Delicious Healthy Pumpkin Protein Muffins, Gluten-Free and Refined Sugar-Free too!

I think you are going to love these Pumpkin Protein Muffins as much as I do! I’ve been making these for weeks and they are perfect to have on hand when you want a snack but still want to keep it healthy.

I love having homemade muffins in the house – I like to know exactly what’s in the product and what better way to do this than make it yourself.

But these are not any ordinary muffins – these have two vegetables (carrots and zucchini) and one fruit in them (pumpkin), plus they have a lot of protein! That’s not something you see normally in a muffin! They do have a few more ingredients than most muffin recipes but each one brings more health and flavor into these delicious pumpkin protein muffins.

Show Me The Protein:

So, let’s talk about the protein in this recipe. Here is what I used:

• Vanilla Plant-Based Protein Powder, I used Nuzest
• Lupin Flour (don’t worry, I will explain what this is)

I used a vanilla plant-based protein powder from Nuzest. This is the only protein powder I use these days because it doesn’t irritate my tummy.

Here are a few other reasons why I use Nuzest:

• High in Plant-Based Protein, Low in carbohydrates and sugar
• Made with European Pea Protein which has all 9 essential amino acids
• It is pH balanced which helps alkaline the body
• High in Glutamine which is essential for muscle recovery
• Made with a water-based isolation process that removes lectins, so easy to digest and Paleo-friendly
• They employ strict growing conditions and rigorous testing and chemical-free processing
• Tastes great!!

Be sure to use my coupon code “SCNuzest” to get 15% off your order over $50. I do make a very small commission from your order that goes to keeping the blog up and running.

What in the world is Lupin Flour?

Lupin flour comes from the white lupin bean that is naturally gluten-free, high in protein, low in fat, loaded with nutrients, non-GMO, and vegan. It’s often used as a substitute for soy.

Only a quarter cup has 12 grams of protein and 12 grams of carbs, 11 of which are fiber. So if you are counting carbs, a quarter cup of lupin flour has only 1 net carb!

Now I know what you are thinking – I don’t want to purchase a bag of strange flour that I haven’t tried yet. Don’t worry, you can definitely still make these muffins without lupin flour and they will be delicious and still very healthy! But if you want to up the protein and nutrients even more – then I suggest using lupin flour. I found mine on Amazon and plan on working on some more recipes with it because I love adding protein to my baked goods!

These pumpkin protein muffins are SO good, you will make this recipe many many times, I promise!

Other Health Benefits:

In addition to the plant-based protein I’ve added, there are several other reasons these muffins are healthy!

• Pumpkin is high in beta carotene, fiber, and vitamin C.
• Carrots also have a lot of beta carotene (which, by the way, the body converts into vitamin A), fiber, potassium, and vitamin K1 (source)
• Zucchini has a lot of vitamin A as well as both soluble and insoluble fiber which aids in a healthy digestion
• Almond flour is high in vitamin E which has been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease in middle-aged men and women (source). It also has a good amount of magnesium. Magnesium is crucial for over 300 enzymatic functions in the body (source).
• Oatmeal contains a valuable fiber called beta-glucan. Beta-glucan has shown to reduce cholesterol, lower insulin levels, and help with the growth of good bacteria in your gut. Plus it’s high in manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and Thiamin (source).

This recipe was inspired by a good friend and talented RD, Jennifer Hnat of NutritionAtlanta. She calls her version, a Shero Muffin – I love that name!! If you are in need of a good RD, she is fantastic and even works virtually!

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment below or tag @sageandcelery on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, or Pin it later on Pinterest!

If you like the idea of adding protein to your muffins, then try this recipe too, Make-Ahead Spinach Protein Muffins also.

Delicious Healthy Pumpkin Protein Muffins, Gluten-Free and Refined Sugar-Free too!

5 from 1 review

• Author: Sage & Celery
• Prep Time: 20 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 40 minutes
• Yield: 12 muffins 1x
• Category: Breakfast
• Method: Bake
• Cuisine: Muffin
• Diet: Gluten Free

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Description

The Pumpkin Protein Muffins are such a great way to make sure you have a healthy breakfast or snack!

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Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

Dry Ingredients:

1 cup Almond Flour

1/2 cup Lupin Flour**

1/2 cup vanilla plant-based protein powder, I used Nuzest

1 cup gluten-free rolled oats

2.5 teaspoons Ceylon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon All Spice

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon Himalayan salt

1/2 cup of dairy-free dark chocolate chips, I used Enjoy Life. Plus a little more to decorate the tops of the muffins

Wet Ingredients:

3 pasture-raised organic eggs, beaten

1 cup grated organic zucchini

1 cup peeled and grated organic carrots

6 Tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled

1 cup pumpkin puree*

1/2 cup maple syrup

1 teaspoon quality vanilla extract

Also need:

muffin liners

muffin pan

2 bowls

a whisk

a spoon

Cook Mode Prevent your screen from going dark

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Instructions

1.) Preheat your oven to 350°. Place the muffin liners in the pan. In a large both, add the dry ingredients together (EXCEPT the chocolate chips) and whisk to remove any lumps.

2.) In another bowl, add the wet ingredients. Stir or whisk to combine.

3.) Add the wet ingredients to the dry ones, stirring to combine. Now fold in the dark chocolate chips.

4.) Equally, place batter in a muffin pan filled with muffin liners and place in the oven, and bake for about 20-25 minutes. Or until you insert a toothpick into one of the muffins and it comes out clean.

5.) Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and then remove them and finish cooling on a cooling rack.

6.) I store these in the fridge for as long as they will last, the longest as been about 5 days 😉

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Notes

• *I’ve used canned and fresh pumpkin in this recipe and both work really well. Just be sure to use 100% pumpkin puree, not pumpkin pie filling.
• **If you don’t have Lupin flour, feel free to use whatever all-purpose flour you like or almond flour would work too.
• If you have any left after a few days, I would go ahead and put them in an airtight container and in the fridge until you finish them.