Healthy Strawberry Muffins with Cottage Cheese
These high-protein strawberry muffins taste like the bakery version, come together in one blender and one bowl, and stay soft for days. The cottage cheese is the secret to an impossibly tender crumb.
Equipment
- Blender
- 12-cup muffin tin
- Paper liners
- Ice cream scoop
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Whisk
- Wire cooling rack
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese (full-fat or 2%)
- 2 large eggs
- 1/3 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 lemon, zested
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
Add-ins & Topping
- 1 1/2 cups strawberries, chopped (fresh or frozen)
- 1 tbsp turbinado sugar for topping (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners.
- Blend the wet ingredients: In a blender, combine cottage cheese, eggs, maple syrup, melted coconut oil, vanilla, and lemon zest. Blend on high for 30 seconds until completely smooth, with no white curds visible.
- Whisk the dry ingredients: In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat pastry flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
- Combine and fold: Pour the blended wet mixture into the dry ingredients. Fold gently with a spatula until just combined — a few streaks of flour are fine. If using frozen strawberries, toss them in 1 tablespoon flour first, then fold them into the batter. For fresh strawberries, fold them in directly.
- Fill and top: Use an ice cream scoop to divide batter evenly among the 12 liners (they will be nearly full). Sprinkle a pinch of turbinado sugar on each muffin if desired.
- Bake at 400°F for exactly 5 minutes, then reduce oven temperature to 350°F (without opening the door) and bake for another 15-18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
- Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Serve warm or at room temperature. Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Notes
Baker’s tips: Don’t skip the blender step — unblended curds ruin the texture. For frozen strawberries, always toss in flour to prevent sinking. The high-heat start creates the bakery-style dome. For dairy-free, substitute unsweetened plain yogurt for cottage cheese. For gluten-free, use a 1:1 GF flour blend. Blueberries, raspberries, or chocolate chips work as swaps.