By Made with just a handful of simple ingredients (and no protein powder), these high protein blueberry muffins are piled high just like your favorite bakery ones! They pack in 10 grams of protein and 4g of fiber. Topped with a zesty lemon sugar, they'll quickly become a family favorite!
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Every-time I develop a baking high protein recipe, I strive to make them as good or better than your favorite bakery version. And these protein blueberry muffins deliver! They have that classic domed top and an uber fluffy texture that I know you'll love.
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The #1 tip for protein muffins
Only fill every other muffin cup in the tin. This gives the muffins space to rise up tall, not out flat. It makes all the difference between hi a homemade muffin and a bakery-style one. You'll need to work in two batches, but it's so worth it for those beautiful domes.
ingredient notes & substitutions
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted. See the recipe card for quantities.
- All-purpose flour: A 1:1 gluten-free swap works too.
- Almond flour: Adds healthy fats and keeps the texture tender and moist.
- Flax seeds: Hemp seeds or chia seeds work, too, for added fiber.
- Baking powder + baking soda: For the best fluffy muffins!
- Salt and vanilla: Balances the sweetness and makes all the flavors pop.
- Blended cottage cheese and Greek yogurt: Adds serious protein and creaminess-trust me, you won't taste it!
- Melted butter: Melted coconut oil works also.
- Eggs: Helps bind everything and adds protein.
- Maple syrup: Natural sweetness that pairs beautifully with blueberries.
- Avocado oil: Neutral oil that gives a super soft texture. Canola oil or vegetable oil works, too.
- Frozen wild blueberries: Smaller and sweeter than regular berries and packed with more antioxidants. If you don't like the streaks of blue from frozen berries, you can use fresh ones. If you're a fan of blueberries in baked goods, try our cottage cheese scones next!
- Lemon zest + sugar: Creates a bright, crunchy topping that takes these over the top.
This recipe has not been tested with other substitutions or variations. If you replace or add any ingredients, please let us know how it turned out in the comments below!
high protein ingredient spotlight: Cottage Cheese
Let's talk cottage cheese. One cup of low-fat cottage cheese packs in about 25 grams of protein! It's mild in flavor, super creamy when blended, and an amazing way to add protein without changing the taste or texture of baked goods. It's also full of calcium and casein protein, which digests slowly-perfect for keeping you full.
Other great ways to use it? Try it in our cottage cheese egg bake, high protein cottage cheese egg bites, or whipped into dips or pasta sauces!
here's how to make high-protein blueberry muffins
Be sure to scroll to the recipe card for the full muffin recipe!
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Combine all dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together. Make a well in the center and add the remaining wet ingredients until just combined.
- Fold in the blueberries gently. Then scoop into a lined muffin tin, filling only every other one.
- In a small bowl, mix the lemon zest and sugar. Sprinkle on top of each muffin.
- Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, then reduce to 350 and bake for 15-20 more minutes without opening the oven.
- Remove from the oven and let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely (like 30 minutes) for the center to be fully baked.
quick recipe video
expert tips
- Don't overmix! Mix until just combined. A few lumps are totally fine-overmixing makes them tough.
- Use wild frozen blueberries if possible. They're smaller and don't sink to the bottom as much.
- Let them cool fully. Like, really. Let them sit for 30 minutes after baking so the centers finish setting. This prevents gooey middles.
troubleshooting & testing notes
Let em' chill
In early tests, the muffins were too wet in the center-cooling fully was the fix. Same idea as our high-protein gluten-free cookies.
Give em' room
Filling every muffin cup made them spread instead of rise-leaving space between is key.
how to store & meal prep it
Here's the best way to store your muffins:
- Room Temp: Store in an airtight container on the counter for up to 5 days. I don't recommend keeping these in the fridge.
- Freezer: Freeze in a sealed bag or container for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight or microwave straight from frozen for 30 seconds at a time.
- Reheating: Microwave for 15-30 seconds or pop in a toaster oven for 3-5 minutes until warm.
how I serve my protein muffins
These muffins make a great protein breakfast or snack on their own, but you can add toppings or have them with these delicious pairings:
- Top these muffins with cashew butter or Greek yogurt and honey for added protein. If you have a sweet tooth, then try our banana chocolate protein muffins or pumpkin muffins!
- Breakfast meatballs are a great high-protein side to eat with these blueberry muffins.
- Sip on a banana blueberry protein smoothie while eating one of these protein muffins. You can use the leftover blueberries to make the smoothie!
Recipe
High-Protein Blueberry Muffins (no protein powder)
Ingredients
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (gluten free 1:1 works)
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup ground flax seeds (or hemp seeds)
- 2.5 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- 1.25 cups cottage cheese (blended, low fat)
- ½ cups melted butter (or coconut oil)
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ¾ cup maple syrup (or agave)
- ⅓ cup Greek yogurt (plain, non-fat)
- ⅓ cup avocado oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1.5 cups wild frozen blueberries
Topping (can omit but it's really good!)
- 1 lemon (zest)
- ⅛ cup white sugar
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, ½ cup almond flour, ½ cup ground flax seeds, 2.5 teaspoon baking powder, ½ teaspoon baking soda, and ¾ teaspoon salt in a large bowl and whisk together.
- Make a well in the center and add the 1.25 cups cottage cheese, ½ cups melted butter, 3 eggs, 1 tablespoon vanilla extract, ¾ cup maple syrup, ⅓ cup Greek yogurt, and ⅓ cup avocado oil until just combined (it will be a bit lumpy still).
- Fold in the 1.5 cups wild frozen blueberries gently. Then scoop into a lined muffin tin, filling only every other one. This is key to getting tall, bakery-style muffins. Fill them really full, almost domed. You'll have to work in batches, but it's worth it. They're still great if you fit all 12 in one pan, they just won't be as high.Fill your muffin tins veryyyyyy full! You should use all the batter for just 12 muffins. If you're nervous about them being this full, you can make 20-24 normal sized muffins and just enjoy two in a serving 🙂
- In a small bowl mix together the l⅛ cup white sugar and zest from 1 lemon. Sprinkle on top of each muffin before baking.
- Bake at 425 degrees F for 10 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350 and bake for 15-20 more minutes without opening the oven.
- Remove from the oven. Let them cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then remove and let cool completely (like 30 minutes) for the center to be fully baked. Then, enjoy!
Video
Notes
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
I love having a batch of these to grab for a quick breakfast or afternoon snack that because they fill me up and don't weigh me down!
I tried this recipe to have some quick, ready to eat breakfast options at hand, and loved it! We're not a big blueberry household, so we actually tried subbing them for chopped apples and it was tasty! I am trying it again with dried cranberries and orange zest and juice for a different spin.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe!!!
So happy you enjoyed! We actually have an orange cranberry one if you're interested in that one 🙂
Do you measure the cottage cheese before or after blending?
I measure the cottage cheese before blending!
I don’t have almond flour what can I use instead?
I would swap it with additional all purpose or whole wheat flour.
Thank you for the recipe...can't wait to try. Does it work to use dry cottage cheese, blended with coconut yogurt? I can't find a quality creamed cottage cheese that isn't filled with awful ingredients (beware especially of carrageenan, but also the gums are hard on the digestive system).
I'm honestly not sure if it would work because I'm not familiar with dried cottage cheese. It will work with just extra greek yogurt though! Just replace the called for cottage cheese with greek style yogurt. The fat and the acidity in the yogurt is what's key to the fluffiness of these muffins.
these turned out great! Everyone loved them! thank you!
Awesome to hear!
I just found your site, looking forward to making a few things
Ya! Thanks for being here!
These are absolutely delicious!!!!
Ya!!
Love the height these have after baking! I made these at 5,000 ft elevation, and they still held up. One question I had after baking - was the recipe calling for flax seeds (as written) or ground flax seeds? I made it with ground, and ended up with an extra 6 muffins and I’m wondering if this is why.
That's amazing! Yes, I use ground flaxseeds. It most often happens because the muffin tins aren't filled al the way. Which I know sounds crazy to fill them more, but the batter it's self should be almost overflowing. If I have the time, I'll make my own bakery style muffin cups (with parchment paper) with the high side walls to contain them all. I love mile high muffins so that's why it seems like theres too much batter. No harm in just having more muffins though!
I loved this recipe! Do you think adding some scoops of whey protein powder would work?
Sure! I think you could do up to 1/3 cup of protein power to replace the that much of the all purpose flour.
Delicious! Made them mini for my kiddos. Swapped blueberries for chocolate chips, because I was out, apparently ha. Sprinkled a little turbinado sugar for the crunch. Baked them at 425 for 5 min then dropped to 350 for 8 minutes. Moist, fluffy and doesn't it give a huge sugar crash 🤌🏽
That's so awesome to hear!
These muffins are great! Not too sweet and very fluffy! Thank you for the recipe.
Thanks for making them!
had to sub out a few things but these are definitely a do again. i had to use whole wheat flour instead of allo
That's awesome!
These are hands-down my favorite muffins of all time! I made them with King Arthur GF Measure for Measure flour, as you indicated this could work for GF, and I used chia seeds, since that's what I had on hand. They turned out just perfect. They're not overly sweet, which is my preference, and the lemon-sugar topping is to die for. Better still, they didn't have that graininess many GF recipes tend to have; the proportions were ideal. Your tips were very helpful to ensure they had the right texture and rose beautifully. These will be a new staple in my house, and I can't wait to try other flavor variations. Thanks for an amazing recipe!!
Amazing!!
I made 4 batches of these muffins to freeze for an easy breakfast for postpartum! These turned out SO good and my toddler approved! I didn’t have almond flour so I subbed with coconut flour and they turned out perfect! I also made a batch with chocolate chips instead of blueberries for my husband. Will make these again 🤍
Awesome!
These are remarkably good. Moist and tasty. I used 1/2 cup of honey instead of maple syrup and sweetness level was perfection.
so happy to hear that!
These were absolutely Devine!! They taste just like a fancy muffin from a bakery. I followed the recipe but somehow ended up with 24 big muffins? Not complaining, I ate 5 straight out of the oven.
My kids weren’t too fond of the flax seed in them but truthfully, I can barely even feel them in there. I will absolutely be making again!
Awesome to hear! It's deceiving how much you fill the muffins - they are extra, extra large - ha!
I love these as a pre-workout snack; they also freeze really well!
Perfect for that!
Family approved muffins! Parents teenagers and younger children all approved.
Love that!!
I didn’t have any cottage cheese so used all Greek non-fat yogurt and Bob’s Red Mill flax seed meal and real NY maple syrup. By using the spacing tip you gave, these came out perfectly and were a great hit! Wonderful recipe find!! Thank you.
That's wonderful!
These are DELISH. I’ve made them a couple times now, & I prefer making 24 smaller muffins just bc my silicone muffin pans don’t do great with trying to make them big & tall—I just decreased the baking time a bit. I’ve tried subbing half the flour for both plain protein powder & whole wheat flour & both have worked great! This is 100% my go-to blueberry muffin recipe now!
Love to hear that!
Love these muffins! Made them every week for 3 weeks now since a friend sent me this recipe for batch cooking breakfast instead of daily cooking my homeschooled hungry kiddos! Coffee shop worthy! Great texture not too sweet! The topping is just enough Sweetness. Also used parchment paper cups that help fill them really full and mound up. Makes 12 big muffins
We love hearing that!! The parchment paper is a great tip!!
The most delicious muffins ever. My husband is obsessed with them and requests them regularly. Made a little lemon glaze to go with them - literal perfection! Best blueberry muffin recipe I’ve ever made hands down.
That's amazing to hear!!
Can the flax seeds be optional?
Yep, you can leave out the flax seeds.
These are delicious!! They taste healthy and fluffy! I made 18 instead of 12 and replaced the almond flour with oat flour since that’s what I had on hand. I will make these again and again! Good source of protein and fiber in one treat!
So great to hear!
If I only have about a quarter cup of cottage cheese, can I sub the rest with more greek yogurt?
Sure can!
The answer is yes! I've made these multiple times and you can def sub additional yogurt if you need. I love using this is a base muffin recipe for all types of mixins.
So awesome to hear!! Isn't it so fun to mix and match?!
This recipe is so good! The muffins have the perfect amount of sweetness. I look forward to trying more recipes.
Great!
Absolutely fabulous! My family loves them both with and without the sugar on top!
So happy to hear that!
Amazing! Moist and delicious! I added 1.5 tsp of nutmeg (great together with blueberry or banana) and zest of one lemon into the batter. I can’t believe it has as much protein as it does! A keeper!!
That sounds amazing!!
We made this to supplement a chicken soup dinner. I used less maple syrup and didn't have the required amount of cottage cheese on hand. The muffins were delicious and filling. I will keep this recipe on hand for the future! Four muffins went into the freezer to be kept for camping trips.
Great!!
How can I reduce the carbs in this recipe?
Unfortunately that's not my area of expertise. I actually consume a very high carb diet so my recipes reflect enough carbs to fuel my adventures. I know that isn't for everyone so I'd recommend seeking out low carb recipes.
So friggin’ good! I’ve come to only use your recipes. They hit all the marks for me - high protein, gluten free, simple ingredients. I am not a baker and so I really need someone who knows what they are doing! Always delicious! Thank you for your amazing recipes ❤️
You are amazing!! Thanks so much for trusting our recipes 🙂
I make a batch of these a week and put in the freezer to pull out each morning! I swap out any flour for GF blends, and they are the perfect breakfast treat! Definitely worth making again and again!
That's awesome! So happy you enjoyed!
I recently made these muffins and for a person who hates cottage cheese, you can't taste it! I was wondering if there is a way to reduce the fat content without losing the 10g of protein? Each muffin is 30g fat.
Hey there! Glad you enjoyed them! Each muffin has 21g of fat not 30 🙂
You can definitely reduce the butter and oil by half and replace with additional Greek yogurt or cottage cheese. The result is fine it’s just less tender.
Love these! We make them every 2 weeks (normal and mini) and store them in the freezer for my kids afternoon snack. We usually skip the blueberries and lemon and use mini dark chocolate chunks. Last time we did banana with chocolate chunks and today we are going to try to make it as a banana bread loaf. I love all the protein and fats included and so far it has been very versatile!
So happy to hear that!
What would you change to use full fat dairy products?
Nothing 🙂 They'll be the nearly the same using full fat vs non-fat. We use non fat for high protein overall and to balance a little better since hemp seeds have a good amount of fat.
These are so delicious! The texture is exactly what you want in a muffin. I appreciate the lemon topping and the added protein is a big plus for my active kids. My family were all big fans. I will definitely be making them again.
So happy to hear that!
I can’t wait to try this. Someone mentioned using Bananas how would I add them without it being too gummy? Would I reduce the yogurt?
I think she just commented what she did, but I believe she left everything the same but used hemp seeds instead of flaxseeds and only barely blended the cottage cheese so some curds remained.
Made these again (for about the tenth time)! Always terrific! Sometimes I substitute Costco triple berries (but pick out or cut up the giant blackberries), substitute 1/2 of the flax seeds with hemp seeds because I like the hemp seed texture, and sometimes use orange zest rather than lemon. I also blend the cottage cheese just a little because if I blend too much the muffins are more bread like and I don't prefer that. And sometimes I throw in a mashed banana just because. For the holidays I also made some mini loafs to give to friends, and I often make a combination of 6 muffins and a full size (but not too tall) bread loaf. They are all terrific! Thanks!
Can I blend all wet ingredients if I forget to blend cc beforehand??
Sure! I've had success with it, but we've had readers who when they do this, it turns out a bit more bread like as opposed to a tender muffin. It does work just fine to not blend the cottage cheese too!
They were delicious! I didn't have bluberries so I added pecan and chocolate chips AND 2 scoops of Prime Protein cinnimon roll flavored powder.
Sounds great!
These are easy to make and really delicious! Appreciate the high protein.
Love that! So glad you enjoyed 🙂
These muffins are so delicious!I’ve made them twice now. The second time I replaced the oil with applesauce and they are just as good with less fat!
Amazing! Love that swap!
I love these muffins, but the combo of cottage cheese and and almond flour makes me super sleepy, so no more blueberry breakfast. Switching to eating these in the evening.
Bummer! Still delish for an afternoon treat 🙂
Very delicious! I’ve made protein muffins in the past with protein powder and they were so dry and dense with no fluff. These muffins are definitely not like that and will definitely make again. Love!
That's great to hear!!
So I just realized I have everything except cottage cheese and don’t have time to get to the store tonight, can I sub more Greek yogurt for the cottage cheese and if so would I increase the sweetener?
You can definitely use extra greek yogurt! And no, no need to add more sweetener.
These are probably the best blueberry muffins I’ve ever made or had! Definitely make them!
That's so amazing to hear!!
I was absolutely blown away with how stinkin good these are! They are like real life bakery style muffins!
I’ve made these twice now, once with AP flour for me and once with 1:1 GF flour for my mother-in-law. They are SO GOOD both ways. She said they’re the best blueberry muffins she’s ever had, with or without gluten!
That is so amazing and we're so happy you both love them so much!
I made these for my family and they were gone so fast! They're delicious and I love the whole, protein rich ingredients.
That's so great to hear!
I made these for the second time today. First time I stuck pretty close to the recipe and they were great. This time I modified a bit, using apple pulp in place of half the sweetener and adding about half a teaspoon of ginger to the mix. Instead of lemon sugar, I topped with ginger sugar. As a ginger lover I love these ones too. 🙂
That sounds delish!!
These are fantastic. I love blueberry muffins, but I wanted a recipe that I could feel good about. I make these a couple of times a month, freeze them, and enjoy them every morning. Thank you for sharing!!
Aren't they the best for that?? Thanks so much for the review!
WHOOOOAAAA!!! WOWZERS!! THESE ARE HUGE AND GORGEOUS!
These are DELICIOUS even with my mistakes and super small revisions!!
My mistakes:
lol I forgot the almond flour.
I forgot to blend the cottage cheese.
They had a beautiful round domes, which did deflate somewhat, but that mistake is on me (remember, I forgot the almond flour) and they were still gorgeous.
My simple revisions: I used hot water and blended Medjool dates for my “syrup”. I browned the butter (on purpose- yum).
For the optional topping: I had no lemons but I did have organic lemon juice so for the topping I mixed finely chopped slivered almonds, a sprinkle of salt, oat flour, date sugar, a little browned butter stirring in some lemon juice- I mixed that all together and put it on top as a loose crumb topping.
* I checked the temperature of The muffins and make sure they are at proper temperature of 200-210° but the cooldown process was definitely necessary, so don’t skip it!
Thanks for a great recipe once again!
So happy they worked for you and thanks much for the detailed break down!