Protein Muffins

These flourless protein muffins are made with banana, almond butter and protein powder. They come together quickly in a blender and are oil-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and have 11 grams of protein in each muffin.

Lately I’ve been trying to find more creative ways to sneak in protein. And what better way than a tasty chocolate chip muffin?! Not only are these muffins packed with 11 grams of protein each, but they are seriously so quick and easy to whip up.

I was all prepared to make protein muffins with flour, but then I remembered how well almond butter works as a flour substitute like in my healthy zucchini muffins and flourless pumpkin muffins, so I ended up using almond butter as the base in this protein muffin recipe.

And let me tell ya, these muffins turned out so good — they’re so fluffy and soft and the flavor is spot on! Not only does the almond butter add extra protein, but it keeps these muffins oil-free, gluten-free and grain-free.

Why You’ll Love These High Protein Muffins

• They come together in minutes in your blender!
• They’re gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free and oil-free!
• One muffin has 11 grams of protein, so you’ll feel full and satisfied after.
• They’re perfect for a grab-and-go healthy breakfast, snack, post-workout treat or even dessert.

Ingredients Needed

• bananas – about 2 large very ripe bananas are what you’ll need. Bananas add nutrition, a delicious flavor and help keep the muffins light and moist without any added oil.
• eggs – these muffins don’t use flour so you need eggs to help the muffins rise and create the fluffy texture. Because there are quite a few eggs needed, I don’t recommend trying to replace these with an egg replacer.
• maple syrup – one of my favorite natural sweeteners. Just be sure to use pure maple syrup, not the artificial kind labeled “pancake syrup” and made from corn syrup… NOT the same!
• almond butter – instead of flour and oil we’re using almond butter! Check the ingredient label to make sure the only ingredient is almonds (or almonds and salt). I used Wild Friends almond butter, but I also like the natural store brands from Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. You’ll just want your almond butter to have a drippy consistency rather than super thick.
• almond milk – you can substitute with your favorite nut milk or cow’s milk. Try making your own almond milk!
• vanilla extract – a flavor enhancer. 
• vanilla protein powder – I used the Sun Warrior Vanilla Warrior Blend for this recipe, which worked great! It’s vegan, soy-free, sugar-free and doesn’t taste chalky at all! Another fave of mine is the Nuzest protein powder. It’s plant-based, has a short ingredient list and great nutrition facts! Use my code eatingbirdfood for 15% off your order.
• baking powder – helps the muffins rise.
• sea salt – to bring all the flavors together. Skip if your almond butter is salted.
• chocolate chips – I really like Lily’s chocolate chips because they’re dairy-free, lower in sugar and still have a great flavor. I also like the Enjoy Life dark chocolate chips which are vegan + allergen-friendly.

How to Make

These banana protein muffins are so quick and easy to make! Here’s all you need to do:

Step 1: Add all ingredients (except for the chocolate chips) into a high-speed blender and mix until smooth and creamy – about 1 minute.

Step 2: Fold in chocolate chips and divide batter evenly into a 12 muffin pan lined with paper or silicone liners. Top muffins with extra chocolate chips.

Step 3: Bake at 350ºF for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Let the muffins cool for a few minutes in the pan and then let cool completely on a wire rack.

Substitutions & Notes

• almond butter – want to swap the almond butter for a different nut or seed butter? Go for it! Any natural creamy nut or seed butter will work. Peanut butter, cashew butter or tahini would be great options.
• maple syrup – you can swap the maple syrup with any liquid sweetener like agave, honey, monk fruit maple, etc. I don’t recommend swapping the liquid sweetener for a dry sweetener like coconut sugar or cane sugar as it will likely change the consistency of the muffins. 
• protein powder – these muffins haven’t been tested with anything besides protein powder, so I don’t know what a good substitute would be. If you’re looking for a chocolate chip muffin recipe that doesn’t call for protein powder, I suggest making my healthy chocolate chip muffins, chocolate chip yogurt muffins or oatmeal banana muffins instead.
• eggs – as I mentioned before, I don’t recommend swapping the eggs with a vegan replacement as the eggs are needed to help the muffins rise and create a fluffy texture since we’re not using any flour.
• chocolate chips – feel free to swap the chocolate chips with another mix-in of choice like raisins, shredded coconut or chopped nuts (like pecans or walnuts).

How to Store

After allowing the muffins to cool completely, you can store them in an airtight container at room temperature for 3-4 days.

For longer storage, you can store them in the fridge for up to one week and freezer for up to 3 months. If you freeze the muffins,  just make sure you use a freezer-safe container and let them thaw before enjoying them!

FAQ’s

More Muffin Recipes to Try

• Yogurt Muffins (4 Ways)
• Oatmeal Banana Muffins
• Almond Flour Muffins
• Flourless Pumpkin Muffins
• Healthy Zucchini Muffins
• Coconut Flour Muffins
• Healthy Chocolate Chip Muffins

More Protein Recipes to Try

• Protein Donuts
• Protein Waffles
• No Bake Protein Balls – 4 Ways
• Protein Brownies
• Protein Cookies
• How to Make a Protein Shake (6 Flavors)
• Protein Bars
• Protein Pudding (3 Ways)
• Protein Baked Oatmeal

Be sure to check out all of my muffin recipes and the full collection of protein recipes here on EBF!

Protein Muffins

5 from 9 votes

These flourless protein muffins are made with mashed banana, almond butter and protein powder. They come together quickly in a blender and are oil-free, gluten-free, dairy-free and have 11 grams of protein in each muffin.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 12

Ingredients

• 1 cup mashed banana
• 3 large eggs
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1 cup natural drippy almond butter, I used Wild Friends
• 2 Tablespoons almond milk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• ½ cup vanilla powder, I used Sun Warrior
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ¼ teaspoon sea salt, skip if almond butter is salted
• ½ cup chocolate chips

Instructions

 

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare muffin tin by spraying well with cooking spray, or line the tins with paper muffin liners or silicone liners. Set aside.
• In your blender add all ingredients (except the chocolate chips) and blend on high-speed until creamy, about 1 minute.
  
• Stir in chocolate chips with a spatula.
  
• Fill each muffin cavity about 3/4 full with the muffin batter. Top each muffin with chocolate chips.
  
• Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
• Allow muffins to cool for 5-10 minutes or until they are firm and cool enough to handle. Remove from tin and let cool completely on a wire rack.

Equipment

• blender

Nutrition

Serving: 1 muffin Calories: 255kcal Carbohydrates: 21g Protein: 11g Fat: 16g Saturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 47mg Sodium: 146mg Potassium: 104mg Fiber: 3g Sugar: 12g

Author: Brittany Mullins

Course: Breakast, Muffin, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: protein muffins

Web Story: https://www.eatingbirdfood.com/web-stories/protein-muffins/

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