Home » Keto Breakfast Recipes » Protein Muffins
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These fluffy protein muffins are made with almond flour and whey protein powder.
A handful of chocolate chips and vanilla extract add great flavor, but the best thing about them is how filling they are!
These protein muffins are delicious! They are light and fluffy, and each of them contains 13 grams of protein. I love how filling they are. When I have two of them for breakfast, I'm not hungry for hours.
Another high-protein breakfast option is these chaffles. They contain 36 grams of protein per serving.
Jump to:
- Ingredients
- Variations
- Protein Muffins Instructions
- Blueberry Variation
- Expert Tip
- Recipe FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- Storing Leftovers
- More Muffin Recipes
- Foodie Newsletter
- Recipe Card
Ingredients
Here's an overview of the ingredients needed to make these protein muffins. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below.
- Eggs: I use large eggs in most of my recipes, this one included.
- Greek yogurt: Whole-milk yogurt has the best flavor. Sour cream works, too, but has less protein.
- Butter: I love using creamy European butter, but any butter will be great.
- Sweetener: I use stevia in this recipe. You can use a granulated sweetener instead.
- Vanilla: Use the real thing - pure vanilla extract.
- Almond flour: I use blanched, finely ground almond flour. I don't recommend using a coarse almond meal in this recipe.
- Whey protein powder: I use Biochem unflavored protein powder.
- Baking powder: Make sure it's fresh. And if needed, also make sure it's gluten-free.
- Dark chocolate chips: I use 85% cacao chocolate chips by Pascha.
Variations
- Add orange or lemon zest to the batter. This greatly enhances the muffins' flavor.
- You can use oil instead of butter. I generally prefer the flavor of butter in these muffins, but macadamia nut oil is delicious! You can also use a neutral oil such as avocado oil.
- It's fun to use different flavor extracts instead of vanilla. My favorite is coconut extract.
Protein Muffins Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with liners and lightly spray them with oil.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Greek yogurt, melted butter, stevia, and vanilla. Mix in the almond flour, followed by the protein powder and baking powder. Whisk until smooth.
Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving 24 to sprinkle on the muffins. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost full. Top each muffin with 4 chocolate chips.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in one of the muffins comes out clean, 17-19 minutes. The muffins will not brown much. Cool the muffins in the pan for 5 minutes on a wire rack, then for 10 more minutes directly on the rack before serving them.
Blueberry Variation
Shortly after I started making these protein muffins, I experimented with using half a cup of blueberries instead of chocolate chips.
They were delicious, but blueberries are heavier than chocolate chips and sink to the bottom, as shown in the image below. This often happens when the batter is thin, as is the case here.
I tried drying the blueberries thoroughly and dusting them with a teaspoon of cornstarch before adding them to the batter:
It helped some, but most of them still sank:
Despite this issue, I often make these muffins with blueberries because the flavor is so good, and the blueberries add a nice texture, too.
Expert Tip
Protein powder is very drying, so it's best to measure it by weight, as you see me doing in the photo below, and not by volume.
Recipe FAQs
Is this a make-ahead recipe?
The muffins keep reasonably well in the fridge or freezer, but their texture is best when freshly baked.
You can mix the batter the night before, pour it into the muffin pan, cover it with cling wrap, and refrigerate it, then bake the muffins in the morning.
Are these protein muffins tasty? Not too dry?
They are delicious! However, the protein powder affects their flavor and texture, so they cannot possibly have the same texture as regular muffins.
This is also the case when making these protein pancakes. They are delicious but different. Still, for their type, they are excellent and as close as can be to almond flour muffins.
Can I use coconut flour instead of almond flour?
No. The two flours are very different. Coconut flour is very absorbent and has a drying effect on baked goods. It won't work in this recipe.
Serving Suggestions
These protein muffins are perfect for breakfast. I like to have one or two of them with my morning coffee, as shown in the photo below.
They're also excellent as an afternoon snack. I often pair one of them with a glass of almond milk for a delightful afternoon pick-me-up.
Storing Leftovers
You can double this recipe and bake 12 muffins. They keep fairly well in the fridge, in an airtight container (as shown in the photo below), for 4-5 days and can be gently warmed up in the microwave. If you made them with blueberries, place them on paper towels to absorb extra liquid.
These muffins also freeze well in freezer bags. You can thaw them in the microwave.
More Muffin Recipes
- Keto Blueberry Muffins
- Coconut Flour Muffins
- Keto Chocolate Muffins
- Almond Flour Muffins
Recipe Card
4.99 from 291 votes
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Fluffy Protein Muffins
These fluffy protein muffins are made with almond flour and protein powder. They contain 13 grams of protein per muffin!
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time20 minutes mins
Rest time15 minutes mins
Total Time50 minutes mins
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American
Diet: Gluten Free
Servings: 6 protein muffins
Calories: 226kcal
Author: Vered DeLeeuw
Ingredients
- Avocado oil spray for the muffin liners
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup Greek yogurt plain, whole milk
- ¼ cup butter unsalted, melted, and slightly cooled
- 1 teaspoon stevia glycerite (equals about ⅓ cup sugar)
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup almond flour blanched, finely ground (2 ounces)
- 2 scoops whey protein powder unsweetened (46 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder (gluten-free if needed)
- ⅓ cup dark chocolate chips divided (2 ounces)
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line a 6-cup muffin tin with liners and lightly spray them with oil. Foil liners work best.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, Greek yogurt, melted butter, stevia, and vanilla.
Mix in the almond flour, followed by the protein powder, and finally, the baking powder. Mix until smooth.
Fold in the chocolate chips, reserving 24 chocolate chips to sprinkle on the muffins.
Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin cups, filling them almost full. Top each muffin with 4 chocolate chips.
Bake until a toothpick inserted in one of the muffins comes out clean, 17-19 minutes. They will not brown much.
Cool the muffins for 5 minutes in the pan on a wire rack and then for 10 more minutes directly on the rack before serving.
Video
Notes
- Foil liners work best in this recipe to prevent sticking. It's best to peel paper liners off while the muffins are still warm. Otherwise, they tend to slightly stick to the muffins. Greased foil liners don't stick.
- Protein powder is very drying, so it's best to measure it by weight using a kitchen scale, not by volume.
- You can mix the batter the night before, pour it into the muffin pan, cover it with cling wrap, and refrigerate it. Then, bake the muffins in the morning.
- You can replace the chocolate chips with ½ cup of blueberries. The blueberries tend to sink to the bottom of the muffins, but the muffins are still delicious. Coating the blueberries in a teaspoon of cornstarch before adding them to the batter helps mitigate some of the sinking but doesn't prevent it.
- You can double this recipe and bake 12 muffins. They keep fairly well in the fridge, in an airtight container, for 4-5 days and can be gently warmed up in the microwave. If you made them with blueberries, place them on paper towels to absorb extra liquid. These muffins also freeze well in freezer bags. You can thaw them in the microwave.
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Nutrition per Serving
Serving: 1muffin | Calories: 226kcal | Carbohydrates: 5g | Protein: 13g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 8g | Sodium: 128mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g
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Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
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More Keto Breakfast Recipes
- Chaffles Recipe
- Breakfast Egg Muffins
- Mushroom Frittata
- Turkey Hash
About the Author
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. Click to learn more about Vered.
Reader Interactions
Comments
Alice
I tried making these with standard white sugar as I wanted a high protein muffin but didn't want to use stevia since it's probably best to avoid it during pregnancy as it doesn't have as long a track record as sugar.They did turn a pretty golden brown on top as a result, but the batter seemed lighter and fluffier too - the chocolate all sunk to the bottom (I used half chips and half chopped chocolate). It also made 16 muffins instead of 12.
They're still very tasty, they just don't look the nicest as the sinking effect has made the tops wrinkle as well. I'd think they are underdone, but the toothpick pulled out clean from the middle row of muffins when tested. Has anyone else who tried using white sugar experienced this? If not, perhaps it's my protein powder... I did use whey protein powder but not the brand that was linked. Perhaps that made a difference too.
Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Alice,
Thanks for sharing your experience! I don't think it's the sugar. It could be the protein powder. There are so many variables that it's difficult to predict the exact outcome. In any case, I'm glad you enjoy the flavor!
By the way, dusting powdered sugar on top makes wrinkled baked goods look prettier. 🙂Reply
Emily
Just made these! I doubled the recipe because we are a family of four but followed the measurements and this yielded more than 12 muffins. It's probably closer to 16. I learned that "almost full" is a very subjective term haha so my muffins flooded the pan- I think 3/4 full max as these still rise. I think because mine were so full they did not cook properly and did in fact brown (a lot). If you plan on doubling the recipe like I did, I wouldn't put the full doubled amount of protein powder in there, unless you use flavorless because my vanilla flavored power really overwhelmed the muffins. It tasted like a birthday cake exploded in my mouth. But I bet my kids will go crazy for them!Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
Thank you for the detailed feedback, Emily! Very interesting.
Reply
Catherine
There are actually parchment cupcake liners now that work so so much better than the traditional foil or paper liners that I suggest you try. Baking keto foods for my mom I've learned that almond flour batters are the stickiest thing on the planet, these parchment liners come in clutch for this kind of cooking.
happy baking~♡
Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
How interesting, Catherine. Thanks for the tip! I assume you mean something like these parchment cupcake liners. I'll give them a try!
Reply
True self
Would I need to change anything to make this a loaf instead of muffins? More liquid?
Reply
Vered DeLeeuw
I only tested this recipe in a muffin tin, so this is an educated guess. To make a loaf, you would need to double the recipe and, ideally, use a small loaf pan (8 X 4 inches).
The baking time will increase. I suggest you start checking after 20 minutes. I don't think you would need to increase the liquid or make any other changes.
If you decide to go ahead and try this recipe in a loaf pan, I would appreciate you coming back here and telling us about the results.
Reply
teacherlove
Hello again.
I did use the recipe as a loaf. I took your advice and doubled it. I baked it at 350°F for 30 minutes. It baked perfectly. Thank you. I have been needing something quick to grab on some mornings. This recipe works well as muffins or a loaf.Vered DeLeeuw
Wonderful! Thank you so much for letting us know that this recipe works as a loaf.
Adela
can I switch to regular flour?
Vered DeLeeuw
Hi Adela,
You can try using 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour instead of almond flour. If using all-purpose flour, you will likely need to increase the butter by two tablespoons and possibly add 1/4 cup of liquid such as milk. I only tested this recipe with almond flour, so this would be an experiment.
