The Protein Powder Blueberry Corn Muffins recipe is from an (old) ad in Food & Wine, where Top Chef contestant Jennifer Carroll shares her recipe for blueberry muffins made with Pure Protein Powder.
I was very interested in trying the recipe because in the past, adding protein powder to baked goods has had mixed results. I have one or two recipes where it works well, but usually it just toughens up the dough and makes the item rubbery. Luckily, that didn't happen here.
Blueberry Muffins with a Flour and Cornmeal Mix
These muffins are made with a mixture of flour and cornmeal, so the texture is grainier than a basic blueberry muffin and you don't notice the added protein powder quite as much. They’re not too sweet, and with only a little butter, they’re not super rich. That’s a plus in my book, but the kids in the house were divided on the issue. One took a bite, apologized and asked for a bagel, while the other said she liked it. We all agreed that these should be served shortly after baking, though. They dried out a little on Day 2. Next time I'd bake, cool, freeze and thaw as needed.
Easy Homemade Buttermilk Substitution
If you don't have actual buttermilk on hand, you can make this easy milk and lemon juice substitute. It's perfect for these muffins since the recipe also calls for lemon zest. To make the homemade buttermilk sub, set a 2 cup measure on the scale and set the tare to "0". Squeeze 8 to 12 grams of fresh lemon juice right into the cup. Pour milk into the cup and stop when you hit 170 grams. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. It should thicken slightly and curdle. After it sits, you can add the egg directly to it.
Here’s a half-batch version of the recipe. Overall, I'd say these are more like cornbread muffins than typical blueberry muffins and a nice way to sneak in some extra protein.
For some good old "normal" non-protein powder muffins, here's a recipe for regular Blueberry Corn Muffins. The photo needs some updating, but the muffins are good.
Recipe
Blueberry Corn Muffins with Protein Powder
Ingredients
- ½ cup all-purpose flour (70 grams)
- ½ cup fine cornmeal (75 grams)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons sugar or the equivalent sugar substitute
- 3 tablespoons vanilla protein powder or plain** (13 grams)
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ¾ cup buttermilk or ¾ cup milk mixed with 2 teaspoons lemon juice (buttermilk sub) room temperature
- 1 ½ tablespoons melted butter
- 1-3 teaspoons lemon zest
- 1 cup fresh blueberries or raspberries
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400ºF. Spray 6 to 8 muffin cups with flour-added spray or use a silicone muffin pan and skip this step completely.
- Combine the flour and cornmeal in the mixing bowl and stir well. Scoop out a heaping teaspoon of this mixture and toss with the blueberries (in another bowl). This will help absorb some of the juices and keep it from turning the muffins blue.
- Next, add the baking soda, baking powder and salt along with the sugar and protein powder to the flour mixture. Stir until evenly blended.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg and buttermilk. If you are using plain protein powder, add a teaspoon of vanilla.
- Pour the buttermilk/egg mixture into the flour mixture and stir just until blended, then stir in the melted butter. Carefully (to keep them from bleeding) fold in the blueberries last.
- Divide batter evenly among the cups. The exact number depends on the size of muffin cups, which vary sometimes. Fill about ⅔ of the way full or slightly more.
- Bake 18 to 20 minutes until golden brown and firm to the touch. Cool for 10 minutes and remove muffins from the tin.
Anna says
Sue, one thing I liked was how she used corn to kind of offset any texture issues that might come with using protein powder. That's probably what got my attention first.
Nick says
This sounds like an awesome idea! I never thought to put the spare protein powder in cookies, although I did try making my own protein bars once and it didn't seem to work out.
Sue says
I'm wondering what you see when you look at a recipe and think it's different enough to warrant trying after you've been disappointed with similar versions? You have an amazing talent.
I haven't made these but I am curious about putting protein powder in muffins. I think I have some vannilla protein powder in the pantry,
Wendy Saxton says
Healthy option! I've never tasted 'Blueberry Corn Muffin' before but it's looking yummy and the ingredients are good enough to have it soon. Thanks for the instruction of making it.
Gloria says
I always have protein powder on hand to sprinkle on my cold cereal, but leave it to you to think of something creative to do with it!!! These look pretty good!