How to Make Healthy Blueberry Muffins

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Do you have a weak spot for blueberry muffins? I have loved them for as long as I can remember but I don't indulge in them very often. Blueberries are healthy but the blueberry muffins found in today's bakery cases are not! They are huge calorie and sugar bombs that my body really does not appreciate. Sure, they taste good, but within an hour or two I am left shaky and ravenous - a feeling I try to avoid.
Muffins

Did you know that muffins sold today in coffee shops, grocery stores, and vending machines are more than twice as big as those sold back in the 1950s, and are more than three times the size of one standard portion?
Blueberry Muffins - The Nutritional Realities
A little online research revealed that the blueberry muffins sold at Starbucks pack 450 calories, 22 grams of fat, and 31 grams of sugar, while those at Dunkin Donuts are even worse! That is more than twice the calories of a glazed donut and more than the typical chocolate croissant.
That is where healthy blueberry muffins come in. You can boost the nutrition of your blueberry muffins in lots of different ways. Here are a few of my favorites.
How to Make Healthy Blueberry Muffins
  • Use wholewheat flour instead of white
  • Decrease the amount of sugar you use. I often cut the sugar called for in muffins by 25 to 50%
  • Decrease the amount of fat you use. Usually 1/4 cup of butter or oil per batch is all you need.
  • Add more blueberries
  • Look for recipes that include ground flax, another great source of omega-3 fats
  • Bake them in standard muffin tins for a realistic portion size
Here is a healthy blueberry muffin recipe for you to try. It uses whole wheat flour and a modest amount of sugar and butter so they still taste great but have about half the calories of the typical coffee shop muffin.
Healthy Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins
makes 12 muffins
4 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
2 cups white wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 1/2 to 2 cups (about 1 pint) blueberries, either fresh or frozen
1 tablespoon sugar mixed with 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon for sprinkling on top (optional)
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Grease 12 muffin cups with nonstick vegetable spray.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar with an electric mixer until they are light and creamy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the butter/sugar/egg mixture, and beat just until blended. Stir in the milk and vanilla, mixing just until smooth. Quickly stir in the berries.
Fill the muffin cups 3/4 to almost full, using all of the batter. An ice-cream scoop works well for this. Sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture, if desired.
Bake the muffins for 25 to 30 minutes, until they are light golden brown. Remove the pan from the oven and place it on a rack to cool for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, run a knife around the edge of one muffin, and try to lift it out of the pan. If the muffin lifts out of the pan without crumbling, remove all of the muffins and allow them to cool completely on a wire rack. If the muffin sticks or the top peels off, allow them to cool an additional 10 minutes, then try again. (Even if they crumble, they will still taste great!)



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