My high protein muffins are the most delicious way to use protein powder! They have a fluffy crumb, oodles of flavor and are ready in just 20 minutes. These gluten free, keto friendly muffins are my new favourite healthy breakfast.
This is my first high protein muffin recipe. And I am so pleased with it!
By using eggs, whey protein powder AND cottage cheese, one regular-sized muffin contains 14 grams of protein. If you use a mini muffin pan, one muffin still has a generous 10 grams of protein.
I tested several versions of the recipe until the muffins turned out super tasty and fluffy, just the way I like it.
My protein powder muffins are a delicious and nutritious way to start the day and will give you energy until lunch.
Of course, the recipe is also gluten-free, sugar free and keto friendly.
Also try my chocolate protein muffins!
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Baking With Protein Powder
I have been baking with protein powder ever since I started my website over 8 years ago. Adding protein powder to low carb bakes creates a delicate crumb texture that is similar to wheat recipes.
Until now, I have been using protein powder in cakes and breads simply to achieve that finer texture. You can do this by adding just a little protein powder.
This is my first dedicated protein muffin recipe, where I use as much protein powder as possible instead of regular flour (in my case, almond flour).
Here is what I found:
Whey protein powder is very different to regular flour. It absorbs a lot of moisture. I had to balance it by increasing the wet ingredients in my recipe. You also need to use more fat so the muffins don't turn out dry.
I paired the protein powder with cottage cheese, which is also a high protein ingredient. That's why the muffins taste like the lovechild of an almond flour muffin and an extra fluffy, fresh cheesecake.
I guess you could also call them protein cottage cheese muffins!
Ingredients
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Dry Ingredients
- Almond Flour - I used ground almonds, which is the same as regular almond flour in the US. Reduce by 2 tablespoons if using super-fine almond flour.
- Protein Powder - My go-to is 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.
- 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.
- Flavour: Fresh blueberries, lemon and vanilla. Don't miss out on the lemon zest, it really lifts the taste. Use frozen blueberries straight from frozen.
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.
STEP 1
In a large mixing bowl, or in a food processor, blend the eggs until they are frothy and have doubled in size.
STEP 2
Add the rest of the wet ingredients and continue blending until smooth.
STEP 3
Now, add the dry ingredients and blend briefly until a smooth batter forms.
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.)
STEP 5
Add the blueberries, pressing some into the batter and leaving some on the top.
STEP 6
Bake the muffins in the preheated oven until golden on top.
Katrin's Top Tip
Don't be tempted to over-bake. Protein powder muffins become dry when they stay in the oven for too long.
Chocolate Protein Muffins
Here is how you can make a chocolate version of my protein muffins: Replace 4 tablespoons of almond flour with unsweetened cocoa powder.
Also, increase the sweetener to ½ cup and substitute the lemon with almond milk. Of course, use chocolate chips instead of the blueberries!
Side note - try my chocolate protein pudding as well!
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 tried a coconut flour version this recipe. My guess is that you would need only ⅓ cup of coconut flour and also an additional egg. Once I test it, I'll publish a dedicated coconut protein muffin recipe.
Add-ins: Instead of blueberries, try other berries such as chopped strawberries, blackberries or raspberries.
Recipe FAQs
I find that adding more protein to my diet gives me energy and also makes me feel fuller for longer. Protein muffins are a delicious alternative to scrambled eggs or omelettes in the morning.
They taste a little bit like a fluffy cheesecake! This is because they are protein cottage cheese muffins. You can taste the tangy freshness of the cottage cheese, which is lifted even more by the addition of lemon juice and zest.
I developed this recipe for whey protein powder. It should also work well with pea protein powder, egg white protein powder and hemp protein powder. Do not try it with collagen powder, this does not taste good.
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
- Protein Fluff3 Minutes
- Protein Banana Bread1 Hours
- Low Carb Protein Bars Recipe30 Minutes
- Blended Cottage Cheese2 Minutes
Tried this recipe? Give it a star rating below!
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Recipe
Protein Muffins
from Sugar Free LondonerNote: The servings slider only changes the first amount in each line and not any subsequent amounts. Please make your own calculations where necessary.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- ¾ cup cottage cheese 160g
- ⅓ cup butter melted and cooled, 80g
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice 12g
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- 1.25 cups almond flour 125g, I used ground almonds
- ½ cup whey protein powder 50g
- ⅓ cup granulated sweetener 60g
- ½ tablespoon baking powder
- lemon zest grated from 1 lemon, 2 tsp
- ½ cup fresh blueberries 70g
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius / 350 Fahrenheit (electric) or 160C / 320F fan-assisted.
- Blend the eggs for 2 minutes until they are frothy and have increased in volume.
- Add the wet ingredients - cottage cheese, melted and cooled butter, lemon juice and vanilla extract - and blend until smooth.
- Then add the dry ingredients - almond flour, protein powder, baking powder, erythritol or your low carb sweetener of choice and lemon zest - and blend briefly until combined.
- Fill the batter into a muffin tray lined with paper cups (or silicone cups). The mix makes 8 regular muffins or 12 mini muffins. Add the blueberries. Push some inside the batter and leave some on top.
- Bake mini muffins for 17 minutes, regular muffins for 20 minutes or until lightly browned. Don’t overbake as protein muffin firm up as they cool and you don’t want them dry.
- Allow cool in the tray for 2 minutes, then transfer to a wire wrack to firm up.
Soraya Magalhaes-Willson
Looks very tasty. For the substitutions, are these exact exchanges for the cottage cheese?
Katrin Nürnberger
Yes, I would use the same amount.
Ann Taska
I made these protein muffins today & they are great!! I did use 3/4 cup of blueberries instead of the 1/2 cup. Next time I will use almond flavoring because I like it better in baked goods! PLEASE try her recipe as it’s a real winner!
Ann
Katrin Nürnberger
Thank you for the review. I am sure almond extract will taste fantastic in these muffins.
Allison
Every SFL recipe I have made (and I have made a lot) always turn out great. These muffins were absolutely delicious and so much so I ended up eating two, oops!
gjeanieg
I made these right away when I saw the recipe, as we are trying to increase protein. I used frozen blueberries because that's what I had. Because of that, they took a lot longer to bake. If I use frozen blueberries again, I might add a tablespoon or two of coconut flour to absorb the extra liquid. They were very tasty in any case!
Katrin Nürnberger
So happy that you enjoyed the muffins!