Protein Muffins (MOIST & FLUFFY, 13.9g Protein!)

Name: Protein Muffins
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 3 large eggs (room temperature); 3/4 cup cottage cheese (160g); 1/3 cup butter (melted and cooled, 80g); 1 tbsp lemon juice (12g); 1 tsp vanilla extract; 1.25 cups almond flour (125g, I used ground almonds); 1/2 cup whey protein powder (50g); ⅓ cup granulated sweetener (60g); 1/2 tbsp baking powder; lemon zest (grated from 1 lemon, 2 tsp); ½ cup fresh blueberries (70g)

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My high protein muffins are light, fluffy and packed with 13.9g of protein each. Made with whey protein powder, cottage cheese and juicy blueberries, they are naturally gluten-free, sugar free and low carb. Ready in just 25 minutes!

A protein muffin with blueberries and more muffins in the background.

I am so proud of this high protein muffin recipe!

I tested several versions of these protein powder muffins until they turned out moist and fluffy, just the way I like them. The crumb is vanilla-flavored with a hint of fragrant lemon. They taste just like proper muffins.

They have become one of my go-to healthy breakfasts and keep me satisfied until lunch.

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Katrin's Recipe Highlights
Baking With Protein Powder
Ingredients
Instructions
Recipe
Variations
Substitutions
Recipe FAQs
Storage
More High Protein Recipes

Katrin's Recipe Highlights

Protein Power - By using eggs, whey protein powder AND cottage cheese, one regular-sized muffin contains 13.9 grams of protein. If you use a mini muffin pan, one muffin still has a generous 9.3 grams of protein.

Light & Fluffy - I whip the eggs until they double in volume. This adds air to the batter and makes the muffin crumb light and fluffy.

Moist, not dry - I figured out the IDEAL ratio of protein powder versus wet ingedients, so the muffins texture is SPOT ON. Even after a day in the fridge they are still lovely and moist.

Low Carb - The recipe is gluten-free, sugar free and keto friendly with only 3.3g net carbs per muffin.

Baking With Protein Powder

Adding protein powder to low carb bakes creates a delicate crumb texture that is similar to wheat recipes. I often use small amounts of protein powder in low carb cakes and breads to achieve that finer texture.

Since this is a dedicated protein muffin recipe, I use as much protein powder as possible instead of regular flour (in my case, almond flour).

BUT!! Protein powder isn't a direct replacement for flour. Especially whey protein absorbs a lot of moisture, and too much can make muffins dry or rubbery.

How I Keep These Muffins Moist

In this recipe, I balance the ½ cup of whey protein with cottage cheese, eggs and butter. Cottage cheese adds moisture as well as extra protein, while the butter keeps the crumb tender.

Ingredients

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Dry Ingredients

Almond Flour - I used what we here in the UK call ground almonds. It's the same as regular almond flour in the US. Reduce by 2 tablespoons if using super-fine almond flour.
Protein Powder - I used Pulsin unflavoured whey protein powder.
Sweetener - Any 1:1 sugar substitute will work for muffins. I used an erythritol monk fruit sweetener blend by Lakanto. You could also go for Bocha Sweet or allulose.
Baking Powder - Always check that baking powder is fresh so the muffins become nice and fluffy.

Wet Ingredients

Cottage Cheese - Both large curd or small curd cottage cheese are good here. I recommend cottage cheese with a fat content of at least 2%-4% for a moist and rich texture. Fat free cottage cheese is too watery.
Eggs - I always use large eggs in my recipes, this one included. Make sure they are room temperature. This is important for a good rise.
Butter - Unsalted, melted and cooled or very, very soft.
Flavor: Fresh blueberries, lemon and vanilla. Don't miss out on the lemon zest, it really lifts the taste. Use frozen blueberries straight from frozen rather than thawing them first. Thawed berries are softer and release juice into the batter, which discolors the crumb.

Which Protein Powder is Best?

Whey Protein Isolate - Recommended. It has a creamy flavor and is what I developed the recipe with. With whey protein, the muffins will have a beautifully fine, fluffy crumb.
Egg White Protein - tested alternative. Works well in terms of texture, but lacks in flavor. Add another ½ teaspoon of vanilla extract to compensate.
Pea or Hemp Protein - tested alternatives. Both have a distinctly pulsey / nutty taste, which gives the muffins a rustic "wholemeal" flavor.

Can I use Collagen Protein Powder? - Don't use this. Collagen makes these muffins too soft. You'd need change the entire recipe and use less wet ingredients.

Instructions

It is simple to make protein muffins. Here are the basic steps.

Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed method, nutrition details and ingredient amounts.

Whisked eggs in a mixing bowl and an electric blender.

STEP 1

In a large mixing bowl, or in a food processor, blend the eggs until they are frothy and have doubled in size.

All wet ingredients mixed in a large mixing bowl.

STEP 2

Add the rest of the wet ingredients and continue blending until smooth.

Muffin batter in a large mixing bowl and a wooden spoon.

STEP 3

Now, add the dry ingredients and blend briefly until a smooth batter forms.

The batter should be thick and spoonable.

Muffin batter filled into 12 silicone cases in a muffin pan.

STEP 4

Spoon the muffin batter into a muffin pan that you have lined with either paper cases or silicone cases. (This is a mini muffin pan. A regular muffin pan yields 8 muffins.)

Fresh blueberries, pressed into the muffin batter in a muffin pan.

STEP 5

Add the blueberries, pressing some into the batter and leaving some on the top.

12 baked blueberry muffins in a muffin pan.

STEP 6

Bake the muffins in the preheated oven until golden.

Katrin's Top Tips

Whip the eggs properly. Whip for around 2 minutes until the eggs have doubled in volume and the air bubbles are small and sturdy. This makes the crumb texture light and airy.
Don't overmix after adding the protein powder. Only mix until smooth. Overmixing can cause the batter to deflate.
Check batter consistency. It your batter looks noticeably thicker than mine, your protein powder may be more absorbent. This can happen with casein protein powder, for example. Add almond milk by the teaspoon to loosen.
Test for doneness. Start checking the muffins towards the end of the baking time. The muffins are ready as soon as they are lightly golden around the edges and the top springs back when you press on it.

Don't be tempted to over-bake. Protein powder muffins become dry when they stay in the oven too long, even if it's just a few minutes. They continue to firm up as they cool.

Recipe

Variations

Chocolate protein muffins: Replace 4 tablespoons of almond flour with unsweetened cocoa powder. Increase the sweetener to ½ cup and substitute the lemon with almond milk.

(Or, try my chocolate protein muffins. They have 12.1g of protein without protein powder!)

Chocolate Chip - Use ¼ cup of chocolate chips instead of the blueberries and replace the lemon with milk of your choice.

Mixed Berry - Instead of blueberries, try chopped strawberries, blackberries or raspberries.

Substitutions

No cottage cheese: Greek yogurt or sour cream are the best alternatives to cottage cheese.

Nut free: For a nut free version, try a blend of sunflower seed flour and sesame seed flour. I have not tested coconut flour in this recipe. It absorbs about 3x more moisture than almond flour, so it would not be a 1:1 swap.

Recipe FAQs

What do these protein muffins taste like?

They taste a little bit like a fluffy cheesecake! You can taste the tangy freshness of the cottage cheese, which is lifted even more by the addition of lemon juice and zest.

Can I use flavored protein powder?

Yes. Vanilla protein powder works especially well. Keep in mind that flavored protein powders are often sweetened, so reduce the sweetener to taste.

Storage

Store at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days. I always wait until the muffins have cooled fully and then put them in an airtight container.

Protein muffins freeze well and stay fresh in the freezer for up to 3 months. I like to make a double batch of the recipe and freeze. This way I have breakfast ready for the week!

More High Protein Recipes

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Comments

5 from 19 votes

Protein Muffins

Katrin's Recipe Highlights