Whole Wheat Blueberry Chocolate Chip Muffins

Whole wheat blueberry chocolate chip muffins couple whole grains with bursts of juicy blueberries and sweet chocolate chips. With the perfect texture and subtly sweet, these muffins are the best way to start your day or enjoy as an afternoon snack!

WHAT’S NEW?

Fall is in full-swing here in Michigan. I’ve spent a LOT of time in the car in recent days. We spent some time up north with family two weekends ago and Piper and I spent last weekend in Michigan for a soccer tournament. The trees are stunning, apples are dense on the trees, and we squeaked in family photos between rain fall. My clinicals for nursing school have officially moved from manequins to humans and my Monday and Tuesday mornings start with 6:30am clinicals. Let me just say, seeing a 5 on the clock when I rise is BRUTAL for me. I firmly believe that the ideal hours for sleep are 11pm to 7am and prefer to stick a bit closer to that.

As fall sports are wind down for the girls, I hope that winter activities leave us with a bit more time in the evenings and on the weekends. While I love summer, there’s something very therapeutic about cold weather days spent cozy at home with a puzzle and one another. The bonus time for meal prep and prep for the week ahead reemerges, as well. These delicious muffins were a recent weekend task that utilized our stash of frozen blueberries that I coupled with kid-friendly chocolate chips earning these muffins a 5-star rating!

ROLL CALL FOR THIS RECIPE

• Parents and Kids: Loved equally by parents in pursuit of healthful snack options and kids who lust for chocolate, these muffins offer a little bit of something for everyone!
• Health-Conscious Snackers: I love to encourage snacks that contain a fruit or vegetable as well as a whole grain. These yummy muffins check the box perfectly!
• Make-Ahead Snack or Breakfast: Muffins are great because they can be enjoyed for days to come. The best part? They don’t take a long time to whip up! Love these for a quick breakfast on-the-go with a piece of fruit.

KEY INGREDIENTS AND SUBSTITUTIONS

• Flour: Whole wheat pastry flour offers the fiber and nutrients of whole wheat flour with the fluffy, light texture of an all-purpose flour. That said, feel free to use 1 2/3 cups whole wheat flour or 2 cups of all-purpose flour as a substitute. To make a gluten-free muffin option, use all-purpose gluten-free baking blend.
• Sugar: The 1/2 cup of granulated sugar is less than most muffin recipes. While sugar adds leavening, these fluffy muffins are plenty sweet and have great texture with the reduced sugar.
• Baking Powder: If you find yourself without baking powder, you can use 1 1/4 teaspoons of cream of tartar with 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
• Egg: If you prefer to use egg whites or egg substitute, you can do so, replacing the eggs with about 1/2 cup. If you prefer to use flax eggs, follow the directions in the FAQ.
• Oil: Avocado oil will offer many of the health benefits of avocados themselves, especially if you can find cold-pressed avocado oil. That said, olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, or vegetable oil works well as a substitute. If preferred, you can use 1/4 cup oil and 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce if you follow a lower calorie diet.
• Vanilla: Pure vanilla extract is the best, but imitation is just fine. You may also omit this ingredient.
• Milk: I used unsweetened oat milk, however any plant-based milk (almond milk, soy milk, etc) or other cow’s milk will work just fine. Choose an unsweeteend variety to ensure no added sugar.
• Chocolate Chips: I chose standard semi-sweet chocolate chips. That said, use whatever chocolate chip you prefer…more, less, mini, whilte, or none…as you prefer!
• Blueberries: Frozen or fresh blueberries work great! Blueberries make for super moist muffins!

NUTRITIONAL MERITS

• High-Fiber: Providing 5 grams of fiber per muffin, these are a high-fiber food.
• Dairy-Free: As written, these are dairy-free muffins 
• Blueberries and chocolate are rich in antioxidants

FAQ

How do you make a flax egg for this recipe?

A flax egg is made by mixing together 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with a scant 3 tablespoons of water and allowing it to sit for 5 minutes or so to become slightly gelatinous. After mixing the flax egg and allowing to thicken, proceed with the recipe as written.

​I’d like to add nuts to these muffins. What nut would you recommend?

I love chopped pecans or pecan pieces in muffins. Macadamia nuts would be excellent, too!

Why are the wet ingredients and dry ingredients each mixed in a separate bowl? Can’t I just mix everything all together?

You can mix everything all together, however mixing your wet ingredients separate from your dry ensures each is mixed evenly and ensures best results. Combining all ingredients in a large bowl can encourage over-mixing and affect the texture of the muffins causing them to be dense.

VARIATIONS, STORAGE, and TIPS

• Avoid over-mixing the muffin batter to ensure the muffin texture is light and fluffy
• I recommend using a 1/3 cup ice cream scoop for perfectly portioned, golden brown muffins 
• For a special touch, add a sprinkle of sugar on top top of each muffin before baking
• Store leftover muffins in an airtight container for up to 4 days at room temperature or up to a week in the fridge
• Make a double batch of this recipe to make for leftovers that you can freeze for later
• Allow the muffins to cool completely (on a wire rack is great) before removing from the muffin tin, muffin cups, or muffin liners to avoid sticking

LOVE muffins and quick breads? Try something new!

• Cinnamon Date Banana Muffins
• Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins
• Gluten-Free Cherry Zucchini Oat Muffins
• Best Ever Healthy Pumpkin Muffins
• Morning Glory Muffins
• Fuel-to-Go Muffins
• Kale Banana Toddler Muffins
• Maple Peach Muffins
• Chocolate Chip Raspberry Banana Muffins
• Banana Bread Protein Bars

Be well,