Whole Grain Maple Blackberry Muffins

I went down a real rabbit hole of testing whole grain muffins last year when I was working on a book proposal, using different ancient grains and all sorts of fruit and other add-ins. These whole grain, maple syrup-sweetened blackberry muffins were one of the best recipes to come out of that process.

In late summer and early autumn we pick wild blackberries but these muffins can be made with fresh or frozen berries, so you can have them year-round. A little lemon zest, maple syrup, and yogurt add robust flavour to the muffins, all of which really complement the sweet-tart berries.

These are made with whole grain spelt flour but you’ll see that some starch is added, too. That softens the muffins and makes them taste less grainy – great for kids and picky adults – without losing the fibre and extra nutrients from the flour. Using oil makes for soft, tender muffins, and you can use your preferred cooking oil.

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Ingredients You’ll Need and Why

As long as you stick to the base recipe here, you can make some substitutions that work very well – I’ve made these muffins well over a dozen times and these are my notes from recipe testing. You can find the full recipe card with complete measurements and instructions below.

• Spelt flour: these have been specifically developed with whole grain flour, but light (sifted) spelt flour can of course be substituted. You can use conventional whole wheat flour if you don’t have spelt. Other ancient grains like einkorn are also good. I haven’t tested a gluten-free alternative.
• Starch: I read a tip in BBC Good Food magazine ages ago that a little added starch helps to keep whole grain muffins soft, and it’s a method that I’ve used every once in a while for the last ten years or so. While I generally prefer not to include starches in baking, it really does make the muffins much more tender and light.
• Yogurt: pictured is soya yogurt, my preference. Any non-dairy yogurt will be fine but soya has a better protein structure which gives the muffins a better crumb than something like coconut yogurt would. Dairy yogurt can be subbed if preferred.
• Maple syrup: these are sweetened exclusively with maple syrup, and it’s an excellent combination with the berries and whole grain spelt flour. Honey can be used as a substitution but note that the muffins will be sweeter if you do use honey.
• Eggs: because the muffins are sweetened with maple syrup, they always came out very stodgy when I tried making them without eggs. I recommend trying these lemon cranberry muffins with blackberries in place of cranberries if you need a vegan or egg-free option rather than trying to omit the eggs from this recipe.
• Oil: my preference is for olive oil, but any oil that’s liquid at room temperature can be used in these muffins.
• Lemon: you’re only using the zest, to add some freshness. Try subbing the zest of an orange or grapefruit instead. Use an organic unwaxed lemon if possible.
• Blackberries: these can be fresh or frozen, with the weight difference noted in the recipe card (the volume measurement stays the same).

How to Make Blackberry Muffins

Rather than mixing the berries with flour in a separate bowl, the blackberries are mixed in with the dry ingredients before incorporating the egg mixture. This works very well but you do need to be careful not to over-mix. Use a folding technique.

Step 1: whisk the dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. If the starch, baking powder, and baking soda have any visible clumps, sift them into the mixture with a fine mesh sieve. You don’t want clumps of baking soda in the muffins.

Step 2: in a smaller bowl, whisk the eggs, then mix in the yogurt, maple syrup, oil, lemon zest, and vanilla extract. Adding the lemon zest to the wet ingredients – the fat – helps to carry the flavour through more effectively.

Related: Honey Blackberry Lemonade

Step 3: add the blueberries to the flour mixture and stir to coat. This helps prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom of the muffins while baking.

Step 4: add the egg mixture to the larger bowl and mix until just combined. Use a spatula for this step, or a wooden spoon in a pinch, and mix with a folding motion.

Step 5: divide the muffin batter equally between 12 muffin cups. I use a quick-release ice cream scoop for this but two soup spoons are just as good.

Step 6: bake until lightly golden and the top of the muffin springs back when gently pressed. These start at a higher temperature before reducing the oven temperature to finish baking. You don’t usually see this method used for my muffin recipes, and that’s because they usually don’t include eggs. When eggs are added, this hot start helps the muffins to rise more.

Expert Tips for the Best Muffins

• Don’t over-mix: if the muffin batter is mixed too long or vigorously, the muffins will be tough and chewy. Use a light hand.
• Stick to the ratios: don’t make any substitutions or changes other than those noted above, which have been tested. Reducing the maple syrup will make the muffins dry and tough, as will reducing the oil.
• Set a timer: for the total bake time, yes, but also for that first five minutes that the oven is running hotter. That way you won’t forget to turn the temperature down when needed.

More Whole Grain Muffin Recipes

• Banana Carrot Muffins – lightly sweetened with honey, made with mashed banana and grated carrots, spelt flour, and rolled oats.
• Chocolate Raspberry Muffins – with whole grain spelt flour, cocoa, and olive oil.
• Banana Blueberry Muffins – whole grain, vegan, and packed with blueberries.
• Raspberry Yogurt Muffins – these are a good vegan alternative to the blackberry muffins if you need one, with banana and spelt flour.