Fruit-Sweetened Cardamom Blueberry Muffins

Get ready for back to school season with these fruit-sweetened cardamom blueberry muffins! This little treat is sweetened with bananas only, making it a perfectly healthy breakfast or snack. They would be a great addition to any lunch box – For kids or adults! They also have a few possible substitutions for a gluten-free and a nut-free version.

prep time

30 minutes

cook time

20 minutes

servings

12
Cardamom Blueberry Muffins

Fruit-sweetened cardamom blueberry muffins. These muffins are sweetened with bananas and made with whole wheat flour for a nutritious, high-fiber snack. There’s also a vegan and nut-free option!

Cardamom Blueberry Muffins

Looking for a healthy snack for school or work? Or maybe a quick on-the-go breakfast recipe? I’m here to help with these little fruit-sweetened cardamom blueberry muffins.

These muffins are inspired by one of the most popular recipes on the blog: my breakfast banana bread. If you haven’t tried that one yet, go make it NOW. Then come back and make the next best thing: These cardamom blueberry muffins.

Honestly, I can’t say which one’s my favorite. I used the same base for the muffins as I did for the banana bread and they are both extremely moist and truly satisfying. The best part? They’re sweetened with bananas only. And blueberries in this case.

How to Serve these Muffins

Note that like my banana bread, these muffins aren’t intended to be overly sweet and dessert-like. I would classify them as breakfast food. A little sweet and perfect with nut butter or some butter/vegan butter. I love having them as a snack with Sunbutter. It’s the best! But like I said, don’t expect them to be overly sweet. Instead, enjoy them as a healthy lightly sweet breakfast or snack.

Many have tried and loved my banana bread over the years, so I’m hoping you’ll enjoy these muffins as well.

blueberries in a measuring cup
blueberry muffins
Ingredient Substitutions:

As I said earlier, these muffins are inspired by my banana bread. And like my banana bread, these muffins have several different variations. For the original, I made them with whole wheat pastry flour, unsweetened almond milk and olive oil. Here are a few alternatives:

Gluten-free version: Try substituting the whole wheat flour for all-purpose gluten-free flour – The same amount. My friend tried a version with buckwheat which didn’t turn out too well. It works, but I believe all-purpose gluten-free would work best. I haven’t tried it myself, but it worked well for the banana bread.

Nut-free version: Substitute the almond milk for unsweetened soy milk, oat milk or your favorite nut-free milk. Cashew milk also works (if you’re not looking for a nut-free option of course).

Other oils: Substitute the olive oil for melted coconut oil or a lighter tasting oil, such as avocado oil.

And if you’re looking for a different flour option, spelt flour works well too!

I hope one of those versions will fit your needs! If you’re anything like me, you probably already have all of those ingredients on hand. If so, make a batch and have quick snacks all week! I know I’ll be making more. 🙂

blueberry muffins from the top
blueberry muffins with jam
Cardamom Blueberry Muffins
Print Pin
5 from 2 votes

Fruit-Sweetened Cardamom Blueberry Muffins

Get ready for back to school season with these fruit-sweetened cardamom blueberry muffins! This little treat is sweetened with bananas only, making it a perfectly healthy breakfast or snack. They would be a great addition to any lunch box – For kids or adults! They also have a few possible substitutions for a gluten-free and a nut-free version.
Course Breakfast, Dessert, Snack
Cuisine vegan, vegetarian
Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings 12

Ingredients

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 3/4 cup overripe bananas, mashed (3-4 large)
  • 1/4 cup milk of choice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 1 egg (or 2 additional tablespoons milk)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups whole wheat pastry flour (or light spelt)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
  • 1 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/2 cup blueberries

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease your muffin pan with oil or butter/margarine. You could use muffin liners instead if preferred.
  • In a large bowl, Mash your bananas. Whisk in your milk, oil, egg (if using) and vanilla.
  • Add your dry ingredients, including the blueberries, to the wet mixture and mix all together.
  • Transfer the mixture to your greased muffin pan, making 12 muffins. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  • Let them cool a few minutes before removing from the pan.

Notes

To make this recipe gluten-free, try replacing the whole wheat flour with all-purpose gluten-free flour.
You can substitute the olive oil for a light tasting oil or melted coconut oil if preferred.
I used unsweetened cashew milk and unsweetened almond milk in this recipe with success. Feel free to try other unsweetened milks.

If you make these cardamom blueberry muffins, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! I love to hear from you guys. And of course, if you try this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram!


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Comments

14 responses to “Fruit-Sweetened Cardamom Blueberry Muffins”

  1. WholeheartedEats Blog Avatar

    Oh my word! I was seriously fantasizing about blueberry muffins last night (as one does), and these look perfect! <3

    1. Unsweetened Caroline Avatar

      Thank you! I hope you try them. I’ve been thinking about them non stop since I made them. Hah! 🙂

  2. Catherine Avatar
    Catherine

    5 stars
    These muffins are sooooo good. Especially topped with nut butter! Recommended!

    1. Unsweetened Caroline Avatar

      The nut butter is a must for sure! I’m glad to hear you like them.

      1. ZI-LING J CHU Avatar
        ZI-LING J CHU

        5 stars
        I’ve made this multiple times now and they are amazing! I followed the recipe exactly. I was looking for ways to use up the cardamom we have at home and I’m so happy we found this. I love that it is naturally sweetened as well.

        1. Unsweetened Caroline Avatar

          I’m so happy you like them!! Thank you so much for the good feedback. Enjoy. 🙂

  3. rachel Avatar
    rachel

    5 stars
    hi can you sub the cardamom for something else? i cant find it anywhere.
    thanks

    1. Unsweetened Caroline Avatar

      Hi Rachel, I would use cinnamon instead if you can’t find cardamom, just for a little added flavor. You can also omit it if you’d prefer. Hope this helps. 🙂

  4. Alexandra Avatar
    Alexandra

    4 stars
    Great muffins, tasted good and easy to make! I used Spelt flour, flax egg, and soy milk as I was making this for a vegan crowd. turned out well!

    1. Unsweetened Caroline Avatar

      Hi Alexandra! Thank you for the good feedback. I’m so happy they turned out well with the flax egg. Enjoy!

  5. Melusine Avatar
    Melusine

    5 stars
    I love this recipe! How delightful that it is only sweetened with fruit. Have you ever tried to make a fruit sweetened cake? I also love your fruit sweetened banana bread. Thank you for sharing so many wonderful recipes.

    1. Nourished by Caroline Avatar

      That’s so great to hear! I do have two fruit-sweetened cakes. This spiced banana cake (https://nourishedbycaroline.ca/spiced-banana-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/) and this apple zucchini cake (https://nourishedbycaroline.ca/whole-wheat-apple-zucchini-cake-with-cream-cheese-frosting/). I hope you’ll love them. 🙂

  6. Mimi Avatar
    Mimi

    5 stars
    I’m so grateful for this recipe! I used to do sugar-free things a lot and recently decided to go back to that. I made some modifications and they are still delicious and satisfying. So many “sugar-free” recipes use artificial sweeteners, which I avoid.

    My subs: 2 T butter instead of oil (added 2 T soy milk for the missing oil); used organic, unsweetened soy milk; and plain whole wheat flour. I doubled the blueberries and added some blackberries to a few of the muffins just for me.

    If you make these, don’t second guess the texture when you mix everything together. The batter seems thick but the muffins are perfect! Not sweet like sugar-sweet, but much better for you and delicious! My fussy partner loved them, too.

    Thank you!

    1. Nourished by Caroline Avatar

      Thank you so much for taking the time to write this Mimi. I’m so happy that you both enjoyed the muffins. And it’s so helpful to hear your substitutions as well. 🙂

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