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Delicious, protein-packed pumpkin muffins made with cottage cheese, perfect for a gluten-free, refined sugar-free snack or breakfast.

Ingredients

Scale
  • 1 1/4 cup sprouted gluten-free oats or protein oats
  • 2 large pasture-raised eggs
  • 1 cup organic pumpkin puree
  • 3/4 cup full-fat, organic cottage cheese
  • 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder (optional)
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon pumpkin spice
  • 2–4 tablespoons coconut sugar or maple syrup (optional)
  • 1/2 cup dark chocolate chunks plus extra for topping
  • Optional flaky sea salt for finishing

Instructions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin tin with parchment liners.
  2. Allow eggs, pumpkin puree, and cottage cheese to sit at room temperature for 10-15 minutes.
  3. Place oats in a high-speed blender and pulse until a fine flour texture is achieved.
  4. Add eggs, pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, vanilla protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract, cinnamon, pumpkin spice, and optional sweetener to the blender.
  5. Blend until the batter is smooth and creamy, scraping down the sides as necessary.
  6. Stir in dark chocolate chunks with a spatula.
  7. Spoon or pour the batter evenly into the muffin cups, filling about three-quarters full, and top with extra chocolate chunks if desired.
  8. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for about 20 minutes; start checking at 18 minutes. The muffins are done when tops are golden and a toothpick inserted comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  9. Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  10. Sprinkle flaky sea salt on warm muffins if using.

Notes

For a sweeter muffin, optionally add 2-4 tablespoons coconut sugar or maple syrup; can be omitted for kids., Protein powder can be omitted; increase cottage cheese or add an extra egg to maintain protein content and moisture., Substitute Greek yogurt for cottage cheese to keep protein high, with a slight texture difference., Swap sprouted oats with rolled oats (blend to flour) or oat flour at a 1:1 ratio; quick oats may soften texture., For dairy-free version, use unsweetened dairy-free yogurt or blended silken tofu with extra protein powder but probiotics and texture will alter., Mini muffins bake for 10–14 minutes; jumbo muffins for 22–26 minutes., Freeze muffins individually on a tray before transferring to a container; thaw overnight in fridge., Reheat thawed muffins in a 325°F oven or toaster oven for 6-10 minutes or microwave in short bursts avoiding dryness.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://theproteincook.com/high-protein-pumpkin-cottage-cheese-muffins/