Healthy Blueberry Protein Muffins (Easy & Moist Recipe)

This healthy blueberry protein muffin recipe is incredibly moist and bursting with juicy blueberries, making it the perfect high-protein start to your day or a wonderful healthy snack. I love how they capture that classic bakery muffin softness while secretly being packed with wholesome goodness.

Health Benefits of These Muffins

These protein-packed muffins offer fantastic health benefits. They are low in calories and saturated fat, serving as an excellent protein source for breakfast, a healthy dessert option, or a satisfying post-workout treat.

Each muffin also provides essential nutrients like iron, fiber, and potassium, plus antioxidants thanks to the blueberries known for their superfood qualities.

Depending on the specific ingredients you select, you can easily adapt this recipe to be dairy free, gluten free, egg free, free of added sugar, low in fat, or even fully vegan.

These muffins are perfect for packing into a lunchbox for work or school, or simply enjoying as a substantial part of your morning meal. Personally, I find one before a run gives me great energy, and my brother likes having one after his cycling workout.

Getting Started With Ingredients

Gathering your ingredients is the first step to baking these delightful muffins. You will need blueberries, flour, protein powder, yogurt or applesauce, a little oil or almond butter if you choose, water, pure vanilla extract, salt, baking soda, baking powder, sugar, and ground cinnamon.

Blueberries: This recipe uses a full cup of blueberries within the batter, and you can add a few extra on top for a prettier finish if you like.

Both fresh blueberries and frozen blueberries work wonderfully. If using frozen, be sure they are completely thawed and gently patted dry to remove any extra moisture before folding them in.

Feel free to get creative with other berries too. You could substitute some or all of the blueberries with fresh raspberries, blackberries, or finely diced cherries, apples, or even strawberries.

Protein powder: Choosing the right protein powder is key to avoiding an unpleasant aftertaste. I typically reach for an unsweetened, unflavored pea protein powder because I find it blends seamlessly without any odd flavors.

You have many options here. Brown rice protein, soy protein, whey protein, or casein will all work. Just make sure the flavor complements blueberries well. Vanilla bean or a hint of cinnamon roll flavor could be lovely choices.

Ultimately, the most important factor is using a protein powder you already enjoy and trust the taste of.

Yogurt or applesauce: The recipe calls for a half cup of plain yogurt or applesauce. This adds moisture and structure to the muffins. You can use your favorite type of regular yogurt, a plant based variety, or thick Greek yogurt.

For a fun twist on the flavor, try using raspberry or strawberry flavored yogurt instead of plain.

If you are aiming for lemon blueberry protein muffins, grab some lemon flavored yogurt and stir in the zest from one fresh lemon as well.

Sugar: You can use traditional white granulated sugar or brown sugar for sweetness. Unrefined coconut sugar is another excellent option. For a sugar free version, granulated erythritol or xylitol sweeteners work well.

Using liquid sweeteners like honey or pure maple syrup can sometimes result in muffins that are a bit denser and do not rise quite as much. However, some bakers still enjoy the outcome with these substitutions. It is really up to your personal preference and what you have on hand.

Flour: Several types of flour perform well in this recipe. Whole grain spelt flour, standard all purpose white flour, or many brands of gluten free flour blends are all suitable options.

You can also use oat flour to create delicious blueberry oatmeal protein muffins. The core recipe is quite adaptable.

How to Bake These Protein Blueberry Muffins

Making these muffins is quite simple and follows a straightforward process.

1. First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Take your muffin tin, whether standard size or mini, and grease each cup thoroughly. You can use vegetable oil, coconut oil, or a nonstick cooking spray for this. Set the prepared pan aside while you get the batter ready.
2. If you decide to use almond butter in place of oil, gently warm it just enough so it is easy to stir smoothly. Get a large mixing bowl ready. In this bowl, whisk together the water, the yogurt or applesauce, the optional oil or warmed nut butter, and the vanilla extract. Combine these wet ingredients well.
3. Now, add the remaining dry ingredients into the bowl. This includes the flour, protein powder, sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
4. Begin stirring everything together gently. Mix only until all the ingredients are just combined and you do not see any dry patches of flour or powder remaining in the bowl. It is important not to overmix the batter, as this can lead to a tougher texture in the baked muffins.
5. Handle the blueberries with care for this step. Very gently fold the fresh or thawed frozen blueberries into the batter using a spoon or a rubber spatula. Mix just enough times to get the berries distributed throughout the mixture without crushing them. If you stir too forcefully, the berries might break apart and cause the batter to turn purple. The muffins will still taste great, but they might not look quite as appealing.
6. Using a large cookie scoop or a regular spoon, divide the muffin batter as evenly as possible among the nine prepared muffin cups in your greased tin.
7. As an optional step for presentation, you can lightly press a few extra blueberries onto the very top of the batter in each muffin cup before placing the pan in the oven.
8. Carefully place the muffin tin onto the middle rack inside your preheated oven. Bake the muffins for approximately 19 minutes. To check if they are done, insert a clean toothpick into the center of one of the muffins. The toothpick should come out with only a few moist crumbs clinging to it, but no wet batter.
9. Once baked, take the muffin tin out of the oven. Let the muffins cool in the tin for just a few minutes to help them set slightly. After this short cooling period in the tin, use a thin knife or offset spatula to gently loosen the edges of the muffins from the sides of the tin before carefully lifting them out.
10. For the best texture and flavor, transfer the muffins to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before you dig in and enjoy them.

Useful Baking Tips and Tricks

Here are a few extra tips to help you get the most out of this protein muffin recipe.

• If you prefer larger, bakery style jumbo blueberry protein muffins, simply use a jumbo muffin pan instead of a standard one. Keep in mind you will likely need to add a few minutes to the baking time since they are larger.
• I highly recommend greasing your muffin pans well rather than using paper liners. This helps ensure the muffins do not stick to the sides as they bake and cool. Plus, it is a slightly more environmentally friendly approach.
• For those who appreciate the convenience of pre mixed baking blends, similar to popular high protein muffin mixes, you can save time by mixing all the dry ingredients for this recipe in advance. Store your homemade dry muffin mix in an airtight bag or container until you are ready to add the wet ingredients and bake a batch.
• If you are looking to further boost the protein content per muffin, consider replacing some or even all of the water called for in the recipe with egg whites or a liquid vegan egg replacer. This substitution adds extra protein without significantly altering the moisture or texture too much.

Frequently Asked Questions About Blueberry Protein Muffins

Got questions about making these tasty protein muffins? Here are answers to some common inquiries.

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