Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins

5 from 1 vote

Make healthy, moist cottage cheese pumpkin muffins with 7g protein each, no oil, and no refined sugar. Easy, freezer-friendly, and full of fall spice

Prep Time10

Cook Time20

Total Time30

Course: Breakfast, Dessert, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: cottage cheese, easy, healthy, pumpkin

Servings: Muffins

Calories: 226kcal

Equipment

Ingredients

1¾ cup Flour *see notes
1 teaspoon Baking powder
¾ teaspoon Baking soda
¼ teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
2 teaspoons Pumpkin pie spice
¾ cup + 2 tablespoons Cottage cheese *see notes
¾ cup + 1 tablespoon Pumpkin puree
⅓ cup Maple syrup *see notes
3 tablespoons Buttermilk *read notes
2 teaspoons Vanilla extract
2 Eggs large
½ cup Chocolate chips *optional

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat the oven and prep: Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease with oil.
Mix the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and pumpkin pie spice. Set aside.
Blend the cottage cheese mixture: Add the cottage cheese, pumpkin purée, maple syrup, buttermilk, and vanilla to a blender or food processor. Blend until smooth and creamy.
Add the eggs: Transfer the mixture to a bowl. Add the eggs and whisk until completely combined.
Combine: Add the dry mixture into the wet. Fold gently just until combined. Do not overmix. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using. The batter should be thick and scoopable.
Fill the muffin tin: Divide the batter evenly between the prepared muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full. Sprinkle a few additional chocolate chips on top, if desired.
Bake: Bake for 17–20 minutes, or until the muffins are risen and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs. Let cool in the pan for 5–10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Video

Notes

Adjust the texture: Different brands of cottage cheese and pumpkin purée contain different amounts of liquid, so the consistency may vary slightly. The batter should be thick but easily scoopable. If it looks too thin, fold in 1 tablespoon of flour at a time. If it seems unusually thick or dry, add 1 tablespoon of buttermilk at a time.
Flour: I used all-purpose flour for the softest, lightest texture. You can replace some or all of it with whole wheat flour, or spelt flour, although the muffins will be slightly denser.
Pumpkin purée: Use 100% pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling. Homemade pumpkin purée also works, but make sure it is thick and not watery. If necessary, strain off excess liquid before measuring.
Cottage cheese: Full-fat cottage cheese will give you the softest, richest muffins, but lower-fat cottage cheese can also work. Since brands vary in moisture, avoid cottage cheese that is particularly watery. Blend until completely smooth for the best texture.
Maple syrup: Use pure maple syrup rather than maple-flavored pancake syrup. The maple provides both sweetness and moisture, so I don't recommend reducing it significantly without adjusting the other ingredients.
Sweetness level: These muffins are not very sweet, as I wanted to keep them on the healthier side. If you prefer a sweeter muffin, add an extra 2–3 tablespoons of maple syrup. You can also add 2–3 tablespoons of brown sugar or granulated sugar for additional sweetness without adding as much extra liquid.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk adds moisture and acidity, which works with the baking soda to help the muffins rise. If you don't have buttermilk, you can use regular milk mixed with a small amount of lemon juice or vinegar, though the batter consistency may vary slightly.
Chocolate chips: These are completely optional. I used dark chocolate chips, which pair especially well with the pumpkin and warm spices, but you can use any chocolate chips you like, semi-sweet, milk chocolate, or even chopped chocolate.

Nutrition