Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins made in the blender with oats, pumpkin, Greek yogurt, protein powder, pumpkin spice, and chocolate chips! High protein and low carb and only 122 calories with 7 grams of protein per muffin!
Pumpkin protein muffins!! It’s officially that time of year for all the things pumpkin and I am here for it! From these protein muffins to protein bars and pumpkin pie butter.
Why we love these pumpkin protein muffins:
- made with simple ingredients – kitchen staples that you probably already have at home
- they couldn’t be easy to make – made in the blender and that’s it!
- very forgiving! – I have used both whey protein and plant-based and both work great
- have a great macro breakdown – they have a good balance of complex carbs, healthy fats, fiber, and 7 grams of protein in each one!
And they make an easy make-ahead breakfast, snack, or healthy dessert and definitely hit the spot when you are craving a baked good and don’t want to derail your nutrition goals!
Pumpkin protein muffins
This protein muffin recipe couldn’t be easier. Made in the blender with just 10 ingredients. They are made with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen and are packed with protein!
Pumpkin chocolate chip protein muffins ingredients:
- old fashioned rolled oats
- pumpkin puree
- Greek yogurt
- eggs
- natural or vanilla flavored protein powder – I like using vanilla
- pumpkin pie spice
- cinnamon
- baking powder
- baking soda
- chocolate chips
- salt
First, make the oat flour. You could easily buy oat flour, but all you have to do is add rolled oats to your blender and blend for 30 seconds or so until it is broken down into a flour-like consistency. Voila, oat flour!
Next, add the rest of the ingredients (except the chocolate chips) – pumpkin, yogurt, eggs, protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder and soda, and salt. Blend it up until combined.
The batter will be THICK, but it’s okay. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips. I just add them to the blender and carefully stirred them instead of dirtying another bowl.
PRO TIP – only stir in about 1/3 cup of the chocolate chips and then sprinkle the rest of them on the top of the muffins after they are in the liners. This makes for pretty muffins.
Once the batter is combined, evenly distribute the batter between 12 muffin tins and bake for 25-30 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean. I used silicone muffin liners so after they cool, they will pop right out!
Gluten-free protein muffins
Rolled oats are naturally gluten-free, but they can be one of the most cross-contaminated products. To ensure this recipe is gluten-free, look for certified gluten-free oats.
Pumpkin protein muffins substitutions
This recipe is pretty forgiving and you can change it up to fit your needs. I have made it with a few different protein powders and they work. That is the only substitution I’ve tried, but I think these others will work as well!
- protein powder – you can use whey protein or plant-based. I would assume that most work, except collagen, as the protein helps thicken the batter.
- no protein powder – if you don’t want to use protein powder, try 1/3-1/2 cup more of oats. This will change the nutritional breakdown though.
- non-dairy yogurt – I haven’t tried it, but you could probably use non-dairy yogurt. Just make sure the batter is thick and if you need to, add more oat flour.
- cottage cheese – I would think this would work the same
- flax eggs – if you can’t have eggs, try 2 flax eggs instead
More healthy protein snacks
- Pumpkin Protein Bars
- No-Bake Protein Cookies
- Perfect Bar Recipe
- Chocolate Peanut Butter Protein Balls
- Apple Cinnamon Protein Cookies
- Sweet Potato Blueberry Protein Muffins
Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins
ingredients
- 1 cup old fashioned rolled oats (100 grams)
- 1 cup pumpkin puree (244 grams)
- 1 cup Greek yogurt (227 grams - I used Siggis 0%)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 packed cup vanilla flavored protein powder (~50-60 grams)*
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- pinch of sea salt
- 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips
instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Add the oats to a Vitamix, blender, or food processor and process until a flour forms (about 20 seconds).
- Add the pumpkin, Greek yogurt, eggs, protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and blend again until well combined. Try not to overprocess it if you can. Stir in the chocolate chips**.
- Distribute into 12 silicone muffin liners (or regular muffin liners that are greased).
- Bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. 25 minutes will be a little moister while 30 minutes won't be as moist. Enjoy!
video
notes
nutrition
Recipe by Kelly Nardo, Eat the Gains | Photography by The Mindful Hapa
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Janet says
I’m in love with these muffins! I’ve made them every week for the last month. They are so moist I eat them with a fork. I do spray the muffin papers with a little oil to prevent sticking. I make 6 jumbo muffins at a time and have one for breakfast just about every morning.
Kelly Nardo says
So glad you enjoy them so much! Thanks, Janet!
Camryn says
Didn’t disappoint! I excluded the chocolate chips to keep my sugar down and used chocolate whey protein powder. Served them with some warm sugar-free syrup. My favorite part— the batter is safe to eat and was actually so delicious. Happy to find a protein desert recipe with no added sugar!!
Kelly Nardo says
Yum, that sounds delicious with the chocolate protein powder. Thanks for trying them, Camryn!
R says
Do not make these. They are completely bland and flavourless!!
Kelly Nardo says
Sorry to hear they didn’t come out for you. The protein powder you use definitely has an impact on the flavor.
Tiffany says
I really wanted to like these, but unfortunately after going through the effort I found them to be lacking in flavor, dry, and just kind of blah.
Kelly Nardo says
Sorry they didn’t come out for you, Tiffany. The protein powder you use does have an impact on the flavor. Thanks for trying them.
Angela says
There is no sweetner in this recipe. Maybe that is why it is blah? I am about to mix all of the ingredients and realized that. I will add some Stevia or sf maple syrup. Would hate to go to all this trouble for blah muffins.
Kelly Nardo says
Yes, the protein powder acts as a sweetener, so it really depends on what kind you use. You can definitely add some though as this recipe is pretty forgiving!
Danyell Mellor says
So good! Just what I was looking for. Sometimes baking chemistry confuses me so I love that you had just what I wanted.
Kelly Nardo says
Happy to hear you enjoyed them, Danyell! Thanks for trying them!