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These Pumpkin Protein Muffins are made in one bowl with pumpkin, almond butter, protein powder, pumpkin spice, eggs, cinnamon, and chocolate chips. They are high in protein with 9 grams per serving and are the most delicious, moist muffins! Gluten-free, dairy-free, flourless, and refined sugar-free!
Flavorful pumpkin protein muffins that are one of the best fall season treats ever! These muffins are moist, slightly sweet, and packed with protein. Great for those people looking to increase their protein intake without sacrificing treats like this one.
These pumpkin muffins are proof that healthy food can be delicious and satisfying. If you have tried these pumpkin cookies or these baked pumpkin donuts then you know what’s what when it comes to healthy delicious recipes.
This muffin recipe was inspired by these Flourless Zucchini Muffins from Eating Bird Food.
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Why you’ll love this pumpkin protein muffin recipe
- Protein-packed – 9 grams per muffin!
- Easy to make – in about 30 minutes
- Simple ingredients – pantry ingredients that you likely have.
- Healthy – gluten-free,dairy-free
- Moist and flavorful
- Best fall treat – Great for a quick breakfast, snack, or a healthy treat!
Ingredients You Will Need
- Pumpkin puree – just canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. You will need about 1 cup of pumpkin puree.
- Almond butter – creamy, drippy almond butter where the only ingredients are almonds and salt.
- Eggs – Three large eggs act as a binder for the muffins and they also add a little extra protein as well.
- Maple syrup – a natural sweetener to add a little bit of sweetness.
- Vanilla extract – Pure vanilla extract works best.
- Protein powder – vanilla whey protein powder or plant-based protein powder will work! See below for recommendations.
- Baking powder – to give the muffins volume and amazing texture.
- Spices – Pumpkin pie spice + ground cinnamon provide those warm fall flavors that also bring out the pumpkin essence.
- Salt – added to enhance the flavors
- Chocolate chips – I opted to use dark chocolate chips but any type will work, you can even use chocolate chunks.
*Check out the recipe card located at the bottom of this post for the complete list of recipe ingredients, instructions, and nutrition.
Recipe Substitutions
- Protein powder – You can use any type of vanilla protein powder in this recipe. I used Orgain, but have also used Ancient and Truvani brands. If you prefer not to use protein powder then you can use almond flour or oat flour in place of it. The muffins won’t have as much protein but they will still be delicious.
- Nut butter – I used almond butter but any creamy nut butter will work. Although I have not tried this recipe with Sun butter, it should work fine. It is important to note that if you choose not to use almond butter, that will likely alter the taste of these muffins slightly but they will still be so good!
- Eggs – If you cannot have eggs then 3 flax eggs should work in place of them, although this version has not been tested.
- Sweetener – I used real maple syrup, just a little bit to slightly sweeten the pumpkin muffins. You can leave it out, or use any preferred sweetener like munkfruit, coconut sugar, date syrup, or even brown sugar.
How to make Flourless Pumpkin Protein Muffins
Step one: Combine the wet ingredients (pumpkin, eggs, almond butter, maple syrup, vanilla) in a large mixing bowl. Add in the dry ingredients (protein powder, baking powder, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt) and mix well to form a smooth batter. Taste the batter and adjust the sweetness if needed.
Step two: Fold in the chocolate chips
Step three: Prepare a 12-cup muffin tin by filling it with 12 muffin liners, then divide and scoop batter evenly between the muffin cups, filling each one about ¾ of the way with the muffin batter
Step four: Bake the muffins in a 350°F oven on the middle rack for 25-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the muffins comes out mostly clean. Remove the muffins from the oven and press a few more chocolate chips into each muffin for that fresh bakery-style look. Let the muffins cool, and enjoy!
Recipe tips for success
- For the best results, make sure you use pumpkin puree since pumpkin pie filling will not work in this recipe.
- One of the best parts about this pumpkin muffin recipe is the fact that the batter is made all in one bowl. Make sure to combine the wet ingredients first, then add in the dry ingredients. This is essential for light and fluffy protein muffins.
- Gluten-free muffins can stick to the muffin liners, so I recommend spraying the liners with nonstick spray before you add the batter to the muffin tin.
- When filling the muffin’s cavities make sure to only fill them ¾ of the way full. This should result in 12 perfect size muffins.
- Add a few chocolate chips to the tops of each muffin once they are done for that impressive bakery-style look.
- Let the muffins cool – this is essential since the muffins will continue to cook a little bit as they cool, about 15 minutes is fine.
What is the best protein powder to use for protein muffins?
I have tried a few different protein powders. Here are the ones that I found worked best in this muffin recipe.
- KOS Vanilla Protein Powder
- Alkamind Vanillla Protein Powder
- Orgain Protein Powder
- Clean, Simple Eats – Whey Protein Powder
How to store
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days. Alternatively, these muffins also freeze nicely. To freeze: Let them cool, then place them in a freezer-safe container and freezer for up to one month. Defrost them in the refrigerator overnight and reheat them in the microwave, if desired.
More healthy muffin recipes
- Gluten-Free Cranberry Orange Muffins
- Best Healthy Zucchini Muffins –
- Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins – Gluten Free
- Healthy Apple Muffins
- Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Muffins
Did you make this pumpkin protein muffin recipe? If you did, then please leave a rating and comment below. You can also tag me on Instagram @pinchmegoodfood so I can see your creation.
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Pumpkin Protein Muffins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These Pumpkin Protein Muffins are made in one bowl with pumpkin, almond butter, protein powder, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, eggs, and chocolate chips. They are high in protein with 9 grams of protein per serving and are the most delicious, moist muffins! Gluten-free, dairy-free, and refined sugar-free!
Ingredients
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup creamy almond butter
- 3 large eggs – whisked
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ cup vanilla protein powder – I use Orgain brand
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin spice
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350° F and line a 12-cup muffin pan with muffin liners and lightly spray them with cooking spray.
- In a medium-sized mixing bowl combine the pumpkin, almond butter, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla.
- Add in the protein powder, baking powder, pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and salt and mix to combine into a smooth, thick batter.
- Add the chocolate chips and fold them into the batter.
- Evenly divide the batter between the muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. Tip: about ¼ cup of batter in each muffin cavity was a good amount.
- Bake in the middle rack of your preheated oven for 25-30 minutes, until the tops are nice and golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the middle of one of the muffins comes out mostly clean.
- Remove the muffins from the oven, let them cool for 15 minutes, and enjoy!
Notes
- Make sure you use pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling.
- Creamy, drippy almond butter or peanut butter will work best.
- For even size muffins use an ice cream scoop to fill the muffin cups with the batter.
- Once the muffins are done baking, press a few more chocolate chips into the top of each muffin for the bakery-style look.
- These muffins can be stored for up to 4 days in an airtight container. Freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to 30 days. Defrost on the counter or in the refrigerator.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Oven
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: pumpkin protein muffins, pumpkin muffins, protein muffins, muffins, pumpkin
YUM!
I made these for my preworkout snack and they are so good! I see that you write near the top that there are 77 calories per muffin, but in your nutrition info you list 159 calories per muffin. My calorie calculator says each muffin has 190 calories (but I also used full fat home made Greek yogurt).
Agree. This was disappointing.
The nutritional information is only an estimate based on the calorie calculator that I use. This information can change based on the size of the muffins and the brand/type of ingredients. I will update the post so it reflects the same amount of calorie noted in my recipe card. Thank you for making me aware of the discrepancy. I hope you still enjoyed them!