With this recipe for nut-free Flourless Cocoa Protein Muffins with Hidden Veggies, all of the ingredients go into a blender and the batter goes right into the muffin tin…so it’s actually possible to make them and not lose half of the day to clean up! (Because it always takes that long when there are little ones underfoot, right?)
Easy Protein Muffins
Muffins are one of those foods that we like to have in the house for easy breakfasts and snacks—and we love them even more when they’re super simple to make. These flourless protein muffins taste like a moist brownie but have a load of nutrition inside…including veggies! Honestly, you’d never know they were in there, but it’s nice to get in a little extra nutrition, right?
And while I don’t necessarily advocate sneaking veggies into everything we serve our kids, this recipe does have both fruit and veggies in the mix. I seem to be on a summer squash kick lately, so I use that here again and also add in some ripe bananas and a handful of kale. But the cocoa powder makes each bite super chocolatey, so my little taste testers just thought they were yummy.
Chocolate Protein Muffins
In addition to the taste, I love these muffins since they are packed with protein and healthy fats, which means that 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. My daughter started eating these when she was about 14 year old, chopped up into small cubes, for the past few months.
Mini Protein Muffins
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.
Nut-Free Protein Muffins
You can use Sunbutter to make them nut-free in the case of allergies (or just to change things up!) though know they work exactly the same with peanut butter too. We tend to freeze half of each batch that we bake so we can pull them out whenever we need an easy snack or packed lunch component. It’s a wonderful thing to have a stash of nutritious muffins ready and waiting.
Protein Muffins Without Protein Powder
I know there are a lot of opinions on whether or not we need to worry about how much protein our kids have, but I fall on the side of not feeling like it’s necessary to use powders and supplements. That said, I do find it to be crucial to incorporate protein into meals and snacks to ensure that our kids have balanced energy (which can help avoid sugar crashes and meltdowns). So I try to offer protein-rich foods throughout the day. Each full size muffin has 7 grams of protein which is a nice dose for a toddler!
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PinDescription
These simple blender muffins pack a serious nutrition punch and are dairy-free, with a nut-free option.
Ingredients
- 1 cup peanut butter or Sunbutter
- 1 cup roughly chopped very ripe banana
- 1 cup roughly chopped zucchini (or summer squash)
- 1 handful kale (or spinach)
- 3 eggs
- 1/4 cup honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 2 tablespoons ground flaxseeds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- chocolate chips, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and grease a mini or standard size muffin tin with nonstick spray.
- 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 1/2 full using about 1/4 cup batter in each. Top with chocolate chips, if using.
- For regular muffins: Bake 22-24 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
- For mini muffins (or a donut pan): Bake 14-16 minutes or until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out cleanly.
- Let cool for 5-10 minutes in the pan, run a knife around the edges, and carefully transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Notes
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.
Dice the muffin for little ones about 16 months old and younger.
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.
Deesha
April 21, 2019 at 1:20 pmI just made this and it was a super hit for all ages! I would recommend not putting in the peanut butter first if using a vitamix! Had a hard time getting it all to mix. Next time will blend the veggies first and then add in other ingredients. Will def make this one again!
Amy Palanjian
April 22, 2019 at 9:38 amGreat tip, thanks for sharing!
ShanB
April 13, 2019 at 7:34 amCan you use WOW butter instead of sun butter?
Amy Palanjian
April 14, 2019 at 7:05 pmI haven’t tried it but I would think so.
Rhyannon
February 6, 2019 at 10:52 amDo you recomm3end a flax or chia egg to substitute?
Amy Palanjian
February 6, 2019 at 1:13 pmI prefer chia seeds.
Mary
September 17, 2018 at 1:56 pmI am always looking to hide veggies and this is an easy way. I think I will add more kale next time, I didn’t know how much to put. They taste very good but the consistency is a bit mushy on the inside.
Antonella
September 17, 2018 at 12:58 amHi
Can I use spinach and honey instead of kale or the 2 won’t mix well?
Thank you
Amy Palanjian
September 17, 2018 at 11:53 amSpinach should be fine!
Rebekah Ricourt
September 8, 2018 at 12:58 amI have been looking for an easy breakfast alternative for my picky little sweet tooth. I might have used too much kale because they had a green tint. I was worried she wouldn’t touch them, but she devoured them!
I will say that I don’t recommend doubling the recipe. They were super hard to blend well in my vitamin because the batter is so thick, but they still came out great!
Thanks for this!
★★★★★
Amy Palanjian
September 8, 2018 at 8:03 pmI’m glad she liked them and I could see that being an issue with a double recipe! Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it!
Emily
May 24, 2018 at 2:56 pmAwesome Recipe! My 3 yr old loved them. Super moist and silky smooth. Didn’t have cocoa powder so we used 100% cacao baking chocolate and blended it a tad longer in the vitamix.We have gluten, dairy, and soy allergies so we used allergy friendly chocolate chips on top. This recipe is a keeper!
Amy Palanjian
May 24, 2018 at 3:40 pmI’m so glad that you and your kiddo enjoyed these and I’m glad that the baking chocolate worked out well!
Geline
May 6, 2018 at 8:37 amHi, can these be freezed? How long can i keep frozen? TIA!
Amy Palanjian
May 7, 2018 at 9:30 amYou can freeze them, once cooled fully, in an airtight zip top bag for up to three months. Let thaw overnight in the fridge or at room temp!
Jenny
March 25, 2018 at 4:06 pmCan I use spinach instead of Kale? And can I use maple syrup instead of honey?
Amy Palanjian
March 25, 2018 at 4:55 pmYes and yes! Spinach and maple syrup will work great!
Esther
December 24, 2017 at 3:51 amis there anything I can use to substitute the 3 eggs? my son has allergies.
Amy Palanjian
December 24, 2017 at 12:23 pmI have made them with chia eggs in place of the eggs. If you try it, know that you should do them as minis and they’ll need to bake for at least 10 minutes longer since they are very wet. (It would likely turn out better if you presided the zucchini/summer squash and squeeze all the liquid out before adding to the blender.) Let me know if you have any other questions!
Lindsey
October 19, 2017 at 4:30 pmWhat is the purpose for the flax seed? Would chia seeds work as a substitute?
Amy Palanjian
October 19, 2017 at 7:06 pmIt helps bind the batter. I haven’t tried it with chia seeds but I bet it would work just as well!
Nirali
March 26, 2019 at 8:05 pmAny suggestions on what to use to bind instead of flax or chia? We have severe flax allergies!