Vegan Peanut Butter Protein Muffins [gluten-free]

Vegan Peanut Butter Protein Muffins, perfect for on-the-go mornings or a post workout snack. Made with gluten-free oats, plant protein powder and sweetened with mashed banana and pure maple syrup, plus they come together in less than 30 minutes!

Guys… I’ve found my new favorite snack. I’ve made them twice already in one week. The second time I made them I had just come in from shoveling our driveway. The snow was literally at my waist. The entrance to our driveway was basically up to my head (I’m only 5’3″, but still) because of the plow trucks coming through. SO MUCH SNOW. But that was definitely my workout for the day. Hence the need for more muffins.I love these muffins for several reasons. They’re quick, don’t require any “odd” ingredients (unless you think baking with protein powder is odd, eerrr), and super satisfying. My goal for these muffins was to keep them gluten-free for the celiac folk, so I busted out the trusty ingredient that is gluten-free oats. In case you didn’t already know, any time a recipe calls for oat flour, you can make your own by grinding down oats into powder. I like to blend a bunch at a time, then put the flour in a labeled container for later. EASY PEASY.

Then of course these muffins also have peanut butter, for the PB lovers. Which if you’re peanut-free, you could also use another natural nut butter, or even sunflower seed butter. The second time around I made these with my sunflower pumpkin seed butter, and added some cinnamon for funsies.

Ummmm guys… My husband literally just asked me if I pollinated our orange tree while he was gone… Um no, no I did not. Why would I think to do such a thing? Apparently we missed the window. I don’t have a green thumb. I’m horrible with plants. The first year we had a garden, I thought the pepper plants were like herbs, and that you should remove the little flower buds. So yeah, I removed the flowers from the pepper plant not actually knowing those would have eventually become peppers. OOPS.

ANYWAYS. Sorry for the derailment. So these Vegan Peanut Butter Protein Muffins then… they’re also sweetened with 1 small mashed banana, and just a 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup. The taste tester husband thought they weren’t quite sweet enough. But of course he has a major sweet tooth. If you think will you miss the extra hint of sweetness, bump up the maple syrup to 1/3 cup.  It shouldn’t really affect your ratios, as its only just about 1 tablespoon more. HOWEVER, if you’re using an unsweetened protein powder, I would recommend adding 1/4 cup of a dry sweetener. Adding more of a liquid sweetener will mess up the rest of the ratios.

One more thing about these muffins! I bake my muffins first at 425F for 5 minutes, then drop the oven temperature down to 375F for the rest of the baking time. This typically allows the muffins to rise higher versus baking them at a steady temperature the entire time. This is something I learned from Sally. These muffins are a bit on the smaller side, so they didn’t get as high as I expected. BUT by baking the muffins this way, they only took 12 minutes total! And they still come out nice and moist.

★★★★★

4.9 from 7 reviews

How to Make…

Vegan Peanut Butter Protein Muffins

Vegan Peanut Butter Protein Muffins, perfect for on-the-go mornings or a post workout snack.

• Yield: 9 1x
• Scale: 1x2x3x

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Ingredients

• 1 TBS milled flax seed + 3 TBS water
• 2/3 cup oats (quick or rolled), gluten-free if needed
• 1 level scoop (about 1/3 cup) vanilla (or chocolate) plant protein powder
• 3/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup natural peanut butter (no oil added preferred)
• 1/2 cup well mashed banana (1 small-medium)
• 1/4 cup maple syrup (bump up to 1/3 cup if you want muffins a touch sweeter)
• 1/3 cup non-dairy milk (I used unsweetened)

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425F and line muffin tin, set aside.
2. Start by combining 1 TBS milled flax seed with 3 TBS water, set aside for 5 minutes & allow gel to form.
3. In a small blender, grind up oats into flour. Transfer to small bowl and add protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, & salt. Combine and set aside.
4. In large bowl using paddle attachment of stand mixer, or electric hand mixer, combine peanut butter (make sure it is stirred very well, no oil present), mashed banana, maple syrup, and flax egg. Beat on medium speed until well combined.
5. Add dry ingredients to large bowl and beat on low until almost combined. Add in milk, then using large spatula gently mix together until everything is combined. Batter will be very thick.
6. Using large cookie scoop (makes it easier for dispensing batter) evenly disperse batter into lined muffin tin, about 3/4 full. You should yield 9 muffins.
7. Bake muffins for 5 minutes at 425F. While muffins still in the oven, reduce temperature to 375 and continue baking muffins for 7-8 more minutes*. Check muffins by inserting toothpick into center. Toothpick should come out with little to no crumbs. Allow muffins to cool in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to wire rack to cool completely.
8. Muffins will stay fresh 3-4 days in airtight container at room temperature, or keep in fridge up to one week.

Recipes Notes:

*Any natural nut butter will work. I tested with sunflower seed butter as well.
*If you want to bake muffins at 375F the whole time, muffins should take approximately 12-15 minutes, but check at 12 with toothpick.

-I do not recommend using whey protein for I’m unsure of how the batter will turn out. If you try it, I’d love to hear how it worked.
-I used NOW Foods Plant Protein Complex.
-Here is a link for the silicone baking cups I used!

Nutrition Information:

• Serving Size: 1 muffin
• Calories: 184
• Sugar: 8
• Sodium: 338
• Fat: 9
• Saturated Fat: 2
• Unsaturated Fat: 6
• Trans Fat: 0
• Carbohydrates: 20
• Fiber: 3
• Protein: 8
• Cholesterol: 0

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