These flourless Chocolate Protein Muffins pack in the nutrients but taste like a brownie. They are quickly mixed up in a blender and have so many nutrients tucked inside.
Toddler muffins are one of those foods that we like to have in the house for easy breakfasts and snacks since they store so well in the fridge and are so easy to eat. And these healthy chocolate muffins taste like a moist brownie but have a load of nutrition inside…including veggies!
Quick Look: Chocolate Protein Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Serving: 12
- Flavor Profile: brownie flavor with chocolate cake texture
- Difficulty: Easy to make in a blender and bake in less than 30 minutes todal
- Why to Make: It’s a quick and yummy chocolate muffin with extra nutrition
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Table of Contents
Honestly, I don’t advocate sneaking veggies into everything we serve our kids—we want (and need!) our kids to trust us with the food we feed them. So I love making these hidden veggie muffins with my kids and having them help me add the ingredients.
Why This Recipe Works
I love these fluffy chocolate muffins since they are packed with protein and healthy fats, which means they provide nicely balanced and long-lasting energy for our busy little people. Plus, the texture is super soft and moist, which makes them easy for younger toddlers to chew and swallow.
The zucchini, kale, and ripe banana adds moisture and flavor. The cocoa powder makes each bite super chocolatey, which my little taste testers think they is super yummy.
(You may also like my Double Chocolate Muffins, Protein Shakes for Kids, or Healthy Chocolate Cake.)
Ingredients You Need
To make this Chocolate Protein Muffin recipe you’ll need the following ingredients so you know what to have on hand or pick up at the store.
- Peanut butter: This provides the base for the muffins. I usually use unsweetened creamy peanut butter. You can use sunflower seed butter to make them nut-free as you like.
- Eggs: I use large eggs in baking, and in this recipe they help the ingredients hold together nicely, which is key since there isn’t any flour.
- Honey (or maple syrup): This is my preferred sweetener here. Avoid honey for kids under age 1.
- Raw zucchini (or yellow summer squash): This veggie is great in the mix since it blends in so well. If you don’t have any, just double the banana.
- Kale (or spinach): I prefer to use greens I’ve frozen to knock down the “green” flavor, but fresh ones will work, too.
- Ripe banana: Use bananas with brown spots for the best sweetness and flavor.
- Cocoa powder: I use unsweetened cocoa powder and usually buy SACO or Hershey’s Special Dark.
TIP: Use a very ripe banana with brown spots for the best natural sweetness.
Featured Review⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“Legit so tasty! & loved by 2 toddlers and a hungry pregnant woman.” —Angela
How to Make Chocolate Protein Muffins
Here’s a look at the process involved in making this Chocolate Protein Muffin recipe so you know what to expect. Scroll to the bottom for all of the info.
Step 1. Add all ingredients to a blender.
Step 2. Blend, stopping to scrape down the sides to ensure it’s evenly smooth.
Step 3. Divide batter in a greased muffin tin. Top with chocolate chips if using.
Step 4. Bake and test for doneness with toothpick or cake tester. Let cool.
TIP: Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to get them out of the pan.
Chocolate Protein Muffins FAQs
Our kids are usually getting plenty of protein without us worrying too much about it, but it is an essential nutrient for balanced energy. Each regularly sized muffin has 7 grams of protein which is a nice dose!
You can use a food processor though definitely let it process for at least a minute to try to get the greens fully blended. A blender usually makes a more uniform texture, which is why I use it here.
You can bake these as full size muffins or minis, depending on your preference. And this batter also works in a donut pan should you want to go that route. It’s nice that it’s so versatile so you can adjust for the appetites in your household.
How to Clean a Blender Easily
This batter is a little sticky due to the volume of nut butter, so here’s the best way to clean your blender.
Fill the blender 1/2-¾ full of warm to hot water. Add a squirt of dish soap. Put the top on securely and blend, starting on low and working up to high. Keep going until the sides of the blender are clean. (Any stuck on batter will come off from the friction of the water!) Rinse out.
How to Store
Store cooled Chocolate Protein Muffins for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge or in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.
Best Tips for Success
- Use a very ripe banana with brown spots for the best natural sweetness.
- If your peanut butter has been in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for an hour before using OR warm for 15 seconds in the microwave.
- Spray your measuring cup with nonstick spray before measuring the honey to make it easier to pour out.
- Stir a handful of chocolate chips into the batter to make it slightly sweeter.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to get them out of the pan.
- Learn how to freeze greens to make this recipe easy to make anytime.
- This can be used as a healthy food for kids to gain weight in the case of, for example, a child who has fallen off their growth curve according to the pediatrician, along with my Kids Weight Gain Shake.
- Serve with Vanilla Milk, a Yogurt Drink, a toddler smoothie, or even a Fruit Popsicle.
More Chocolate Recipes
I’d love to hear your feedback on this recipe, so please comment below to share!
Chocolate Protein Muffins (With Veggies!)
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter (almond butter or sunflower seed butter)
- 1 cup roughly chopped very ripe banana
- 1 cup roughly chopped raw zucchini (if you don't have zucchini, use 2 cups banana)
- 1 cup kale leaves (lightly packed; or spinach)
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- chocolate chips (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a mini or standard-size muffin tin with nonstick spray or line with paper liners.
- Place all ingredients into a blender. Blend until very smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender and/or using the stick that came with it to move the ingredients around if needed.
- Fill muffin cups about ½ full using about ¼ cup batter in each. Top with chocolate chips, if using.
- For regular muffins: Bake 20-22 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- For mini muffins (or a donut pan): Bake 12-14 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, run a knife around the edges, and carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Equipment
Video
Notes
- Store for 3-5 days in an airtight container in the fridge or in a sealed freezer bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temperature.
- We prefer to eat these cold.
- Use a very ripe banana with brown spots for the best natural sweetness.
- Nut-free: Use sunflower seed butter instead of peanut butter.
- Egg-free: Use a liquid egg substitute such as Just Eggs.
- If your peanut butter has been in the fridge, let it sit at room temperature for an hour before using OR warm for 15 seconds in the microwave.
- Spray your measuring cup with nonstick spray before measuring the honey to make it easier to pour out.
- Stir a handful of chocolate chips into the batter to make it slightly sweeter.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes to make it easier to get them out of the pan.
- I find that these taste best with greens that have been frozen and once the muffins have been fully cooled (and even chilled in the fridge for a bit!).
Nutrition
This post was originally published June 2019.
Love these muffins, my kids ask for them all the time!
This recipe was impressive. I can finally say my toddler has had green leaves today. I was amazed at how well it hid the flavor of the veggies in there (even though I only used the more mild almond butter). I did use kale as I wasn’t fond of the spinach pancakes. The kale was excellent and well hidden. I myself also dreaded trading flax in there but couldn’t taste it! I love that unlike other “zucchini bread” recipes you used the flax to soak up all the juices so no ringing of the zucchini was necessary and hey only a blender was used. I really appreciated the tips from all the commenters about adding the nut butter last. It did make things easier and think it may be worth noting in the recipe (though I know you try to make your recipes as straight forward as possible with adding everything at once). My toddler ate two of the big muffins at once even though he had helped me make the batter and saw those veggies go in there. Needless to say I’ll be making more to freeze.
Y’all!!! I am literally floored at how good these are! They are so good that I sent this recipe to my mom, mother in law and friend! We WILL be making these again soon and they are so good we won’t get to freeze any of this first batch!
The pictures don’t do it justice! They are so moist and honestly taste like a banana brownie! They aren’t just “good for a health muffin” good but rather just flat out Good!
For reference, I used double banana instead of 1 c zucchini, honey and I used spinach since we don’t like or buy kale. So so good! I am very impressed!
So happy to hear that!
I had a really hard time getting this to blend in my Vitamix blender. The blades kept jamming and wouldn’t move. I tried transferring the batter to a bowl and using a hand mixer and then transferred back to the blender but it still wouldn’t blend. I tried adding water and that didn’t help either. Any other suggestions for how to get this to easily blend in this simple blender recipe?
You could try blending it in stages and adding the nut butter towards the end maybe.
Wow! I cannot believe how delicious these muffins are. I made them as a dare from a friend who insisted these are a scam. And to both our surprise they are tried and truly delicious. I offered one to my daughter, also a skeptic, who said “what’s the catch” as I have made black bean chocolate muffins in the past which did not bode well. Well, she reluctantly tried it and asked for one in her lunch. I used spinach. I couldn’t fathom kale. I wish I could get the protein a bit higher in these. There is still not quite enough to combat the carb load. But they are tasty, and the texture is great too. Well done on this veggie hiding muffin.
So glad to hear this!
Soooo delish!!! Wild there’s no flour at all! I added 1/2 cottage cheese for added protein w less than 1/4 chocolate chips and is. So. Good. My go to for my son, but really for me too! These muffins are insane so happy to have in my rotation!
Was the cottage cheese and addition or instead of something?
You’re so amazing at always including substitutions on your recipe. I’m curious if I could sub applesauce for the banana? My son is allergic to bananas and I’m looking for a creative way to get him more veggies. These muffins look right up his alley.
That should work just fine as long as the applesauce is on the thicker side. You can also use pumpkin puree or sweet potato puree. (The pumpkin will be a little less sweet.)
Is the nutrition listed forna regular muffin or mini muffin?
regular size
My 3yr old is not a very adventurous eater and eats 3-4 muffins in once sitting. So good!
My daughter has an egg allergy. I know you mentioned Just Egg but would applesauce work too you think? Or flax eggs? Thanks!
I don’t know that either of those is a good option given the mix of the other ingredients in this recipe.
Love! But trying to figure out where the “trans fat” is from?
There is sometimes a trace amount in eggs or butter that registers in the nutrition calculator.
I would like to try a flour option for this same recipe. I love all the ingredients the texture/consistency of the finished product was not as I expected. Kinda of mushy/slimy and I even cooked for longer but the toothpick was clear when pulled out. Unlike alot of these comments my batter was not sticky I used a stand up blender and startes with the liquid parts like eggs, zuchinni, banana first and blended in more items as I went on. The taste is still great my toddler ate it no issues. I will see how it turns out tomorrow morning chilled
It sounds like your baking powder and soda might be old/inactive. Also, you can add all the ingredients together to the blender at the same time.
Same thing happened to me I’ll have to try with new baking powder and soda. The flavor is still delicious though!
I love the contents of these muffins but the taste was ehhh Im refrigerating them now to try them again cold! But pretty easy to make and very nutritious!
These are so good but so sticky getting out of the pan. What am I doing wrong?
It’s best to fully grease the pan with nonstick spray to help with this.
100/100 these are the best muffins so moist so delicious I don’t know how you keep rolling out bangers!