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.
Amy, I found this recipe on Monday and have been planning to make them all week. I ordered Jamie’s protein powder (which is pretty pricy, about $34 for a couple of lbs on Amazon) and some Xanthan powder – which I had never even heard of. Well I just made them and they were delicious!!! I don’t like having a full lunch on the weekends, don’t know why, so these went perfectly with my light salad. It felt like a treat, but I’m so happy to have gotten my protein in! Great recipe, I was very happy with the muffin and I’m this recipe is a lifer for me! Thanks again
I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins Payal! That means so much to me that you decided to buy the ingredients, even though they were pricy, just so you could make the recipe. I’m truly touched that you called it a lifer! Thank you so much! 🙂
Argh didn’t read the comments and exactly the same thing happened to me as I used pea protein. Did a double batch and they were disastrous. Ended up adding way more milk but it still couldn’t save them 🙁 has any one had success with using pea protein?
If you’d like to use plant-based protein powder, I’d suggest starting with a quarter to half of the amount because plant-based powders are so much more absorbent than whey-based ones. For more information, please see my Protein Powder FAQ page. (It’s also linked to in the Notes section underneath the Instructions! 🙂 ) If you end up trying that, I’d love to hear how the muffins turn out!
It was wonderful to find a healthy, high protein lemon poppyseed treat! I just got done eating two of the muffins hot out of the oven and they were fantastic! I’m betting even my husband will say this is a keeper recipe. I personally, reduced the agave to 3 Tbsp. I love tart goodies, so I’ll probably reduce it to 2 Tbsp next time, too. Great recipe!
I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins Vanessa, and I really hope your husband does too! 🙂 That means so much to me that you ate two straight from the oven — thank you for sharing that with me!
Hi, just made the muffins and they are awesome. I used different kind of protein powder and I did add bit more milk, but they turned out great. Baked all the way through. The only problem is that my protein powder is bit to sweet and it overwhelmed the lemon taste a bit. I will just have to add more lemon zest and juice next time. Thaks for a great recipe. 🙂
I’m so glad you enjoyed the muffins Petra! If your protein powder is that sweet, then the easiest fix is to replace 1-3 tablespoons of agave with the same amount of milk. 🙂 I’d love to hear how that sweetness level turns out if you try that tweak!
Can I have the nutritional information for one muffin?
That info is already included beneath the recipe! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you think of these muffins if you try them!
Hi Amy!! Just found this recipe! OMG! My husband and my son’s girlfriend love, love, LOVE poppy seeds and lemon! I have to order JE whey protein on Amazon so when it arrives I will make them! Will let you know how they turn out (even though I am sure they are going to be super delish!). You are the best Amy!!!!
YOU are the best for thinking of your husband and your son’s girlfriend and wanting to make these for them!! 🙂 That’s so sweet of you Carmelina! But really, I shouldn’t expect anything else from you — you’re a true sweetheart! ♡ I can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks of these muffins!
Hello Amy, I have to admit I had a tiny bit of doubt when I was making these muffins because I never used some of these ingredients so I truly needed to try them before I was totally convinced of the results. Well, I am so glad I made these. EVERYONE loved them (including my son’s girlfriend and his family – I doubled the recipe). WE ALL LOVE YOUR RECIPES! My boys actually said “The baked goods in this house can ONLY come from Amy’s recipes”. Sooooo…welcome! You are now part of our family! These are perfect for mornings on the run. They are moist, tender and simply delish. I know I sound like a broken record, but thank you again for doing what you do!!
You and your family are SO sweet Carmelina — I’m truly honored to be “adopted” into your family!! 🙂 I’m so glad everyone is enjoying all of my recipes. That means the world to me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! ♡
Hi Amy,
So I tried this yesterday but in a baking pan like a loaf. It turned out quite dry and hard. Here are the variations I did.
1. Removed xanthan gum (because I couldn’t find any)
2. Used Olive Oil spread instead of –coconut oil or unsalted butter
3. Greek-style yogurt instead of –Greek yogurt
4. Honey instead of –agave
5. Oxywhey protein powder.
I would like to give it another try but I want to improve its moisture & texture next time around. Would you recommend adding milk or oil?
Thanks!
I really appreciate your interest in my recipe Clar! How did you measure the coconut flour? Did you use a kitchen scale or measuring cups? If the latter, can you describe in detail what you did? Also, what brand of coconut flour did you use? (Not all behave the same, as I’ve come to learn!) Also, how did you measure your protein powder? By scoops or with a kitchen scale? Finally, what size loaf pan did you use, and how long did you bake it? We’ll get this sorted out so your next batch turns out much better! 🙂
Wow thanks for the prompt response Amy!
I measured everything using cups & spoons, filling and then leveling. Probably I’ll try to measure by grams next time. I used Pacific Organics Coconut flour. For the protein powder, I just did 2 scoop-fuls (~31g each). I used a 23×15 cm ovenware (maybe it’s one of the major things I’ll improve next time :D) cooking it for around 25 mins.
I hope I’d get it right next time so I can share with my friends! 🙂 Thanks a lot!
My pleasure, Clar! I truly believe that if you use a kitchen scale, your loaf will turn out SO much better! A scale is much more accurate than using measuring cups and spoons (for dry ingredients!), and it generally solves at least half of the issues people typically see in baking recipes. (And remember to measure your protein powder by its particular grams per scoop! 😉 ) I think your loaf pan is also a bit too big for this recipe. If you have a smaller size (20cm x 10cm!) or mini loaf pans, that would probably be much better too! 🙂
This is the first time I have ever left a review on a recipe but I had to come and say thank you! (I also wandered around the supermarket trying to find agave for the first time but it was worth it!).
I’ve been getting more into healthy/protein baking since meeting my health/fitness-focused other half. A lot of the protein muffins/cookies I’ve tested in the past whilst tasty have had a rubbery texture to it – particularly the next day – that baking with protein powder can often produce. Let me just say that these are some of the lightest, smoothest textured muffins I have baked – healthy and non-healthy variations included! I baked the first batch yesterday and today after a night in a lunchbox in the fridge they are just as fresh and moist as yesterday.
As for the flavour – they are just divine! I used the MyProtein vanilla whey protein powder (what I happened to have at home) and as the vanilla flavour with this brand is fairly strong, I used the full zest (about 1tbsp) and juice (about 4-5 tablespoons) of a medium lemon and it was the perfect offset to the sweetness from the vanilla/agave.
The base ingredients here work so well as a texture that I’m already thinking about all the variations I want to try! Can’t wait to take a look at your other recipes! Thank you!
Oh my goodness Jenna, I’m truly honored!! Thank you SO much for taking the time to leave such a sweet comment! I’m really glad you loved these muffins, and it means the world to me that you loved these muffins so much. That’s the best kind of compliment that you called them the lightest and smoothest-texture muffins you’ve ever made! 🙂 I’ve actually posted a few more protein muffin recipes, and you can find them all here. (Then all of my higher protein recipes are here!) I can’t wait to hear what recipe of mine you try next!!
Hi Amy
I love this recipe and have made it a few times at this stage with great results. My favourite part is the texture that the greek yoghurt brings, whilst being forgiving on the macros front! So I’d love to use it as a base recipe and experiment with other flavours. Being a bit of a baking novice, would you have any tips on how to replace the lemon juice/zest with other flavours? E.g. can I replace the lemon juice with other liquids or is it helping the reaction in an important way? Hope that makes sense!
Thank you!
I’m so glad you’re enjoying these muffins Jen! Before you start experimenting on your own, why don’t you try some of my other protein muffin recipes? You can find those recipes here! They have a similar texture as well as macros, and that might be easier than tweaking this recipe! 😉 But to answer your question, yes — the lemon juice also reacts with the baking soda to make the muffins rise. If you replace it with 1 tablespoon of vinegar + 1 tablespoon of milk, that will probably achieve the same texture + rising result! 🙂 I can’t wait to hear what you decide to try!