Healthy Carrot Cake Protein Muffins
Yields: 8 muffins
 
These healthy muffins taste exactly like carrot cake! They’re sweet, perfectly tender, and full of cozy spices. Leftovers will keep for at least a week if stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator, and they freeze really well too!
  • ½ cup + 2 tbsp (56g) coconut flour (measured like this… and I love Bob’s Red Mill!)
  • 2 scoops (84g) Lean Body for Her vanilla whey protein powder (see Notes!)
  • 1 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tbsp (14g) coconut oil or unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly
  • 2 large egg whites, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup (120g) plain nonfat Greek yogurt
  • 1 tbsp (15mL) pure maple syrup
  • ½ tsp liquid stevia
  • ½ cup + 2 tbsp (150mL) unsweetened cashew milk
  • 1 cup (90g) freshly grated carrots (peeled first!)
  1. Preheat the oven to 425°F, and lightly coat 8 standard-sized muffin cups with nonstick cooking spray.
  2. Whisk together the coconut flour, protein powder, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together the coconut oil, egg, and vanilla. Stir in the Greek yogurt until no large lumps remain. Stir in the maple syrup and liquid stevia. Alternate between adding the coconut flour mixture and milk, beginning and ending with the coconut flour mixture, and stirring just until incorporated. (For best results, add the coconut flour mixture in 3 equal parts.) Let the batter rest for 10 minutes. Gently fold in the carrots.
  3. Divide the batter between the prepared muffin cups. Bake at 425°F for 8 minutes. Without opening the oven door, reduce the oven temperature to 350°F, and continue baking for an additional 19-22 minutes, or until the tops feel firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool in the muffin cups for 5 minutes before carefully transferring to a wire rack.
NOTES
IMPORTANT PROTEIN POWDER NOTES – READ BEFORE BEGINNING: This recipe was specifically designed for Jamie Eason's Lean Body for Her vanilla whey protein powder. Unfortunately, it's no longer sold in stores. However, this protein powder, this protein powder, and this protein powder are all really similar.

Most protein powders behave differently in baking recipes, especially when it comes to absorbing moisture. If you substitute a different whey-based protein powder for the one I used (or the two similar options above), measure by the grams per scoop of your particular protein powder. You may need to add more protein powder if the batter is too wet OR more milk if the batter is too dry.

Do not substitute plant-based protein powder; it tends to be much more absorbent and will most likely result in dry, crumbly muffins.

Honey or agave may be substituted for the maple syrup.

An additional 3 tablespoons of maple syrup may be substituted for the liquid stevia. Decrease the milk to ½ cup if using this substitution. However, I highly recommend using the liquid stevia because it keeps these muffins low-carb and lower in calories. (And you’ll use it in all of these recipes of mine, too!) I buy mine online here because that's the best price I've found.

Any milk (cow, soy, almond, etc.) may be used in place of the cashew milk.

Do not substitute store-bought pre-shredded carrots. They’re thicker and drier, so they will not soften while baking.

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, low carb, high protein}
Recipe by Amy's Healthy Baking at https://amyshealthybaking.com/blog/2016/03/13/carrot-cake-protein-muffins/