These high protein pumpkin muffins are a great breakfast or snack during pumpkin season! This easy protein muffin recipe is filling, high in fiber, and yummy too!
These pumpkin protein muffins are the ideal fall breakfast or snack when you want all the cozy flavors of the season without sacrificing nutrition! What makes our recipe special is the thoughtful combination of wholesome ingredients: oats for fiber, maple syrup for natural sweetness, Greek yogurt for moisture and protein, plus protein powder for an extra boost. Each muffin delivers about 6 grams of protein while still being tender, fluffy, and bursting with that warm pumpkin spice flavor we all crave when the leaves start changing.
As someone who loves giving classic bakes a better-for-you twist, I’ve spent years playing with and perfecting muffin recipes that don’t compromise on taste. I absolutely love breakfast and brunch, which is probably why I’ve developed over 40 breakfast recipes for this website (and counting!). When it comes to muffins, I’m always experimenting with ways to boost their nutritional value while keeping them deliciously satisfying.
These muffins are also incredibly easy to make and store beautifully, making them ideal for meal prep or when you want to have a wholesome breakfast or snack option ready to grab throughout the week. They also freeze wonderfully, so you can double the batch and save some for later in the season when you’re craving that cozy pumpkin flavor!
Jump to:
- Why You’ll Love These High Protein Pumpkin Muffins
- Protein Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Ingredients
- How to Make Pumpkin Protein Muffins
- Variations of Protein Pumpkin
- Making Your Own Oat Flour
- How to Store These High Protein Pumpkin Muffins
- Recipe FAQs
- Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
- Pumpkin Protein Muffins Recipe
Why You’ll Love These High Protein Pumpkin Muffins
Packed with Protein. The combination of Greek yogurt and protein powder makes these muffins filling and satisfying.
Ready in Just 35 Minutes. Simple measuring, mixing, and baking that fits perfectly into busy mornings or meal prep sessions.
Naturally Sweetened and Nutritious. Made with wholesome ingredients like oat flour, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree instead of refined sugar and white flour.
Perfect for Meal Prep. These muffins store beautifully and can be frozen too, so you can always have a nutritious grab and go option ready.
Protein Pumpkin Muffin Recipe Ingredients
- Canned Pumpkin Puree: using canned pumpkin is a convenient way to bring this fall staple into your home. Pumpkin is a nutrient-dense food, which adds lots of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to your protein muffins as well as the pumpkin flavor.
- Nonfat Greek Yogurt: adds protein and moisture to this easy muffin recipe (without all the fat!).
- Pure Maple Syrup: we use just enough maple syrup to add a hint of sweetness to your muffin recipe, without using refined sugar.
- Large Eggs: eggs add protein and help with the structure and texture.
- Oat Flour (or Rolled Oats to make your own Oat Flour!): this adds a lot of nutrition to your muffin recipe, and also makes your muffins gluten-free.
- Vanilla Whey Protein Powder: use a high quality whey protein.
- Pumpkin Pie Spice: gives this recipe all the pumpkin pie vibes (but without all the calories).
- Baking Soda: helps your muffins to rise and give them that muffin texture you’re expecting.
- Salt: helps to enhance the flavors in this recipe.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
How to Make Pumpkin Protein Muffins
Mix together wet ingredients: In a large bowl, mix together eggs, yogurt, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup until combined
Add in dry ingredients: Add the oat flour, vanilla protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine
Distribute batter into greased muffin tin: Spoon muffin batter into a greased muffin tin (or use cupcake liners), filling each cup ¾ of the way full
Bake: Bake at 350°F for 23-27 minutes, until browned and a toothpick comes out clean
Cool: Allow to cool in the tin for a few minutes then remove the muffins from the tin and place on a cooling rack to finish cooling
Serve and enjoy! Eat as a quick breakfast or snack. Option to add butter or other favorite spread on top!
Variations of Protein Pumpkin
Add Chocolate. Are you a huge fan of the pumpkin and chocolate combo? Make these into chocolate chip pumpkin muffins by stirring in up to ½ cup of your favorite chocolate chips into the batter. If you do this, I’d recommend holding a few back to sprinkle on top of your muffins after the batter is placed in the muffin tins.
Making Your Own Oat Flour
Making your own oat flour is super easy to do and very inexpensive (I’m always down for a good cost-saving tip!). This is a great option if you do not do a lot of gluten-free baking because you are likely to have regular old-fashioned oatmeal in your cabinets already vs. a special flour.
What is the ratio of rolled oats needed to make oat flour?
It is 1-to-1. You will need the same amount of rolled oats / old fashioned oats to make your oat flour as it calls for in your recipe. For instance, if your recipe calls for 1 cup of oat flour, you will need 1 cup of old fashioned oats.
How to make oat flour
Place your rolled oats in a food processor or high-power blender and blend to pulverize. Continue until you’ve reached a flour consistency. You may need to scrape down the sides or bottoms of your processor or blender mid-way through to make sure all the oats are getting blended.
How to Store These High Protein Pumpkin Muffins
Store fully cooled muffins in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days
Can You Freeze Muffins to Enjoy Later?
Yes! Freezing muffins is a great option for a quick breakfast or snack at a later date. Below you will find instructions to freeze and reheat frozen muffins.
How to Freeze Muffins
- Cool muffins completely
- I recommend individually wrapping each muffin in plastic wrap, and storing in a large size ziploc bag. Squeeze out any excess air before storing in the freezer
- TIP: Write what they are and the date they were baked on the bag for reference
- TIP: Write reheating instructions right on the bag for easy eating
Reheating Frozen Muffins
- How to reheat frozen muffins: Unwrap individual muffins and place on a microwave safe plate (optionally lined with a paper towel). Microwave for approximately 30 seconds.
- Thaw at room temperature: If you have more time, you can also thaw your muffins at room temperature. Remove the number of individually wrapped muffins you would like from the freezer and place on your countertop. Muffins will be thawed in about 1-2 hours.
How Long Can You Freeze Muffins For?
Frozen muffins will keep in a standard freezer for 2-3 months after they are baked.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. However, please check your rolled oats or oat flour to make sure the label specifically notes that it is gluten free. Oatmeal can be cross-contaminated depending on where it is processed. It is also good practice to double-check that your protein powder does not contain gluten.
Yes. Substitute the eggs with flax eggs, use a vegan-friendly yogurt, and select a vegan-friendly protein powder in lieu of whey protein. Please note, I have not made these substitutions myself. Doing so may affect the texture of these muffins.
My personal favorite is Simply Tera’s because it has minimal ingredients (4 total!) and it tastes great. If you are looking to make this into a vegan snack recipe, select a plant-based protein powder like this one from Vega.
Love This Recipe? You May Also Enjoy
Pumpkin Protein Muffins Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 C pumpkin puree not pumpkin pie filling
- 1 C non-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 large eggs
- ½ C pure maple syrup
- 1 C + 6 tablespoon oat flour
- ½ C vanilla whey protein powder
- 1 + ½ tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 2 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F
- In a large bowl, mix together eggs, yogurt, pumpkin puree, and maple syrup until combined
- Add the oat flour, vanilla protein powder, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, and salt and whisk to combine
- Spoon muffin batter into a greased muffin tin (or use cupcake liners), filling each cup ¾ of the way full
- Bake for 23-27 minutes, until browned and a toothpick comes out clean
- Allow the muffins to cool in the tin for a few minutes then remove the muffins from the tin and place onto a cooling rack to finish cooling
- Serve and enjoy!
- Store leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature or in the fridge for up to 3 days
Fifi says
Can I use Almond flour instead?
Meredith says
Hi Fifi, I have not done this substitution myself, but generally almond flour can be swapped 1-for-1 for baking, especially in quick breads and muffins. But please note, you may need to adjust/reduce the amount of liquid used (keep an eye on the batter texture… due to the fat content, almond flour doesn’t absorb quite as much liquid as oat flour). Also note that almond flour is a bit heavier and nuttier which will alter the taste. If you give this a try, I’d love to hear how it turns out.
Anonymous says
While I have not made these muffins. I did sample these tasty treats!
Delicious satisfying and great with a warm fall cup of tea. I will make a point of trying this recipe!
ourlovelanguageisfood says
I’m so glad your enjoyed the taste-test! Excited to see how making these goes for you next!
Victoria says
Thank you for a healthier muffin! I’m always looking for a way to add more oatmeal and fiber to my diet. I love the maple syrup sweetener and the fall spices. The batter seemed runny maybe because I used farmers market pumpkin, so I added two more tablespoons of ground oatmeal. Yummy!
ourlovelanguageisfood says
I’m so glad you enjoyed them!! Good call on adding the extra oatmeal – even different brands can have different consistencies! Thank you for making my recipe