Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Protein Muffins

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Are you looking for a healthy, nutritious, and delicious way to start your day?

Then, you will love these healthy Pumpkin Protein Muffins, which are the perfect breakfast for the fall season.

The Healthy Pumpkin Muffins are:

• Gluten-free and vegan
• Fluffy and protein-packed
• Sweet, but not too much, making them ideal for breakfast or a healthy snack!

Let’s jump into the ingredients list for the Pumpkin Muffins. 

Ingredients for the Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Protein Muffins:

• Pumpkin puree: I baked one small whole pumpkin and used the flesh from it, but you can also use canned.
• Agave syrup: The benefit of agave is that it is much sweeter than sugar, which means you don’t need to use as much for the same amount of sweetness. My favorite sweetener is date syrup, but this time I had just agave on hand. 
• Coconut oil: Coconut oil is a great vegan replacement for butter in baking. It may change the flavor if it is unrefined. If you don’t want to feel any coconut flavor, use refined. 
• Soy yogurt: Its creaminess helps keep baked goods moist, and its acidity helps activate baking soda, making baked goods fluffy and light. 
• Protein protein: I use Form Nutrition for most of my protein sweets. It contains all 9 essential amino acids, 20g of plant protein, and 7g of fiber per serving. For this recipe, you can use their Vanilla & Chocolate Salted Caramel flavor. If you are based in the US, you can order it from here, or you can also get it within the UK, and Europe.
• Buckwheat flour: Buckwheat is naturally gluten-free flour. It has high levels of fiber, and it is an excellent source of protein. It absorbs liquid quickly and has binding properties, making it great for baked goods. You can make your flour by grinding buckwheat seeds or get already made flour. 
• Soy milk: Or any other plant milk, to reach the perfect muffin consistency. I like to use soy because it contains more protein.
• Additionals: To add a bit of crunch and melting chocolate goodness, you can add a bit of walnut and chocolate. It won’t make these muffins too chocolatey or high in calories because we’ll add just a bit of the additional ingredients. 

Why should you make and not buy muffins?

Store-bought muffins can be a great way to indulge in a yummy treat. However, they aren’t the healthiest, and one single muffin (depending on size & ingredients) can range from 300 – 600 calories, over 20g of fat, 50g of carbs, and 40g of sugar.

A single homemade Pumpkin Protein Muffin has 147 calories, 18g carbs (2g sugar), 5g fat, and 7g of protein!

Additionally, the Pumpkin Protein Muffins are freezer friendly (up to 1 month), so you can bake a bigger batch and freeze a few to always have a healthy, delicious treat on hand. 

How to make the Healthy Vegan Pumpkin Protein Muffins: 

Materials:

• A bowl (no blender needed!)
• A muffin tin – I used a regular metal one, with paper muffin liners (I need to get reusable ones like these ones) and I also used this reusable silicone one with “donut” shape. 

Ingredients:

• 250g pumpkin puree 
• 150g agave 
• 35ml melted coconut oil 
• 200ml soy yogurt 
• 50ml soy milk 
• 100g  Form Nutrition protein powder
• 100g buckwheat flour 
• A pinch of salt, turmeric, cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon baking soda 
• 30g walnuts 
• 30g chocolate

Instructions: 

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C degrees (356°F) and line a muffin tin with reusable silicone liners or paper ones.

2. Mix all the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, agave, coconut oil, soy yogurt) in a bowl.

3. In another bowl, mix the dry ingredients (protein powder, buckwheat flour, ½ teaspoon baking soda, a pinch of salt, turmeric, and cinnamon).

4. Then combine the dry ingredients with the wet ones. 

5. Once everything is well combined, add walnuts and chocolate chips. You can go crazy here and sprinkle some berries, or dried fruits on top, too. 

6. Add the mixture to a muffin tin (I ended up with 14 muffins) and bake for 30 min at 180 degrees. 

7. Let the muffins cool for 15-20 minutes before eating.

How to store the muffins:

Store them in an airtight container to stay moist on the counter for 2-3 days. Keep them in the fridge in airtight containers for longer storage, or freeze them for a month in reusable silicone baggies. 

To defrost, remove them from the freezer, leave them on the counter overnight, or throw them in a warm oven for about 5 minutes.