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!
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!
Instructions
Okay, now time for the fun part - baking! The best part is how quickly and easily these muffins come together!
- Start by getting your dry and wet ingredients mixed well in separate bowls.
- 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!
- Scoop into the muffin tins all the way full and bake for 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees Farenheight.
- 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
I personally use a pea protein powder since it's high in iron, but you can use whatever you prefer!
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!
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.
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!
Pumpkin Protein Muffins
Ingredients
- 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
- ¼ 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 around 30-35 minutes or until a knife comes out clean. Allow the muffins to rest 10 minutes after baking.
Notes
- 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.
- The batter will not be the usual muffin batter consistency - it'll be much thicker - similar to what you see in the pictures of the blog post.
- 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.
- Eat within a week if refrigerating. Otherwise, freeze them for up to 3 months. They reheat well!
- You don't have to follow the instructions 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!
- Try Trader Joe's Pumpkin Butter on the muffins for extra deliciousness!
Nutrition
(Nutrition values are calculated by third-party software and an estimate that can vary based on product brands and cooking methods.)
MJ
I literally just made these. I made a few changes, like doing the half cup of flour as a mixture of oat flour and oats, almond milk, applesauce for the oil, sugar-free syrup since I'm pre-diabetic and I stirred in some chia seeds, ground flax seeds, hemp seeds, pumpkin seeds and slivered almonds. I made them smaller and got 13. I can't wait!
Monica Nedeff
Hi MJ, those sound like fun swaps - hope you enjoyed!
Lance
Great Recipe. I make them almost every week for work.
Monica Nedeff
They are perfect for meal prep! Glad you've been able to use it for the work week, Lance!
Meg
Great recipe to make seasonal goodies slightly better for my family. I have a teen with ARFID who always needs more protein and he loooooves pumpkin. The first batch I followed the directions as listed but made a dozen muffins. Teen didn’t love them but mom and dad did. Made the next batch with a cream cheese and swerve dallop on top of each muffin hole before baking. Obviously it alters the protein content but sweetened it just enough for my teen to have two for breakfast.
Very moist and dense original recipe. All ingredients I keep in the pantry so I think these will be made more frequently.
If you are accustomed to regular muffins, these aren’t going to be sweet enough for you. If you regularly bake with protein powder, you’ll like them. I used regular whey based protein powder in vanilla ice cream and had no issues with the consistency or taste.
Monica Nedeff
Hi Meg, thank you so much for leaving such a detailed comment with your experience. I know other readers will appreciate it, and I'm so happy to hear you and your family enjoyed them!
Gen
Hi Monica
I just baked these today. They didn’t cook properly… I baked them and extra 10-15 min! Still gooey on inside! The only sub I did was 1-1 BRM gf flour. Which we use a lot and never have a problem. I’m in a new house. Oven temp maybe? All other ingredients were the same!
Monica Nedeff
Hi Gen, thank you for your comment! Oven temperatures definitely vary. I've noticed the oven I use now seems to cook things at a higher temperature than my old one. BRM is a great GF flour! I've never made these muffins with it, so hard to say if it's the combination of it with protein powder that just isn't working. I did some digging and realized I have the wrong measurement for the milk in the recipe card. It's not a drastric difference but try reducing it to 1/4 cup (the recipe now reflects it). Hope this helps!
Amber
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 🍁
Monica Nedeff
So happy to hear you're enjoying the muffins! Thanks for sharing your feedback and rating, Amber!
Ashley
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 😋
Monica Nedeff
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!
Anna
H can I substitute agave for the honey?
Monica Nedeff
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!
Jan
Good idea! Excited to try this out! Thank you so much!
Jan
Would love to try these! What would you recommend for substitute for the honey? Can I use brown sugar? Equal amounts?
Monica Nedeff
Hi Jan! Since brown sugar isn't a liquid it might change the texture. I would recommend using maple syrup instead!
Jan
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!
Monica Nedeff
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!
Mel
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
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!
Isabel
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
Monica Nedeff
Hi Isabel! Glad you and your family enjoyed them! That is interesting they took close to 45mins to bake. Did you substitute any ingredients?
Isabel
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!
Monica Nedeff
Aww good – happy to hear it!
Stephanie Jones
can I substitute for a different flour? never baked with wheat flour so was wondering if it's possible? thanks
Monica Nedeff
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.
Michele
These are so yummy! A great way to start my morning! Is the nutritional information for 1 muffin?
Monica Nedeff
Hi Michele! Thanks for your rating and comment – so glad you enjoyed them! Yes, the nutritional information is for 1 of the 9 muffins.
Rachel
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.
Monica Nedeff
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!