These High-Protein Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins are one of those fall recipes I keep wanting to make again. I love baking with pumpkin this time of year, and cottage cheese has been showing up in so many of my high-protein recipes lately because it blends right in and keeps everything soft and moist. Each muffin has about 11 grams of protein, but they still feel like a proper pumpkin treat, especially with a little cinnamon cream cheese frosting on top.
I especially love these with a thin layer of cinnamon cream cheese frosting on top. It gives them that pumpkin cupcake feel without making the muffins overly sweet, and you only need half a batch of frosting for all 12.
They’re a great make-ahead option for fall mornings, afternoon snacks, or those days when you want something sweet with a little more staying power than a regular muffin.
- 1 Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Protein Muffins
- 2 What Makes These Muffins High in Protein?
- 3 Ingredients You’ll Need
- 4 How to Make High-Protein Pumpkin Muffins
- 5 Add the Cream Cheese Frosting
- 6 My Tips for Better Protein Muffins
- 7 How to Store
- 8 Frequently Asked Questions
- 9 More Recipes to Try
- 10 High-Protein Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins
Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Protein Muffins
- 11g of protein each. Cottage cheese, eggs, and protein powder all contribute protein.
- Made in the blender. The cottage cheese gets completely smooth, so there are no curds in the finished muffins.
- Soft and moist. Pumpkin puree and cottage cheese keep the centers tender.
- Perfect for fall meal prep. Make a dozen and keep them ready in the fridge.
- Easy to make sugar-free. Use your favorite granulated sugar-free sweetener.
- That frosting. A little cream cheese frosting turns them from breakfast muffin into something that feels much more like dessert.
What Makes These Muffins High in Protein?
Instead of relying on protein powder alone, these muffins get protein from several ingredients.
Cottage cheese adds protein and moisture, while four eggs help with both protein and structure. Then there’s ½ cup of protein powder for an additional boost.
Together, they give each muffin approximately 11 grams of protein, depending on the specific cottage cheese and protein powder you use.
And because the cottage cheese is blended first, you don’t get any noticeable curds or a savory cottage cheese flavor.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Cottage Cheese
Use full-fat or 2% cottage cheese. It gets blended with the wet ingredients until completely smooth, so even if you’re not normally a cottage cheese person, the texture disappears into the muffin batter.
Pumpkin Puree
You’ll need ½ cup of pure pumpkin puree. Make sure the can says 100% pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sweetener and spices.
Eggs
Four large eggs give these almond flour muffins enough structure while keeping the inside tender.
Coconut Oil
The coconut oil adds richness and helps keep the muffins from drying out.
Melt it first and let it cool for a few minutes before blending it with the eggs.
Vanilla
I use 2 teaspoons, which might sound like a lot, but vanilla works really well with pumpkin and warm spices.
Almond Flour
Use superfine blanched almond flour for the softest texture.
Coarse almond meal will make the muffins heavier and more grainy.
Protein Powder
Vanilla protein powder works especially well in these pumpkin muffins because it adds a little sweetness without overpowering the pumpkin and warm spices.
Keep in mind that protein powders can absorb moisture differently depending on the brand. Your batter should be thick and creamy but still easy to scoop. If it seems unusually dry, mix in 1–2 tablespoons of milk.
Sweetener
I use a granulated sweetener that works well for baking, and this one is my favorite. I use it in pretty much everything because I like the taste and it works really well in baked recipes like these muffins.
Pumpkin Pie Spice
Two teaspoons give the muffins plenty of warm pumpkin spice flavor.
If you’re a big cinnamon person, you can always add another ¼ to ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
Baking Powder
This gives the muffins the lift they need, so the centers don’t turn out too heavy.
How to Make High-Protein Pumpkin Muffins
Start With the Blender
Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a standard 12-cup muffin pan with liners.
Add the cottage cheese, eggs, pumpkin puree, melted coconut oil, and vanilla to a blender.
Blend until the mixture is completely smooth. Give it a few extra seconds if you can still see little pieces of cottage cheese.
Add the Dry Ingredients
Add the almond flour, protein powder, sweetener, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice.
Pulse until everything is incorporated.
The finished batter should be thick and creamy but still easy to spoon into the muffin cups.
If your protein powder makes the batter unusually thick, add 1 tablespoon of milk at a time until it loosens slightly.
Fill the Muffin Pan
Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups.
I like using a cookie scoop for this because it makes it much easier to get evenly sized muffins.
Fill each cup about ¾ full.
Bake
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
Start checking around the 20-minute mark. The tops should feel set, and a toothpick inserted into the center should come out clean or with just a few moist crumbs.
Let the muffins rest in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a cooling rack.
Add the Cream Cheese Frosting
Once the muffins are completely cool, frost them with ½ batch of my Keto Cream Cheese Frosting.
For these pumpkin muffins, I like mixing about ½ teaspoon cinnamon into the half batch of frosting.
You don’t need a huge amount on each muffin. A thin swirl or spoonful on top is plenty and lets the pumpkin flavor still come through.
Finish with a very light dusting of cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice.
My Tips for Better Protein Muffins
Check them early. Protein powder can dry out baked goods quickly, so don’t automatically leave them in for the full 25 minutes if they’re already done.
Let them cool before judging the texture. Almond flour muffins become more stable as they cool.
Use thick pumpkin puree. If your pumpkin looks especially watery, blot a little excess moisture before measuring.
Frost only cooled muffins. Otherwise, you’ll have cream cheese frosting sliding down the sides. Delicious mess, still a mess.
How to Store
Because these muffins contain cottage cheese and cream cheese frosting, keep the finished muffins refrigerated.
Store them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
I like taking one out of the refrigerator about 10 minutes before eating. The muffin softens slightly and the frosting becomes creamier.
For freezing, I recommend freezing the muffins without the frosting.
Place cooled muffins in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then frost once they’re completely thawed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you taste the cottage cheese?
No. Once it’s blended with the pumpkin, eggs, vanilla, and spices, you shouldn’t taste cottage cheese or notice the curds.
Can I make these without protein powder?
I wouldn’t simply leave it out because protein powder is part of the dry ingredient ratio.
The recipe would need adjusting to compensate for the missing ½ cup.
Can I use coconut flour?
Not as a direct replacement. Coconut flour absorbs significantly more moisture than almond flour, so substituting the same amount would make the muffins very dry.
Can I skip the frosting?
Of course. Without the frosting, these work especially well as breakfast or meal-prep muffins. The frosting makes them feel more like pumpkin cupcakes or a fall dessert.
Can I add chocolate chips?
Yes. Fold about ⅓ cup chocolate chips into the batter after blending. I would personally choose either chocolate chips orcream cheese frosting rather than loading them up with both, but both will technically work.
Can I make them ahead?
Yes. Bake the muffins a day or two ahead and refrigerate them unfrosted. Add the frosting once you’re ready to serve them.
More Recipes to Try
If cottage cheese desserts are your thing right now, try my Cottage Cheese Brownies for something chocolatey or my Cottage Cheese Pancakes for another high-protein breakfast.
For more pumpkin baking, my Best Keto Pumpkin Roll and Crustless Pumpkin Pie are both great options for fall.
High-Protein Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins
Description
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese full-fat or 2%
- 4 eggs large
- ½ cup pumpkin puree
- ¼ cup coconut oil melted
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1½ cups almond flour superfine blanched
- ½ cup protein powder vanilla, unflavored
- ½ cup granulated sweetener
- 1½ tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
For the Frosting
- ½ batch Keto Cream Cheese Frosting
- ½ tsp cinnamon optional
- Pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon for topping optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.
- Add the cottage cheese, eggs, pumpkin puree, coconut oil, and vanilla to a blender. Blend until completely smooth.
- Add the almond flour, protein powder, sweetener, baking powder, and pumpkin pie spice. Pulse just until the batter is combined.
- Divide the batter evenly between the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
- Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until the tops are set and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack and cool completely.
- Prepare half a batch of cream cheese frosting. Mix in ½ teaspoon cinnamon, if desired.
- Spread or pipe a small amount of frosting over each completely cooled muffin.
- Finish with a light sprinkle of pumpkin pie spice or cinnamon.
Notes
- Use pure pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth.
- Protein powders vary. If your batter is unusually thick, add 1 to 2 tablespoons milk.
How do we calculate the nutrition info?
These nutrition facts listed are determined using nutrition information from the USDA Food Database. Our nutrition facts are accurate, but if you are using different products, please make your calculations. Net carb count is calculated by subtracting both fiber and sugar alcohols because they don’t raise blood sugar.