These banana cottage cheese muffins are kid-friendly, high protein and so easy to make! The perfect addition to breakfast or snack time!
Hi friends!
I’ve got a new muffin recipe to share with you guys today. My daughter has been loving them lately and I love that they’re high in protein and easy to make!
Why You’ll Love These Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
These will quickly become your new favorite muffins for a few reasons:
- They’re high in protein thanks to the cottage cheese.
- They’re light and fluffy. Blending the cottage cheese until it’s smooth helps create a great texture
- You can easily add mix-ins. I add chocolate chips and hemp seeds but you could add ground flax, blueberries, raisins etc.
How Cottage Cheese Affects Texture and Moisture
These muffins have a few ingredients that help make them fluffy and moist:
- Cottage cheese – Adding cottage cheese significantly increases the moisture content of the muffins
- Mashed bananas – help add sweetness naturally without a lot of added sugar
- Oil – helps emulsify the ingredients along with the cottage cheese
It took a few rounds of testing to find the right ratio of flour, cottage cheese and leavening agents but the end result is a moist, fluffy muffin everyone will love.
Best Bananas for Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
Like with most types of baking, the riper the bananas the better for these muffins. Ripe bananas will be naturally sweeter which allows you to use less added sugar.
Banana Protein Muffins with Protein Powder
If you want to increase the protein content even more, you could try adding a scoop of protein powder to these muffins. Don’t overdo it with the protein powder though or your muffins will become dense and dry.
Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins Variations
This recipe makes a great base and you can easily make a few tweaks to allow these muffins to fit your needs.
Whole Wheat Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
Try using white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour in these muffins for an added nutrient boost of protein and fiber.
Gluten-free Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
To make these muffins gluten-free, simply swap in a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend – I like King Arthur Measure for Measure.
Low Sugar Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
You can swap the sugar in this recipe for honey or maple syrup if you prefer. You could also try replacing the sugar with applesauce for a no-added-sugar version that would be great for young kids.
Mix-In Ideas for Banana Protein Muffins
Feel free to mix in your favorites to these muffins! I like chocolate chips, ground flax and hemp but you could also add chopped nuts like walnuts or almonds, frozen blueberries or dried fruit like raisins.
Mini Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
To make these muffins mini, I would cook them at 375 for about 12 minutes and then check their doneness. You don’t really need to start them at a high heat and then drop the temperature because the mini muffins themselves are so small that they don’t have far to rise. That trick is really to help ensure full-size muffins rise high enough.
Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins for Meal Prep
These muffins are great for meal prep because they’re an easy high-protein option that you can add to breakfast, lunch or snack time! Make a batch ahead of time and enjoy them all week long. They also freeze well for future eating!
How To Store Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
I like to store these muffins in a ziploc bag on the counter. However, since they are moist, keep in mind that they will get moldy after a few days, especially in warmer temperatures.
Consider freezing half the batch after you make them and pulling them out mid-week so they’ll be fresh! You can also store them in the fridge after 2-3 days and reheat them in the microwave.
How To Freeze Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
To freeze these muffins, let them cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe bag and remove as much air as possible.
To thaw, simply place one in the microwave or let them thaw on the counter.
Soft and Fluffy Banana Protein Muffins Tips
The most important part of making these muffins soft and fluffy is to blend the cottage cheese until it’s smooth. You can use a food processor or blender. I prefer to blend all ingredients in the food processor because it makes everything extra smooth.
Also, don’t use fat-free cottage cheese. I think full fat works best but 2% is ok too.
Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins vs Regular Banana Muffins
These muffins are high in protein and get some added nutrition from the ground flax and hemp. If you’re looking for regular banana muffins without cottage cheese, here are some other options:
Or try these Banana Oat Cookies!
Healthy Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins for Breakfast
These muffins are great anytime of day. Pair them with a yogurt or glass of milk at breakfast, add them to a lunchbox or serve them at snack time with fresh fruit or some trail mix.
Healthy Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
Here’s the recipe I use:
Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins
These banana cottage cheese muffins are kid-friendly, high protein and so easy to make! The perfect addition to breakfast or snack time!
- Yield: 12-16 muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup mashed banana
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup oil
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1.5 cups flour
- 1/4 cup ground flax
- 1/4 cup hemp seeds
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup chocolate chips
Instructions
- Blend cottage cheese until smooth in a blender or food processor.
- In a large bowl, combine cottage cheese, mashed bananas, sugar, oil, eggs and vanilla and stir to combine. (Or you can make these entirely in the food processor – just blend until smooth.)
- Add remaining ingredients and stir until just combine. (If using a food processor, save the chocolate chips to pulse in at the end).
- Spoon into silicone or greased muffin tins. (Makes 16 small or 12 large muffins).
- Bake at 425 degreees F for 5 minutes, then drop the temperature to 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
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Banana Cottage Cheese Muffins FAQs
Are banana cottage cheese muffins high in protein?
Yes! These muffins get a nice boost of protein from the cottage cheese, as well as some from the hemp seeds and eggs!
Can I use cottage cheese in banana muffins?
Yes. Cottage cheese works well in muffins, especially if it’s blended smooth. It works similarly to yogurt in baked goods.
Do cottage cheese muffins taste like cottage cheese?
No! You can’t taste the cottage cheese at all when it’s blended into these mufins.
Are banana cottage cheese muffins healthy?
Yes! They’re full of protein and the ground flax and hemp seeds add a nutrient boost. They’re also low in added sugar.
Can I blend cottage cheese for muffins?
Yes, these muffins are definitely better when the cottage cheese is blended smooth before baking.
What does cottage cheese do in baking muffins?
Cottage cheese helps increase the protein content of the muffins and also adds a lot of moisture to help make the muffins moist and fluffy.
Can I make these muffins with whole wheat flour?
Yes! Feel free to use white whole wheat flour or whole wheat pastry flour. I would not recommended regular whole wheat flour as it will make the muffins too dense.
Are banana cottage cheese muffins good for breakfast?
Yes! These muffins make a great addition to a healthy breakfast. Serve them with a glass of milk or some yogurt, or with fresh fruit and scrambled eggs for a healthy, balanced breakfast.
Can I freeze banana cottage cheese muffins?
Yes! These muffins freeze well. Let them cool completely and then put them in a freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
How long do banana cottage cheese muffins last?
These muffins are moist so i don’t recommend leaving them on the counter for more than 3-4 days or they may spoil. You can freeze half the batch for later to help keep them from getting moldy or try storing them in the fridge after a few days.
Can I make banana cottage cheese muffins gluten-free?
Yes! To make these muffins gluten-free just sub a 1:1 gluten-free flour blend for the flour in this recipe. Also make sure your ground flax is gluten-free if needed.
Can I use low-fat cottage cheese in muffins?
These should work fine with low-fat cottage cheese. I prefer full fat and would not recommend fat-free.
How do I make banana cottage cheese muffins soft and fluffy?
I really think making these in the food processor helps make them soft fluffy. It helps puree the cottage cheese and makes sure all the other ingredients are evenly mixed.
What are the best mix-ins for banana protein muffins?
You can use a variety of mix-ins for this recipe. Try dried fruit like raisins, fresh or frozen blueberries or a some chopped nuts.
Can I make mini banana cottage cheese muffins?
Yes! Feel free to bake these in a mini muffin tin at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until baked through.
Enjoy!
–Lindsay–
