Once you taste them, these Peanut Butter Protein Muffins will quickly become one of your go-to healthy breakfast recipes. Here, you’re getting a delicious and tender made-ahead muffin that provides the macronutrients you need to get your day started right from the additions of peanut butter, yogurt, and high-quality whey protein powder. Make them gluten-free, if needed, and add any mix-ins you prefer, such as chopped peanuts, chocolate chips, or even a dab of your favorite jam or preserves. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to learn these high-protein muffins come together with minimal prep time and a total time of under 30 minutes. Your next easy, energizing, well-balanced breakfast or snack is right here for the making.
This post was created in partnership with Puori.
Recipe Highlights
There’s a lot to love about these peanut butter protein muffins:
- Can be easily modified to be gluten free, if needed
- Require only 10 minutes of prep time as a one-bowl recipe
- Each muffin boasts 9 grams of protein from Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and high-quality whey protein powder
- A make-ahead breakfast or snack to enjoy all week (or freeze for later)
More Than Your Average Muffin Recipe
It’s no secret that we think a good muffin recipe is worth its weight in gold. With options like our Blueberry Muffins, Gluten-Free Banana Muffins with Chocolate Chips, and Pumpkin Protein Muffins, we know that this baked good can be both delicious and nutritionally functional. And after perfecting them in our own kitchens, these peanut butter protein muffins have quickly become a staple in our lineup of picky eater-approved healthy recipes.
Made with traditional muffin batter ingredients, they’re given a boost of nourishment with protein powder and yogurt. The end result is soft, fluffy muffins that are sure to keep you feeling satisfied and energized. You’d never guess that each muffin provides 9 grams of protein and they are also refined sugar-free.
Ingredients To Make Peanut Butter Protein Muffins
Here’s what you need to bake these protein muffins today:
- Flour – for gluten-free flour, we like to reach for Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free 1-to-1 Baking Flour or King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour. If you don’t need protein muffins that are gluten-free, you can use an equal amount of wheat flour or unbleached all-purpose flour
- Puori whey protein powder – our whole team loves this high-quality whey protein powder, which doesn’t contain any low-calorie or artificial sweeteners and is made from only five quality ingredients
- Ground cinnamon
- Baking soda
- Fine salt
- Natural peanut butter – creamy peanut butter will yield the best results. If needed, almond butter can be substituted
- Yogurt – use 2% or full-fat plain or vanilla yogurt to give these healthy protein muffins a tender crumb and perfect moistness along with a boost of calcium
- Pure maple syrup – may substitute honey
- Large eggs – use room temperature eggs, including both the yolks and the egg whites for the best results. We have not tested this recipe with egg substitutes like flax eggs and can’t guarantee the results
- Melted butter – unsalted butter or sub melted coconut oil
- Avocado oil or olive oil
- Pure vanilla extract
- Chocolate chips – use dark chocolate chips or semi-sweet chocolate chips
- Peanuts – we recommend unsalted varieties
For the complete directions and ingredient amounts, scroll down to the recipe card below. All of our recipes include the nutrition information, listing kcals, protein, carbohydrates, fiber, sugar, sodium, and more per serving.
The Benefits Of Protein
Consuming adequate amounts of protein can help manage appetite, build muscles, and improve bone health among other benefits. As a result, we recommend including protein in every meal and snack, and using vanilla protein powder and chocolate protein powder is one of our favorite ways to sneak extra protein where it otherwise might be difficult to add. Not only is it easy to use, but whey protein powder is also full of health benefits and is a convenient and budget-friendly way to add protein to muffins and other baked goods, no-bake bites, and smoothies.
How To Make This Protein Muffin Recipe
You’re going to love how easily this recipe comes together and that it has a cook time of less than 20 minutes.
- Prepare: To begin, preheat your oven, and mist the wells of a standard muffin tin with cooking spray, or fill them with cupcake or muffin liners. Omit this step if using a silicone muffin pan.
- Combine the dry ingredients: Add the dry ingredients to a large bowl, and mix to combine.
- Whisk the wet ingredients: Add the peanut butter, yogurt, maple syrup, eggs, butter, oil, and vanilla to a separate mixing bowl, and whisk to combine.
- Combine the dry and wet ingredients: Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do not over-mix. Then fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Portion the batter: Fill the muffin cups about 3/4 full with batter. Smooth the batter slightly with the back of a spoon or a rubber spatula, and sprinkle the chopped peanuts and extra chocolate chips on top.
- Bake: Transfer the muffins to the oven until the centers are very slightly firm to touch and a toothpick can be inserted into the center and comes out clean.
- Cool: Allow the protein muffins to cool for a few minutes in the pan before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
Yes, These Muffins Can Be Made Ahead And Frozen!
We love meal prepping and this recipe is a perfect meal-prep breakfast (aka, a “made-ahead breakfast”) because it stores and reheats well. It’s also a great recipe to bake and store in the freezer for those moments when you need a helping hand in the kitchen, such as after a surgery, a new baby, or a busy time in your schedule. To freeze, simply store the fully baked and cooled muffins in a freezer-safe bag for up to 6 months. Allow the muffins to thaw at room temperature, then reheat for 15 seconds in the microwave to enjoy!
Frequently Asked Questions
The key to avoiding a dry protein muffin recipe is to not use too much protein. You never want the dry ingredients in your muffin batter to be made up of more than half protein powder.
Cooking protein powder can cause it to change its structure, a process known as denaturing, but you will still reap most of the benefits.
Whey protein powder can be stirred into most boxed muffin mixes, but you’ll likely need to add extra peanut butter to smooth out the batter.
Once cooled, leftover muffins can be transferred to an airtight container and stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Microwave them for a few seconds in the microwave before serving to freshen them back up.
Yes, stored in a sealable bag, leftover muffins can be frozen for up to 6 months. When you’re ready to enjoy a muffin or two, let it thaw (at room temperature or overnight in the fridge), and warm them in the microwave for 15 seconds a piece.
We haven’t tested it, but they should work fine with a plant-based protein powder and dairy-free yogurt.
We haven’t tested it, but unsweetened applesauce or mashed bananas can usually be substituted. For potassium-rich banana protein muffins, you’ll want to make sure to use ripe bananas to eliminate the need for added sugar. Whatever you choose, keep in mind that the taste and texture of your muffins will change slightly.
Sure! Just swap out the vanilla protein powder with chocolate protein powder instead.
No, these muffins are not low-carb or keto.
We haven’t tested it, but you could make our Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins with almond flour instead.
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Protein Muffins with Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chips
These delicious muffins each boast 9 grams of high-quality protein from the additions of Greek yogurt, peanut butter, and a favorite whey protein powder.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup gluten-free baking flour blend or all-purpose flour (95-105 g)
- ½ cup Puori vanilla whey protein powder (40 g)
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon fine salt
- ½ cup natural peanut butter (120 g)
- 1 cup plain or vanilla Greek yogurt, 2% or full-fat (240 g) (may substitute regular yogurt)
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup
- 2 large eggs
- 2 tablespoon melted butter
- 2 tablespoon avocado or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup chocolate chips (optional)
- Optional topping: Chopped peanuts or chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉. Mist the wells of a standard 12-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. If using a silicone muffin pan, it’s not necessary to mist with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, combine the flour, protein powder, cinnamon, baking soda, and salt. Stir to combine.
- In a medium bowl, combine the peanut butter, yogurt, maple syrup, eggs, butter, oil and vanilla; mix well.
- Add the wet ingredient to the large bowl of dry ingredients and stir until just combined. Do no over mix. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.
- Divide the batter among the 12 cups in the muffin tin. Muffin wells should be about 3/4 full. With the back of a spoon or rubber spatula, gently smooth the batter in each muffin cup. Sprinkle chopped peanuts and/or chocolate chips on top, if desired.
- Bake until the centers are just slightly firm to touch, about 13 to 16 minutes. NOTE: Keep in mind that muffins will continue to bake in the pan even after they are removed from the oven so you want to take them out before they are very firm and baked through at the tops. Let the muffins cool for 10 minutes in the muffin tin before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Store in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Tip: To reheat a muffin, microwave it for 10- 15 seconds and enjoy it warm.
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Notes
We absolutely love Puori PW1 whey protein powder for its ultimate quality, clean ingredient list, and flavor. Puori whey protein is made from protein concentrate harvested from pasture-raised cows and flavored with real bourbon vanilla. Puori PW1 Vanilla is 3rd party tested and recently ranked #1 in Clean Label Project’s test of 133 protein powder products from 52 brands. Use code PUORIxRFD for 20% off your order (we also love and use other Puori supplements, including their omega 3s, vitamin D, magnesium, and collagen peptides.)
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 190
- Fat: 10 g
- (Sat Fat: 3 g)
- Sodium: 186 mg
- Carbohydrate: 14 g
- (Fiber: 1 g
- Sugar: 6 g)
- Protein: 9 g
- Cholesterol: 38 mg
Dietary
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Could you make these as mini muffins? Trying to find a healthier alternative to my kids’ current obsession with the store bought minis.
Absolutely Megen! We have good luck with the silicone mini muffin pan, they come out so easily and make things simple. Watch them while baking as the bake time is slightly less.
I make these every week for my one year old now for breakfast. I omit the CCs and for serving mix PB, chia seeds, and berries to spread. Love!
Awesome Mallory! Thanks for the feedback and 5-star review!
Planning to make these and I only have fat free plain Greek yogurt. Will this work?
Hi Lynda, for best results we recommend using 2% or full-fat plain or vanilla yogurt to give these healthy protein muffins a tender crumb and perfect moistness.
I made these muffins today with banana instead of Greek yogurt, and they came out so good! My family described them as fluffy, creamy, just the right amount of sweet, and delicious. I baked them for 15 minutes, and that seemed just right. We’ll be making these again!
Awesome! We are so happy this will be a repeat recipe Gina!