Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins with Olive Oil

You just need 25 minutes to make these Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins with Olive Oil! They’re tender and delicious, and you can use all-purpose flour, if you prefer. Enjoy these healthy blueberry muffins for breakfast, brunch or a snack!

If you’re looking for a recipe for healthier blueberry muffins, you’ve come to the right place! These whole grain blueberry muffins with olive oil are a great alternative to the sugar-laden muffins you get at the grocery store or coffee shop. 

In fact, these are made without refined sugar. They contain natural sugar from pure maple syrup (or honey). They're just sweet enough, with 14 grams of sugar ― less than half the amount found in many blueberry muffin recipes.

And, these whole wheat muffins are loaded with blueberries, which besides being among my favorite fruits, are high in antioxidants. I love them in these Lemon-Blueberry Pancakes, Blueberry Pie with Sugar Cookie Crust and this amazing Blueberry Salsa.

Clocking in at just 158 calories, these low-calorie blueberry muffins are the perfect guilt-free snack!

Let's get to the details so you can get to baking!

Recipe ingredients

This recipe is very flexible when it comes to ingredients.

Flour: For the healthiest version, use whole wheat flour, which is more nutritious than all-purpose flour and has lots of fiber. I recommend white whole wheat flour, as opposed to red whole wheat flour. The white whole wheat (affiliate link) has a more mild flavor than the red.

I like to store the whole wheat flour in the freezer to keep it fresh.

If you don't want to go all in with whole wheat, you could use a 50-50 combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour.

And, I have to tell you, these olive oil blueberry muffins taste fabulous using only all-purpose flour. Mom loves them!

Olive oil: I love baking with olive oil, because it provides great flavor and texture. Be sure to use regular olive oil instead of extra virgin though.

Regular olive oil has a neutral flavor that works beautifully in baked goods. It's one of the secrets to The Best Jewish Apple Cake.

It's also a healthy alternative to butter.

If you need a substitute, go with canola oil or melted coconut oil.

Blueberries: Feel free to use fresh or frozen. The muffins taste best with ripe, sweet blueberries, so if they're not in season yet, frozen is the way to go.

After you’ve made the recipe, if you find the blueberries are too tart, you can serve these muffins with a little honey or sprinkle on powdered sugar.

Buttermilk: True confession: I never keep buttermilk in the house. It's easy to make a buttermilk substitute for this recipe by using half a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice added to half a cup of milk.

Sweetener: Use honey or pure maple syrup. Either one is delicious here. I haven't tested this recipe with brown sugar.

Vanilla: I love the taste of vanilla in these blueberry muffins, but occasionally substitute lemon extract, for a change.

How to make blueberry muffins with olive oil

See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for full instructions, but here's an overview.

1. In a medium bowl, stir the wet ingredients to combine.
2. Add the dry ingredients and gently stir with a spoon, just until mixed. It shouldn't be completely smooth, or you'll have tough muffins.
3. Pat the rinsed blueberries dry and add them to the batter.
4. Gently stir in the blueberries. The batter will be thick.
5. Use a kitchen scoop (affiliate link) or two spoons to fill the muffin cups about ⅔ full. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Recipe tips

• Grease the muffin tin with cooking spray, instead of using liners. This allows the muffins to rise higher. Everyone loves a good muffin top!
• Let the blueberry muffins rest in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack. This allows them to cool a bit and makes it easier to remove the muffins without breaking them.
• To easily remove the muffins from the tin, insert a butter knife around the edges of the muffins and gently pry them out with the knife. 

How to serve them

These blueberry muffins with olive oil taste best when cooled completely. Don't be alarmed if they seem bland while still warm!

Serve them plain or with butter, honey, or jam ― delish! 

They’re also a great addition to your breakfast or brunch menu. Try them with Baked Arugula Frittata or this Sausage and Peppers Breakfast Casserole.

You can even round out a healthy lunch by serving these alongside Apple Mozzarella Pecan Salad with Maple Vinaigrette.

Frequently asked questions

This is such an easy and adaptable whole wheat blueberry muffin recipe. It's not only good, it's good for you!

What's not to love?!

More quick breads to try

• Brown Butter Banana Bread with White Chocolate Chips
• 5-Ingredient Beer Bread
• Lemon Zucchini Bread with Walnuts
• Peachy Pumpkin Scones

Enjoy!

Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins with Olive Oil

You just need 25 minutes to make these Whole Wheat Blueberry Muffins with Olive Oil! They’re so tender and delicious, and you can use all-purpose flour, if you prefer.

4.89 from 9 votes

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Course: Bread, Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Servings: 12

Calories: 158kcal

Author: Mamma C

Ingredients

• ▢ ½ cup low-fat buttermilk (or ½ cup low-fat milk plus ½ tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice)
• ▢ 1 egg
• ▢ ½ cup honey or pure maple syrup
• ▢ ¼ cup olive oil (not extra virgin) (or canola oil, or melt 4 tablespoons of coconut oil)
• ▢ 1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or lemon extract)
• ▢ 1 ½ cups white whole wheat flour (or all-purpose flour, or a 50-50 combination)
• ▢ 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ▢ 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ▢ ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ▢ 2 cups blueberries (fresh or frozen)

US Customary - Metric

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Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. If you don't have buttermilk, make your own by mixing in half a tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to ½ cup of low-fat milk and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Grease your muffin tin with cooking spray.
• If using fresh blueberries, rinse them and remove any stems. Let them drain and pat them dry. See notes if using frozen blueberries.
• In a medium bowl, add your wet ingredients (buttermilk, egg, honey/maple syrup, oil, extract). Stir gently to mix. Add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Gently stir with a spoon, just until mixed. It shouldn't be completely smooth, or you will have tough muffins. Gently stir in the blueberries.
• Using a scoop or spoon, fill the muffin cups about ⅔ full, until you have used all of the batter. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of a muffin. (Check after 15 minutes so as not to overbake them.)
• Let the muffins rest for 10 minutes in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to finish cooling. The easiest way to remove them from the tin is to run a butter knife around the edges of each muffin and use the knife to gently pry each muffin out. Store leftover muffins in a plastic container at room temperature for three days, or freeze extra muffins the day they are made.

Notes

• If using frozen blueberries, don't thaw them. Toss them with a little flour (to prevent sticking and sinking) before stirring them into the batter.
• Grease the muffin tin with cooking spray, instead of using liners. This allows the muffins to rise higher.

Flour

For the healthiest version, use whole wheat flour, which is more nutritious than all-purpose flour and has lots of fiber. I recommend white whole wheat flour, as opposed to red whole wheat flour. The white whole wheat has a more mild flavor than the red.

If you don't want to go all in with whole wheat flour, you could use a 50-50 combination of whole wheat and all-purpose flour.

If you want to skip the whole wheat flour, these blueberry muffins are fantastic using all-purpose flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 158kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 133mg | Potassium: 131mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 15g | Vitamin A: 38IU | Vitamin C: 3mg | Calcium: 55mg | Iron: 1mg

Tried this Recipe? Mention @cookingwithmammac or tag #CookingWithMammaC!

(Recipe Source: Cooking with Mamma C. Originally published on June 25, 2015 and updated now with new photos and additional information.)