Why This Recipe WORKS
- Moist, never chalky. I specifically formulated this batter with enough moisture to balance the protein powder and keep the muffins tender.
- The perfect sweetness. The coconut sugar, maple syrup, and chocolate chips give these muffins a balanced sweetness that doesn’t overpower the pumpkin spice.
- A hearty muffin. The protein powder, eggs, and Greek yogurt give these muffins more staying power than a typical pumpkin muffin, making them a satisfying option for breakfast or a snack.
- Easy to grab and go. These are one of my favorite muffins to make ahead. Once they’re completely cool, I store them in an airtight container or freeze them individually so they’re easy to grab whenever we need a quick, protein-packed snack.
As much as I love breakfast recipes that are more sweet treats than healthy meals, I also enjoy creating healthier, protein-packed options that I can make on regular rotation in my house. We’ve made my pumpkin protein pancakes on repeat, so I knew I had to make a muffin recipe for pumpkin season this year!
These gluten-free pumpkin protein muffins are filling enough to keep me going on busy mornings, and my kids love them too! They’ve easily earned a spot among my favorite gluten-free pumpkin recipes.
What You Need
Here are a few notes on some of the key ingredients to make these gluten-free pumpkin protein muffins. Jump to the recipe card below for the exact measurements.
- Vanilla protein powder. Protein powder gives these muffins an extra boost of protein while adding a little sweetness and vanilla flavor. Protein powders can vary quite a bit in how they bake, so I recommend using one you already know you like the flavor of. This is my favorite brand.
- Pumpkin purée. I specifically created this recipe to use a whole can of pumpkin because there’s nothing worse than having ½ cup of pumpkin sitting in your fridge that you’re not sure what to do with. Be sure to use pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling.
- Greek yogurt. I use plain Greek yogurt to add even more protein while keeping the muffins moist. Its slight tang also balances the sweetness from the coconut sugar, maple syrup and chocolate chips.
- Coconut sugar. I always have coconut sugar on hand because we use it as a filling for buckwheat crepes. If you don’t have coconut sugar you can use brown sugar no problem!
How to Make Gluten-Free Pumpkin Protein Muffins
Here’s an overview of how to make this recipe. You can jump to the recipe for the full instructions!
Whisk the dry ingredients. Combine the gluten-free flour, protein powder, coconut sugar, baking powder and soda, salt, and spices in a large bowl.
Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl whisk the pumpkin purée, yogurt, eggs, syrup, and vanilla until smooth.
Erin’s Tip
Protein powder naturally absorbs quite a bit of moisture, which is why this recipe uses a generous amount of pumpkin purée and Greek yogurt. I wouldn’t reduce either one—they help keep the muffins from turning out dry or chalky.
Combine mixtures. A rubber spatula makes it easy to blend the pumpkin mixture into the dry ingredients, leaving no streaks behind.
Add mix-ins. Once the batter is fully combined, fold the chocolate chips into the mixture.
Erin’s Tip
I like to use mini chocolate chips in many of my muffin recipes, like these gluten-free banana muffins, but I actually prefer regular-size semi-sweet chocolate chips in this recipe. I think they hold up better and create little pockets of chocolate in every bite!
Scoop and bake. Divide the batter evenly into the two muffin pans. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean (about 25 minutes).
Cool and serve. After the muffins cool a little bit in the pan (about 5 minutes), move them to a wire rack to cool the rest of the way. Enjoy!
Erin’s Tip
I like using a large cookie scoop to portion the batter so all of the muffins are roughly the same size and bake evenly.
More Gluten-Free Protein-Packed Breakfast Recipes
Gluten-Free Pumpkin Protein Muffins
Video
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups (300g) gluten-free measure-for-measure flour
- 1 cup (110g) vanilla protein powder
- ¾ cup (127g) coconut sugar
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
Other Ingredients
- One 15-ounce can (425g) pumpkin purée
- 1½ cups (360g) plain Greek yogurt
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup (170g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Line two standard muffin pans with paper baking cups.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the gluten-free flour, protein powder, coconut sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the pumpkin purée, Greek yogurt, eggs, maple syrup and vanilla extract until smooth.
- Add the pumpkin mixture to the dry ingredients and stir with a rubber spatula until just combined and no dry flour streaks remain. Fold in the chocolate chips.
- Using a kitchen scoop or large spoon, portion the batter evenly into the prepared muffin pans.
- Bake for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
- Let the muffins cool in the pans for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
If you didn’t want to use protein powder, would you just use more flour?
Hi Megan! If not wanting to use protein powder, we’d recommend our classic gluten-free pumpkin muffin recipe instead. The ingredients in this protein muffin version are specifically balanced for the protein powder so flour won’t work as a 1:1 swap. We hope this helps! Happy baking!
What type of Greek yogurt was used here? Nonfat? Low? Whole?