Greek Yogurt Berry Muffins
Readers love my healthy Greek Yogurt Chocolate Chip Muffins so much that I knew I needed to develop another version and these Greek Yogurt Berry Muffins with orange and olive oil taste so fresh and fruity with the softest texture. They are moist and tender, not too sweet with just ½ cup of maple syrup and bursting with flavor! The combination of vanilla, orange and olive oil combined with the berries is heaven. I love to make these in bulk and freeze them for snacks for the family. They are nutritious with a whole cup of Greek yogurt and 2 whole eggs. If you love making healthy muffins, try my Sugar Free Banana Muffins, and if you want a classic, try these popular Bakery-Style Chocolate Chip Muffins.
WHY THIS RECIPE WORKS
- Easy to make - this recipe is super simple to make with a bowl and a whisk. You only need a few simple ingredients and they're ready in less than 30 minutes.
- Not too sweet - just enough maple syrup adds the perfect amount of sweetness and moisture to make these delicious muffins ideal for breakfast or snacking any time of the day.
- Ultra moist berry muffins - these muffins are SO moist with a fluffy texture. They are delicious warm or even at room temperature.
- Packed with protein - I use a whole cup of Greek yogurt and 2 eggs which adds a decent amount of protein to make these muffins extra satisfying.
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MUFFINS AND CUPCAKES?
The difference between muffins and cupcakes is the mixing method. Muffins fall in the category of "quick breads" which are simple batters that involve mixing wet ingredients separately to dry ingredients and then combining them together with minimal stirring to form the batter. They have a more open texture and spongy bouncy crumb texture.
Cupcakes generally follow the "creaming" method where you mix soft butter and sugar until pale and fluffy before mixing in eggs, dry ingredients and any other liquid ingredients. Cupcakes have a finer, tighter crumb structure with a delicate and tender texture.
INGREDIENTS FOR HEALTHY GREEK YOGURT MUFFINS
- All purpose flour - regular unbleached all-purpose flour works great for open-textured muffins. If you have bleached cake flour, then you can replace half of the unbleached all-purpose flour with cake flour and it will actually give you an even more exaggerated muffin top. That's because bleached flour absorbs moisture more readily and sets more quickly.
- Olive oil - you can use any type of liquid oil for this recipe, and I really love using a light-tasting olive oil. It keeps these muffins soft since it is liquid at room temperature.
- Pure vanilla extract - vanilla is the main flavor in these muffins so use your best one. I like this Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla extract.
- Eggs - two whole eggs will set the batter into a nice soft spongy texture.
- Greek yogurt - full fat Greek yogurt ads rich dairy notes and so much flavor and body.
- Orange juice - some orange juice adds moisture, flavor and natural sweetness to these olive oil Greek yogurt berry muffins. You can use freshly squeezed, from concentrate or even just from a juice box.
- Maple syrup - I sweeten the batter with pure maple syrup which ads wonderful flavor and moisture.
- Berries - I love to use fresh or frozen raspberries and blackberries. Since blackberries are quite large, you can cut them in half so they distribute more evenly into the batter.
STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS: HOW TO MAKE HEALTHY GREEK YOGURT BERRY MUFFINS
- STEP 1). Combine dry ingredients. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
- STEP 2). Combine wet ingredients. Combine the wet ingredients. Combine Greek yogurt, maple syrup, olive oil, eggs, vanilla, orange zest and orange juice in another large bowl and whisk until smooth and evenly combined.
- STEP 3). Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir together gently with a large spatula until mostly incorporated. Before all of the flour is combined, add the chocolate chips and fold them through until evenly distributed.
- STEP 4). Scoop the batter. Use a large cookie scoop or two spoons to divide batter evenly into the prepared muffin liners, filling them so they are all the way full.
- STEP 5). Sprinkle! Sprinkle some coarse sugar over top.
- STEP 6). BAKE. Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 375 and bake for another 12-17 minutes until golden on top and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. They should feel firm to the touch. Do not over-bake. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer muffins individually to a wire rack to cool.
EXPERT BAKING TIPS
- Sift the dry ingredients. Sifting the flour will eliminate any lumps and separate all of the flour particles which means it will incorporated into the wet ingredients more easily and more quickly. This will minimize the amount of mixing required so that you ensure the muffins are soft.
- Do not reduce the sweetener. The right amount of sugar sourced from maple syrup will make these muffins moist because it binds water so that it doesn't evaporate excessively during baking.
- Do not over-mix. Just mix in the flour gently until well combined, but no need to whisk vigorously. Just mix until no streaks of dry flour remain. Any lumps will continue to get worked out as you scoop the batter into the muffin pan.
- Do not over-bake. Over-baking will most definitely lead to dry muffins. Make sure you check with a skewer for doneness or press the tops - they should spring back.
- Preheat the oven. The initial baking temperature is important to jump start the leavening agents to give a big lift initially to help create that muffin top. It also helps set the edges so that the batter doesn't spill out and spread too much which can make flat tops. I don't bake these muffins at a very high temperature like I do with my Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Muffins because these are slightly smaller and have less sugar, so they are more prone to drying out.
RECIPE FAQ
Feel free to use your favorite kind of berries in this recipe. You can blueberries, raspberries, chopped cherries or even cranberries.
Yes! You can add up to ⅓ cup of chopped nuts or dried fruit. I'd recommend a soft variety such as walnuts or pecans.
These muffins have a soft moist texture. To ensure you get this texture, do not reduce the maple syrup. Sugar is important to hold moisture in. Also, be careful not to over-mix the batter. Over-mixing will initiate gluten formation which can lead to a tough crumb texture. Just mix until combined and a few small lumps are fine as they will mix through as you portion out the batter.
This muffin batter has less sugar which can result in more adhesion than usual when baked in paper liners. I use these parchment paper liners that nothing ever sticks to. You can also spray your standard paper liners with cooking spray and that works very well!
Over-mixing, over-baking or over-measuring the flour are the key reasons why muffins can turn out dry. Be sure to measure your flour correctly. Adding too much flour is the most common mistake and leads to dry and crumbly cakes and muffins. The most accurate way to measure flour is using a scale. If you don't have one then fluff your flour with a spoon, spoon it into your measuring cup and use a knife to level it off.
Yes! These muffins freeze very well. Just place them in a resealable freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months.
Store these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, then store in the fridge for longer.
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Orange Olive Oil Greek Yogurt Berry Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ¾ cups (250g) all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup (240g) full fat plain yogurt
- ½ cup (150g) pure maple syrup
- ⅓ cup (80ml/65g) extra virgin olive oil (or any liquid cooking oil)
- 2 large eggs, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (60ml) orange juice
- 1 tablespoon orange zest
- 1 teaspoon (5ml) pure vanilla extract
- 1 ½ cups (180g) mixed mulberries or blackberries (halved) and raspberries
- 2 tablespoon coarse raw sugar for sprinkling on top
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a standard 12 cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Combine dry ingredients. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a large bowl and whisk to blend evenly.
- Combine the wet ingredients. Combine Greek yogurt, maple syrup, olive oil, eggs, orange juice, orange zest and vanilla extract in another large bowl and whisk until smooth and evenly combined. Add the dry ingredients to the bowl with the wet ingredients and stir together gently with a large spatula until mostly incorporated. Before all of the flour is combined, add the berries and fold them through until evenly distributed.
- Use a large cookie scoop or two spoons to divide batter evenly into the prepared muffin liners, filling them so they are all the way full. Sprinkle extra chocolate chips and a generous sprinkle of coarse sugar over top.
- Bake for 5 minutes, then lower the oven temperature to 375 and bake for another 12-17 minutes until golden on top and a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. They should feel firm to the touch. Do not over-bake. Remove the pan from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes, then transfer muffins individually to a wire rack to cool.
