Baking

Wholemeal Berry Yoghurt Muffins recipe

Name: Wholemeal Berry Yoghurt Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 12
Ingredients: 150g plain wholemeal flour; 100g ground almonds; 1 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda; 80g golden caster sugar (100-120g if you prefer a sweeter muffin); 75ml olive oil; 150g plain yoghurt (I use full-fat Greek); 50ml milk or milk alternative (I use soya); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 2 eggs; 200g frozen berries (I use blueberries and raspberries); 5g demerara sugar (or brown sugar); 20g icing sugar; 10-15ml whey (liquid from the yoghurt)

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Low sugar, soft and fruity muffins, made with 100% wholemeal flour, yoghurt and olive oil.

Prep15m
Cook20m
Total35m

cake fibre fruit ground-almonds muffins

Wholemeal blueberry and raspberry muffins made with yoghurt and olive oil

Question on r/AskReddit:
What is something that people think is healthy/good for them, but in reality isn't?
Answer:
Muffins. I used to bring donuts to meetings but was asked to bring muffins instead because they’re healthier. They are twice the calories of the donuts.

I agree, sort of, which is why I make my own. Wholemeal flour and ground almonds have featured heavily in recent recipes; more fibre and a slightly reduced carb content is a winner for us. But I don’t want a heavy muffin and that’s where the yoghurt comes in — it keeps the muffins soft for days.

The muffins in the photo have a yoghurt drizzle but I don’t usually bother, opting for 5g of crunchy sugar instead.

The small amount of sugar on top feels like a hack

It’s the first thing you taste when you bite into the muffin, making it feel sweeter than it actually is. There’s only 80g of sugar in the batter. If you have a sweet tooth, increase the sugar to 100-120g. The end result will still be reasonably low in sugar.

Custard fan?

These muffins are just heavenly with custard. I make less than half a pint, adding only a tiny bit of sugar (see notes), then pour it over the muffins for a sublime dessert.

★ ★ ★

* Marriage’s golden wholemeal flours are still my go-to, but if you don’t shop with Ocado, they can be hard to get hold of. Doves Farm Plain Wholemeal Flour works just as well, but any brand would be fine; the yoghurt will see to it. The muffins in the photo are made with Doves Farm flour.

Notes

Store in an airtight tin for up to 2 days. We eat them on day 3 but I hesitate to recommend this because I can't see the berries faring well if you live in a warm climate.

Alternatively, freeze the muffins. Defrost at room temperature for a few hours or microwave at half power.

Bird’s Custard Powder will always live in my cupboard. I love that I can tweak the sweetness and use my milks of choice (goat, oat and soy). If I’m pairing the custard with something really sweet, like apple crumble, I’ll leave out the sugar entirely.

Recipe

Wholemeal Berry Yoghurt Muffins

Prep15m
Cook20m
Total35m

Makes: 12

Ingredients

Berry muffins

150g plain wholemeal flour
100g ground almonds
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
80g golden caster sugar (100-120g if you prefer a sweeter muffin)
75ml olive oil
150g plain yoghurt (I use full-fat Greek)
50ml milk or milk alternative (I use soya)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs
200g frozen berries (I use blueberries and raspberries)

Sugar topping (optional)

5g demerara sugar (or brown sugar)

Yoghurt drizzle (optional)

20g icing sugar
10-15ml whey (liquid from the yoghurt)

Method

Heat your oven to 200°C (180°C fan). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with cases (I like If You Care).
Muffins: Add 150g of wholemeal plain flour, 100g of ground almonds, 1 teaspoon of baking powder, ½ teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda and 80g of golden caster sugar to a large bowl. Mix well.
In another bowl or jug add 75ml of olive oil, 150g of plain yoghurt (full-fat, ideally), 50ml of milk (I use soya), 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract and 2 eggs. Whisk together then pour into the dry ingredients. Stir until the ingredients have only just combined.
Gently fold in 200g of frozen berries (any kind, I use blueberries and raspberries). Try not to over-mix or the blueberries will turn the batter grey.
Divide the batter between the muffin cases. If you’re skipping the yoghurt drizzle, optionally top with 5g of demerara or brown sugar.
Bake for 20-22 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean (22 minutes in my oven). Leave to cool for 10 minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool fully.
Yoghurt drizzle (optional): Combine 20g of icing sugar and 10-15ml of whey (liquid from the yoghurt). Drizzle over the muffins.