was very surprised they were "good for you" muffins because they taste simply delicious.

by Portia2738, 1/4/20101 cup of butter is 8 oz, but butter has a higher density than flour so one cup of flour will weigh less than one cup of butter. Great muffins

by sk88, 6/26/2010For lowfat muffins, these are delicious.

by swimom, 6/15/2010Wow this was so good. It is worth the try.

by oksi, 6/10/2010the recipe is calling for 4 1/2 oz(1cup) flour. i thought that 1 cup is 8 oz..... is it a mistake? thanks a lot

by G.K., 4/6/2010My muffins came out great and very tasty. I used frozen red currants instead of blueberries and the muffins came out moist and delicious. My 9 year old daughter loved them. I keep making them all the time. Thanks Ellie for a helthy recipe !

by michelle_h, 3/31/2010Excellent! Both the regular sized muffins and the mini muffins turned out great - I prefer the mini size. This is the perfect blueberry muffin recipe & I love that it is healthier than most!

by Pielove, 3/20/2010Delicious! I agree that these could easily pass for unhealthy muffins. The applesauce I had was very spiced and sweetened, so I cut the sugar to 1/3c and omitted the lemon zest. I can't wait to try these with other fruit-- I'm thinking dried apricots with some ginger in the mix.

by TheMomChef, 2/27/2010Outstanding flavor and texture. You'd never guess they're healthy. Read my entire review at: http://themomchef.blogspot.com/2010/02/good-for-you-blueberry-muffins-from.html

by cphilip, 1/24/2010These were delicious! Very moist and flavourful and had a nice crunchy top which is my favourite part of a muffin. They have a slight nutty flavour from the whole wheat flour but it's not overpowering. Probably even better with buttermilk -- I used milk with a squeeze of lemon juice.

by Lovestocook, 1/11/2010Loved these muffins... Moist, tender crumb, pop of blueberry tartness. I think these may be the best muffins I've had, healthy or no. Just as good the next day.

by jag72, 1/10/2010These were blah. I followed the recipe to the letter, but they just had no flavor, other than the occasional blueberry. The kids just thought they were okay. I'll keep looking.

by CastleRocker, 1/6/2010Excellent recipe. I live at high altitude (6,300 ft.) and made no adjustments. The muffins are tender and delicious, even when reheated. Next time I'll use a little less lemon zest.