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.
They are great!
We’re glad you loved them, Katie! Thank you for the 5-star review!