The Mighty Protein Muffin

I was looking through some of my recipes the other day and noticed how little I update that page- and I need to get on that! I clicked on the recipe for Basic single-serve protein muffin and noticed that it definitely needed an update as well. Protein muffin, microwave muffin, mug cake- whatever you want to call it, I love ‘em! I discovered the idea of making these when I first started reading healthy living blogs a few years ago and now they’re a major staple in my diet. I love that I can whip one up in just a few minutes and that it’s automatic portion control (rather than baking an entire batch of muffins to stare me in the face every time I walk into the kitchen!).

I eat one almost every single day.

I prefer to call them protein muffins, because for as low-calorie as they are, the protein content is pretty high. I’ve changed/perfected my basic recipe over time, and want to share that with you today!

Basic protein muffin

2 T flour of choice (I like to use 1 T oat and 1 T coconut)

1 T protein powder of choice (I’ve been using egg white lately)

3 T egg whites

1 T either pumpkin puree, applesauce or mashed banana (banana is the best!)

small handful frozen fruit

splash of almond milk

1/3 tsp baking powder

tiny pinch of salt

sweetener of choice (usually a packet of NuNaturals stevia for me)

optional: extract of choice (vanilla or maple for me!), cinnamon, nutmeg, etc.

Mix all of the ingredients into a small bowl, mug, ramekin, etc. The batter should be somewhat thick and may rise up a bit from the baking powder like this:

Microwave for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, until batter is completely cooked through in the middle. It should slide right out of the bowl!

I made this one with mashed banana and a few frozen strawberries. See that fruity goodness?

I also like to throw mine in the toaster oven for a few minutes so that it gets crunchy around the edges. Mmmmmm.

The nutritional stats for this muffin pictured above are as follows:

Calories: 120

Fat: 1.5g

Carbs: 11g

Fiber: 5g

Protein: 11g

Not bad, eh?

The consistency/baking time will definitely vary based on the type of flour(s) and protein powder you use. The egg white protein powder makes the muffin a little bit drier than other powders, but it’s still good! Sunwarrior (plant based protein powder) works really well. I haven’t had luck with whey protein powder. I also haven’t had much luck using a “flax egg” instead of egg whites. I do know that chia seeds are a pretty good substitute, but the consistency of the final product is definitely different.

Do you make protein muffins/mug cakes/whatever you call them? Feel free to share a favorite recipe below!