Picked With Passion

Jumbo Blueberry Oat Muffins taste just as good as your favorite bakery muffin but are so much better for you! Made with oatmeal, whole wheat flour, and applesauce instead of the sugar – there are a healthier version made at home.

Blueberry muffins are a breakfast favorite but it is shocking when you realize just how many calories and how much fat is in your beloved muffin.  Most bakery muffins clock in at well over 500 calories and I have even seen some as high as 600-700 calories! Unfortunately I learned that the hard way a few weeks ago when I chowed down on a Whole Foods blueberry muffin. I knew it wasn’t the healthiest option but made the mistake of thinking it wouldn’t be terrible since I was at a healthier grocery store. Wrong. That one blueberry muffin from the bakery had over 450 calories and I was hungry less than an hour later.

Knowing that, I am now trying to make more muffins at home so that I can have control over the ingredients. This version, inspired by big, delicious bakery muffins, kicks up the healthy factor with the addition of rolled oats and replaces some of the sugar with unsweetened applesauce.  They have less than 300 calories and will keep you full longer since the rolled oats have more staying power than traditional white flour. We have been loving them for breakfast on the go this week. Usually I pair mine with some yogurt or a hard boiled egg for added protein.

If you want to kick up the healthy factor for these Blueberry Oat Muffins, you can consider adding flaxseed, chia seeds, maca powder, protein powder, or your favorite nuts and seeds. You can always swap out the blueberries for another berry or fruit and adding some lemon peel to the mix adds a delicious lemony flavor. 

Here are some tips to keep in mind when making these Jumbo Blueberry Oat Muffins:

• If you don’t have a jumbo muffin tin, you can make normal size muffins. Just lessen the baking time since they will cook faster than the larger muffins. 
• If you love bananas and blueberries together, replace the applesauce with mashed bananas. The bananas really come through in the flavor of the muffins and add moisture and sweetness to the muffins in the same way the applesauce does.
• To boost the nutrition in these muffins, consider adding a couple tablespoons of chia seeds or flax seeds to the mix. They both have a mild flavor but add protein and fiber.
• Soaking the oats in milk before baking these muffins will ensure a nice, moist muffin and also ensures that the oast don’t have a raw taste or texture after baking. 
• Make sure to use traditional rolled oats for the recipe and not instant oats. Instant oats have been processed to cook more quickly and will change the texture of the muffins.
• If you need to use frozen bluberries instead of fresh, make sure to remove them from the freezer right before adding them. Then toss with with a little bit of flour. This helps the berries to evenly distribute throughout the muffins. If you skip this step many of the blueberries will sink to the bottom since frozen berries are heavier than fresh. You also might need to increase the baking time slightly since the frozen berries will cool down the batter.

Looking for other healthy baking recipes?

Here are some products and tools I used when making these muffins.

• To make larger muffins, you will need a jumbo size muffin tin. Usually I prefer to use silicone trays for baking since it is almost completely nonstick but metal will work as well. When using metal muffin tins, make sure to coat them in cooking spray or use a cupcake liner.