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These Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins are soft, fluffy and packed with 6 grams of protein per muffin thanks to blended cottage cheese, with no protein powder required. They’re ready in about 30 minutes and make the whole kitchen smell cozy while they bake!
Recipe Highlights
- High in protein: Blended cottage cheese adds 6 grams of protein to every muffin, no protein powder needed.
- Soft and moist: The cottage cheese keeps these muffins tender for days, they never dry out like a lot of pumpkin muffins do.
- Customizable: Swap in oat flour 1:1 for a heartier, gluten-free version like my Oat Flour Pumpkin Muffins, or add any mix-ins you love.
- Perfect for fall meal prep: Bake a batch on the weekend and you’ve got grab-and-go breakfasts and snacks all week. They also freeze beautifully.
- Simple ingredients: Everything here is a pantry staple.
Notes From My Kitchen
Pumpkin muffins and breads (like my Healthy Pumpkin Banana Bread) are one of my favourite things to bake once the weather turns, and cottage cheese muffins have become a bit of an obsession around here too. After my Cottage Cheese Banana Muffins took off with the Choosing Chia community, I knew a pumpkin version was next on the list, and honestly I might love these even more.
Just like the banana version, the cottage cheese blends completely smooth into the batter, so you’d never know it’s in there. It keeps these muffins incredibly moist while adding a meaningful boost of protein, no protein powder needed. I tested these with a few different amounts of maple syrup before landing on 1/2 cup. Pumpkin purée doesn’t bring natural sweetness the way ripe bananas do, so these muffins need a little more maple syrup than my banana version to get the flavour right.
Between the warm pumpkin spice and the maple syrup, these muffins make the kitchen smell absolutely amazing while they bake, the kind of cozy fall smell that has everyone wandering into the kitchen asking what’s in the oven.
Key Ingredients
- Pumpkin purée: Make sure to use 100% pure pumpkin purée, not pumpkin pie filling, which has added sugar and spices already mixed in. Save any extra purée for a batch of Pumpkin Protein Balls.
- Cottage cheese: This is what makes these muffins so soft and moist while adding protein. Blend it until completely smooth so you don’t end up with visible curds in the batter. Use extra cottage cheese to make my Cottage Cheese Apple Fritters or my Cottage Cheese Donut Holes.
- Flour: All-purpose flour works great here, or swap in oat flour 1:1 for a heartier, naturally gluten-free option.
- Pumpkin pie spice: This is what gives these muffins their warm, cozy fall flavour. If you don’t have a pre-made blend, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and a pinch of cloves work too. I offer instructions on how to make this blend in the recipe card notes.
How To Make Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins
*This is a recipe overview. The full recipe with measurements is below in the recipe card.
Step 1: Add the pumpkin purée, blended cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, coconut oil and vanilla to a bowl.
Step 2: whisk until smooth.
Step 3: Add the dry ingredients.
Step 4: Gently mix together. Add mix-ins here if using.
Step 5: Divide the batter evenly between 12 muffin cups, filling each about 3/4 full.
Step 6: Bake until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
Jess’s Tips
- Blend the cottage cheese well: Any lumps left behind will show up in your baked muffins, so blend until it’s completely smooth. I like to use a mini food processor for this.
- Use the full 1/2 cup of maple syrup: Pumpkin purée isn’t naturally sweet like banana, so don’t be tempted to cut back on the maple syrup or the muffins will taste flat.
- Don’t overmix: Stir the batter just until the dry ingredients disappear. A few streaks of flour are fine and overmixing leads to dense muffins.
- Use pure pumpkin purée: Double check the label says 100% pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. Leftover pumpkin is great in my Pumpkin Spice Latte Chia Pudding.
- Let them cool before storing: Cool completely on a wire rack before transferring to a container, storing them warm traps steam and makes the bottoms soggy.
- Add your favourite mix ins: chocolate chips chopped walnuts or a swirl of cream cheese are all delicious!
- Pair it with something warm: These are especially good alongside a homemade chai latte on a cool afternoon.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, you can leave it as is like I do in these Blueberry Cottage Cheese Muffins, but blending it is what keeps the cottage cheese from being noticeable in the finished muffins.
Yes, Greek yogurt makes a good swap in equal amounts, though the texture will be a touch tangier.
If you tried these Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins leave a review below and tag me @choosingchia on Instagram, TikTok, or Facebook I love seeing your recreations!
Try These Cottage Cheese Recipes Next!
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Main Dishes
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Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 12 mufifns
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: American
- Diet: high protein, Vegetarian
Description
These Cottage Cheese Pumpkin Muffins are moist, spiced, and packed with 6 grams of protein per muffin. They make a great cozy fall breakfast or snack!
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (220g) (or sub oat flour)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice (see note)
- 3/4 cup pumpkin puree
- 1 cup cottage cheese, blended smooth (can sub plain Greek yogurt)
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup butter, melted and cooled (can sub any neutral oil)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Instructions
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375°F and line a muffin pan with muffin liners.
- Blend the cottage cheese until completely smooth, then set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and pumpkin pie spice.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, blended cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, butter, and vanilla until well combined.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry and stir just until incorporated — don’t overmix.
- Divide the batter evenly among the muffin liners, filling each about 3/4 full.
- Bake for 18 to 24 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean and the tops are golden.
- Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
- No pumpkin pie spice on hand? Make your own by combining 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon ginger, 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg, 1/8 teaspoon allspice, and 1/8 teaspoon cloves.
- Don’t overmix, a few streaks of flour are fine, and overmixing leads to dense muffins.
- Add your favourite mix-ins, chocolate chips, chopped walnuts or a swirl of cream cheese.
- Cool completely on a wire rack before storing, storing them warm traps steam and makes the bottoms soggy.
Storage tips
- Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 muffin
- Calories: 150
- Sugar: 9g
- Fat: 5g
- Carbohydrates: 20g
- Fiber: 1g
- Protein: 6g
