Makes: *12 Servings*
Per Serving: 10g Protein | 136 Cal

Jump to Recipe

healthy pumpkin protein muffins with icing

This time of year, as the weather gets crisp and the leaves start to turn colors and fall, so many of us are craving all of those fall flavors. And if you, like a lot of people, love pumpkin and warming spices, you’ll absolutely love these protein-packed pumpkin muffins with a rich and creamy cream cheese frosting. Great for quick breakfasts, meal prep, or post-workout snacks, these pumpkin muffins strike the perfect balance between indulgent and nutritious, letting you enjoy all of your favorite fall flavors while staying on track with your health and fitness goals.

I tested these muffins nine times (seriously!) and ended up with two slightly different variations of this recipe. While I normally wouldn’t share two versions of the same recipe, I couldn’t decide between the two and think that both are delicious and both are worth sharing, because everyone has different preferences and different needs.

Why You’ll Love These Pumpkin Protein Muffins:

Packed with Protein: Both variations of this recipe give you about 10 grams of protein per serving (a bit more if you add the protein cream cheese frosting).
Versatile and Customizable: While baking requires more precision than cooking does, you still have some options when making my pumpkin protein muffins. Use a specific brand of protein powder for less added sugar overall, swap out the all-purpose flour in favor of gluten-free oat flour, or try a different flavor of protein powder depending on your preferences.
Great for Meal Prep: Because you can quickly and easily mix up a full batch of these pumpkin protein muffins, it’s a great way to make a healthy breakfast you can have on hand all week long.

close-up shot of a pumpkin muffin cut in half

Pumpkin Protein Muffins (Variation 1)

If you have basic protein powders in your pantry and don’t want to buy a specific brand, blend, or flavor, this is the version of the recipe you’ll want to make. Because we’re not using a specific protein powder in this recipe, it calls for a little bit of additional sugar to help balance the flavors in these muffins. Even with the added sugar, these muffins are still fairly healthy and full of protein.

Ingredients

1¼ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free oat flour)
2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder (or pumpkin-flavored protein powder)
1 scoop vanilla casein protein powder
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup canned pumpkin puree
¾ cup blended cottage cheese
2 large eggs
¼ cup maple syrup
¼ cup coconut sugar or brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(Optional) 1 dropper of pumpkin pie spice flavoring

Protein Cream Cheese Frosting:

¾ cup pumpkin cream cheese softened (or regular cream cheese)
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tablespoon powdered sugar
1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper liners or spray with avocado oil spray.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, protein powders, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt.
Combine the wet ingredients: In another medium bowl, combine the pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, sugar, and vanilla extract.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients: Mix the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until well combined, being careful not to overmix your batter.
Fill the muffin tins: Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups.
Bake: Bake for 24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Make the cream cheese frosting: While the muffins cool on a wire rack, make the frosting by beating the cream cheese, vanilla protein powder, powdered sugar, and pumpkin pie spice until smooth.
Frost the muffins: Let the muffins cool completely before frosting them. Then, spread a bit of frosting on top of each muffin. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information (per muffin, no frosting):

Calories: 136

Protein: 10g

Carbs: 22g

Fat: 1g

With frosting:

Protein: 12g

Carbs: 26g

Fat: 4g

Pumpkin Protein Muffins (Variation 2 – Less Sugar)

close-up shot of pumpkin muffins with one muffin cut

In this version, I specify using Devotion Sinful Cinnamon protein powder, which is great for baking and is already naturally sweet, meaning you don’t need to add as much sugar to sweeten your muffins. If you’re looking for a recipe that’s lower in sugar but still flavorful, this is the version for you.

Ingredients

1¼ cups all-purpose flour (or gluten-free oat flour)
3 scoops Devotion Sinful Cinnamon protein powder
1 teaspoon gluten-free baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
¼ teaspoon salt
¾ cup canned pumpkin puree
¾ cup blended cottage cheese
2 large eggs
¼ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
(Optional) 1 dropper of pumpkin pie spice flavoring

Protein Cream Cheese Frosting:

¾ cup light cream cheese softened
1 scoop vanilla protein powder
1 tablespoon powdered sugar

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a muffin tin with paper muffin liners or spray with avocado oil spray.
Mix the dry ingredients: Mix the flour, Devotion Sinful Cinnamon protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, pumpkin pie spice, and salt in a large bowl.
Whisk the wet ingredients together: In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, and vanilla extract.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients: Combine the wet and dry ingredients and mix until smooth. Be careful not to overmix the batter!
Fill the muffin tin: Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cups.
Bake: Bake for 24 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Make the cream cheese frosting: For the frosting, beat the light cream cheese, vanilla protein powder, and powdered sugar until smooth.
Frost the pumpkin protein muffins: Let muffins cool before frosting. Then, spread a little bit of frosting on top of each muffin. Enjoy!

Nutrition Information (per muffin, no frosting):

Calories: 120

Protein: 9g

Carbs: 17g

Fat: 1g

With frosting:

Protein: 12g

Carbs: 20g

Fat: 3g

How to Make the Best Pumpkin Protein Muffins (No Matter the Version)

Want to make sure your muffins turn out the best they can? Here’s what you need to know:

Make Sure Not to Over-Mix: When you’re mixing up your muffin batter, make sure you only mix until the ingredients are just combined, otherwise your muffins may be tough.
Measure Carefully: Because baking relies on precision, it’s important that you’re measuring your ingredients correctly. Make sure you gently spoon, then level the flour into your measuring cup (make sure you’re using a cup meant for dry ingredients!) to get a more accurate measurement. Don’t pack the flour into the cup!
Make Sure Your Ingredients Are at Room Temperature: Room temperature ingredients help you get a better, more consistent result.
Careful Not to Over-Bake: If you bake your muffins for too long, they can get dry. Start checking the doneness around 20 minutes to make sure that you don’t leave them in for too long.
Don’t Frost Warm: It’s super critical for your muffins to be completely cool before you frost them. If there’s any residual heat left in the muffins, the frosting will melt off.

How to Store Your Pumpkin Muffins

Once you make your muffins, you’ll need to know how to store them. These pumpkin protein muffins will stay fresh at room temperature for up to 2 days or refrigerated for up to 5 days. You can also freeze these protein pumpkin muffins. If you want to freeze them, leave them unfrosted, wrap them in plastic wrap, then store them in an airtight container or freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.

FAQs

The first variation of the recipe calls for a blend of two protein powders: whey and casein. If you’d like to, you can definitely use just whey protein powder in these muffins, but they may not be as moist and tender as if you use the blend. If you only want to use one protein powder, you can also make the second variation of the recipe, which calls for one protein powder that’s specially formulated for baking.
If you follow a gluten-free diet, you can still make these muffins. Just swap the all-purpose flour for a gluten-free blend, gluten-free oat flour, or even almond flour. If you use oat or almond, you may need to add a little more liquid to your batter, but make sure you go slow and only add a little bit. You can always add more liquid, but it’s harder to adjust when you’ve added too much.
If you don’t like cottage cheese, you can add Greek yogurt to your muffin batter instead. It’ll still give you a boost of protein and will help keep the muffins moist. You can also add unsweetened applesauce for moisture, but it won’t add the protein that using cottage cheese or Greek yogurt will.
Item desThese muffins contain both eggs and dairy. To make them vegan, leave out the eggs and instead use flax eggs or chia eggs. You’ll also need to swap out the protein powder for a vegan protein powder and either use a dairy-free cream cheese for the frosting, or leave it off entirely.

cription
If you want (or need) a lower-sugar version of the first recipe, you can go ahead and cut the coconut sugar or maple syrup by half or use a sugar alternative like monk fruit to keep the muffins sweet without adding extra sugar. If needed, you can add a little extra liquid to your muffin batter to make sure it’s the right consistency.
Definitely. These muffins are delicious without the cream cheese frosting, so if you don’t want to add it, that’s just fine. It does add extra flavor and a little extra protein, however, so just keep that in mind when you’re baking. You could also dollop Greek yogurt on top of each muffin if you’d prefer.

These healthy, high-protein muffins are just as delicious as they are nutritious. Pair them with a cup of coffee or tea, eggs, or fruit to round out your breakfast. Happy baking!