These muffins are soft, fluffy, and naturally gluten-free. They’re made with nourishing ingredients like chickpeas, greek yogurt, and bananas for a tasty and healthy treat.
Lately I’ve been eating a lot more legumes — black beans, lentils, and chickpeas, to be specific.
Legumes are sort of the unsung hero for sustainable fat loss and hunger prevention. Because beans and lentils are so high in fiber, studies have found them to be associated with sustained weight loss and reduced hunger. Their high fiber and antioxidant content also makes them supportive of liver detoxification.
As a former vegetarian, I’ve eaten a lot of legumes over the years. Now I balance eating beans with other forms of protein — like eggs, greek yogurt, and beef — to reduce hunger, support gut health, and sneak in important micronutrients.
Outside of the obvious savory use of beans, legumes can also be used as a healthy swap to processed flours in recipes like muffins or brownies. Today I’m sharing my delicious, nourishing, and fluffy chocolate chip protein muffins using chickpeas.
Recipe Highlights
- Naturally gluten-free: Thanks to chickpeas — yes, chickpeas!!
- Low sugar: You can even make it with zero added sugar. Check my swaps below!
- Protein-rich: 8 grams of protein per muffin.
Key Ingredients
Chickpeas
Chickpeas have about 12 grams of fiber per cup. This makes them very high in gut health supporting and blood sugar stabilizing fiber! They’re also rated pretty high on the DIAAS score, which is a measurement of protein quality. Even though chickpeas contain starches, they’re considered low glycemic load. This means they’re blood sugar stabilizing.
One 14-ounce can has about 1 3/4 cup chickpeas (the amount needed for this recipe). But I usually like to cook my own from scratch. This is less expensive and tends to be lower in anti-nutrients that block mineral absorption.
Related: My Easy Homemade Chickpeas Recipe
Vanilla Protein Powder
This helps to really bump up the protein while subbing out processed flour. Generally speaking, the best type of protein powder to use in baked goods is whey. Whey protein mixes well and provides the lightest, fluffiest muffins.
As a Nutritionist, I prefer 100% whey protein isolate with zero added sugar. Whey isolate is an incredible source of the amino acid leucine, which is needed for muscle recovery. It’s also been found to aid in wound healing, promote a healthy immune system, and support body recomposition goals.
Related Reading: 10 Science-Backed Benefits of Whey Protein
In 2022, I developed my zero added sugar 100% whey protein isolate protein powder so that I could make tasty, healthy, and protein-rich recipes just like this one! With an average of 5 star reviews from over 600 people, our protein powder makes sneaking in more protein something to look forward to.
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Greek Yogurt and Whole Milk
It’s important to add moisture back in to prevent dryness when baking with protein powder. Greek yogurt and whole milk cover this need while also sneaking in extra protein and important nutrients. Whole milk and whole fat greek yogurt are uniquely high in vitamin K2 and calcium. This combo is crucial for bone, heart, and dental health. When you use low fat versions of these dairy products, you cut the vitamin K2 down to dismal numbers.
Bonus: if you have a weight loss goal, full fat dairy (like yogurt and milk) has been found to be inversely associated with obesity. This means that those who eat full fat dairy are less likely to be obese than those who eat low fat alternatives. Scientists call this the “Dairy Fat Paradox” and has lead many experts to suggest getting rid of recommendations for low fat milk and yogurt.
Related: How To Make Greek Yogurt At Home In A Crockpot
Equipment Needed
- Muffin tin
- Parchment paper muffin tin liners (or you can use grease)
How To Make This Recipe
Combine all wet ingredients in a food processor until smooth. The batter should be pretty liquidy.
Stir the wet ingredients into a medium sized mixing bowl with the dry ingredients (except for the chocolate chips).
Pour the batter into the muffin tin and top with a few chocolate chips.
Bake for 18-22 minutes at 350 F.
Ingredient Swaps
- Whole milk: To make this dairy-free, sub in almond or hemp seed milk. Note: this will decrease the protein content of the final product.
- Greek yogurt: To make this dairy-free, use plant-based greek-style yogurt.
- Protein powder: Sub in equal amounts of oat flour. Note: this will make the muffins taste less sweet, have significantly less protein, and bumps up the carbs.
- Maple syrup: You can remove this all-together to make these muffins zero added sugar.
Storing and Reheating
If you plan on eating muffins within a few days, you can keep them in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature. Beyond that, store muffins in a glass container in the fridge for up to 7 days or the freezer in a freezer safe bag for 2 months. I like to eat them cold straight out of the fridge, but you can also warm it up by wrapping them in tin foil and popping it in an oven heated to 350 for 5 minutes.
What to Pair This With
To best support fat loss and gut health goals, I don’t recommend eating these as a “snack”. Instead, it’s best to eat this recipe along with a meal rich in protein, fat, and fiber. Below are some breakfast and lunch ideas that you can pair these muffins with.
- High Protein Overnight Oats; Tons of fiber and protein in this easy-to-meal-prep brekky.
- Sunrise Surprise Protein Smoothie; Quick and refreshing pineapple lemon smoothie.
- Healthy Burger Bowl Recipe; Great as a low carb lunch or dinner.
Tips From The Nutritionist
Autumn Bates, CCN, MS, BS, CPT
I usually make this recipe without maple syrup to cut out added sugar. When you leave out the syrup, it tastes more like a slightly sweetened dinner “biscuit”. As someone who doesn’t eat much sugar, I love it like this, especially dipped in milk. YUM. But if you prefer a muffin that’s a bit sweeter, then a small amount of maple syrup is the perfect touch without going overboard.
FAQ’s
Whey-based protein powders will provide the lightest and fluffiest protein muffins. They also tend to mix the easiest into batter. We use my 100% whey isolate Vanilla Protein Powder for a hint of sweetness without added sugar.
No, heat does not “destroy” protein powder. Just like adding milk, eggs, or yogurt into muffins, heat will alter the protein structure a bit, but it doesn’t reduce the value of the protein.
If you plan on eating the muffins within a few days, you can keep them in a sealed plastic bag at room temperature. Beyond that, they’re best stored in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for a few months.
Other Recipes You May Love
- High Protein Blueberry Cottage Cheese Muffins; Light, fluffy, and low carb.
- Fluffy Protein Pumpkin Muffins; Naturally gluten-free and kid-friendly!
Did you love this recipe? Let me know in the comments below!
Chocolate Chip Protein Muffins With Chickpeas
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 can chickpeas drained
- 2 medium bananas
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
Dry Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Autumn's Vanilla Protein Powder
- 1/4 cup oat flour
- 1/4 cup rolled oats
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup dark chocolate chips I like the brand Lily's
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350. Line muffin tins with liners or grease.
- In a food processor, combine all wet ingredients and pulse until smooth.
- In a medium sized mixing bowl, add all dry ingredients except for the chocolate chips and whisk.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir until well combined and smooth.
- Ladle the batter into the lined or greased muffin tins. Top each muffin with a few chocolate chips.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the center comes out clean.
- Cool for 10 minutes before storing in a glass container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
Notes
- You can leave out the maple syrup to keep this zero added sugar. This will make the muffins taste less sweet and more like a lightly sweetened American dinner “biscuit”. Try it dipped in milk. SO GOOD.
- I like to use stevia sweetened dark chocolate chips to cut down on added sugar. The brand “Lily’s” is great.
Equipment
Nutrition
Did you try this recipe?
Don’t forget to leave a comment below and share your thoughts!
