These Protein Pumpkin Muffins are moist, simple muffins made with pumpkin puree and contain over 13 grams of protein. Perfect for a fall post-workout snack!
I love making all kinds of pumpkin recipes for fall. Recipes like my Almond Flour Pumpkin Muffins, Almond Flour Pumpkin Bread, and Keto Pumpkin Cake are delicious desserts packed with pumpkin pie spice flavor and super easy to make.
If you want your home to smell like pumpkin pie for hours on end, you need to make this recipe.
Ingredients and Substitutes
This recipe only requires a handful of basic ingredients.
Pumpkin Puree – Use 100% pure pumpkin, not pie filling. You can easily make your own if you wish. Eggs – Bring to room temperature for easier mixing (eggs are safe if taken out of the fridge for less than 2 hours). I have never tried this recipe with flax eggs or chia eggs. Peanut Butter – Natural, unsweetened peanut butter. Almond butter or sunflower seed butter are also great alternatives. Vanilla Protein Powder – Choose a high-quality powder with minimal additives. Unflavored protein with vanilla extract is also an option. I used pea protein powder. Pumpkin Spice – Create your own blend with cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and cloves for a fresh taste. Baking powder – test in warm water to ensure freshness. It should sizzle. Maple Syrup – Pure maple syrup gives the best flavor, but you can also use honey or unsweetened syrup. Greek yogurt – for optional frosting. Full fat provides the richest texture. Dairy-free coconut or cashew yogurt. Icing sugar – for optional frosting. Please sieve before use. Powdered erythritol or allulose are good choices for sugar-free options.
How to make protein pumpkin muffins
This is an easy recipe that can be made using just a food processor.
Mix muffin ingredients in a food processor.
Process until smooth and homogeneous, then use an ice cream scoop to scoop out the dough.
Place one scoop of batter into a muffin tin lined with a paper cup.
Spread yogurt frosting on top of protein pumpkin muffins.
expert tips
Do not overmix – blend until ingredients are combined. Over-mixing can result in thick, tough muffins. You can use silicone muffin liners. This is environmentally friendly as it can be easily removed and reused. Let the dough rest – Let the dough rest for 10-15 minutes before baking. This will fully hydrate the protein powder and give it a better texture. Add texture – Stir in chopped nuts, seeds, or unsweetened chocolate chips for crunch and flavor variation. Moisture control – If using a different protein powder, adjust the liquid content as needed. The batter should be thick but pourable – see photo above. Temperature Tip – If you have time, start baking at 425°F (220°C) for 5 minutes and reduce to 350°F (180°C) for the rest of the time. This will create a nice dome on the muffin.
See more fall muffin recipes
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yogurt frosting (optional)
Preheat oven to 350 °F (180 °C). Line a 12-hole muffin tin with muffin paper liners. Spray with cooking oil and set aside.
Add all pumpkin muffin ingredients except for the frosting to a food processor.
Blend until smooth.
Fill each muffin paper liner evenly with batter.
Place the muffins on the center rack of the oven and bake at 180°C (350°F) for 25 to 30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean.
Let cool on cooling rack for 3 hours before adding frosting.
To frost, place the frosting ingredients in a bowl and whisk until there are no lumps. If it’s lumpy, add 1 teaspoon of almond milk to thin it.
Just before serving, spread over the muffins and garnish with a pinch of cinnamon.
Note 2: I tested the recipe using pea protein powder. Whey protein powder is highly liquid absorbent, so you may need an additional 2 tablespoons of almond milk to hold the dough together.
Note 3: You can also use powdered sugar that does not contain sugar, such as powdered allulose or powdered erythritol.
Storage: Store muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. You can store it in a ziplock bag and freeze it for up to 3 months, then thaw it at room temperature the day before.
Provided by: 1 muffincalorie: 231.1 kcal (12%)carbohydrates: 17.9 g (6%)fiber: 1.6 g (7%)Net carbs: 16.3 gprotein: 13.2 g (26%)fat: 13 g (20%)Saturated fat: 3 g (19%)Polyunsaturated fats: 2.9 gMonounsaturated fats: 5.9 gTrans fat: 0.01 gcholesterol: 63.7 mg (twenty one%)sodium: 173.9 mg (8%)potassium: 243.6 mg (7%)sugar: 12 g (13%)Vitamin A: 3253.1 IU (65%)Vitamin B12: 0.1 μg (2%)Vitamin C: 0.9 mg (1%)Vitamin D: 0.3 μg (2%)calcium: 114.6 mg (11%)iron: 0.9 mg (5%)magnesium: 48.7 mg (12%)zinc: 0.8 mg (5%)
About the author
Karine Claudepierre
Hello, I’m Carine. I’m a food blogger, author, recipe developer, published cookbook author, and founder of Sweet As Honey.
I earned my Certificate in Nutrition and Wellness from Well College Global (formerly Cadence Health) in 2014. I have a passion for sharing all the easy and delicious recipes that are delicious and healthy. My expertise in this field is based on my background in chemistry and years of practicing a keto low-carb diet. But my husband is vegan, so I’m also very familiar with vegetarian and vegan cooking.
I now eat a more balanced diet, alternating between keto and Mediterranean diets.
Cooking and baking are my true passions. In fact, I only publish a small portion of my recipes on Sweet As Honey. Most of it was eaten by my husband and two children before I could take a photo.
All of my recipes are tested at least three times to make sure they work, and I pride myself on keeping them as accurate as possible.
See all my recipes in the recipe index.
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