Healthy and Easy Protein Blueberry Muffins
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These healthy and easy protein blueberry muffins only take a handful of wholesome ingredients and 35 minutes to make from start to finish. They are moist, flavorful, and packed with extra protein to keep you feeling satisfied. Enjoy them as an easy on-the-go breakfast or afternoon snack.
Blueberry muffins but make them protein! Who doesn’t love a good blueberry muffin?! It is probably one of kids most number requested recipe because they get to dig into this moist and cake like muffin for breakfast! But instead of being loaded with sugar and lacking the protein, these lemon blueberry muffins are made with healthier ingredients and protein powder to help keep them full and ready for the day.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Easy: You can have these muffins ready to eat in about 35 minutes from start to finish! And no fancy equipment needed!
- Protein: The added protein powder and Greek yogurt boost the protein in these muffins to 12 grams per muffin!
- Family Friendly: These tasty and moist lemon blueberry muffins will be a hit with the whole family, even picky eaters. And you can enjoy them for a few days for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack.
What I Love:
- These muffins are not too sweet and pack so much flavor from the added lemon zest and lemon juice! I found when I first tested the recipe and did not use the lemon, the muffins felt like they were lacking just a little since the sugar is reduced. But the bright lemon flavors really made these muffins so flavorful, without being loaded with sugar!
Ingredients and variations
All-Purpose Flour: Gives the muffins structure and keeps them light and fluffy.
Wheat Flour: Adds a little more whole grains to the muffins without feeling heavy. You can replace with all-purpose flour if you wish.
Vanilla Protein Powder: Use your favorite protein powder to add protein to these lemon and blueberry muffins. I recommend using a vanilla protein powder you would use smoothies. I use a plant based protein powder to make my muffins.
Salt: Enhances the flavors.
Baking powder & Soda: The leavening agents.
Honey: Lightly sweetens the blueberry muffins. You can swap for maple syrup.
Oil: A neutral oil, such as avocado, vegetable or canola oil, adds moisture to the muffins.
Applesauce: Reduces the amount of oil in the muffins without sacrificing moisture. You can replace with oil if you wish.
Eggs: Provides structure.
Milk: Add moisture to the the batter.
Greek Yogurt: Another layer of moisture as well as protein. You can use plain yogurt or plant based yogurt if needed.
Vanilla Extract: Gives the batter more flavor.
Lemon juice and lemon zest: Adds some bright citrus flavors. You can omit from the recipe if you wish.
Blueberries: You can use fresh or frozen blueberries in this recipe. If using frozen, do not defrost and toss the blueberries in about 1/2 tablespoon of flour before folding into the batter.
How to make protein lemon blueberry muffins
- Preheat oven to 415 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flours, protein powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk together and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the honey, Greek yogurt, applesauce, oil, eggs, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract together. Whisk or beat until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix until just combined. Add in the blueberries and fold into the batter. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes. While the batter is resting, line a muffin tin with muffin liners to make 12 muffins.
- Divide the batter into the 12 muffin tins evenly. Bake at 415 degrees F. for 5 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 375 for an additional 10-13 minutes or until the batter is fully set and toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the muffin. Let cool slightly before enjoying.
Sara’s Tip
To get the honey out from the measuring cup easier, measure your oil first. The oil will grease the measuring cup and allow the honey to slide right out with ease!
Storage instructions
You can store the muffins at room temperature in a air-tight container for about 2 days or 4 days in the refrigerator.
You can also freeze the muffins. To do this, let the muffins cool completely. Then wrap each muffin in plastic wrap, and place into a zip lock bag. Label and date the bag before placing in the freezer. You can store the muffins in the freezer up to 3 months. When ready to enjoy, you can defrost in the microwave or fridge.
Tips for bakery style muffins
Whenever you are making muffins, there are few things you can do that will help the give those muffins a bakery feel with tall tops. Here are my top tips for making the best muffins.
- Let the batter rest for 15 before adding to the muffin tin. This allows for the flours to hydrate, creating a thicker batter. This gives your muffins those tall domes and also improves texture. If you are short on time, you can skip this step but I highly recommend it for the best results.
- Fill your muffin tins all the way to the top! No half filling the muffin tins.
- Bake the muffins at a higher temperature (415-425 degrees F) for the first 5 minutes, then reduce you heat for the remaining bake time. This helps activate the baking powder and soda, giving you tall domes.
Do I have to use protein powder?
No! You can opt out of the protein powder if you wish. If you choose to skip the protein, replace it with an extra 1/2 cup of all-purpose flour.
Can I make these muffins gluten-free?
Yes, you can make these blueberry lemon muffins gluten-free by replacing the flours (all-purpose and wheat) with a 1:1 ration gluten-free flour. Do not replace the flours with oat or almond flour as this will impact the recipe.
Also be sure to check the protein powder you are using is gluten-free as some do contain gluten.
Can I make the Muffins dairy free?
Yes! You can make the muffins dairy free by replacing the milk with milk with a dairy free option, such as almond or oat milk. You can also swap the greek yogurt for a dairy free yogurt.
Be sure to also use a dairy free protein powder as some do contain dairy!
If you give these healthy and easy protein blueberry muffins a try, let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
And be sure to tag me on Instagram so I can see your creations.
From my kitchen to yours, happy baking!
Healthy and Easy Protein Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
- 2/3 C. All-Purpose Flour
- 3/4 C. Wheat Flour
- 1/2 C. Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Baking soda
- 1 tsp. Baking powder
- 1/3 C. Honey or maple syrup
- 1/3 C. Oil (such as avocado, canola or vegetable oil)
- 1/4 C. Applesauce (unsweetened)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 C. Milk
- 3/4 C. Greek yogurt
- 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp. Lemon Zest
- 3 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
- 1 C. Blueberries (Fresh or Frozen (see note if using frozen))
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 415 degrees F.
- In a medium bowl, combine the flours, protein powder, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Whisk together and set aside.
- In a large bowl, add the honey, Greek yogurt, applesauce, oil, eggs, milk, lemon zest, lemon juice and vanilla extract together. Whisk or beat until fully combined.
- Add the dry ingredients into the wet. Mix until just combined. Add in the blueberries and fold into the batter. Let the batter rest for 15 minutes. While the batter is resting, line a muffin tin with muffin liners to make 12 muffins.
- Divide the batter into the 12 muffin tins evenly. Bake at 415 degrees F. for 5 minutes. Then reduce the heat to 375 for an additional 10-13 minutes or until the batter is fully set and toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the center of the muffin. Let cool slightly before enjoying.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition facts provided are calculated using a third-party tool and are estimates only. Actual nutritional content may vary based on the ingredients and brands you use, as well as portion sizes. For accurate results, please consult a registered dietitian or nutritionist.
