Growing up in Northern California, my family drove down to Anaheim at least every other year for a short Disneyland vacation. After our 7-hour drive down the monotony of I-5, we pulled into the parking lot of the hotel just off the freeway, the place we always stayed because of its inexpensive prices and close walking-distance proximity to the park.
As early morning risers, my brother and I bounded out of bed with the sun every morning, practically bouncing off of the walls in excitement. We headed over to Disneyland well before 8 am to be the first ones in when it opened so that we could ride Dumbo, It’s a Small World, and the Tea Cups until we got dizzy and before the park filled with other guests.
Because Disneyland set their food prices as high as baseball stadiums, Mom crammed a backpack full of water bottles, apples, fruit gummies, crackers, and peanut butter for us to munch on as we walked around the park. Bringing our own snacks also meant we could maximize our time on the rides instead of standing in restaurant lines!
Since hotel meals usually cost and arm and a leg like Disneyland’s food, our parents packed breakfast things as well to eat in our room. Although my brother and I usually started our days with cereal and milk, we never knew if the hotel would have a mini fridge, so Mom brought nonperishable treats instead.
We absolutely loved it when she surprised us with the humongous jumbo-sized lemon poppy seed muffins. They were the only flavor we’d eat as kids (yes, we were picky!), and we’d always pick off the slivered almonds on top to hand over to our parents.
However, we usually pouted a little bit when Mom cut our jumbo muffins in half to make us share, but when she reminded us that a smaller portion mean we’d finish and get to go to Disneyland sooner, she turned those frowns upside down. (Smart lady!)
Now that I’m older and could easily polish off an entire jumbo-sized muffin by myself, most of the temptation has disappeared. I know I’d have a sugar crash an hour or two later, and I’d much rather eat something with a little protein to power me through the morning instead. That’s where these Lemon Poppy Seed Protein Muffins come in! They have the same sweet, sunshiny flavor as my childhood favorite, but they’re lower in carbs and have a big protein boost.
Let’s break down these healthier muffins, shall we? They start with pure coconut flour to lower the carbs. Don’t worry; they don’t have an overwhelming coconut flavor! There’s a tiny tropical taste in the background, but my guy said that he wouldn’t have noticed if I didn’t point it out. (And yes, he actually tried one!! Mainly because he loves all things lemon, but still… I’ll take any tiny victory I can get!)
It’s important to remember that coconut flour is about 3 times as absorbent as regular flour, so we’ll use a third of the amount. Coconut flour takes a little while to absorb the extra liquid, so after mixing it with the wet ingredients, let the batter sit for about 10 minutes while the oven preheats. When you come back, the batter will be as thick as normal.
The big protein boost comes from Jamie Eason’s Lean Body® for Her 100% Whey Concentrate vanilla protein powder. It has very little sugar and a sweet vanilla taste. Although I’m normally sensitive to the aftertaste of whey, I couldn’t detect it at all in these muffins! Just a bright, sunshiny lemon flavor.
Thanks to Greek yogurt, these muffins are some of the most tender I’ve ever eaten! It adds lots of moisture for a fraction of the fat and calories of oil. These muffins practically have the texture of cupcakes, and healthy protein-packed “dessert” for breakfast is something I’d be happy to eat every single day!
Wouldn’t you?
| Lemon Poppy Seed Protein Muffins | | Print |
- ½ c + 2 tbsp (56g) coconut flour (measured correctly)
- 1 tsp (3g) xanthan gum
- ¾ tsp (2g) baking powder
- ¾ tsp (2g) baking soda
- ¼ tsp (2g) salt
- 1 tbsp (8g) poppy seeds
- 1 tbsp (5g) lemon zest (about one medium)
- 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted
- 1 large egg, room temperature
- 1 tsp (5mL) vanilla extract
- ¼ c (60g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
- ¼ c (60mL) agave
- 2 tbsp (30mL) freshly squeezed lemon juice (about one medium)
- ½ c (120mL) unsweetened vanilla almond milk
- 2 scoops (84g) Jamie Eason’s Lean Body® for Her vanilla protein powder
- Preheat the oven to 350°F, and lightly coat 8 standard-sized muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
- Whisk together the coconut flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, baking soda, salt, poppy seeds, and lemon zest in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil or butter, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt until no large lumps remain. Stir in the agave, lemon juice, and almond milk. Mix in the protein powder. Add in the coconut flour mixture, stirring until fully incorporated. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes.
- Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 350°F for 21-24 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes before carefully turning out onto a wire rack.
These muffins freeze really nicely. To thaw quickly, place individual muffins in the microwave for 40-50 seconds on 40% power.
For more tips and answers to all other questions, including substitutions, see my Protein Powder Recipes: Tips & FAQ page.
{gluten-free, clean eating, low fat, low calorie, lower carb, high protein}
This post was sponsored by Labrada Bodybuilding Nutrition, Inc. As always, all opinions, text, images, and recipe are my own.
What?! You got to go to Disneyland SO MANY TIMES growing up. I’m jealous. I too loooovved the lemon poppyseed muffins as a kid, and I love that you made a skinnier version! (I rarely eat muffins these days because of the guilt I feel afterward – yours solves that issue:)
I’m jealous that YOU are going to Disneyworld! You’re going to have a blast!! Even better, I can totally share these muffins with you since they’re completely GF. I’ll make sure to have a batch in the freezer whenever you visit!
Hey! My mix is supppper thick, like heavy dough. Should it be that consistency?
The muffin batter is supposed to be thick, sort of like really wet cookie dough rather than thin like traditional cake batter. If you used the same products that I linked to and measured as I instructed, I’m guessing your batter is fine! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear how your muffins turned out Haylie!
They turned out super delicious! My friends loved them. They’re still a little doughy for muffins, so I made them in a smaller muffin tin and they made fantastic backpack snacks! Thanks for the great recipe!
I’m so glad everyone enjoyed them Haylie! Thanks for taking the time to let me know! 🙂
Would the muffins turn out okay if I omitted the protein powder ?
I’m not sure and I probably wouldn’t recommend it Fatima.
Is there an alternative that can be used instead of the xanthan gum? I can’t wait to try these – protein, healthy and lemon poppyseed all at once!!
Thanks Kristina! The xanthan gum imitates gluten and is what makes these muffins rise and hold their structure. I haven’t tried them with any other substitutes or without xanthan gum, but it may work. They’d just be denser and not rise as much.
These are such a great alternative to the muffins I usually eat. I need to lay off the carbs a little! Bonus points for the classic flavor as well. I think everyone love lemon poppy seed!
Thank you so much Jen! I have yet to meet someone who doesn’t like lemon poppy seed. If I did, I’d probably just eat theirs! 😉
OMG these look amazing! Pinned and can’t wait to try!
Thank you so much for your sweet comment and pin Jen!
There is just something magical about lemon and poppyseed together. Or maybe I’m just feeling some Disneyland vibes 🙂 I totally want to go now! And eat about 3 of these for breakfast before, please.
We should go Karen!! Big blogger trip to Disneyland? 🙂
Another awesome recipe Amy! I love lemon poppyseed muffins and used to get so excited when my mom would buy the giant muffins from costco! Blueberry and Lemon Poppyseed were my favorite. Honestly, I don’t know the last time I made muffins but this is going on my to-make list. Even better- BL loves lemon too!
Thank you Alex; you’re so sweet! Those Costco muffins were the best… And it’s probably why we no longer belong. We ate way too many of them!
I am a BIG fan of the lemon poppy seed muffin
It’s hard to beat that flavor Heather!
All this Disney talk has me craving a trip to Space Mountain!! These muffins would be the perfect park snack!
LET’S GO!!! Just tell me when and we’ll make a road trip!
I love that you pack this full of protein!
Thanks Shelby!