protein muffins

If you’ve seen my other recipes, whether it be waffles, protein bars, or a pizookie, you’ll notice that I’ll always sneak in some type of apple/cinnamon flavor combination into one of them.

It’s just a MUST.

It’s a popular combo, what can I say?  And, it’s definitely one of my favorites.

Just like how peanut butter and chocolate go hand-in-hand, and how nutella and banana were made for each other, the absolute same can be said about apples and cinnamon.

No ifs, ands, or buts.  I can’t picture one without the other.

And what better breakfast item to fuse this tasty combination into than a nice, fluffy muffin?!

So, let’s dive right into it!

Enter….my Cinnamon Apple Crumb Protein Muffins!!

An oven-baked, almond flour and whey protein batter….

jam-packed with honeycrisp apples, aromatic cinnamon, amaretto, peanut butter…

a scrumptious cinnamon, macadamia nut crumb topping….

finished off with a sweet, 2-ingredient, sugar-free, confectioners’ glaze…

KA-POW!!!

ULTIMATE deliciousness!!

Protein muffins don’t get much better than this!!

One thing I’m sure you’ll really like about these muffins is….

NO refined flours, NO granulated sugars, and NO butter is used in the batter!  That’s right—

1) Instead of all-purpose flour, the most common flour used to make muffins, I use almond flour.

It provides excellent nutritional value—-high in protein, fiber, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants—all purpose flour provides NONE of this.

And also, according to the Diabetes Education Online website, “because fiber is a type of carbohydrate your body can’t digest, it does not affect your blood sugar levels.  You should subtract the grams of fiber from the total carbohydrate.”

Generally, almond flour contains 5 grams of carbs, and 3 grams of fiber per serving.  Taking this into account, this means that almond flour only has 2 grams net carbs per serving!  Much leaner than all-purpose, and leaner than other commonly used flours like, whole wheat flour or oat flour!

More excellent info on almond flour can be found here.

2) I use monk fruit sweetener instead of granulated sugar.

Most muffins add some type of sugar into their recipes, like brown sugar, table sugar, or coconut sugar, but these options are all super high in sugars/carbs, and we all know how bad sugars are no matter how you slice it.

Monk fruit sweetener is a fantastic substitute for regular white/cane/table/coconut sugar.   Monk fruit sweetener is the juice collected from the monk fruit, and it is similar in appearance to regular table sugar.

The main difference—it’s about 200 times sweeter than sugar, but with zero calories, and zero carbs.  You can sub it in at a 1:1 ratio for regular sugar.

I personally love this stuff!  And I use it in most of my “sweet” recipes ever since I found out about it.

More detailed information about monk fruit can be found here.

3) I sub in peanut butter instead of butter.

I use peanut butter in these muffins to not only add that delicious, nutty flavor, and not just because of its high protein/nutrient content (about 7g protein, 12g unsaturated fats, 3g fiber per 2 tbsp serving), but also because it adds “healthy” fats and oils that help keep these muffins moist, which locks in its flavor.

For decades, butter has been known to be detrimental to your overall health because of its high saturated fat and calorie content.  It seems to be making a comeback of late, as current research may suggest otherwise (Dr. Axe has a great article on the benefits of grass-fed butter, check it out here), but there’s no denying that its high fat content may not be that good for you.

These protein muffins came out oh, so flavorful straight out of the oven.  The apples, the cinnamon, the macadamia nuts—-what a delicious combination!

But as I was doin’ the photo shoot, it still looked like something was missing.

It still needed that “OOOMPH!!” factor to pop off the screen.

Enter….the glaze.

The glaze only consists of two simple ingredients—powdered erythritol and almond milk.

That’s it.

Zero sugars needed.

And it still tastes amazingly good.  And sweet.

Trust me, folks.  Words just cannot describe…

OK, so erythritol is said to be a natural, low-calorie sweetener that tastes just like sugar—without any sugar.  And according to certain studies and research, doesn’t carry any of its ill side effects.  

Erythritol is classified as a sugar alcohol, and most sugar alcohols are naturally found in vegetables and fruits.  According to Healthline.com, erythritol contains about 70% of the sweetness of regular sugar, and at about 6% of the calories.   More info about erythritol can be found here.

I like to use a monk fruit sweetener as my go-to sugar-alternative for my recipes, and I do use it here to help sweeten the muffin batter, but in order to create the glaze topping, I needed a powdered sugar alternative.

Luckily, Swerve makes a “confectioners” style erythritol (which is another word for powdered), which was just what I needed to simulate a sweet, white drizzle for these cinnamon apple crumb protein muffins.

Keep in mind that not all erythritol sugar alternatives are created equal.  Make sure you choose a NON-GMO erythritol to reap its said benefits.

And then you’ll get spectacular results like so!…

OK, here are the nutritional benefits of the main ingredients in these Cinnamon Apple Crumb Protein Muffins…

Cinnamon is widely-considered as the most antioxidant-rich natural spice available in the world.  The antioxidants found in cinnamon are believed to maybe help fight cancer, slow the aging process, fight off disease, and protect cells from DNA damage.   Studies have shown cinnamon may help lower blood pressure and help increase blood circulation.

Apples are high in vitamins and minerals, and is considered as one of the most nutritious fruits available on the planet.  Studies show they are high in antioxidants which help fight cancer, they contain phytochemicals that help fight inflammation, they are high in fiber, which helps the digestive system run smoothly, and helps remove toxins from our bodies.

Macadamia nuts are loaded with vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients.  Studies have shown that phytonutrients and flavonoids inside these nuts help remove toxins and protect the body against disease and cancer.  These nuts are also high in manganese, which supports bone health and the nervous system. 

Almonds which are basically ground up to create almond flour, contain exceptional amounts of protein, fiber, vitamin E, magnesium, manganese, riboflavin, calcium.  They contain a special kind of vitamin E called gamma-tocopherol—studies show this antioxidant may be a powerful cancer-fighter.  Almonds contain  monounsaturated fatty acids, “healthy fats,” which studies have shown may help support the heart and may help to lower “bad” LDL cholesterol.

OK, here’s what you’ll need...

For the muffins…

For the crumb topping…

For the glaze…

And of course, you’ll need a muffin pan.   Like so…

Some quick notes before you get started…

-I like to use honeycrisp apples because I love their tartness and its unique flavor.  And I highly recommend them for this recipe.  They’re my favorite kind of apples, for sure.  But feel free to use whichever kind you like.

-to make the crumb topping, combine the dry ingredients first—the almond flour, chopped mac nuts, monk fruit, cinnamon, in a medium bowl and mix.  Once mixed, then add the olive oil.   Stir it with a fork until it’s fully incorporated and clumpy.   

-to thicken the glaze, add more Swerve Confectioners‘.  To thin it out, add more almond milk.

-store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge.  Best if consumed within 3-4 days.  I like to re-heat them back up in the microwave, it’s just like they’re fresh out the oven!

If you like these, then you’ll love my….

• Ultimate Blueberry Protein Muffins
• Apple Cinnamon Dark Chocolate Chip Protein Waffles
• Maple Apple Cinnamon Protein Donuts

Alright then, let’s get to it!!

Print Recipe

Cinnamon Apple Crumb Protein Muffins

an oven-baked, almond flour batter....jam-packed with honeycrisp apples, cinnamon, amaretto, peanut butter, macadamia nuts....and drizzled with a sweet, 2 ingredient, sugar-free glaze....The most flavorful protein muffins on the block!!...NO refined flours, and NO granulated sugars needed!!

Prep Time

15 minutes

Cook Time

17-19 minutes

Servings

muffins

Ingredients

muffin batter:

• 1 cup almond flour (+2 tbsp)
• 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder
• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 3 tbsp monk fruit sweetener
• 2/3 cup applesauce
• 1 whole egg
• 2 tsp almond extract
• 3 tbsp peanut butter
• 1/2 medium apple (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup macadamia nuts (finely chopped)

crumb topping:

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1 tbsp monk fruit sweetener
• 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 cup macadamia nuts (finely chopped)

glaze:

• 3 tbsp Swerve (Confectioners')
• 3 tsp almond milk

Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 17-19 minutes Servings muffins Ingredients muffin batter: 1 cup almond flour (+2 tbsp) 2 scoops vanilla whey protein powder 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 3 tbsp monk fruit sweetener 2/3 cup applesauce 1 whole egg 2 tsp almond extract 3 tbsp peanut butter 1/2 medium apple (finely chopped) 1/4 cup macadamia nuts (finely chopped) crumb topping: 1/2 cup almond flour 1 tbsp monk fruit sweetener 2 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 1/2 tbsp olive oil 1 cup macadamia nuts (finely chopped) glaze: 3 tbsp Swerve (Confectioners') 3 tsp almond milk

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. In mixing bowl, add flour, protein powder, cinnamon, baking powder, monk fruit sweetener. Mix thoroughly.
3. In separate larger bowl, add applesauce, eggs, almond extract, peanut butter. Mix thoroughly.
4. Gradually pour dry ingredient bowl contents into larger wet ingredient bowl, while mixing. Mix until fully incorporated. Fold in chopped apples, macadamia nuts.
5. Line muffin pan with baking cups. If not available, grease muffin pan with olive oil. Using spoon, add batter into each muffin section, at least 2/3 full, or fill to the top. Should make about 7-8 muffins.
6. To make crumb topping, mix all ingredients in bowl until crumbly. Using spoon, pour on top of each muffin.
7. Bake in oven for about 17-19 minutes, or until toothpick down the center comes out clean.
8. Meanwhile, to make the glaze, add confectioner's Swerve, almond milk to bowl. Mix to desired consistency. Add more Swerve or almond milk as needed.
9. Remove from oven. Let cool for 5 minutes before removing from pan. Add glaze on top. Enjoy!

Recipe Notes

-I like to use honeycrisp apples because I love their tartness and its unique flavor.  And I highly recommend them for this recipe.  They're my favorite kind of apples, for sure.  But feel free to use whichever kind you like.

-to make the crumb topping, combine the dry ingredients first---the almond flour, chopped mac nuts, monk fruit, cinnamon, in a medium bowl and mix.  Once mixed, then add the olive oil.   Stir it with a fork until it's fully incorporated and clumpy.

-to thicken the glaze, add more Swerve Confectioners'.  To thin it out, add more almond milk.

-store in an airtight container and keep in the fridge.  Best if consumed within 3-4 days.  I like to re-heat them back up in the microwave, it’s just like they’re fresh out the oven!

Share this Recipe