These Healthy Muffin Recipes are perfect for enjoying as a wholesome breakfast, snack, or dessert. This list includes healthy muffins for kids and adults packed with nourishing ingredients like unrefined sweeteners, healthier flour alternatives (including gluten-free options), reduced fat/oil, and even hidden veggies! The result is homemade muffins that will satisfy your sweet tooth while nourishing your body!
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What are Healthy Muffin Recipes?
At their worst, muffins are just another sugar-filled snack filled with empty calories. but that’s what makes them taste great, right?! Wrong! Below is a list of healthy muffin recipes that are packed with flavor AND wholesome ingredients. So whether you’re looking for healthy breakfast muffins, healthy muffins for kids, or even gluten-free and flour-free options, this list contains something for everyone!
Here at food real, my mission has always been to make healthier versions of family favorites- snacks and desserts included. So, along with a long list of dessert bars (and balls), cookies and brownies, and cakes and pies, are delicious homemade muffins! However, unlike regular muffins, you can enjoy one (or even two) of these with no guilt!
With recipes that are packed with fiber, whole grains, natural sweeteners, and healthy fats, these make for great healthy breakfast muffins that won’t spike your blood sugars or have you craving more snacks before a healthy lunch or dinner! Best of all, most (if not all) of the homemade muffins below are meal-prep and freezer friendly. I recommend making a double batch, ready to enjoy chilled or reheated for breakfast, as a snack, or as dessert.
Top Tips For Baking Healthy Homemade Healthy Muffin Recipes
Don’t over-mix the batter: When making muffins with gluten, make sure not to over-mix the batter if you don’t want dense and chewy results. Instead, the wet and dry ingredients should be mixed until ‘just combined’ (don’t worry if there are some lumps, it’s normal).
Use the spoon and level method: when measuring the ingredients, it’s essential to measure properly, so you don’t end up with dense muffins. The best way to do this when using cup measurements is to spoon the ingredient into the cup and then use the back of a knife to level the top.
Omit ‘white’ flour: None of the below healthy muffin recipes contain white flour because it’s primarily ‘empty calories.’ Instead, whole wheat, spelled, gluten-free blends or even almond flour make for much more satisfying, healthy homemade muffins.
Check the leavening agents: This tip goes for any baking with leavening agents. There’s nothing worse than going to the effort of making a recipe and ending up with flat, dense bakes. To test baking powder, combine 1tsp with ¼ cup hot water and watch for immediate fizzing. To test baking soda, use vinegar instead of water.
Need egg-free muffins? Most muffins can be made egg free by using a flax egg or chia seed egg!
Make healthy ingredient swaps: The easiest way to adapt any recipe towards healthy homemade muffins is with more beneficial ingredients swaps; swapping sugar for unrefined sweeteners, oil for applesauce, and other ‘moist’ ingredients, white flour for whole grains, etc. Of course, it can take a little experimentation to get the texture and results just right, but luckily, I’ve done that work for you with this list of healthy muffin recipes.
Healthy Zucchini Healthy Muffin Recipes
Starting with a bang, these healthy zucchini muffins are wonderfully moist, refined sugar-free, loaded with zucchini for extra nutrients (but no taste!), and made with whole wheat or spelled flour. This means these homemade muffins replace the ‘empty calories’ from bleached flour and sugar in regular muffins for a healthy, wholesome snack or breakfast!
Healthy Blueberry Banana Muffins
Bursting with fresh berries and sweet bananas, these healthy blueberry banana muffins are a treat! Made with yogurt, maple syrup, and whole wheat flour you can enjoy this guilt-free. You may also love this healthy lemon blueberry bread!
Healthy Carrot Healthy Muffin Recipes
Who doesn’t love carrot cake? Well, these carrot muffins are wonderfully delicious, yet with a healthy twist; using applesauce, oatmeal (or bran), whole wheat flour, and honey to replace the ‘empty calories with healthy, wholesome ingredients. Plus, unlike my whole wheat or gluten-free carrot cake, these come perfectly portioned for a healthy treat!
Healthy Lemon Blueberry Healthy Muffin Recipes
Healthy lemon blueberry muffins are full of light taste and juicy berries! Made with wholesome ingredients like whole wheat flour, natural sweeteners, and yogurt, these muffins will disappear fast in your household! Got more berries?
Healthy Oatmeal Muffins
If these homemade muffins don’t look like regular muffins, that’s because they’re not! Instead, these oatmeal muffins are simply baked oatmeal (try baked oatmeal bars, next!) topped with the fruit or nuts of your choice. Best of all, these healthy muffins are naturally sweetened with banana or Instant Pot applesauce and are super versatile for different add-ins and toppings – your kids will love them!
Cranberry Orange Muffins
This whole wheat (or spelled) cranberry orange muffin makes for a delicious holiday-season healthy breakfast muffin. They’re moist, fluffy, tender, and packed with tart cranberries and zingy orange peel, for a tasty sweet, and tart treat. Best of all, this healthy muffin recipe subs some of the ‘fat’ for yogurt for a more nutritious, lower-fat treat!
Healthy Morning Glory Healthy Muffin Recipes
If you like your muffins fully loaded, then these healthy morning glory muffins are the perfect healthy breakfast muffins for you. Combining dried fruits, nuts, and coconut flakes with oat or wheat bran, whole grain flour, maple syrup, and applesauce, these healthy breakfast muffins are made with wholesome ingredients, are low in sugar, and are high in healthy fiber.
Banana Protein Muffins
At 10g protein per muffin, these banana protein muffins make for a great way to start the day. With a combination of whey protein, almond flour, overripe bananas, and fresh strawberries that are bursting with flavor, these muffins are as tasty as they are nutritional (very!). Plus, you can even swap out the strawberries for other fruits based on what’s in season for a treat you can enjoy year-round as a breakfast, post-workout, or mid-afternoon snack!
Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
These healthy pumpkin muffins make for the perfect fall treat along with healthy apple bread. They combine pumpkin, whole wheat or spelled flour, maple syrup, and just enough cream cheese to feel decadent. The results are a healthier copycat Starbucks pumpkin cream cheese muffin but with half the sugar and fat and three times the fiber.
Healthy Lemon Zucchini Healthy Muffin Recipes
With a combination of whole wheat, yogurt, lemon, and zucchini – these lemon zucchini muffins are packed with vitamins and fiber while still wonderfully light, moist, and fluffy. Plus, you can’t go wrong with the sweet and zesty lemon flavor. These homemade muffins will become your new favorite summer muffin served with a healthy frappuccino recipe for a real treat!
Healthy Strawberry Muffins
Bursting with berries, these whole-grain healthy strawberry muffins will be a new household favorite! Made with maple syrup, and Greek yogurt, lower in sugar and low in oil, makes these muffins feel good.
Healthy Blueberry Muffins
While blueberry muffins are a classic, this version of healthy blueberry muffins take a healthy twist using whole wheat flour (or spelled), maple syrup, applesauce, and -of course- plenty of fresh or frozen blueberries. Enjoy these homemade muffins, warm or cold, for a treat that is happily child-approved! I have written an article on Low Carb Stir Fry Recipe.
Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins
Yes, you read that right; you’re seeing chocolate chips in a list of healthy muffins recipes. All in moderation, right? With a combination of whole wheat flour, yogurt, and maple syrup, these healthy muffins for kids are wholesome enough to be forgiving of some mini chocolate chips. I recommend preparing a double batch of healthy chocolate chip muffins as they’ll disappear in minutes!
Healthy Apple Healthy Muffin Recipes
Since an apple a day is meant to keep the Dr away, I’m sure your kids won’t complain about eating them as part of fluffy, tender homemade muffins.
These healthy apple muffins are sugar-free, using dates and applesauce to sweeten the muffins naturally, and are made using whole wheat flour for extra nutrients and filling fiber. Best of all, these healthy muffins for kids are made with a delicious combination of warming Fall spices for a treat that you won’t believe is healthy (but is!).
Healthy Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
Healthy lemon poppy seed muffins are perfect anytime you need a light and flavorful muffin! Drizzle with a light lemon glaze for a brunch-worthy item that is perfect for any weekend. You may also love this healthy lemon poppy seed bread!
Almond Flour Blueberry Muffins
If you haven’t baked with almond flour, then you’re missing out. Almond flour bakes are packed with protein and nutrients to keep you fuller for longer, are naturally gluten-free, and are wonderfully moist, thanks to the healthy fats within the nuts. Best of all, they’re still fluffy, too – in fact, these almond flour blueberry muffins remain fluffy while being oil-free and refined sugar-free too!
Almond Flour Healthy Muffin Recipes
My ultimate almond flour muffins combine almond flour with a hint of lemon for super tender and moist muffins that you’ll hardly believe are gluten-free. Best of all, though, as tasty as they are, these almond flour muffins are also naturally refined sugar-free, oil-free, grain-free, and paleo-friendly, and make for a wonderful breakfast or snack.
Almond Flour Banana Healthy Muffin Recipes
Not only are these almond flour banana muffins naturally gluten-free, but they’re also low-carb, low-sugar, grain-free, oil-free, and Paleo-friendly! But you’d hardly be able to tell – thanks to how fluffy, tender, and moist they are, with wonderfully sweet banana flavor.
Instant Pot Egg Bites Healthy Muffin Recipes
These Starbucks copycat ‘sous vide egg bites’ are healthy, single-serving, on-the-go low-carb/Keto healthy breakfast muffins or snacks. Enjoy them alone, with cheese or the veggies of your choice for a snack that practically melts in the mouth in under 20 minutes!
If you want to see more then watch this video.
Healthy Banana Muffins
Ingredients – Healthy Muffin Recipes
- 1 large egg
- 3 large 1 1/2 cups very ripe bananas
- 1/2 cup applesauce sweetened or unsweetened
- 1/4 cup maple syrup or honey
- 3 tbsp olive, avocado, or coconut oil (melted)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/3 cups whole wheat or spelled flour
- For cooking spray I use Misto
Instructions – Healthy Muffin Recipes
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and spray the non-stick 12 muffin tin. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, gently whisk the egg. Add bananas and mash. Then add applesauce, maple syrup, oil, vanilla, baking powder, soda, and salt; whisk to combine.
Add flour and gently stir until well incorporated. Do not over-mix – that produces a tough muffin.
Fill each opening almost full with batter and bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let muffins cool for about 5 minutes and then transfer them to a cooling rack to cool off completely.
A high-fiber, low-fat option with calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, and selenium, whole wheat English muffins make great weight-loss breakfast food.
In fact, the nutrition-fact panel of a muffin (even a bran muffin) can be 400 to 500 calories, include 40-plus grams of sugar, and show that a muffin is usually worse for you than a chocolate chip cookie.
When it comes to calories, carbs, and sugar, there’s a clear winner: doughnuts. The fried rings have 155 fewer calories, half the carbs, and 21 fewer grams of sugar than muffins. Muffins don’t lose out completely, though: They have 1 g more protein than doughnuts—and half the saturated fat.
A sweet trio of strawberries, blueberries, and cranberries are bursting in every bite of this muffin.
Dark muffins that had been turned upside down and had some sort of glaze on them. He said they were Sailor Jacks. I asked him to tell me about them. He said they were spiced with cinnamon and ginger and. cloves and then coated with a lemon glaze.