Chocolate-Banana Protein Muffins
1 cup oats, divided
2 scoops vanilla protein powder
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
2 scoops chocolate protein powder
3 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp sea salt
4 tbsp raw almonds
1/4 cup unsweetened cacao nibs (You can get these at any health food store - I actually got mine at the Vitamin Shoppe)
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 banana)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp amber agave nectar (I only had light agave in the house, and they turned out just fine)
Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray 12 cups of a muffin tray with olive oil or use cupcake/muffin liners.
Blend 1/2 cup oats in food processor to make oat flour. Combine oats, oat flour, protein powders, cocoa powder, sea salt, almonds, and cacao nibs in a medium sized bowl.
In the bowl of a food processor combine mashed banana, applesauce, vanilla, honey, and agave nectar. Process until smooth.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined. Distribute mixture evenly into prepared muffin cups.
Bake 13 -15 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool on a wire rack. Store leftovers in the fridge.
Makes 12 muffins.
Nutrition info per 2 muffins: 216 cals, 6g fat, 30g carb, 18g protein, 6g fiber.
My review: these are WONDERFUL. They are full of chocolate, dense and chewy. I stuck them in the freezer so not to eat the entire batch when they came out of the oven. You know what? They are really good frozen, too! They were super easy to make. I just bought a mini food processor, so the prep was really simple. A note about the almonds - the recipe didn't specify what exactly to do with them - so I threw them in the food processor and ground them up a bit.
Since I love all things baked, I decided to try the carrot cake muffin recipe that Maria posts as well.
Carrot Cake Muffins
2 cups whole wheat flour or any gluten-free whole grain flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
2 cups carrots, grated
1 (4-ounce) jar carrot baby food
1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, skim milk or unsweetened soy milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup agave nectar, pure maple syrup or molasses
½ cup organic zero or sucanat
½ c walnuts
½ cup raisins, unsweetened
Preheat over to 350˚ F. Mist 24 muffin tins with olive oil or line with cupcake liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients – whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt.
In a medium bowl combine wet ingredients – grated carrots, carrot baby food, applesauce, milk, vanilla, sweeteners.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until moist, do not over mix. Gently stir in walnuts and raisins.
Add batter to prepared muffin tins and bake for 45 – 55 minutes.
Cool completely before icing with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz neufatchel cream cheese, brought to room temperature
2 tbsp agave nectar, molasses or pure maple syrup
2 tbsp organic zero or fine sucanat (place sucanat in food processor for 30 seconds)
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a small bowl combine all ingredients and mix until combined. Spread on cooled muffins.
Nutrition Information for 1 muffin with approximately 1/2 tbsp frosting: Calories 111; Fat 3; Carbohydrates 20, Fiber 2, Sugar 7; Protein 3
I modified the frosting slightly, adding a scoop of no-flavor protein powder (my new favorite is Detroit Bodybuilding Company 100% Whey Protein) and using 1/3 less fat neufatchel cheese.
And the consensus is... these muffins are DELICIOUS! It's like a little piece of carrot cake heaven. In fear of eating the entire batch (2 dozen!), I promptly packaged them up and sent them home with friends and family.
1/4 cup unsweetened cacao nibs (You can get these at any health food store - I actually got mine at the Vitamin Shoppe)
1/2 cup mashed banana (about 1 banana)
1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
1 tbsp honey
2 tbsp amber agave nectar (I only had light agave in the house, and they turned out just fine)
Preheat oven to 350˚. Spray 12 cups of a muffin tray with olive oil or use cupcake/muffin liners.
Blend 1/2 cup oats in food processor to make oat flour. Combine oats, oat flour, protein powders, cocoa powder, sea salt, almonds, and cacao nibs in a medium sized bowl.
In the bowl of a food processor combine mashed banana, applesauce, vanilla, honey, and agave nectar. Process until smooth.
Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until combined. Distribute mixture evenly into prepared muffin cups.
Bake 13 -15 minutes. Do not over bake. Cool on a wire rack. Store leftovers in the fridge.
Makes 12 muffins.
Nutrition info per 2 muffins: 216 cals, 6g fat, 30g carb, 18g protein, 6g fiber.
My review: these are WONDERFUL. They are full of chocolate, dense and chewy. I stuck them in the freezer so not to eat the entire batch when they came out of the oven. You know what? They are really good frozen, too! They were super easy to make. I just bought a mini food processor, so the prep was really simple. A note about the almonds - the recipe didn't specify what exactly to do with them - so I threw them in the food processor and ground them up a bit.
Since I love all things baked, I decided to try the carrot cake muffin recipe that Maria posts as well.
Carrot Cake Muffins
2 cups whole wheat flour or any gluten-free whole grain flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
1 tsp salt
2 cups carrots, grated
1 (4-ounce) jar carrot baby food
1 ½ cups unsweetened applesauce
1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk, skim milk or unsweetened soy milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
½ cup agave nectar, pure maple syrup or molasses
½ cup organic zero or sucanat
½ c walnuts
½ cup raisins, unsweetened
Preheat over to 350˚ F. Mist 24 muffin tins with olive oil or line with cupcake liners and set aside.
In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients – whole wheat flour, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt.
In a medium bowl combine wet ingredients – grated carrots, carrot baby food, applesauce, milk, vanilla, sweeteners.
Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients into the well. Combine the wet and dry ingredients until moist, do not over mix. Gently stir in walnuts and raisins.
Add batter to prepared muffin tins and bake for 45 – 55 minutes.
Cool completely before icing with cream cheese frosting.
Cream Cheese Frosting
4 oz neufatchel cream cheese, brought to room temperature
2 tbsp agave nectar, molasses or pure maple syrup
2 tbsp organic zero or fine sucanat (place sucanat in food processor for 30 seconds)
1 tsp vanilla extract
In a small bowl combine all ingredients and mix until combined. Spread on cooled muffins.
Nutrition Information for 1 muffin with approximately 1/2 tbsp frosting: Calories 111; Fat 3; Carbohydrates 20, Fiber 2, Sugar 7; Protein 3
I modified the frosting slightly, adding a scoop of no-flavor protein powder (my new favorite is Detroit Bodybuilding Company 100% Whey Protein) and using 1/3 less fat neufatchel cheese.
And the consensus is... these muffins are DELICIOUS! It's like a little piece of carrot cake heaven. In fear of eating the entire batch (2 dozen!), I promptly packaged them up and sent them home with friends and family.
