Cottage Cheese Protein Double Chocolate Muffins

I love having something sweet in the morning that still keeps me full, and these cottage cheese protein double chocolate muffins are one of my favorites.

Baked goods made with protein powder can easily turn out dry, but cottage cheese completely fixes that problem.

When you blend the cottage cheese, it creates a smooth base that makes the muffins incredibly soft and fudgy.

You do not taste the cheese at all, but it adds plenty of rich moisture and makes this a true high protein snack.

They come together quickly in a blender, and they are perfect to grab when you are heading out the door.

Why I Love This Recipe

High Protein Snack – Cottage cheese and protein powder give you a filling treat that keeps your energy steady all day.

Intense Chocolate Flavor – Cocoa powder, dark chocolate chips, and espresso powder combine for an incredibly rich chocolate taste.

Fudgy Brownie Texture – Blended cottage cheese keeps the muffins amazingly soft, moist, and dense just like a bakery brownie.

Easy Blender Prep – The blender does all the hard mixing work, making your kitchen cleanup fast and simple.

The Ingredients

• 1 3/4 cups Old Fashioned Rolled Oats
• 1/2 cup Chocolate Protein Powder (Whey Or Whey Casein Blend)
• 1/3 cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Instant Espresso Powder
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1 1/2 cups Full Fat Cottage Cheese
• 3 Large Eggs
• 1/2 cup Maple Syrup
• 1/4 cup Light Brown Sugar
• 1/4 cup Unsalted Butter, Melted & Slightly Cooled
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 3/4 cup Dark Chocolate Chips, Divided
• 1/2 tsp Flaky Sea Salt

How to Make This Recipe

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 350°F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, then lightly spray the liners with cooking spray.

Step 2

Blend the oats in a blender until they become a fine flour, 30-45 seconds. Transfer to a large bowl and whisk in the protein powder, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, espresso powder and salt.

Step 3

Add the cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, melted butter and vanilla to the blender. Blend until silky smooth, 45-60 seconds.

Step 4

Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients and fold until combined, then fold in 1/2 cup of the chocolate chips. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes so the oat flour hydrates and thickens, which gives you taller domes.

Step 5

Divide the batter among the cups and top with the remaining 1/4 cup chocolate chips.

Step 6

Bake for 17-20 minutes, just until the centers spring back when lightly pressed and a toothpick comes out with moist crumbs. Do not overbake, since protein powder dries out quickly.

Step 7

Sprinkle with flaky sea salt while warm. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then move to a wire rack. The muffins get fudgier as they cool.

Quick Tips

Choose the Right Protein Powder

I recommend sticking with a whey-casein blend or a standard whey protein for these muffins.

Plant-based protein powders absorb liquid very differently and will often turn your batter dry and dense.

Using the right dairy-based powder keeps the texture soft while packing each muffin with plenty of muscle-building protein.

Grind the Oats to a Fine Powder

From my experience, taking the time to blend your oats into a fine flour makes all the difference in the final texture.

If you leave visible oat pieces or coarse bits, your muffins will feel heavy and gritty instead of soft and cake-like.

Stop the blender halfway through, scrape the sides down, and run it until the texture feels just like regular flour between your fingers.

Blend the Cottage Cheese Completely Smooth

You want to let the blender run until all of the cottage cheese curds vanish completely into the wet ingredients.

If you stop blending too early, you will end up with tiny white specks scattered across your dark chocolate muffins.

A totally silky liquid creates that rich, brownie-like texture that makes these muffins taste like dessert.

More Favorites

• Cottage Cheese Chocolate Chip Snack Muffins
• Cottage Cheese Protein Blueberry Crumble Muffins
• Cottage Cheese Protein Chocolate Mug Cake
• Cottage Cheese Protein Chocolate Peanut Butter Baked Oats
• Cottage Cheese Protein Fudgy Brownies

Quick Answers

Can I use a plant-based protein powder instead of whey?

Plant-based protein powders absorb much more liquid than whey blends, which can make your muffins turn out dry or dense. If you decide to use a plant protein, add two to three tablespoons of milk to help balance the moisture.