I got seriously lucky the other evening. Not in that way. I had turned off the laptop and was cut off from the world of recipes (goodness knows no one reads recipes from books anymore.) I was a bit hungry and craving something sweet and fast. So I grabbed a few random items from the pantry and the fridge. Little did I know that the skies would part and the angels would sing in about 3 minutes.
You can make it chocolaty as I did, or omit the cocoa powder for a plain, peanutty muffin (less 20 calories): Makes one HUGE serving. 155 calories **; 12 g protein; 16.5g carb; 4.5g fiber; 1.75g fat Stellar stats.
Ingredients:
- 2 Egg whites (**If using liquid egg whites use 1/2 cup and add 20 calories)
- 1/4 cup pumpkin (3 T applesauce or other starchy carb works well too!)
- 2 T coconut flour* (1 T also works, and results in 40 fewer calories)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- stevia or other granular sweetener to taste
- 1 T. cocoa powder (Hershey’s Special dark cocoa is best!)
*(Edited to add: Hallie asked if whole wheat or peanut flours could sub for the coconut flour. I decided to do a test for those two and they both work. The whole wheat is not quite as moist; it’s a bit more chewy, but the peanut flour is very moist. All taste great. My fave is still coconut flour, but obviously you can use whatever you have on hand!). Also, some other subs for pumpkin or applesauce are bananas or yogurt which are quite good too. I love all the reader feedback!
Method:
Spray a soup bowl with a very light layer of oil to prevent sticking (not even necessary but makes cleaning up a bit easier).
Mix ingredients well with fork, whisk or spatula
Microwave for 2:30-4+ min on High (depends on your microwave, altitude and the whim of the cupcake gods.)
 |
| Just out of the microwave |
 |
| Note the hugeness |
 |
| Literally falling out of my hand |
Behold the wonder: Moist yet firm. You can eat it right now out of the bowl. Toppings anyone? Greek yogurt? Almond butter? Nuts? Or you can let it cool and take it with you as a snack later. I do this a lot. It stays moist, even the next day!
Now for the plain version (using peanut flour here):
- 2 Egg whites (**If using liquid egg whites use 1/2 cup and add 20 calories)
- 1/4 cup pumpkin (3 T applesauce or other starchy carb works well too!)
- 2 T coconut flour* (1 T also works, and results in 40 fewer calories)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- stevia or other granular sweetener to taste
- 1 T. peanut flour
 |
| Unbelievably moist |
 |
| Topped with almond butter |
What are you waiting for? RUN! Don’t walk to your microwave and do this now!
Q: Any new-to-you microwave or oven baked recipes that have a great texture? Are there any that are high protein, filling and yummy?
SO.. the addition of coconut flour and the subtraction of protein powder–that's the trick?! So simple! I am gonna make this tonight, and then I am going to take all the credit. muahaha.
OKAY–I KID.
Can't wait to try it! xoxo
I don't have coconut flour! I have peanut flour and “white whole wheat” flour. Would either of those work?
I just did this and popped it in the micro! Seriously!! Soooo excited:)
I'm addicted to microwave! i make cakes, polenta, egges, and even fish in it! Its always perfect! I have no patience for ovens.
yum!
i have made and seen plenty 'a protein-ish microwave cake.
I use oats rather than coconut flour. Or peanut flour. Or protein powder. I have all of the above but use oats.
And i am not a huge pumpkin puree must have it all the time like most bloggers are
so a mashed banana will also work.
The fact that yours stayed moist the whole next day…awesome.
Great job..it looks decadent and fudge-like!
I have a coconut flour pumpkin recipe in the oven right now. I still haven't figured out the cflour sub ratio to ww flour, but I can tell these are not going to work out so well. I'll look up recipes but I'm guessing it may be half as much coconut flour as you'd use regular flour.
And PS I have pumpkin in my hair.
Averie! Ya know I was actually wondering about if it would work with 'vegan eggs' , you know flax seed etc? I hope so. Great to know that nannerz work also. I tried it today (obsess much?) again but as I'd run out of pumpkin I used apple sauce- NO BUENO! rubber city!
Tiff- you have pumpkin in your hair? Who could tell? Please let me know how it comes out. I feel like I discovered the cure for cancer. Only less important.
What a brilliant little concoction Deb. I am so impressed with the fact that you came up with this off the top of your head. I always have problems with estimating things!! You are a superstar.
I love how your phone is featured in numerous photos…my husband would be proud!
I am eating it now! Except mine looks NOTHING like yours.. not all fudgey and moist. It turned out pretty dry, I wonder if it is the altitude? But I poured almond milk over it and am devouring it–DELICIOUS. It reminds me of when my mom and I used to make chocolate mayonnaise cake and pour 2% milk over it and devour. Yes, we love a cake that is made with almost a jar of mayo…
Anyway, thank you for the recipe! I will play around with the measurements and see if I can get that dense, fudgey texture. I am so bummed
I am eating it now! Except mine looks NOTHING like yours.. not all fudgey and moist. It turned out pretty dry, I wonder if it is the altitude? But I poured almond milk over it and am devouring it–DELICIOUS. It reminds me of when my mom and I used to make chocolate mayonnaise cake and pour 2% milk over it and devour. Yes, we love a cake that is made with almost a jar of mayo…
Anyway, thank you for the recipe! I will play around with the measurements and see if I can get that dense, fudgey texture. I am so bummed
I am eating it now! Except mine looks NOTHING like yours.. not all fudgey and moist. It turned out pretty dry, I wonder if it is the altitude? But I poured almond milk over it and am devouring it–DELICIOUS. It reminds me of when my mom and I used to make chocolate mayonnaise cake and pour 2% milk over it and devour. Yes, we love a cake that is made with almost a jar of mayo…
Anyway, thank you for the recipe! I will play around with the measurements and see if I can get that dense, fudgey texture. I am so bummed
What? What?? Almond milk?? mayonnaise? What ? I can't believe that living at “altitude” has so many problems! Seriously. I hope that you find a happy place for your fudgy yummy muffin.
yummy! deb, you genius!
Deb – it was delish! Mine turned out kinda soggy on the bottom (??) but I enjoyed it all anyhow:)
This is clearly genius and I have all the ingredients on hand!
Do you think a whole egg would work instead of the two whites?
Looooove this! I am all about the single-serving super-quick snack recipes. I will probably try this with yogurt instead of pumpkin though. As canned pumpkin gives me the heebeejeebees.
Also, I just threw up a little in my mouth at the sound of Momma B's “chocolate mayonnaise cake.”
Hope you're having fun in Montrrrreal!! If you're looking for a good activity while you're there, I totally recommend climbing up Mount Royal. Just don't do it hungover. That's what I did last time and it was NOT a pleasant experience :
I made this last night- couldn't resist after those pictures- SO good and big!! Thank you!!
Eden…polenta in the micro? Yum.
Hallie- I edited the post thanks to your question. Whole wheat was a bit chewy,rubbery. Peanut flour was fab fab fab!
Carb…not sure about subbing ww for coco flour. The coco flour is so light & silky & whole wheat seems dense/ heavy.
Ameena… I always have my phone there for size comparison. I started doing it ages ago & it stuck. Balance Susan always teases me which makes it even more fun.
Charlotte- hmmmm soggy on bottom? Perhaps next time add 30 seconds. Let me know. I might have to do a city-by-city tutorial!
Alina- it probably would work with a whole egg- might get more eggy (well duh right?) or more “wet.”. If you try it I'd love to hear what it's like.
Susan- let me know how it is with yogurt! ( you could nuke & mash some fresh pumpkin if the yogurt doesn't work, or try a banana as per Averie's comment)
April- thank you! That means a lot coming from the creator of the protein cake!
Lynn…I am not a genius. The stars aligned & I got uber lucky!
I'm just getting a kick out of reading the comments to this post!
and I;m calling Tiff “Carb” from no on!
PS, you ARE a genius. deal with it!
I FINALLY bought coconut flour…so I am likely to live off these things this coming week. I have been indulging A LOT since I got back from LA, and I'll need a voluminous, low cal snack to rely on in order to get back on track. I'll let you know what I think! Thanks for sharing!
Coconut flour is on my “list” of things to buy. I'm making these this weekend! Wish I could make them now…
This looks great!! I don't usually try recipes from blogs but this looks like a must try one!!! Thanks for posting!
Our microwave is broken and it didn't really bother me till seeing this post! x x
I can't wait to try this! I have coconut and peanut flour on hand. I'll have to try it out with both. I think peanut with chocolate and coconut with plain. Hmmmm so excited to make this tonight!
i'm prettttty sure i HAVE to make the chocolate one with peanut flour like 5 minutes ago. this is genius. you are really good without the computer haha because i'm going to need to bookmark this for when i want to make later.
um ok, I need to get some coconut flour.. and cocoa powder for that matter.. asap!
Hey-
Question–I'm at college and can't really get egg whites all the time. There is not a grocery store too close. But I can get it from time to time. But I guess I am wondering if powdered egg whites would work as well to this? Or no because the liquid is what makes it moist. Is that a dumb question? Hmm…sorry.
Shelby- I would TOTALLY try powdered…great thinking! In fact I JUST put some powdered EW in my travel food case (what, I'm the only one who takes food with me?) as this recipe is going to be a staple from now on. You just need to add the right amount of water and make sure to break up the clumps that form. A good whisk should do nicely- LET ME KNOW how they come out!
Thanks for the response!! Great!! I am totally going to try it and let you know how it works!! Once I go home for thanksgiving I will get all the yummyy ingredients!! And no totally not gross–I take food with me too!!!
um what the, it looks SO good. i need to try it cuz as much as i love disgusto dry protein stuff, i would love to have sumping moist as well to vary
love you!!
This looks really good! I will definitely be making it and I'll let you know how it comes out!
Eden- haha!
Lara- oh boy do I know what you mean. I need to get back on track too. But I did score some raw eggs from the hotel kitchen so I made these in my room and they saved me while I was out and about (love Canada- they'd NEVER do that in the USA).
Andrea & ALyson- use peanut flour 'til you can get the coconut flour (coconut is silkier in my opinion, but peanut is great too)
Kristina- yes I'm ok with dry protein snacks as long as I can toast them- then I tell myself that they are 'bread'
Julie & Jenn- get on it- I don't think you'll have regrets.
Tam- use the oven- I'm sure it'll work there. I'm just not that patient when I need a snack rightnow.
Chuck! Welcome! I'm excited! Are you a boy? Like Chuck isn't short for “Charline” or “Charlemagne” or something!? I didn't know I had any boy readers! Hope you like the muffin!
Chocolate-Covered Katie has been doing the Single Lady Cupcake (and you can make it when you run out of eggs, seeing as it doesn't use any) – oven version http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2010/10/26/healthy-vegan-cupcakes-for-one/ and microwave version http://chocolatecoveredkatie.com/2010/11/03/microwave-cookie-dough-muffins/
Erika- Excellent! I'll go check that out. Turns out I've run out of eggs and I'd love to make one! You saved the day!
oh wow they look so yummy and moist:)
Deb, I tried this last night and followed your chocolate recipe exactly. Oh. My. Delicious. It was everything I had ever hoped for – so moist, so chocolatey.
This will definitely become a staple in my life. Thanks a TON for sharing the recipe!
Jen- glad you liked it! I've been making them constantly-= such a great snack- scratches the itch for sweets, yet is pretty healthy and filling too!
It was my lucky day I'll admit it.
Holy yumballs these look SO good!!! Maybe even something I can't screw up either.
I noticed someone else commented that she didn't have coconut flour – would peanut flour work? That sounds good!
Hi Hayley! Nice to 'see' you!
Yes, Peanut flour works, but it is not quite as fluffy/silky as with the coconut. I'm also finding that at different altitudes, climates (I'm making them EVERYWHERE!) they are coming out slightly different. So the ratios might need to be played with a bit.
Haha yup Deb I'm a “boy”… at what age do I become a “man”? But that just kinda sounds weird…
Chuck- didn't you catch the NKOTBSB performance on the AMAs? Evidence that boys never, in fact, grow up
THanks for being here!
I just made these.. .used whole wheat flour and 1 T turbinado sugar (no fake sugar for me) I took it out 10 seconds early and it was very moist … Thanks for the high fiber low sugar muffin!
So I just sort of stumbled across your blog the other day and I tried this recipe! I didn't have any pumpkin, so I used a banana. And some peanut flour. And since I'm a sucker for chocolate, I threw some choco chips in at the last minute. The result? Amazing. It was so good with some honey and greek yogurt. You are a genius!!!
Lizzy! THanks for reporting back. I love hearing what works for people and what does not. I agree that the banana is good- I used it today as I had run out of pumpkin. I have also used apple sauce or greek yogurt in place of pumpkin when I had none. And also the peanut flour (I'd like to try other flours too) I'd say that all of the others combos are about a B+/A-, which is still fantastic if you ask me!
Thanks for the comment, and thanks for reading!
omg delish!!!! I will definitely be trying this!!!
Hi Deb!
Just wanted to let you know that subbing in 2 Tablespoons of oat flour and using 3 Tablespoons of cocoa powder (Hershey's Special Dark) also works as well. I'm in love with this recipe, thanks for sharing!
Bride- awesome!! I'm subbing and upping and lowering ingredients myself depending on my mood and what I've got on hand. WOW 3 T of cocoa- that must be like the deepest darkest fudge EVER! I'm gonna try it, thanks!
Okay, this recipe is amazing! I use peanut flour and throw in some dark chocolate chips and it's so good. I just ate one for breakfast with clementines on the side. Thank you for bringing this into my life.
Jordan- Thanks for the comment- YUM choco chips- great idea! Do you only use peanut flour or peanut and coconut? I love the taste of the peanut flour but I can't seem to get the fluffiness unless I use cocoa powder, which seems so odd to me. I am totally hooked on these though. I have no idea how I got so lucky to stumble on the recipe.
This looks amazing! I am trying it today!
I made this with a flax “egg” in place of egg whites (I'm vegan) and it turned out great! This is going to become a regular in my snack rotation!
(Flax egg = 1 tablespoon flax seed meal beaten with 3 tablespoons really warm water until it has the consistency of egg whites)
Oh WOW ! I seen this on HEAB's site and can't believe how perfect it came out – and big! Love the chocolate idea
I was referred here from HEAB, and I am SOOO HAPPY to have found this! I think this will help cure my VitaMuffin addiction!
This was so amazing… I went out and bought more coconut flour. Thank you
I posted it on my FB wall!
I made these today wiht applesauce and a flax egg instead of hte real egg (just what i had on hand, I'm a college student so I don't keep a lot of perishables). I don't think I quite cooked it long enough so it was still a little gooey but a really filling protein-filled snack!
I will definitely try it again and see if I can get it to dry out a bit more… ANd I think it'd be better with banana than applesauce (actually probably best with pumpkin but I don' twant ot open my last jar just yet 
) Great recipe!!! 
I posted a recipe I modified yesterday for a kind of cornbread-type concoction made in the microwave
Love to find easy-to-make recipes for one like this 
hello new commenters! and thank you (and heaB) for coming and trying the recipe.
Cassie- let me know what you think!
Steph- good to know about the flax egg! It just adds more calories, but great for vegans and when you don't have egg!
Baking- that is what I love! The huge fillingness!
Colleen- can you believe i've never had a Vitamuffin? I didnt' want to get hooked!
farty- AWWW thank you!!!
Nichole- I'll need to go and check out your cornbread!! Also, when I don't want to open up a can of pumpkin, I just nuke a squash of any sort (kabocha, butternut, pumpkin, whatever) and you can always have that on hand and just nuke as you go.
I just made this with pureed fresh strawberries, because I had no pumpkin. AMAZING and even lower calorie now! Thank you so much for this recipe– it has changed my life in only 2 days! THANK YOU!!
Kandis! Wow, strawberries- i wouldn't have thought of it but how wonderful- I'll try it for sure! Thank you!
oh how I love coconut flour!! great recipe girl!
I just made one and it turned out pretty good, although I think I should have microwaved it for 2:30 instead of 3. And how much sweetner do you use? I didn't make mine quite sweet enough.
Thanks!
Adriane- Hello and welcome! Hmm, bummer on the timing. Usually I have to add extra time if anything, but try the shorter time next time and see what happens. You'll kill me on the sweetener, but I'm one of those people who just sprinkle it in without measuring (I use powdered or liquid stevia and I like mine sweet!). I hope you have good luck next time!
I just read about this now on Gina's blog. It's almost 11pm where I live and I am not hungry. However, this would be perfect in my lunch for tomorrow at work so I have to ask, Is this muffin something I could make the day before and eat the next day or would it lose its moisture/texture/flavor? Would it need to be refrigerated?
Hi Nikki! Welcome! Yes, I refrigerate mine for sure, and yes it totally keeps for at least a day, sometimes more than that. I also freeze mine and take with me on trips. In addition, I put it in the fridge with a napkin or paper towel to absorb any moisture. It's my go-to TO-GO snack as energy bars simply DO NOT fill me up. I hope this reaches you in time! Let me know how you like them!
Mmmm
I just made two of them (veganized version) and ate BOTH for my breakfast 
So good 
And I think it will be the first time ever when I'm going to make it from breakfast to lunch without snacking. They are so filling 
Wow! After seeing this recipe all over the blog world I gave a shot this morning and I'm in love. I followed your first recipe to a T and the cake turned out so chocolatey and moist. Thanks!
I found a link to this from another blog this morning and I just made it now–it was fantastic!! I'm seriously excited about this and it's going to be my new dessert!
I used WW flour though and a whole egg instead of two egg whites (I only had one egg left) and the result was just like a big cupcake! It was fabulous.
Love the blog by the way, I added it to my google reader!
hi!!!
i need help with this recipe.
i tried it couple times.. but mine comes out very soggy.. i'm not sure what i'm doing wrong. is baking powder necessary btw? just wondering. i didn't omit it or anything.. just wondering. heehee, i'm totally new to cooking/baking/etc so please pardon me!
I've used these ingredients:
2tbsp protein powder
1/4c egg whites
1/4tsp baking powder
1/4c apple sauce
but somehow mine doesn't turn out like yours. please help!
Magda! Yay, that is so cool- I hope it 'held' you and I'm glad you enjoyed- thank you for stopping by!
HOlly- thank you and so glad you liked it.
Junghwa- oh no! Muffin 911. Let's see. I don't often use protein powder in this particular muffin and remember that you used one too many tablespoons of applesauce (1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons). I would also up the amount of baking powder just a tad (I do feel it's necessary, but honestly I haven't tried it without it) Did you omit the coconut flour and cocoa powders? If you did, it would just be a bowl of mush. PERSONALLY, I feel that it works out better with real egg whites rather than the 1/4 cup of processed liquid whites, but it's not totally critical. Why don't you try to make it again- if you still have problems, feel free to email me at LASmoothieGirl at gmail dot com. Good luck.
I have to try this! Looks amazing
Omg I just found this recipe linked from another blog and I cannot wait to try it.. i posted a link to in in my blog… Pumpkin, protein, and cocoa are my fav things in the world!!!
I tried this at high altitude (Colorado) so I had to let you know!! I also made some modifications according to what ingredients I had available:
I used 2T Quinoa flour (since I didn't have either coconut or peanut flour) and I used 4T of organic applesauce since things tend to dry out here
I followed the rest of your recipe and lightly drizzled it with maple syrup. I loved how large and spongy it turned out.I had one this weekend and brought one for my post workout snack!
Thanks bunches!
Morgan & Stevie-jean- be sure to report back with feedback
Jaya- THANK YOU!!! My friend Janetha in Salt Lake City had many muffin 911s before getting it right. Thanks for the feedback- so helpful!
I also live in a city at high elevation and just made this for a light lunch and it turned out great. I used whole wheat pastry flour and loved the texture – fluffy but a little dense. Just like a muffin! Topped with pb. So yum.
Just thought I'd let you know that prune puree (prunes/water blended in food processor) works well instead of the pumpkin. I have used it before in chocolate cake/brownies and thought I'd try it here. Success! Awesome recipe, thanks!
This is great! Tried for the first time today with:
Spelt flour
1 egg white (extra large egg)
3 tablespoons plain greek nonfat
1 tsp maple syrup
chocolate chips
and it was excellent! Thanks for sharing this recipe! Mine came out to about 190 calories and 16 grams of protein, so it was a perfectooo post-strength training snackeroo!
Love hearing these modifications- the prune puree is a great one also- that might help me on my travels if I have access to a microwave but don't feel like nuking various squashes (pain in the butt!). Thanks for these suggestions everyone!
Errign- I have made my muffins with greek yogurt but always with another 'carb' like winter squash of some sort. GREAT to know that it still comes out without the need for that other carb- THAT might be the solution to my travel dilemma! I can always bring small baggie of flour and powdered egg whites- I'll get to testing that- thanks!!
Errign- you've changed my life forever- thankyou! yum!
thank you! i just wanted to tell you it's DELICIOUS but it kept cming out too soggy, so i decreased the squash by a wee bit and it's fluffy… (used a whole egg instead)
UM i want to try this now!! why did it take me so long to read this post?!! amazing! thank youuu
This makes me want to buy a microwave, which I've gone for 5 years without and never missed. Until now.
Emily- thanks for the feedback- I can't remember who but someone else had that issue.
Naomi- Hope you enjoy
Cookie- no worries- it bakes even BETTER! When I go on trips I make batches of them and bring them with me. I bake those b/c I'd rather just bake one or two batches than microwave 12 single muffins
no i think it was my mistake
keep you posted. but seriously, amazing amazing receipe. i loveeeeee coconut!
I literally want to RUN home and make this right now. I'm like already planning how I'm going to eat this when I get home and I'm excited!
Have made these the last two days and so FABULOUS! It's making my life worth living right now since I just lost 40 lbs. and have 14 more to lose. I was starving for something wonderful and now I just have to keep from eating these more than I should. My daughter found this blog and so glad she did. We are ecstatic about these. Thank you thank you and thank you!!!
I'm totally adding to this to today's menu.
I love protein and I love Deb!!! Miss you T.O.N.S. Lots to tell…
I just made one of these! I used vega vanilla smoothie mix + peanut flour! So delicious!
Hi Deb,
i tried bringing it to school but it was tooo wet! i followed instructions to the T. can you offer any suggestions? i love it but i wish i won't fall apart so easily!
Oh my gosh! looks delicious!
Hi Emily- ok let's try again. First of all I like to wrap mine in a dry paper towel and then bring with me in foil. Second, you'll need to reduce some of the liquidy components and if that doesn't work, you'll need to up the powdery components- likely you'll need to do a tiny bit of both. I suggest going from 4 T of pumpkin (=1/4 cup) to 3 Tablespoons. See how that goes. If that doesn't work, you can try going to 2T, and perhaps adding 1/2 T of coconut flour or cocoa powder. Or perhaps you can reduce the pumpkin by 1-2 T AND reduce the egg white a bit. You'll need to play around with it, but you WILL get perfection if you stick with it. Where are you by the way- at altitude? Humid place? Just curious.
oh my gosh that looks awesome! i will have to try that! love your blog btw!
So I made this [multiple times] back in January, using peanut flour because that's all I had.
I recently acquired a canister of coconut flour so today I followed the recipe exactly. WOW, it was even better than the peanut flour one!! I'm probably going to be eating one [or two] of these on a daily basis. Thanks again for the fantastic recipe!
how thrilling this recipe was! I saw this on HEAB and on Fitnessista, and finally tried it tonight. I made the plain one, but with peanut flour and applesauce and subbed 1T of vanilla rice protein powder for the cocoa powder. I also dropped a couple of chocolate chips in it and, when it was done, topped it with 1/2 pack of Justin's chocolate hazelnut spread. I also used the whole egg instead of two whites since we're low on eggs. Made one for me and one for my husband and he FREAKED out over how good it was. It was a great end to the evening. Thanks, Deb! You've got a new reader for sure…I'm subscribing to you in my Google reader now!
Innermonologue- WOw that is the nicest thing to say! Thank you! And you were so creative with your muffin- love that! Glad hubs liked it too!
Hi, Deb! Here from Fitnessista and wanted to say how much a like these muffins! Question– do you do anything differently when you bake them? Do you use a regular muffin tin? What temp? How long? Thanks so much!
Bonnie- Hi there and welcome. I really don't do much differently when I bake them except I usually seem to put a little greek yogurt (~ 1-2 T per muffin). I happen to use a silicone tray (flexible) that I spray that are like mini meatloaf trays (about 2″ x 4″). If my memory serves me I put it in 350F for ??~ 30 minutes? Roughly. Sorry, I usually only bake them before a trip- so I pack a few to get me through the flight and the first day or so. So I can't remember exactly what I've done. The rest of the time, I'm too impatient to bake them. Hope that helps!
I baked in a silicone muffin pan, made 3 smallish muffins, and they were great! Thanks for the baking info.
But the greates things about new recipes from other blogs are always that you are able to discover those blogs !!!
So glad I found your blog, Deb! You've got another new reader (amongst the ten billion others
)
a chocolaty hello from Germany!
Marie-Sophie
I'm totally making these. Totally.
Deb, Thank you times two!
I'm totally making these. Totally.
Deb, Thank you times two!
I'm totally making these. Totally.
Deb, Thank you times two!
I have made this for the past week. It is amazing!!! Thanks for your genius in creating this recipe. It's literally a life saver
Yum!!!
i'm one of your new readers…stumbled upon your site on fitnessista.com as she is a huge fan of this protein muffin! i'm going to make it soon! i don't have coconut flour, just wheat, white, garbanzo and quinoa…so i will have to get coconut. she keeps raving about this so will def have to try it! and seems like everyone loves it! thanks for sharing!
Deb,
Just wanted to let you know I made this today – I followed your directions exactly EXCEPT, due to not wanting to open a can of pumpkin, I used a 4 oz jar of sweet potatoes baby food – and it was FANTABULOUS!!! Just wanted you to know since you mentioned traveling and wanting easy to go ingredients. The baby food is the perfect siz/amount, no refrigeration needed and very small! Plus, there is butternut squash baby food among others. I may try it tomorrow using blueberry-apples baby food and possibly add those baby food apple bits for added flair!! Yes, I am bizarre as I love to use baby food since it is so convenient.
Let me know if you try it!! And give the babies a bite, you know, quality control!!
Missy
Missy! I would totally use baby food! Eden suggested it and as brilliant minds think alike, it doesn't surprise me that you did too- and I'm glad that it actually worked well! Thank you for reporting back!
Hi Deb,
I don't eat coconut flour but love this idea & tried a few different versions trying to make it work but could not. My attempt at using quinoa & oat flours failed to create the puree-like texture in your photo. Even though I decreased the liquids & increased the flour, the consistency was like cake batter. I don't want to waste any more ingredients, but am posting this for the benefit of others. I assume that the texture of the coconut or peanut flours creates the muffin consistency. Looks lovely, though!
Cosmic- Gah, the coconut flour is the key ingredient and the peanut flour is second choice for puffy silkiness. I would be willing to experiment- do you eat vital Wheat gluten or soy flour? I have those on hand. Are you at altitude? Hmm. Mystery. You can email me if you want lasmoothiegirlatgmaildotcom.
This looks amazing! One question – does it have to be granular sweetener? I do have coconut sugar (thinking of making this tonight, minus the chocolate), but I also have agave. Any idea what changes I'd have to make to use agave? Thanks in advance, and great blog!
Sunsets- thanks for commenting and let's see- I don't think it has to be granular, but that is just how I do it about 99% of the time based on what's in the cabinet. I'm pretty sure I've tried it with liquid stevia but I see no reason why agave shouldn't work. I would try it 'as is' the first time and if it comes out too liquidy-mushy after as much as 4 or 5 minutes in the micro and it doesn't look like there's much hope, then I'd cut back on one or another of the flours by 1/2 tablespoon.
Keep in mind that there are some people who have trouble getting the right consistency and I think it's due to altitude but not sure. Most people have success- let me know, okay?
I used oat flour and banana. I've also used oat flour and pumpkin! Both turned out awesome. I also have used chocolate protein powder in place of flour. It tasted delicious but was more like a pancake then a muffin. It looked like a muffin in the microwave, but shrunk once I took it out. Definitely works better with flour, but for an extra protein kick protein powder still tastes great!
I've been making these daily for about a week now, and instead of the flour I use 2 T of oats and 3 T of applesauce(instead of pumpkin, but trying the strawberry one tomorrow), I then use 1 TB of mini choc. chips instead of cocoa powder! FABULOUS!!!!!
Thanks so much!
AMazing recipe! Thanks!
Hi Deb! Just letting you know I have been making my muffins lately with Bob's Red Mill buttermilk pancake mix instead of flour (I need to use it up) and that's been working great too!
Just did WW P+ calculation for the chocolate (first) verson. Points+=3
Great that the recipe can be tweaked as you are all showing! Easier to use what you have on hand, right?
Em- thank you! I don't do WW but I know LOTS of people who do. 3 points doesn't seem too bad for a huge filling muffin. FYI, I do actually make it in half a portion if I'm not starving, but I'm hungry. So I guess I'll often have 1.5 point snacks- not bad! THanks for doing the leg work on that.
Just made one (PB flour, pumpkin, cocoa, chocolate stevia) after a late night workout and it's delicious! Thanks for being a culinary genius
I just made one with protein powder and a banana, topped with peanut butter. Had it as part of breakfast, and will definitely be making another to take to the movies later. Thanks for the great recipe!
I used plain old AP flour and it turned out FABU!!! Love this, trying oat flour next!
Hi Deb! I just made this with mashed banana instead of the pumpkin (same 1/4 cup) and it was awesome! I added chopped walnuts and skipped the cocoa for a banana bread muffin. Really nice! (Just eerily pale, like scary-white!)
I'll try the cocoa version tomorrow – but I think some chocolate chips might find their way in
Thanks for a great recipe! PS I live at 5500 feet, and it works fine up here! My batter looked more liquidy than your photos but it cooked in 2:30.
Best,
Georgie Fear RD
http://www.AskGeorgie.com
I just made this…. my kitchen smells amazing!!!!!!!
I've been craving chocolate cake the last few days in a bad way…I remembered that I saved this recipe a few weeks ago. I made it with Bob's Red Mill 10 grain pancake mix and omitted the baking powder. I concocted a low-cal “frosting” out of sugar free maple syrup and cocoa powder to go over top- it was divine! Made it the last two days & have a feeling it's gonna be a trend!
Georgie- scary white sounds kinda cool- will try!
Amanda- I know the smells are crazy, but hope you enjoyed the taste!
Stacy- love the FROSTING idea. Great to know about the pancake mix!
And everyone else who has left such sweet comments: THANK YOU and thank you also for adding your tweaks and changes- it helps to know all of the great options out there!!
OMG… one of my most favoritest vegetable in the whole wide world is pumpkin [or actually Japanese pumpkin - kabocha]. Favorite sweet snack is chocolate. And my favorite kitchen tool is the microwave. So this just basically completes my life. Definitely going to make this now that kabocha season is rolling around!
Thoa- I make this several times a week and tweak the recipe- I use kabocha very often as I've always got one open and it calls my name
Thanks for stopping by and please let me know what you think once you've made it!
I'm making it right now! so excited!
I cant believe it! So tasty! using Carob instead of chocolate and added a bit of organic peanut butter for moistness mmmmm. A touch dry, think I left it in too long. Oh and I put it in paper muffin cases as well
Secret- glad you like it! But ya know, I've done it with carob and it is much drier than with dark cocoa powder- can't explain why…just the way I have found it. I LOVE carob too, and wish it was lighter/fluffier!
I have made this twice so far. Once as written, but with almond flour and not enough sweetener. It didn't seem very moist so I tried again on Monday. Still used almond flour and added a more liberal amount of stevia. Delish! Thanks for the recipe!
Beth- I haven't tried almond flour yet- somehow I've found the magic occurs in the interaction between the coconut flour, the cocoa powder and the pumpkin- if I sub out any one of these items, it's never quite as good. Glad you liked your version though- not sure why stevia would make it more moist??
I've yet to try this, but I was wondering why it's called protein muffin? Because of egg whites?
I had trouble figuring out how much agave to put in. The first time I made it, it turned out great, the second time it tasted horrible. How much agave do you guys recommend putting in?
I had trouble figuring out how much agave to put in. The first time I made it, it turned out great, the second time it tasted horrible. How much agave do you guys recommend putting in?
Squeeze- well yes the egg whites help to boost the total to 12g of protein for one muffin. I'd guess that regular muffins have ?2-4??
Heather- eek bummer on the agave. I've never used it but would guess to start with a teaspoon? I'm no where near a kitchen to trial one for you or else I would! If no one else can advise you, I'll be home next week & can try. Let me know if you get it sorted in the meanwhile
Got one in the oven right now! (muffin microwave I mean…) thanks for the recipe!
I love this muffin! I have made one (or two) everyday for the last week. I actually added grain sweetened chocolate chips to one made with applesauce instead of pumpkin this morning. It was ok…but I think that this muffin is great all by itself with no changes! Although I am looking forward to how you add zuccini
I'm way late to the ball game here. Just made my first muffin and I did a horrid job of mixing my ingredients. Plus, big hint for everyone: do NOT use chunky applesauce. ha! Nothing is worse than eating the muffin and happening on a chunk of “apple.” Oh geez. Don't worry, I'll try to make it again..the right way.
Thanks for the recipe!
Oh my I just tried this literally like ten minutes ago, and it was great! I used chocolate-flavored protein powder instead of flour. I also just grated a bit of a fresh apple in place of applesauce since my pantry is just in famine haha. Turned out great! I could add more applesauce next time, but with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger in the mix, it came out as a filling, generous yummy snack. Ate mine with half a tablespoon of agave on top. You're right – it did not even stick on the mug! I'm hooked!
Gawd it's so filling
Hi,
I recently came across your blog.I am so glad I did. Love your site. This was the first recipe I tried out. WOW. Love these things. So simple, so yummy. So far I have tried several combinations switching up the flours, the starchy carbs, sugar etc. They have all been super yummy. So far, my favorite has been, using applesauce and coconut flour. Very moist. Next I am trying them with pumpkin. Can't wait. Thank you so much for a great recipe.
One more thing….I have noticed they come out with a slightly different texture depending on the cooking bowl I use. I have had really good luck using a glass pyrex type bowl. No snogginess at all. When I used a ceremic cereal bowl,the muffin did come out rather soggy on the bottom. So maybe that will help with some of the readers that were having sogginess problems.
Thank you again, and again!
This looks sooo goood, I wish I cam e across it before eating the boring store bought cookies 'cause I was craving something sweet
Any experience using the whole egg, I wonder?
alicia- wow, would never have thought the bowl would make a difference! thanks for the info!
Simone- sorry I've never done it with whole egg- report back when you do it!
I tried it three ways with SOY flour instead of coconut
1. Yogurt: Driest of the bunch, almost cakey, least favorite
2. Pumpkin: SO delicious, like a moist brownie
3. Banana: Really good, so moist it was almost too moist, reminds me of a mud pie if i cook it a little less that needed.
Carol here from Ontario… we don't get the luxury of several flavours of Vitatop muffins up here north of the border, so I was looking for something homemade when I found your recipe. So happy to have found it and I love that it's around 4 points + on my weight watchers recipe builder (depending on what ingredients I use) I have brought your recipe and blog address to my WW meeting and posted on Facebook to share with friends. Many thanks for sharing!
Anonymous- glad you shared your results! Yes I agree- pumpkin works best but sometimes it's nice to change it up and have that lovely banana flavor! Thank you for reporting!
Carol- oh I'm so glad that you have had good results too and that you are sharing with your WW group- anything that helps us all keep hunger at bay while watching our weight makes me happy. Also, I can't remember if I knew it was 4 WW Points- (I suppose that's a good stat, especially since it's so filling). Thank you for commenting!
Love it! I want to post about it on my blog-do you mind if I post the recipe of what my rendition of the recipe was(applesauce and whole wheat:)) with links back to your home page and the recipe? Or do you want me to just link to you and the recipe.
Ellen- thank you for being cognizant about this! The typical way for link-backs is to just link the original recipe in a hyperlink, but quite frankly if you changed it, I think that you should be able to share that on your blog with your readers! It's no big deal for me! I'm just glad that you like the recipe! Cheers! And thanks for reading!
This is delicious! The first time I made it, I used Truvia and it wasn't quite sweet enough so I put some powdered sugar on top. I just made it again tonight and for sweetener I used 1 tsp of raw sugar. So delicious! Both times I subbed the pumpkin for vanilla yogurt.
I absolutly lOOOVE this recipe!! Thank you so much for sharing! A real dieters dream!
I tried using Almond flour (2 tbsp) & liquid egg whites (1/2 cup)… It came out eggy.. Help me please! –Paula
Hey Paula- did you use all the other ingredients and sub almond flour for coconut flour? I'll be really honest, I never stray far from this exact recipe because it usually comes out great. Now, I've had people in other locations (altitude, humidity, whatever) and they have to play around with the recipe a bit.
If your muffin came out eggy, then either cut back on the egg or add more of the flour of choice. I hope that you can fine tune it- it's worth it once you get it just right!
Yup I followed the recipe to a T except the coconut flour (I was only able to find Almond flour in our area). I'm from Indiana, I'll try less egg whites… Hopefully I get it right the 2nd time!! thanks Deb!!
Never thought of making muffins in the microwave…gonna have to try this recipe!
Where do you find coconut flour?
Anonymous- Good question: coconut flour isn't available in regular markets (yet) but is available in health food stores. Believe it or not, I found an organic coconut flour in MARSHALL's!! Crazy! Also amazon carries it here: http://www.amazon.com/Bobs-Red-Mill-Organic-16-Ounce/dp/B000KENKZ8 It really does make a huge difference in the 'silkiness' of the final treat.
Can I use pb2 instead I peanut flour? How much stevia do you use?
Thanks,
Katherine
Hi Katherine,
PB2 IS peanut flour and a little sugar. So yes, you can use that. And as for stevia- I use so many different types with varying concentrations that I have no idea how much I use- a sprinkle here a drop there- sorry but you'll have to experiment. :-/
So the first time I tried this I used applesauce and wheat flour. It was good, but not delicious. So I just tried it again with almond flour and bananas….YUM. So much more moist and rich. Top it with some almond butter and a glass of almond milk. Delish!
hey! thi recipe sounds amazing i actually made your protein pancake this morning and was IN LOVE like seriously al day ive been siling just becaause of one pancake! i cant wait to try this but i have an odd question.. so i recently learned a lot about he glycemic index and discovered pumpkin was EXTREMLY high on the list but why is this so if 1/2 cup only has 4g of sugar?! and its all natraul!? was wondering if youc ould help explain and also an amazing recipe ive actally had every single day for the past 6 motnhs (impumpkin obsessed) is simply 1/2 cup of pumpkin 1tbsp of almond breeze 2 packets of zero cal sweetner and 1/3 cup of liquid eggwhites in a microwave safe mug or cup for around 2 mins and 45 secs..AMAZING like a pumpkin pie! and super low cal and carb!
Hi Anon- Sorry I can't make heads or tails of the Glycemic Index. It kinda kills me that carrots are high on the GI but it never, ever stops me from eating them. Your 'pumpkin pie' microwave recipe sounds yummy!
I just tried the plain version with coconut flour and apple sauce for 2:30 in the micro. The edges were a little dry but the center was moist. I also didn't add enough sugar so will adjust next time. I have some sweet potato at home. Can I mash up some cooked sweet potato and use it instead of pumpkin? 1/4 cup or 3 T? Thanks for the fun recipe. Will keep trying until I get it right
April 9 anOn, your guess is as good as mine re. The sweet potato- I've never tried it. Let me know how it comes out. It's more dense & caloric than pumpkin, but I suppose it could work too!
I made these with:
2 e.g. whites (also have used equivalent amount of chia egg – worked!)
scoop (30g) of natural protein powder (I used soy as that's what I have atm.)
20g coconut flour
1-2T cocoa (also done without, for a vanilla cake!)
sweetener to taste (also have added vanilla/chocolate essences which added a nice flavour)
1/2 t baking powder
plus about 100-150 mL water to mix properly
They turn out PERFECT! and ever so filling. You have to make sure not to add too much water, just enough to make a doughy texture and bring it all together, otherwise they'll be a little too moist/soggy.
Anyway, just though I'd put what I've tried to add to all the variations listed here! thanks for this recipe, really simple and versatile!
Oat flour worked just perfectly! The muffin had a rich and dense consistency, definitely similar to fudge! yummy!
I don't know what I did wrong, but I did SOMETHING way wrong.
Texture and consistency is on point, but the taste is awful. I am not a picky eater at all and always finish my “creations” after I make them, no matter how horrible they turn out, but I was practically gagging with this. Tastes like cardboard.
Added some sugar on top and that made it a little better… but I could hardly stomach it, still. I also tried it with some peanut butter, but I still couldn't do it.
Any ideas where I went wrong???
Brigid
Brigid- bummer! If the texture was on and you don't like the taste (even with PEANUT BUTTER AND SUGAR!!??!!!!) then perhaps it's just that you don't like the combo of flavors- perhaps it's the pumpkin- I don't always love that taste either. Perhaps you can try another carby veg/fruit in it's place (but expect a different consistency as pumpkin does make it fluffy). Try banana, applesauce or yogurt and see if you like that. If not, I guess it's just 'different strokes for different folks'. I abhor capers but the rest of civilization loves them. Go figure.
Report back if you find something you like! Also you might want to keep in mind that this is a 155 calorie substitute for a 450 calorie muffin- it will never, ever taste as good as the 'real thing' 
If I use 2 TB of protein powder instead of coconut flour should I still use the same amount of egg white and applesuace.
Do you get a denser product when less powder is used? I’m looking for more of a dense brownie like product rather than cake. I have a recipe that states 2 tb of protein powder, but you only use 2 tb of egg whites and 2 tbs of applesauce, but all other measurements are the same.
Thanks,
Katy
Hi Katy- I don’t actually use applesauce as I find the pumpkin more juicy. Yes, if you use protein powder it will become more dense, but I’m not sure it’s the kind of density you want- it gets more chewy-dense but not moist-dense. If you want more dense like a brownie, you’ll have to play around with the ingredients a bit. I’d definitely recommend adding an extra tablespoon of cocoa, however, and perhaps cut back a bit on the pumpkin (a little bit) and egg (the egg tends to puff it up) The coconut flour makes it soft and silky which I think you’d want to keep when making a brownie. I think that you should just alter one thing at a time, so that you know what works and what doesn’t Let me know how your experiments go and if you hit on the ‘perfect protein brownie!’ :=)
Great. I’ll definitely give it a try. Should I do 2 TB COCOA and 2 TB PROTEIN or 2 TB COCOA AND 1 TB Protein?
Katy
Why not try doing everything as in the original recipe except increase the cocoa to 2T? I’d just use 1 T protein powder too as that will make it denser than using coconut flour. If that is still too ‘fluffy’ for you, cut back to one egg white. OR use the whole egg and use only one. Let me know if any of these tweaks work! My original recipe just worked so well, I never strayed from it. You might also want to read some of the comments above as people tweaked and played around and some of them had really good results! Good luck!
Pingback: Driving in Miami & WIAW
I have been making your protein muffin with cocoa powder an just as a pumpkin spice type muffin. What could I replace the other TB with?
Katy, you mean to make it less chocolatey and more pumpkin-spicy? I’d add in a half a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice and/or cinnamon. But this won’t give you anything to hold the muffin together, so I’d use a TB of any plain flour of your choice…if you use wheat, use whole wheat pastry flour as it’s fluffier. Hazelnut or almond flour might be nice (just grind up a bunch of nuts til a flour-like consistency if you don’t have any on hand). Keep in mind that it will be a ‘heavier’ and denser muffin as the cocoa is very light and airy. Let me know how it goes! Happy Fall!
Hey Deb! I finally, finally made it
D
I used banana and oat flour (microwaved 3mins) but it turned out pretty dry (and smaller than yours). Any idea why?
It tasted awesome though! and with the banana, i barely had to add sugar
Hi Phoebe! Oat flour & banana will make a denser result than coconut flour & pumpkin. Also some other factors can come into play that I don’t totally understand like altitude & humidity. You need to experiment a bit I’m afraid!
Hi Deb, I used pumpkin and oat flour this time, and up the pumpkin to 1/2 cup
It’s very moist! tastes a little too pumpkin-y for me, so i’ll probably down it back to 1/4 cup
thanks for the recipe!
If I use protein powder instead of coconut flour, should I still use 1/2 egg whites?
I have been using 1 flax egg and it works beautifully. How do you think it will change it if I use egg whites instead?
Hi Katy,
I am honestly not sure what would happen if you changed it up as you describe, but my gut feeling is that adding protein powder would make it heavier/denser than if you use coconut flour. Really, the combo of the coconut flour and cocoa is what makes it so good. I’d take a wild guess and say that if you use protein powder, you’d want to up the ‘egg’ whether it’s flax or other (I’ve never tried flax), but know that upping the real egg white amount will make it less muffin’y and more egg’y. You’ll have to experiment!
GREAT. Thank you! So, even If i decided to use the protein powder and not the coconut, should I keep it at 1/2 liquid egg whites or scale back?
When you say 1/2 liquid egg whites I’m guessing that you mean 1 to 2 egg whites? And yes, keep it the same because you’ll need it to be lighter and fluffier due to the heaviness of the protein powder.
Pingback: A Halloweeny WIAW
Pingback: Cupcake for breakfast…yes please! – MayBtomorrow
Thank you thank you thank you for this! I’m doing a whole 30 (no sweeteners, no grain, no anything fun…) and was searching for something to help with cravings! Because I’m not doing sweeteners of any kind I subbed the cocoa powder (which is just too bitter for me unsweetened… already tried and failed with that in other recipes….) with chocolate grassfed whey protein. It was great! Highly recommended trying it!
Pingback: Chocolate Mint Mesquite Protein Cakes (and All Aboard the Poop Train) « the taste space – steam, bake, boil, shake!
Pingback: 5-Minute Chocolate Chip Protein Cake + Weekend Snapshots - Nourish and Flourish
Hi, I wish for to subscribe for this web site to obtain newest updates, so where can i do it please help.
Definitely imagine that which you said. Your favourite reason appeared to be at the net the simplest thing to have in mind of. I say to you, I certainly get annoyed whilst other folks consider concerns that they plainly do not recognize about. You managed to hit the nail upon the top as well as defined out the entire thing without having side-effects , other folks could take a signal. Will probably be back to get more. Thank you
Pingback: Postpartum Workouts Week 9