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This recipe for protein muffins will be your new favorite use of protein powder! No eggs, refined sugar, or grains are needed, each muffin has 20 grams of protein!
Love high protein desserts? Try my protein brownies, protein mug cake, protein banana bread, and protein cookie dough.
Stop buying expensive pre-packaged high protein muffins from health food stores and start making your own! Adding protein powder to muffins is my sneaky and healthy way to get more protein into my diet, and it also keeps me satisfied for way longer. Win!
My foolproof recipe uses wholesome and simple ingredients, and it’s also affordable…they also taste delicious!
Table of Contents
Why I love this recipe
- Perfect texture. Moist and fluffy, and taste like any good muffin out there.
- 5 healthy ingredients. No white flour or sugar. There aren’t any eggs either, so perfect if you are vegan and/or gluten-free.
- 20 grams of protein. These are perfect for a high-protein snack or guilt-free dessert.
- It’s easy to customize. Think of my muffin batter as a blank slate on which you can change up the flavors. I’ve included a few of my favorites below.
★★★★★ REVIEW
“OH!! Best protein muffin I’ve made! Yum, thanks!” – Eliane
Ingredients needed
- Almond flour. Blanched almond flour, not almond meal. Using the blanched variety ensures the muffins have a lovely light and tender crumb.
- Baking powder. Just a pinch to help the muffins rise (as much as they can do) and give the muffins some stability.
- Protein powder. Brown rice protein powder, casein protein powder, or a whey protein powder blend. Do NOT use a strict whey protein powder or else your muffins will turn into hockey pucks.
- Peanut butter OR alternative. Smooth and creamy peanut butter with no added sugar. Use a cheap store-bought brand, like Skippy’s or Teddy’s peanut butter, because these are naturally thinner and mix seamlessly into the batter.
- Unsweetened applesauce. Adds some moisture to the muffins without needing any oil or butter. You can also use Greek yogurt.
- Chocolate chips. A must for any good muffin. Use sugar free chocolate chips to keep these muffins completely sugar free.
How to make protein muffins
I’ve included step-by-step photos below to make this recipe easy to follow at home. For the full printable recipe instructions and ingredient quantities, scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step 1- Make the batter. Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl and whisk together. Add the peanut butter and unsweetened applesauce and mix until completely combined. Fold through the chocolate chips at the end.
Step 2- Bake. Distribute the batter amongst 8 large muffin liners in a muffin pan (or 12 in a mini muffin tin) and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean.
Which protein powder is best for baking?
No protein powder is created equal, and as such, some protein powders are fantastic for baking, and some are best to be used strictly for protein shakes.
The best protein powders to use are either brown rice protein powder, casein protein powder (not dairy-free), or a blended whey protein powder. Stick to either an unflavored or vanilla-flavored powder.
Avoid using whey protein isolate or natural whey protein powder, as these two tend to soak up moisture and will yield very dense muffins.
Arman’s recipe tips
- Do not overbake the muffins, as they can go from fluffy to dense VERY fast. Once they are ‘just’ done on top, remove them from the oven, and they will continue to cook as they cool.
- If you notice the tops of muffins going brown too soon, cover them with tin foil after the 8-minute mark.
- Feel free to swap out the chocolate chips for other mix-ins, like blueberries, chopped chocolate, or even some chopped nuts.
Flavor variations
While these protein muffins taste delicious on their own, I’ve tested the batter with five popular flavors to switch things up for you!
- Peanut butter– Be sure to use peanut butter and add some peanut butter chips on top.
- Banana– Replace the unsweetened applesauce with equal amounts of pureed banana (just blend several bananas!).
- Chocolate– Use chocolate protein powder and fold through half a cup of chocolate chips.
- Pumpkin– Switch out the unsweetened applesauce for pumpkin puree.
- Blueberry– Fold through half a cup of fresh or frozen blueberries.
Storage instructions
To store: Leftovers can be stored in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
To freeze: Place leftovers in a freezer bag and store them in the freezer for up to 6 months.
More protein powder recipes to try
Protein Muffins (5 Ingredients!)
Video
Ingredients
- 2 scoops vanilla protein powder 64-67 grams
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 cup almond flour
- 1/2 cup peanut butter or any nut or seed butter
- 1 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Line a muffin tin with 8 muffin liners and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your protein powder, almond flour, and baking powder, and mix well. Add your peanut butter and unsweetened applesauce and mix until fully combined. Fold through your chocolate chips.
- Divide the batter amongst the muffin liners and bake for 10-12 minutes, or until a skewer comes out mostly clean. If you notice the tops browning too quickly, cover it with tinfoil around the 8 minute mark.
- Remove the muffins from the oven and allow them to cool for 5 minutes, before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Nutrition
Originally published February 2017, updated 2021, and republished April 2024
These are my favorite protein muffins ever. Super moist and fluffy!
Just made a second batch of these! They are so good!
So glad to hear that!
I’d love to try these, they look simple and tasty. Can I substitute bananas for the applesauce? And if yes, 1 for 1 or do you suggest a different ratio?
Can I use egg white protein powder instead of regular protein powder?
These were so tasty!!
GM! Has anyone here tried using something other than (or in addition to) protein powder? I have a protein powder, but it has a funny taste. I was thinking I might use a scoop of that and a scoop of something else. Not sure what to try–maybe hemp hearts or coconut flakes or flaxmeal. Anyone have any bright ideas? I need a better protein powder that doesn’t have a funny taste. Seems like the pea based ones have a weird taste. Mil gracias~
These were the absolute best protein muffins recipe I’ve ever made- They don’t taste dry at all and bake easily.
I have made these numerous times now and love them. They are filling and yummy… thanks for sharing.
Can you make these muffins with blueberries instead of chocolate chips?
I made them with chocolate chips and they are delicious!!
Thank you for the recipe.
Absolutely!!!
Simple and tasty. Just perfect!
Will peanut butter powder work in place of the regular peanut butter?
You could try!
Can i add pwodered peanut butter along with the creamy peanut butter? If so, how much for this recipe?
Any idea the change in carbs when using all purpose flower instead of almond?
Can I use PBfit peanut butter powder instead of regular peanut butter? If so, do I add water or just add it without water?
No Idea- haven’t tried with that.
I finally made one of your recipes! ❤️
I used whey casein protein and the muffins were awesome!