Quick Look: Pumpkin Protein Muffins
- What it is: Tall, tender pumpkin spice muffins with 11g of protein each.
- Why Make THIS Version? They pack 11g protein without tasting like a compromise. Think moist, fluffy pumpkin muffin—not a "protein muffin".
- Key Ingredients: Pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, whey protein, eggs, maple syrup, and brown sugar.
- Sweetness: Lightly sweet. Add the optional cream cheese drizzle for a sweeter finish.
- Time: 10 minutes prep + 18 minutes bake time.
- Yield: 12 muffins.
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BRI's NOTE
Why These Don't Taste Like a Compromise
I love these pumpkin muffins for fall. They have all the cozy pumpkin spice flavor I want this time of year—especially with the cream cheese drizzle—and each muffin packs 11 grams of protein.
I started with my Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins, then used what I'd learned testing my Blueberry Cottage Cheese Muffins too. For this version, I reworked the batter for whey protein powder. Maple syrup adds moisture, and extra cinnamon helps the pumpkin spice come through.
The goal was simple: make a protein muffin that doesn't really taste like one. I've had too many that are dense, eggy, or dry. These are tall, soft, and fluffy, with just enough sweetness for breakfast or snacks. For me, a healthier pumpkin muffin still needs to taste like a really good muffin!
Ingredients (and Substitutes)
These pumpkin cottage cheese muffins use regular baking ingredients, plus whey protein powder for extra protein. Here's what you need:
- Pumpkin puree: Use plain canned pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling. It keeps the muffins moist and gives them their fall flavor.
- Cottage cheese: Adds protein and moisture. It gets blended smooth, so you won't see or taste it. I recommend 2% or 4%. For more reliable results baking, choose cottage cheese with a short ingredient list (milk, cream, cultures, salt). But I've tested a couple mainstream brands with added stabilizers too, and they also worked.
- Whey protein powder: I tested this recipe with an unflavored, unsweetened whey isolate. Weigh it if you can—small differences can really change the texture in protein baking. I haven't tested plant-based protein powder.
- All-purpose flour: Regular flour gives these muffins a soft, fluffy crumb. No oat flour or specialty flour needed.
- Maple syrup: Adds sweetness and extra moisture, which helps when baking with whey. If you're out, my Homemade Maple Syrup Alternative is a budget-friendly option. Or see my 17 Maple Syrup Substitutes for more ideas.
- Brown sugar: Adds deeper flavor without needing a lot of expensive maple syrup. Dark brown sugar works best, but you can substitute light brown sugar if needed.
- Neutral oil: Keeps the muffins soft and more moist than butter. Grapeseed, canola, vegetable, or another neutral oil works.
- Pumpkin pie spice + cinnamon: Pumpkin pie spice keeps things easy. I add extra cinnamon to make the warm spice flavor taste more balanced. No pumpkin pie spice? I've included an easy homemade substitute in the FAQs below.
- Vanilla: It may look like a lot, but vanilla rounds out the spices and helps the muffins taste sweeter without adding more sugar. Don't skimp on it.
Cream Cheese Icing (Optional)
If you like things a little sweeter, add a drizzle of cream cheese icing. It's my favorite combo with these muffins. And it takes just 4 ingredients and 2 minutes to make:
- Cream Cheese: Brick cream cheese works best. Microwave it for 15 to 20 seconds to soften it, but don't let it melt.
- Powdered Sugar (icing sugar): Sweetens and thickens the icing.
- Vanilla: Adds flavor, but don't use too much or the icing will lose its nice pale color.
- Milk: Use just a little to make the icing easy to drizzle. Water works in a pinch.
Find the recipe card below for the complete recipe, including all ingredients and instructions.
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How to Make Pumpkin Protein Muffins
These Pumpkin Protein Muffins come together quickly with a blender and one bowl. The cottage cheese blends right into the batter, just like my Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins. Here's how to make this recipe:
- Blend all wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, oil, and vanilla) until smooth.
- Mix all dry ingredients (flour, protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt).
- Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients. Stir just until no dry flour remains.
- Divide batter between 12 lined muffin cups. Batter should be heaping towards the middle.
- Bake at 350°F until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 18 minutes.
- Let muffins cool completely. Drizzle with cream cheese icing, if using.
Bri's Expert Tips
I tested several batches to get these muffins tall, soft, and fluffy. Here's what made the biggest difference:
- Weigh the flour and protein powder: I always recommend baking by weight, but it matters even more when baking with whey. Too much protein powder can make the muffins dry.
- Blend the cottage cheese well: The wet mixture should be completely smooth. That way, you won't see or taste cottage cheese in the muffins.
- Shape the tops for a better dome: Mound the batter slightly higher in the center. Then gently press a shallow line into the very top with a butter knife. In testing, this helped the muffin split closer to the top instead of cracking lower down the sides. See photo below.
- Use parchment liners: They gave me the cleanest release. Regular paper liners can stick more to moist muffins, which is why I use parchment liners for my one bowl Savory Zucchini Muffins too.
- Don't overbake: Remove the muffins as soon as a tester comes out clean from the center. 18 minutes at 350°F was just right in my oven.
- Addcream cheese icing for more of a pumpkin-cake feel: Let the muffins cool completely first so the icing doesn't melt. Keep iced muffins refrigerated. They can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours when serving.
Pumpkin Protein Muffins FAQs
No. The cottage cheese gets blended completely smooth, so you won't see or taste it in the finished muffins. It adds protein and moisture and helps keep the muffins soft.
Using both gets these muffins to 11 grams of protein each, without needing a huge amount of protein powder. The cottage cheese also adds moisture, which helps balance out the whey and keeps the muffins soft and fluffy.
I tested this recipe with an unflavored whey protein isolate. I cannot guarantee this recipe will work with a different type of protein powder, like a sweetened protein powder or plant-based protein powder.
Not with this exact recipe. The flour and liquid amounts were tested specifically with 60 grams of whey protein isolate.
If you want cottage cheese muffins without protein powder, try my Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins or Blueberry Cottage Cheese Muffins instead.
For the 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice use:
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Note: This muffin recipe also calls for another 1 teaspoon cinnamon, separately.
Let the muffins cool completely before storing. Keep un-iced muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week.
For longer storage, freeze the muffins without the cream cheese icing for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
Muffins topped with cream cheese icing should be kept in the fridge. They can sit at room temperature for up to 2 hours when serving.
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📖 Recipe
Pumpkin Protein Muffins
Ingredients
- 1⅓ cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- 1 cup cottage cheese (see note 1)
- 2 large eggs
- ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 6 tablespoons neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed, canola, vegetable)
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1½ cups all-purpose flour
- 60 grams plain whey protein isolate (⅔ cup, unsweetened & unflavored, see note 2)
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Instructions
- Preheat: Preheat oven to 350℉ (177℃). Line a muffin pan with baking cups (see note 3).
- Wet ingredients: In a blender container, combine 1⅓ cup pumpkin puree, 1 cup cottage cheese, 2 large eggs, ⅓ cup packed dark brown sugar, ¼ cup maple syrup, 6 tablespoons neutral oil, and 1 tablespoon vanilla extract. Blend until smooth.
- Dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk 1½ cups all-purpose flour, 60 grams plain whey protein isolate , 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1½ teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt.
- Combine & Scoop: Pour wet ingredients over dry. Stir until just combined. Divide into 12 muffin cups. Mound the batter in the middle. For a more centered split, gently press a butter knife into the top of each mound (see note 4).
- Bake: Bake for about 18 minutes, or until golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. Let muffins cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Drizzle with optional Cream Cheese Icing, if desired (see note 5).
Notes
- Cottage cheese: I recommend 2% or 4%. If you have a choice, look for a short ingredient list with mostly milk, cream, cultures, and salt. In Canada, this can be harder to find. Dry-pressed cottage cheese loosened with milk works well. I've also tested mainstream brands with added stabilizers successfully, but results can vary by brand.
- Whey protein isolate: I tested this recipe with unflavored, unsweetened whey isolate. I strongly recommend weighing 60 grams rather than measuring by volume. I haven't tested this recipe with plant-based protein powder, so I don't recommend a 1:1 swap.
- Muffin liners: Parchment liners tend to release the most easily.
- Muffin tops: In testing, I found that mounding the batter and gently pressing a shallow line into the top with a butter knife helped the muffins crack closer to the center, instead of splitting lower down the sides. You don't need to cut the batter too deeply—just creating a weak spot on top.
- Cream cheese icing (optional): Microwave 4½ tablespoons (65 g) cream cheese in a small bowl for 15 to 20 seconds to soften. Add 4 tablespoons (30 g) powdered sugar, ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract, and 1 teaspoon milk. Stir until smooth. Add more milk, if needed, until the icing is easy to drizzle. Drizzle over completely cooled muffins. (Icing adds ~30 calories, 2g fat, 3g carbs, and 0.4g protein per muffin).
- Storage tips: Let muffins cool completely before storing. Keep un-iced muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Muffins with cream cheese icing should be refrigerated. For longer storage, freeze muffins without icing for up to 3 months. Thaw at room temperature or overnight in the fridge, then add icing before serving.
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