Oh muffins, how do I love thee? Let me count the ways… First, you can serve these blueberry (or anything you want) whole wheat muffins as part of breakfast, lunch, or just by themselves as a snack.
Want to Save this Recipe?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you'll get great new recipes from us every week!
Second, they really are easy to make, and with so many possibilities of what you can add to the muffin batter I am certain that you will find a combination that you (and your kids) will love.
Third, my kids scarf down their beloved customized versions, and I feel good about what they are eating. And last but not least, they freeze beautifully!! Check out all the different types of berries. Try these Lemon Blueberry Muffins too!
The inspiration for these blueberry, fruit, nut, or anything you want whole wheat muffins
I definitely have to give credit to my 5-year-old daughter for inspiring me to make these whole-wheat muffins. She got very excited one morning when I asked her what she wanted for breakfast and responded with “blueberry muffins!” We had not made muffins in years and I think she likes the idea of them because, well, the shape is strikingly similar to a cupcake!
Once we got started my creative juices started flowing … these don’t just have to be blueberry muffins! I put strawberries in some and some leftover pear that I had on hand in others … and why not raisins? My 3-year-old loves raisins.
So anyway, you get the idea how you can take the plain batter and add whatever flavors your heart desires. Make one big batch that's all the same or make each one different…and most importantly, have fun with it!
Are whole wheat blueberry, fruit, nut, etc. muffins healthy?
The whole wheat muffin batter that I used in this recipe is made from real food ingredients. That means no processed flour or refined sugar! And the overall amount of sweetener used is reduced compared to store-bought muffins. When you add healthy ingredients like fruit, veggies, and nuts, whole wheat muffins end up being a pretty balanced breakfast or snack.
If you’re new to doing real food swaps in your house, this is a great replacement for busy families to skip processed cereal in the mornings. Plus you can sneak an extra serving of fruit or veggies in for picky eaters!
Tips before you get started making these blueberry (or anything you want them to be) whole wheat muffins:
Why does this recipe use juice?
I’ve used both apple and orange juice to make this muffin recipe, it just depends on what I have on hand. The juice adds liquid/moisture to the recipe, which is needed for these whole wheat muffins to bake properly. It also doubles as a substitute for refined sugar.
Some people may find orange juice too bitter, so in that case I’d recommend just using apple juice (we prefer unfiltered organic juice not from concentrate). You could also substitute another juice variety of your choice such as pear. Just make sure it’s 100% juice!
Finally, you can also substitute the juice with milk if you prefer. The muffins will still turn out moist, but you may find them less sweet. If you opt for milk, I suggest using sweeter mix ins or adding a bit of additional honey, depending on your preference.
Can you use frozen blueberries or raspberries in whole wheat muffins?
Frozen blueberries and raspberries should bake the same as fresh berries in this recipe. Just make sure your berries don’t melt while you’re mixing them in! If the frozen berries start to melt, they’ll start to release juice into the batter and may not hold their shape as well.
Try this Lemon Blueberry Bread too!
What foods make good fillings for muffins?
I call these “whatever you want them to be” muffins because you can add pretty much anything to the batter, and they still turn out. You can also combine more than one filling for unique flavors!
Fruit (fresh, frozen, or dried, for sweet muffins)
- Blueberries
- Raspberries
- Diced strawberries
- Chopped and peeled apple or pear
- Applesauce
- Mashed banana
- Raisins
- Dates
- Dried cranberries
- Lemon or orange zest
Vegetables (for savory muffins)
- Grated carrots
- Zucchini
- Pumpkin
- Corn
- Sweet potato
- Bell pepper
- Garlic
- Onion
Nuts (chopped)
- Pecans
- Almonds
- Walnuts
- Pistachio
Dairy & Meat
- Grated cheddar cheese
- Cream cheese
- Sour cream
- Cubed pieces of cooked meat (great for a breakfast muffin!)
If your whole wheat muffins with dried fruit, nuts, or other mix-ins come out dry
Sometimes homemade muffins can come out dry. This usually happens when you scoop the flour on the heavier side or slightly under measure the liquid in the recipe. It can also happen if you’re using dried fruit or nuts that absorb the liquid (vs fresh or frozen ingredients that have a lot of internal moisture).
Depending on how dry they are, you can add ¼ to ½ cup of applesauce, Greek yogurt, mashed banana, or grated zucchini.
How to keep muffins from sticking to the pan
I always bake my muffins inside muffin liners to make it easier to remove them. If you're using paper liners, look for the parchment variety. Another idea is to use foil cupcake liners and lightly spritz them with an oil of your choice.
If you don’t want to use liners, you’ll need to properly grease the muffin pan. Use your favorite method, or try spreading butter inside the muffin tray’s cups, then dusting with whole wheat flour. Shake off the excess.
Other muffin recipes you might like
- Whole Wheat Lemon Raspberry Muffins
- Whole Wheat Banana (Nut) Muffins
- Whole Wheat Carrot Applesauce Muffins
- Apple Walnut Muffins
Fruit, Nut, or Berry Whole-Wheat Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour (I used King Arthur’s white whole-wheat flour)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ⅛ teaspoon nutmeg
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ cup coconut oil (or other oil of your choice)
- ¾ cup apple juice (or orange juice)
Filling Options - about 1 cup needed (see below for details)
- berries
- fruit
- nuts
Instructions
- Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
- In a large bowl with a fork or whisk mix the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg.
- Make a well (hole) in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the eggs, honey, vanilla, oil and orange juice. Mix the dry and wet ingredients together – do not overmix.
- Now here is the fun part. If you are in a hurry just add 1 cup of blueberries, mashed up banana & nuts, or other filling of your choice. If you have 5 or 10 minutes extra (and some anxious helpers) do not add anything to the muffin batter before continuing with the next step.
- Line a muffin pan with liners and fill ⅔ to ¾ of the way full with batter. If you didn’t already add your filling, sprinkle 1 – 2 teaspoons of whatever you would like (from the list below or from your own creation) onto the top of each raw muffin in the pan. Then gently mix each one with a fork or spoon.
Here are some options to consider for the fillings:
- blueberries
- diced strawberries
- peeled and diced pears
- applesauce
- either diced or mashed up bananas and chopped walnuts
- raisins and chopped pecans (I add an extra pinch of cinnamon to the muffins with this filling)
- grated carrot and chopped walnuts
- orange or lemon zest (only add ¼ to ½ teaspoon of zest per individual muffin)
- a mix of dried fruit bits
- jelly - After the filling has been mixed into each muffin slide the tray into the warm oven and bake for 10 – 15 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Serve warm or at room temperature and freeze some for a later date.
Enjoy!
Notes
We recommend organic ingredients when feasible.
Crissy says
Loved these! My son is allergic to bananas but the rest of the house loves them. So we did half apple/pecan and half banana/pecan mixing the ingredients at the end. So good and the kids loved them!
emily says
HI. anyone make these with frozen berries? i'm wondering if it would affect the texture or anything. Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Emily. I have! Frozen berries work just fine. Once they start to thaw their colors tend to bleed a lot, so mix them in when frozen. ~Amy
Brittany says
I don't have any juice on hand...any ideas if milk, applesauce, or something else could work? Thank you!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Brittany. You can use applesauce thinned with a little water. ~Amy
Sarah says
Hey,
I love this recipe but how do you keep the coconut oil from solidify immediately. I am using an organic product in a jar.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Sarah. Here is a post on cooking with coconut oil: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. ~Amy
Lisa says
First off I have to say that my whole family LOVES Whole Wheat bread, cookies, pancakes, waffles, cakes, etc. It's all we use as a rule at our house so I am well versed in it's use. However, this is about the third Whole Wheat Muffin recipe I have tried over the years because I am trying to find one that tastes good! Why is it that when people make things with Whole Wheat they feel it has to be less sweet? I even doubled the honey, added chopped apples & used apple juice trying to make sure that THIS time I had a winner! To me, these muffins weren't any sweeter than a loaf of WW bread! I thought they tasted very bland. IF I make them again I would add even more sweetener, perhaps a Stevia as to not add too much moisture.
On the positive side they are very moist & have a good texture.(I did use coconut oil) They did bake in the amount of time suggested. If you are looking for a not so sweet dinner roll/biscuit to go with Thanksgiving dinner, then this is your muffin!
The last thing I would change about this recipe is the number of servings. It says it makes 12 muffins, very small muffins, and I had to scrape the bowl completely to get that last one filled. I would suggest making 6 larger muffins & baking them longer. Because I don't know about you, but I have boys that can eat several of these little ones at one time.
Catherine G says
i made these with applesauce. i either put too much applesauce or didn't cook long enough, i guess, b/c they were VERY moist. next time i will use chopped fruit or nuts and i'm sure i won't have a problem. :-)
Nicole M says
I made these tonight with bananas, walnuts and dried cranberries. Mu hubby and 3 year old loved them! My husband was surprised when I told him it was whole wheat and honey! Thanks!!
Allison says
I made these this morning with the intent to freeze for dd and des lunches. I made them in mini muffin tins and they came out great. Cooked them for 11 minutes but could have probably pulled them at 10. They are not that sweet as others have mentioned but the wholeness of them is great. That being said, these beat processed foods, hands down. And I don't have to feel guilty about what I'm putting into my kids bodies!!
Emily says
I just made these this morning and they were excellent. I waited until I put the batter in the muffin tins until I blended the berries and that worked out very well. I used blueberries and chopped up strawberries. Thanks for the recipe!
Morgan says
My son requested chocolate muffins this morning. I made banana muffins and added a tbsp of cocoa powder instead of vanilla. They came out a rich brown color with a light chocolate flavor, a big hit!
Sara says
I have a question about coconut oil. I've never worked with it before and mine was rather solid when I bought it. I warmed it and it got a little better, but I'm worried it won't be evenly distributed throughout the muffins. Is there a specific type or "virgin" status of the oil you use? These muffins are amazing, by the way!!!
lira says
i made these today. they turned out so well!
Christine says
Hi! I made these this morning with diced apple and raisins. The taste was good, but they stuck to the cupcake papers...any advice on that? Also, when you measure out the coconut oil - is it in solid form or liquid. Mine was mostly solid - not sure if that was right as this is my first time using coconut oil. Thanks!!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Christine. This should answer you questions: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/02/07/how-to-cook-with-coconut-oil/. ~Amy
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Sorry, I missed the "sticking" part. :) The muffins will stick a little to the paper liners. ~Amy
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Ginna. I've not tried this in this recipe but you could probably use half applesauce and half water. ~Amy
Ginna says
What can I use in place of apple juice? Applesauce? We don't keep juice on hand.
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Ginna. I’ve not tried this in this recipe but you could probably use half applesauce and half water. ~Amy
Carolyn 100% says
Love the recipe. DD and I made the muffins, and they didn't go over well. I am thinking that I made need to ease her into 100%whole-wheat flour. Is there any reason I couldn't make this 50% white flour, 50% wheat?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Carolyn. Did you use the white whole wheat in your first try? ~Amy
Lynn says
Can I use frozen blueberries rather than fresh? Do I need to defrost them first or anything else I need to do differently?
Thanks so much! Can't wait to try these!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. You can use frozen blueberries but mix them in just before baking. Otherwise, as they defrost they become mushy and you will have blue colored muffins. :) ~Amy
Michelle says
I am having trouble with these muffins! Help? They are delicious right after baking, but when I put them in my kids lunches, they are extremely dry. I have experiemented with all kinds of different fillings, and I have had similar results with the pumpkin muffin recipe. When my boys are home and I pop the muffins in the toaster oven for a snack, they are wonderful again. What do you differently to have moist muffins? Or, are they dry and the girls just like them anyway? I would be so grateful for any advice. I try so hard to keep my family eating good food, and it is so discouraging because nine times out of ten no one likes what is being served. Your recipes look so yummy, but when I try them they come out differently. Even your beautiful photo of these muffins looks vastly different from mine. Why?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Michelle. That is so hard to know when we can't be there cooking with you. :) However if you are consistently getting dry muffins, it could be that your oven runs a bit hot. You could decrease the cooking time a little or lower the temperature a bit. Though I've not found it necessary here, I often add a 1/4-1/2 cup of applesauce or another puree such as pumpkin or banana to add moisture to my baking. Hope this helps. ~Amy
Maria says
I love this recipe. Do you know how I can include ground flaxseed into this?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Maria. You can certainly add flax to this recipe. In order to get all the benefits from flax, however, it should be ground. Other wise, it will just pass through your digestive system. Know that ground flax absorbs a lot of moisture so you might have to add a bit of extra juice, as well. ~Amy
Lindsay says
Need some help. I want to make these but would like to do mini muffins instead. Dies anyone know what to set te oven temp at for mini as well as how long to cook them for? TIA
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. You shouldn't need to adjust the temperature but cooking time will likely be 8-13 minutes...roughly. :) ~Amy
Janet Nelson says
Just made these this morning, and they are really good! I didn't have fruit juice so i substituted water and honey like someone else suggested, and they turned out great. I used whole wheat pastry flour and blueberries. My kids ate them, and didn't even ask with a weird face , "what did you put in here, Mom?!" Score!! : )
Kim says
Hello,
It's Kim from the Netherlands again.
Unfortunately we have no shops here in the entire country that sells white whole-wheat flour.
Today I made the recipe with regular (from red grains) whole-wheat flour.
Unfortunately the muffins are not edible at all. They taste like awe full bread and the structure is weird.
Do you have an alternative? Because in a lot of (sweet) recipes such as muffins, cookies and even pizza you use white whole-wheat flour.
I hope to hear from you, Thanks again, Kim
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Kim. Sorry that it did not turn out for you. You could always try an alternative grain like spelt or oat flour and see if you like that better. Unfortunately, we've not experimented with alternative grains with most of our recipes. Here is a pumpkin muffin that uses spelt flour: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2012/09/25/recipe-whole-spelt-pumpkin-muffins-and-other-spelt-recipes/. Also, any chance ordering online would make it accessible to you? Best of luck. ~Amy
Meaghan says
What will mixing in the blueberries (or whatever else) before versus after do? Jut about to make them and I'm torn! ;)
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Meaghan. The "waiting to add the filling" is just in case you want to make multiple types of muffins. :) ~Amy
Brooke says
Also, I am using pears from my mother-in-law's tree. Do you use 1 cup of cut up pears?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi there. Yep, 1 cup total filling. So if all you are adding is pears than that would be right. ~Amy
Brooke says
Hi!
I plan to make these today and freeze them for school lunches or quick breakfast, but my question is do you freeze them with the muffin liner or do you take them off to freeze?
Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Brooke. You can freeze with or without the liner. ~Amy
Julie Breaux says
These came out perfectly!! I added flax seeds and semi sweet choc morsels..
Julie Breaux says
I made these this afternoon exactly as yor recipe only I added flax seeds and semi sweet choc morsels!! Perfect muffin with coffee! They came our perfect!!!!
June says
A friend made these and I thought they were great. I decided to make them to surprise my kids for the first day of school tomorrow. These came out awful. They did not cook in the time specified. I used the proper temp. and setting. My oven isn't old and always works great. They tasted awful and were stuck in the muffin cups. They ended up being burned on the outside and mushy on the inside. I followed the recipe exactly. I'm not sure why they did not turn out.
Ashley says
Could you possibly have used baking soda instead of baking powder? I've done that before, and things don't set at all. Or are you at higher altitude? Those are the only things I can think of.
I just made these, and they turned out great! I didn't have any juice on hand, so I used water sweetened with a little honey like a previous post mentioned.
Janet Bohne says
As a Registered Dietitian, I would recommend that you use an unsaturated oil rather than the highly saturated coconut oil. Although the short- and medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil may be less harmful than other saturated fats, the recommendations to limit saturated fat still apply.
valleygirl says
Show me the research on this and I might believe it. This sounds like a textbook reply to me where recommendations are still based on old school prior to our modern knowledge. All that I have read on the fatty acids on coconut oil, they are highly used and integrated into the body and great for so many things as opposed to a highly saturated because it's been processed, type of oil.
Ree says
Totally agree with Janet. The coconut oil phase has just caught on here, but I come form a culture and country where it has been used for several generations. We use it for cooking and a separate one for applying on hair and also it's been used to give massages to babies. Coconut oil is not something you use in excess on a daily basis. In my grandparents, parents and my household we use it only for special dishes. (averaging 1-2 dishes a week)
April says
I have 3 kiddos, one of whick cannot have wheat or gluten, or eggs. I sub duck eggs with great success- has anyone had experience with using coconut flour? I have to make 2 batches of everything for all of them to enjoy :)
Thanks!
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi April. I have used coconut flour now a few times with varying success (consistency-wise) though the flavor was great each time. Since we don't specialize in gluten free recipes, you might want to also consult Deliciously Organic: http://deliciouslyorganic.net/ that does. I also found this: http://www.thekitchn.com/ingredient-spotlight-coconut-f-137214. Hope these help. ~Amy
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Diane. I use raisins or dates when I want extra sweetness. ~Amy
Diane says
I tried some with peaches and blueberries and they just were not sweet enough for one daughter. Any suggestions for what fruit might make them the "sweetest"? Thanks
Angela H. says
When you freeze these do you freeze them individually (unwrapped) first? Or wrap them individually? or put them in a container all together? I'm still new to this make ahead then freeze thing.
-Thanks!
Jenna says
I was wondering if anyone knew of a substitute for the coconut oil? I am allergic to all nuts, and coconut so wondering what to replace to make this recipe.
Thanks :)
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jenna. We typically sub coconut butter with butter. ~Amy
Mariah says
I used milk instead of juice and they turned out great!
elisa says
Just made these and they smell and taste amazing! I made mine as mini muffins and baked at 375 for about 18 minutes and they turned out wonderfully. I didn't use liners, so I greased the muffin tin with coconut oil and a dusting of flour. Also, replaced half the flour with gluten free oat flour. Only thing is next time I might add another T of honey or add some fruit to the mix. They are a teeny bit not sweet enough for us - I did zucchini, carrots and pecans for our mix. I know these are going to be a hit with my 3 yr old.
Jacque says
Is there a place or link on the recipes' pages to find the calories and nutritional values?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jacque. We do not provide nutrition information on our recipes. We want people focusing on eating real foods/more whole foods and less on numbers. Here are some posts which help explain our philosophy: https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/04/healthy-eating-defined/, https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/2013/01/23/portion-size-matters/, and https://www.100daysofrealfood.com/10-reasons-to-cut-out-processed-food/. There are many tools available online which can help calculate nutrition detail for recipes. ~Amy
Lisa says
Have you tried egg replacers such as Ener G or mashed banana? Little guy is egg allergic so I avoid it...just wondering before I give it a try if there has been experience with this recipe?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Lisa. I most often use flax: http://www.lexieskitchen.com/lexies_kitchen/2012/10/2/how-to-make-a-chia-egg-or-flax-egg.html. Ener G is a processed ingredient that we would not use. A banana or a pureed apple works well in baking, too, as long as added sweetness is also desired. Amy
Candice says
I love your blog and we have been following many of your ideas and recipes. We love these muffins!!!!! We tried making a large batch in varying flavors and freezing part of them but when we go to eat them they don't taste as good.=( So I then tried leaving them in an air tight container on the counter but within a week they went bad and had some mold. =( Please help us save our muffins, what should we do to keep them tasting yummy?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Candice. Have you tried wrapping each individually and putting them in an airtight container? That usually works for me. ~Amy
Jasmine says
I was wondering if i could use fresh nectarines and some dried prunes in the muffins would that be ok to use? Or should i use something else?
Assistant to 100 Days (Amy) says
Hi Jasmine. We've never used a nectarine in this recipe. Let us know how it turns out. ~Amy
Jasmine says
It turned out very good. It made the muffins more soft and moist.