Pumpkin protein muffins with chocolate chips are soft, moist and full of pumpkin flavor, with vanilla protein powder and Greek yogurt worked into the batter. They’re sweet enough to taste like a real muffin, with a little extra protein added in.

Pumpkin protein muffins with chocolate chips arranged on a blue-and-white cake stand.

Healthy-ish, but good enough that my boys still call dibs on the last one."

- Bailey S.

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Pumpkin protein muffins with chocolate chips arranged in a yellow baking dish lined with a patterned kitchen towel.

from my actual life

**(feel free to skip to the muffins)**

I made 96 pumpkin muffins this weekend. The first 48 had issues (some more serious than others). The next 48 are why you’re getting this recipe.

Of all the things that I bake, pumpkin muffins are my boys’ favorite. All three of them. When they come home from college, they’ll expect my famous (to us) pumpkin muffins to be cooling on the counter.

But these pumpkin protein muffins are not that recipe. The original is sugary, loaded with chocolate chips and delicious, obviously.

This one is not trying to replace it. The goal here was a pumpkin muffin that tasted as close to the real thing as possible, but with less sugar and some added protein.

If you’re trying to squeeze every seed, grain and organic powder into a muffin, look elsewhere.

These muffins are balanced. Healthy-ish + still taste good enough that the boys call dibs on the last one.

Bailey

P.S. If you are looking for more healthy-ish protein muffins, my blueberry protein muffins are the most popular recipe on my site.

let's talk through it

Pumpkin protein muffins with chocolate chips baked in a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners.

I’m going to get a little bit nerdy here. I spent 25+ hours working on perfecting a protein muffin, so I need to talk about it. If you’re not interested, skip this section and just make the muffins.

These are soft, pumpkin-y muffins with an ideal crumb and enough chocolate chips that someone will probably let me know that chocolate for breakfast is an irresponsible parenting move. The muffins actually have pumpkin flavor, the sweetness is still there, and the protein powder doesn’t leave a weird aftertaste (Iooking at you test muffins 13-18).

I obviously wanted to include as much protein as the muffins could handle. Turns out ½ cup was the sweet spot. When I tested with larger quantities, the muffins dried out and the protein flavor overtook the pumpkin.

Test muffins 1-6 used whole wheat flour, and 7-12 used a combo of both whole wheat and all-purpose. Both changed the texture and flavor more than I wanted. And for the slight nutritional difference between the two, it just didn’t feel worth compromising the muffin. All-purpose flour tasted better to me, so that’s what I used.

ingredients

all-purpose flour: As mentioned above, I tested these with whole wheat flour and with a combo of whole wheat and all-purpose. You can sub either and you will still get a pumpkin muffin. In my opinion, it doesn't taste as good.

vanilla protein powder: I tested this recipe with Clean Simple Eats vanilla protein powder. Protein powders behave very differently, so another brand may change your result. If you use an alternate brand, look for a whey-based vanilla option rather than one that is plant-based, collagen or casein.

baking powder: Yep, it's a full tablespoon and that feels like a lot. It's not a typo. The thick batter needs the lift, and this is the amount that gave me that.

baking soda: Works alongside the baking powder to help the muffins rise, don't skip it.

cinnamon + pumpkin pie spice: I went big and used both. This was on purpose. The combo gives you a strong pumpkin-muffin flavor without tasting overpowering.

salt: I used regular table salt, if you are using kosher salt, use a little bit more.

eggs: I didn't do any tests on substituting eggs. They give the muffins structure and moisture and I think they are important here.

pumpkin puree: Make sure you are using plain, 100% pumpkin puree and not pumpkin pie filling. Pumpkin pie filling already contains sugar and spices and will definitely affect your final muffins.

greek yogurt: Use plain, full-fat Greek yogurt. This adds some fat to the recipe and helps keep the muffins soft. This is important when you are baking with protein powder.

light brown sugar: The muffins were tested using light brown sugar, so if you are super type A, go with that. I don't think using dark, if that's what you have on hand would impact the recipe in a significant way. Go for it.

canola oil: I used canola oil because it has a neutral flavor and keeps the muffins moist. I have also tested this recipe with vegetable oil with success.

vanilla extract: It doesn't make a dramatic difference in the flavor of the muffins, so don't skip making these if you are all out. That said, it's worth adding if you can.

chocolate chips: My kids simply won't eat a muffin without them, so I added them. And they do objectively make the muffin taste better. If chocolate for breakfast is not your thing, leave them out.

instructions

Dry ingredients for pumpkin protein muffins, including flour, vanilla protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a mixing bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk together the flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and salt in a medium bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients. In a large bowl, stir together the eggs, pumpkin, Greek yogurt, brown sugar, oil and vanilla until smooth.

Wet ingredients for pumpkin protein muffins, including pumpkin puree, Greek yogurt, eggs, brown sugar, oil and vanilla, being stirred together in a mixing bowl.

Make the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir just until combined, then fold in the chocolate chips. The batter will be very thick.

Pumpkin protein muffins with chocolate chips baked in a 12-cup muffin pan, shown just out of the oven.

Fill and bake the muffins. Divide the batter between lined muffin cups using a ¼-cup scoop. Bake until the muffins are domed and set in the center, then cool before serving.

worth knowing

weigh your ingredients: This is my go-to baking tip. Flour and protein powder are really easy to overmeasure, and this batter does not need any extra dry ingredients.

the batter is thick: Very thick, and that is correct. The muffins rise quite a bit while baking, so I always use a ¼ cup scoop for each one. I would not go with any more batter than that.

watch the bake time: Ovens are notoriously inconsistent. These muffins dry out quickly if they bake too long. I keep a separate thermometer inside mine so I know the temperature being shown on my oven’s screen is accurate.

the pan matters: I really hate to say this, but it does. My Caraway pan consistently gives me the best-looking muffins. Different pan materials, coatings and colors all conduct heat differently. Another pan may brown faster or give you a different rise. There are plenty of great pans. I just happen to use Caraway.

they freeze well: Allow the muffins to cool completely, then freeze in an airtight container or freezer bag. Microwave from frozen until warm, or allow them to thaw on the counter at room temperature.

Looking for more recipes with a little extra protein? Try these:

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