Double Blueberry Walnut Muffins

Ben and I are huge yogurt fans. Every week, without fail, our grocery cart contains at least 10 cartons of yogurt [one for each lunch of the work week plus a big tub or two for smoothies or eating at home]… some Greek, some regular, some fruity, some plain or vanilla… whatever I’m in the mood for or whatever is on sale. For awhile I was making my own yogurt in the crockpot, but then grad school began consuming my life too much and making yogurt plummeted on my priority list. There are just too many good storebought brands, right? I look forward to the yogurt in my lunch everyday…it’s my dessert of sorts.

Even though yogurt is something I love a ton, one thing that I don’t do enough of with it is baking! Yogurt is a great ingredient to bake with because it makes muffins and even cakes incredibly pillowy, light, and soft for a fraction of the fat and calories of butter or oil. The inclusion of Liberté Blueberry Greek Yogurt is the secret ingredient in these yummy Double Blueberry Walnut Muffins, and the reason [in my humble opinion] why they are so, so, so good… sweet, hardy, and soft. Perfect trifecta for muffins, I think!

If you’ve never tried Liberté Greek and Méditerranée yogurt before, you should definitely check it out. Ben and I had tried it once or twice before I received a BzzKit from BzzAgent, but after eating this yogurt in place of our normal brands for a week, I think I’m going to become a loyal Liberté fan! The Coconut Méditerranée is amazing! Here’s some info about the yogurt… then I’ll get back to the muffins!

Liberté is not just made. It is crafted, by hand, to be the absolute best. In true artisan fashion, Liberté Méditerranée yogurt is made using whole milk and cream to achieve a silky texture in seven different rich, deep flavors. The six flavors of Liberté Greek yogurt are hand nurtured using skim milk to create a smooth, creamy, protein-rich yogurt that’s perfectly balanced and (surprise!) fat free. Each Liberté variety is punctuated with real fruit to up the taste even more in these natural, indulgent treats.

Liberté is new to the US yogurt scene, but has a long history in Canada so I found a recipe for Raspberry Coconut Muffins on their website and modified it based on what I had on hand. I was so pleased with these muffins that they might become my basis for other yogurt muffins in the future! You can definitely modify this recipe based on the fruit, yogurt, and nuts of your choice. I usually don’t add nuts to muffins, but the toasted walnuts in these were excellent. When I baked them last Sunday afternoon, they made my whole kitchen smell absolutely divine, and then they stayed fresh all week long for a lunchbox addition. Yum-o! Can’t wait to make some more. Hope you enjoy! 🙂

Double Blueberry Walnut Muffins [adapted from Liberté]
click to print

Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts
1/4 cup canola oil
2 eggs
1 carton Liberté Blueberry Greek Yogurt [5.3 ounces]
2/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup blueberries [fresh or frozen]

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place walnuts on a cookie sheet and toast in preheated oven for 8-10 minutes, stirring halfway through. Watch carefully to make sure they don’t burn! Set aside to cool, then increase oven temperature to 400 degrees. Line muffin tins with paper liners or grease with cooking spray.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, eggs, yogurt, milk, and vanilla. In a larger bowl, stir together flours, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Fold wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, stirring until just moistened.

Chop cooled walnuts, then gently fold walnuts and blueberries into batter. Spoon into muffin cups, filling 2/3 of the way. Bake for 14-16 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Time: 40 minutes.

Yield: 16 muffins.

Disclosure: I am a BzzAgent and received free coupons to try out Liberté. All opinons are my own. Thanks to BzzAgent and Liberté for a great experience!