Blueberry muffins with oats & almond

This recipe came about when I urgently needed to make a healthy muffin recipe for my client. I knew my blueberry & apricot muffins were a total winner, but I needed to make it simpler and healthier. The client really liked peanut butter too, so that worked out amazingly well with the blueberries. I have been adding it to my blueberry smoothie so it made sense. The oats give it some texture whilst the muffins remain light and fluffy.

For this final recipe, I decided to use almond butter instead of peanut butter for two reasons. It’s my latest obsession with my healthy eating plan (I buy the sugar-free one), and almonds are the healthiest food on the planet according to this report, so I eat them every day. The finely grated zest of an orange elevates things flavour-wise along with a splash of vanilla extract, but this is optional.

The popularity of using nut butter and tahini to replace the fat component in baked recipes is huge right now, and I want to play around with this more. I substituted 45 grams of the butter and replaced it with almond butter (or peanut butter). I took out 25% of the sugar because we don’t need that much and I didn’t notice its absence. If you prefer a sweeter muffin leave it at one cup.

I find the blueberries sink to the bottom of the muffin, so I lightly toss them in about a tablespoon of flour before and I think it makes a small difference. I also reserve about 1/3 of a cup of the total amount and press them into the muffins once I have scooped them into the liners. These tend to stay near the top as they bake.

My other top tip is to use homemade paper liners with non-stick baking paper. Of course, already-made fluted paper liners are so much easier, but the muffins (especially fruity ones) tend to stick to this liner and I don’t want to waste any crumbs. So I cut squares of baking paper and push them into the tin which also looks so much more pretty and rustic. You could of course use a non-stick baking spray.

Finally don’t think to skimp on the nutty topping, it makes such a difference to the overall texture. I have kept it quite plain with just nuts and oats, but you could add a tablespoon of brown sugar if you want to be decadent. Add a lot or less it’s up to you.

Blueberry Muffin with Oats & Almond Storage Instructions:

1. Room Temperature:
   • Allow muffins to cool completely before storing.
   • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2–3 days.
2. For Longer Freshness:
   • If you want to keep them fresh for a longer time, place them in a resealable plastic bag or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, then store them in the fridge for up to a week.
3. Freezing Muffins:
   • To freeze, wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap, then place them in a ziplock bag or airtight container.
   • Muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply leave them at room temperature for 30 minutes or microwave for 20–30 seconds.
4. Reheating:
   • For a warm, freshly baked taste, reheat muffins in the microwave for 15–20 seconds or in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes.
5. Avoid Stale Muffins:
   • Don’t store muffins in the fridge if you plan to eat them within a day or two as it can dry them out. Stick to room temperature or freezing for longer storage.

Try my healthy blueberry & banana protein smoothie for a high-protein drinkable breakfast.

Baked oats with banana, raisins, and pecans.

A few other muffin recipes you might like:

Orange & pecan muffins (one of my all-time favourite muffin recipes)

The best morning glory muffins

The best easy plum muffins

Apricot & blueberry muffins

Blueberry muffins with oats and almonds

Apple & cinnamon muffins

Recipe – Blueberry muffins with oats and peanut butter

Blueberry muffins with oats & almond

Healthy blueberry muffins with oats and almond recipe.

Print Recipe

Prep Time:15 minutes mins

Cook Time:25 minutes mins

Ingredients

Muffins:

• 80 gms butter
• 45 gms almond/peanut butter or use a total of 125gms butter
• ¾ cup sugar if you want them sweeter use 1 cup
• 2 free-range eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• finely grated zest of an orange optional
• 1 ¼ cup flour sifted
• ½ cup oats
• 2 tsp baking powder
• ½ cup milk
• 1 ½ cups blueberries

Nutty topping:

• 30 – 40 grams walnuts or almonds finely chopped
• 1 1/2 Tbsp oats
• 1 Tbsp brown sugar or white sugar

Instructions

• Preheat your oven to 180C / 350F and line a 12-muffin baking pan with paper liners or two squares of non-stick baking paper overlapping to cover the hole.
• Using an electric mixer beat the butter, almond butter, and sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time ensuring that they are well mixed before adding the next one. Add the orange zest and vanilla extract. Beat further until fluffy.
• In a separate bowl, sift the flour with the baking powder.
• Add half the milk to the butter/sugar mix, along with half the flour and half the oats, and briefly fold by hand until combined. Add the remaining milk and flour/oats and mix ensuring you do not over mix.
• By hand fold the fruit gently so as not to break the blueberries reserving about 1/3 of a cup to place on the top. Using an ice cream scoop to ensure uniform quantities, scoop out a dollop into each muffin case. Press about 3 – 4 blueberries into the top of the muffins.
• Sprinkle the nutty topping over the tops of the muffins and bake for 25 – 30 minutes until the muffins are well-risen, golden brown, and springy to the touch.

Notes

Muffin Storage Instructions:

1. Room Temperature:
   • Allow muffins to cool completely before storing.
   • Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2–3 days.
2. For Longer Freshness:
   • If you want to keep them fresh for a longer time, place them in a resealable plastic bag or wrap them tightly in plastic wrap, then store them in the fridge for up to a week.
3. Freezing Muffins:
   • To freeze, wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap, then place them in a ziplock bag or airtight container.
   • Muffins can be frozen for up to 3 months. To thaw, simply leave them at room temperature for 30 minutes or microwave for 20–30 seconds.
4. Reheating:
   • For a warm, freshly-baked taste, reheat muffins in the microwave for 15–20 seconds or in the oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 10 minutes.
5. Avoid Stale Muffins:
   • Don’t store muffins in the fridge if you plan to eat them within a day or two as it can dry them out. Stick to room temperature or freezing for longer storage.

Author: Sam Linsell

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