Blueberry Protein Muffins Recipe
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Blueberry protein muffins are a kid-friendly, grab-n-go breakfast or afternoon snack. This recipe is quick and easy to make, and the muffins freeze well, so it’s a great meal prep idea, too!
Cottage cheese is having a moment. My kids have always loved cottage cheese, but to be honest, it’s not usually my favorite. However… the idea of adding it to muffins for a boost of protein, I’m on board!
On my sister site, Joyfully Mad, there are tons of muffin recipes, but for this site, I wanted to make sure it had more oomph than a classic muffin recipe.
It turns out when you add cottage cheese into the base of a muffin, you get a boost of flavor, moisture, AND protein without even tasting the cottage cheese at all 😉
Why You’ll Love These Muffins
- The cottage cheese and eggs make these muffins more protein-rich compared to standard muffins. All purpose flour adds to the protein content too!
- They’re a great way to plan ahead for your week! Make a batch to meal prep for breakfast or snacks.
- No protein powder required! So many protein muffins require protein powder but that can drastically change the texture. Ours just uses natural ingredients to boost the protein content! You can add protein powder to these if you’d like, though, and we’ll teach you how below.
Happy Kitchen Secrets
Here are my important mom-tested cooking tips for making this recipe! I’ve made this countless times to save you from a failed attempt.
- Do the toothpick test. When the muffins are done, a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffins will come out mostly clean. This means the muffins are fully baked and ready to remove from the oven. You don’t want the toothpick to be DRY though or your muffins will be, too.
- Line your muffin tins. To reduce cleanup time, line your muffin tin with silicone muffin liners or paper muffin liners. If you aren’t lining, make sure to grease your muffin pan well!
- Check for color. The tops of the muffins should be golden brown when they’re done baking, giving them a lightly crisp texture while keeping the interior moist and fluffy.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
With the exception of the cottage cheese, the ingredients for this protein muffins recipe are basic pantry staples.
- Coconut oil: Using coconut oil in the recipe adds moisture and a hint of coconut flavor to the batter. Make sure the coconut oil is fully melted before adding it to the batter for even mixing. Substitute with a neutral flavor of oil, like avocado oil.
- Milk: Feel free to use whatever milk you have on hand. Full-fat milk will create a richer, creamier result. 2% will create a lighter muffin. I don’t recommend using fat-free milk, as the blueberry muffins will be very dry.
- Cottage cheese: To make this recipe dairy free, you can use a vegan cottage cheese. It will bake similarly to regular cottage cheese.
- Blueberries: You can use fresh blueberries or frozen blueberries for this recipe. No need to defrost first, you can use them frozen.
Using room temperature ingredients will help the batter come together better. Take the eggs and cottage cheese out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you start making the recipe.
Recipe Variations
Gluten free muffins: If you would like to make this recipe gluten free, I recommend using a 1:1 gluten free flour blend.
Protein powder: You can substitute some of the flour with vanilla protein powder or pea protein. Replace 1/4 to 1/3 cup of the flour with protein powder. Depending on the type of protein powder you use, you may need to adjust the liquid content slightly. If the batter seems too thick, add a tablespoon or more of extra milk to reach the desired consistency.
Different fruit: You can try other fruit in this recipe, like raspberries or blackberries. Strawberries would work too but tend to not have the same sweetness when baked as other fruit.
How to Make Blueberry Protein Muffins
- Preheat oven to 375º and line a muffin tin with liners or spray. In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, coconut oil, milk and vanilla until combined.
- Add in eggs and cottage cheese and whisk again until combined.
Note: If you want to make the cottage cheese less clumpy in your batter, blend it real quick before adding it to the rest of the ingredients for a more yogurt-like consistency.
- In a separate, larger bowl whisk together dry ingredients (reserving 1 teaspoon of flour).
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until just combined (be sure not to overmix or you will end up with dense muffins!)
- Toss blueberries in remaining tablespoon of flour, then fold in blueberries to muffin batter. The batter will be thick!
- Scoop about ¼ cup of batter into each muffin tin and bake for 22-24 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and bounce back when gently pressed.
Allow to cool in muffin tin for 3-4 minutes before removing from muffin tin and cooling completely on cooling rack.
What to Serve with Blueberry Protein Muffins
While these muffins can be a great full meal on their own, they're great paired with the following suggestions:
I love serving Greek yogurt alongside the muffins for extra protein!
Serve them with your favorite morning drink, like a strawberry pineapple smoothie or this mango banana smoothie.
You can also pair your muffins with some crisp air fryer bacon!
FAQ
Allow the muffins to cool completely. Then, place the blueberry muffins in an airtight container and store them at room temperature for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Absolutely! You can make the muffins ahead of time and store them in an airtight container. For longer storage, freeze the muffins and thaw them as needed for a quick breakfast or snack.
Muffins freeze beautifully. To freeze, allow them to cool completely, then wrap them individually in plastic wrap or place them in a freezer bag, removing as much air as possible. They can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months. To thaw, pop them in the microwave for 20-30 seconds or until fully defrosted.
If you make this recipe, please give it a star rating and leave a comment below to let me know how it went!
Blueberry Protein Muffins Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup brown sugar or coconut sugar
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 ½ cup all purpose flour + 1 teaspoon reserved
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup blueberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375º and line a muffin tin with liners or spray.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, coconut oil, milk and vanilla until combined. Add in eggs and cottage cheese and whisk again until combined.
- In a separate, larger bowl whisk together dry ingredients (reserving 1 tablespoon of flour).
- Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until just combined (be sure not to overmix or you will end up with dense muffins!)
- Toss blueberries in remaining tablespoon of flour, then fold in blueberries to muffin batter. The batter will be thick!
- Scoop about ¼ cup of batter into each muffin tin and bake for 22-24 minutes, until the tops are golden brown and bounce back when gently pressed.
- Allow to cool in muffin tin for 3-4 minutes before removing from muffin tin and cooling completely on cooling rack.
Hi, can I use white sugar?
Hey Vronnie! Yes, you can definitely use white sugar instead of brown sugar in this recipe. The muffins will turn out just fine! Brown sugar adds a bit more moisture and a slightly deeper flavor, but white sugar will work great too. Use the same amount and bake as directed. Let me know how they turn out!Retry