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    Home » Recipes » Snacks

    Healthy Pumpkin Protein Muffins

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    whole wheat protein pumpkin muffins pin
    pumpkin protein muffin pin
    healthy pumpkin protein muffin pin

    These fluffy and soft Pumpkin Protein Muffins are a delicious fall breakfast or snack on-the-go. Packed with 8 grams of protein from whole wheat flour, Greek yogurt and vanilla protein powder. Plus, all the pumpkin flavor!

    two muffins stacked on top of each other on a baking rack

    I love baked goods during the cooler months. Hello, banana bread and ginger snap cookies!

    We have a pumpkin bread recipe we make on repeat in the fall, so I decided to create a pumpkin muffin recipe to change it up! These muffins are not only full of pumpkin flavor but also pack a nutritional punch.

    They're high in protein, making them a great grab on-the-go snack or complete a healthy fall-themed breakfast!

    Jump to:
    Instructions
    Serving Suggestions
    Recipe Tips and FAQs
    Pumpkin Protein Muffins

    Instructions

    Okay, now time for the fun part - baking! The best part is how quickly and easily these muffins come together!

    collage of making the pumpkin protein batter for the muffin tins
    1. Start by getting your dry and wet ingredients mixed well in separate bowls.
    2. Form a well in the dry ingredient bowl and pour the wet ingredients into it. Fold the ingredients together until you get your pumpkin muffin batter! Do your best to not overmix the batter. Otherwise, the muffins will be tough!
    3. Scoop into the muffin tins all the way full and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees Farenheight.
    4. The hardest part is letting them cool, but you definitely want to so that the center of the muffin sets - they're so soft!

    Serving Suggestions

    If having these muffins as breakfast, try paring them with cottage cheese, yogurt or fruit.

    I LOVE Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter. Oh my it's just one of those things I wait for to be restocked.......in fact I went to Trader Joe's on the first day of fall just to snag one of these guys! So worth it! Pumpkin butter on these healthy pumpkin muffins is just divine - an absolute must-try!

    Recipe Tips and FAQs

    What type of protein powder can I use?

    I personally use a pea protein powder since it's high in iron, but you can use whatever you prefer!

    How can I get my muffins to rise for maximum fluffiness?

    Important question! Here's the key: don't let the batter sit. Once you mix the wet into the dry ingredients, quickly get the muffins in the oven. This allows the baking soda to do its best magic aka muffin fluffin' time!

    Can you freeze the muffins?

    Yes, absolutely! I love to make a bunch at once and pull them out of the freezer as I go through them. They heat up well in the microwave.

    What can I do with the leftover pumpkin puree?

    You can refrigerate it or freeze it to use later. Freezing it in dollops is great when you want to add just a little to a sauce or smoothie. You can also check out my recipes Pumpkin Bisquick Pancakes and Pumpkin Spice Kefir Smoothie for more fall foodie inspo!

    bite taken out of a muffin resting face up on top of other muffins
    two muffins stacked on top of each other on a baking rack

    Pumpkin Protein Muffins

    When you need a snack to grab on the go or an easy breakfast, these pumpkin muffins are a great option! Full of plant-based protein and spiced fall flavor!
    4.60 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Prep Time: 10 minutes
    Cook Time: 20 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 9 muffins
    Author: Monica Nedeff
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    Ingredients
     
    US Customary - Metric
     

    • 1.5 cups whole wheat flour
    • ½ cup vanilla protein powder
    • 1.5 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
    • ½ teaspoon baking soda
    • ½ teaspoon salt
    • 15oz canned pumpkin
    • ½ cup milk
    • ½ cup Greek yogurt
    • ¼ cup avocado oil
    • ½ cup honey
    • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

    Instructions

    • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
    • Add the dry ingredients in a bowl: whole wheat four, protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda and salt and mix well. In a separate add the remaining wet ingredients: milk, canned pumpkin, Greek yogurt, avocado oil, honey and vanilla extract and mix well.
    • Create a well in the dry ingredients to pour the wet mixture into and mix together with a whisk or spoon being careful to not over mix. Overmixing will cause tough muffins.
    • Fill 9 muffin tins all the way full and bake for 20-23 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.

    Notes

    1. Try to get the batter in the muffin tins as soon as possible once the batter is mixed to allow the baking soda to do its best work in leavening the muffins.
    2. You can use any protein powder you prefer. I use a pea protein powder. If you don't like the chalky taste of most protein powders, try a collagen powder since they tend to have no flavor.
    3. Eat within a week if refrigerating. Otherwise, freeze them for up to 3 months. They reheat well!
    4. You don't have to follow the instruction for making 9 muffins. You can definitely break the batter up into a dozen muffins, but to get 8g of protein per muffin, you'll need to pour the batter for 9 muffins exactly. So, if protein matters to you then go for 9; otherwise, don't worry about it! 
    5. Try Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter on the muffins for extra deliciousness!

    Nutrition

    Calories: 222kcal | Carbohydrates: 33g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 14mg | Sodium: 218mg | Potassium: 137mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 17g | Vitamin A: 297IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 1mg

    (Nutrition values are calculated by third-party software and an estimate that can vary based on product brands and cooking methods.)

    Course: Breakfast, Snack
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: pumpkin protein muffins, healthy pumpkin muffins, whole wheat pumpkin muffins, pumpkin muffins with yogurt
    Tried this recipe? I love seeing your creations!Mention @monicanedeff.rdn or tag #monicanedeff so I can share them with the community!
    « Bisquick Pumpkin Pancakes
    Vegan Butternut Squash Carrot Ginger Soup »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Amber

      October 08, 2022 at 7:49 am

      5 stars
      These were great! For my Greek yogurt I used the Oikos Vanilla Triple Zero and it turned out great! Having this with my morning pumpkin spice coffee to really get into the fall feel 🍁

      Reply
      • Monica Nedeff

        October 09, 2022 at 5:41 pm

        So happy to hear you're enjoying the muffins! Thanks for sharing your feedback and rating, Amber!

        Reply
    2. Ashley

      October 01, 2022 at 11:17 am

      5 stars
      So, so yummy!! I used applesauce instead of oil. I also sprinkled a few pecan pieces on each muffin before baking. Can’t get enough of these 😋

      Reply
      • Monica Nedeff

        October 01, 2022 at 1:01 pm

        Thank you so much for your comment and rating, Ashely! Love the addition of pecans on top. I actually just made a batch myself today and will have to add some pecans next time!

        Reply
    3. Anna

      September 25, 2022 at 8:50 am

      H can I substitute agave for the honey?

      Reply
      • Monica Nedeff

        September 25, 2022 at 10:09 am

        Yes, I don't see why not! I haven't made them with agave so I can't say from experience, but I think you should be good since they're similar in level of sweetness. Agave is just a little bit thinner but not too much, so I'd do a 1:1 substitution. Enjoy!

        Reply
    4. Jan

      May 27, 2022 at 6:48 am

      Good idea! Excited to try this out! Thank you so much!

      Reply
    5. Jan

      May 26, 2022 at 8:07 pm

      Would love to try these! What would you recommend for substitute for the honey? Can I use brown sugar? Equal amounts?

      Reply
      • Monica Nedeff

        May 26, 2022 at 8:23 pm

        Hi Jan! Since brown sugar isn't a liquid it might change the texture. I would recommend using maple syrup instead!

        Reply
        • Jan

          May 26, 2022 at 8:36 pm

          Thank you for such a quick response! I will be post transplant and I know honey is not recommended. I can't find info on the maple syrup but thinking it may be like honey. If I use brown sugar, maybe I can increase one of the liquids by a little? I appreciate any suggestions? I'm excited to try these for the high protein!

          Reply
          • Monica Nedeff

            May 26, 2022 at 8:54 pm

            Oh, I completely understand! Maybe try heating the brown sugar in some water in a saucepan until you get the consistency of honey, and then substitute it at a 1:1 ratio. I think that would be your best bet with trying to judge how much water to add. I hope this helps and wishing you a fast recovery!

            Reply
            • Mel

              October 02, 2022 at 10:15 pm

              Mine didn’t turn out the greatest. Were still goey in the middle, tried baking for 30mins and didn’t seem to help too much. They have a strange after taste as well. I’ve never baked with whole wheat flour so maybe I’m just new to the taste….

            • Monica Nedeff

              October 03, 2022 at 5:39 pm

              Hi Mel, I'm sorry to hear they didn't turn out the best. Ovens definitely vary in temperature but sounds like they definitely needed more time or a higher temperature. You could try 400 degrees and see if that works better. Regarding the taste, it could be the whole wheat flour if it's a new taste for you, but I'm wondering if the after-taste is coming from the protein powder. I know I can taste a bit of the protein powder in them....it's not strong but just a bit noticeable, which is why I like doing a vanilla one. Hope they come out better next time!

    6. Isabel

      May 05, 2022 at 10:20 am

      4 stars
      Nice taste. Added some mini chocolate chips to entice the tiny humans! Took waaaaay longer than expected cook time. Closer to 45 and still kind of gooey so not sure if I messed up somewhere. Will try again and see how it goes

      Reply
      • Monica Nedeff

        May 07, 2022 at 10:26 am

        Hi Isabel! Glad you and your family enjoyed them! That is interesting they took close to 45mins to bake. Did you substitute any ingredients?

        Reply
        • Isabel

          May 09, 2022 at 11:21 pm

          Only coconut oil for avocado oil and oat milk for regular milk. Going to try them again tonight and see what happens. The kiddos really loved them so still calling it a win!

          Reply
          • Monica Nedeff

            May 11, 2022 at 9:34 pm

            Aww good – happy to hear it!

            Reply
        • Stephanie Jones

          December 12, 2022 at 7:04 am

          can I substitute for a different flour? never baked with wheat flour so was wondering if it's possible? thanks

          Reply
          • Monica Nedeff

            December 17, 2022 at 3:16 pm

            I've never baked them using a different flour, so I can't say for sure. If you substitute the whole wheat with all purpose flour you may get a different texture or need to reduce the liquid a bit. The nutrition information will be different, so less fiber and protein but I'd say go for it and experiment! You just may need to adjust the ratio a bit.

            Reply
    7. Michele

      February 27, 2022 at 12:42 pm

      5 stars
      These are so yummy! A great way to start my morning! Is the nutritional information for 1 muffin?

      Reply
      • Monica Nedeff

        February 27, 2022 at 5:00 pm

        Hi Michele! Thanks for your rating and comment – so glad you enjoyed them! Yes, the nutritional information is for 1 of the 9 muffins.

        Reply
    8. Rachel

      February 17, 2022 at 1:00 pm

      4 stars
      Good texture and I like the addition of yogurt and protein. I also like the amount of pumpkin. I made mini muffins for my toddler. My husband said they weren't sweet enough, but he's comparing to fattening sugar filled muffins from a bakery. I'm happy with this recipe.

      Reply
      • Monica Nedeff

        February 17, 2022 at 2:48 pm

        Yeah, these are more "healthy" muffins, so not as sweet as typical bakery ones! Glad to hear you all enjoyed them, thank you for sharing!

        Reply

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    Hello! I'm Monica - a registered dietitian nutritionist, solo female traveler and recipe developer helping you eat healthy on the go while empowering you to nourish your body, mind and soul!

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