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Healthy keto protein muffins that taste like cinnamon rolls! These tender low carb muffins have a buttery sweet cinnamon filling and pack 11g of protein per serving.
Who doesn’t love a sweet, sticky, tender cinnamon roll? But those of us who keep our health in mind know to steer clear of these gooey breakfast pastries. We give them a wide berth, because as tasty as they are, they just aren’t worth the risk.
Thankfully, you can enjoy those same flavors in healthier ways. I have any number of recipes to enjoy, from classic keto cinnamon rolls to cinnamon roll cheesecakes. And these Cinnamon Roll Protein Muffins are my new favorite way to indulge!
I’ve been eating them daily before my workouts and they are a sweet way to start my day. It’s a wonderful high protein breakfast recipe.
Why you’ll love these muffins
If you’re going to enjoy a cinnamon roll flavored treat, why not make it work a little harder for you and pack it full of protein too? Made with cottage cheese and protein powder, these muffins have 11g grams of protein and less than 5g of carbs per serving.
They really are delicious. The muffin is tender and the cinnamon filling is sweet and buttery. The glaze on top is entirely optional and not even necessary, in my opinion. Although it does make them look make them look more like real cinnamon rolls!
And these keto protein muffins are easy to make, too. Whip the batter up in a blender, swirl in the cinnamon filling, and bake them up. Before long, you are enjoying low carb, high protein cinnamon roll goodness!
Ingredients you need
- Butter: You want the butter softened, almost melted, prior to mixing.
- Sweetener: The filling works best with a combination of brown sugar substitute and some allulose so it stays gooier. You will want a powdered sweetener if you choose to add the glaze.
- Ground cinnamon: You can’t make cinnamon rolls without cinnamon! Make sure yours is fresh, as old spices lose their flavor over time.
- Cottage cheese: I used whole milk cottage cheese but 2% should work just as well.
- Eggs: Use large eggs and make sure they are room temperature.
- Almond flour: Use blanched, finely ground almond flour for keto muffin recipes like this one.
- Protein powder: I used unflavored whey protein for this recipe. Egg white may work as well but I don’t recommend plant protein or collagen protein.
- Pantry staples: Heavy cream, vanilla extract, baking powder and salt.
Step by step directions
1. Make the cinnamon swirl: In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, sweeteners, and cinnamon. The butter should be almost melted but not quite, and the mixture should be like a thin paste. Set aside.
2. Prepare the muffin batter: In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, sweetener, and vanilla, and blend until smooth. Add the almond flour, whey protein, baking powder, and salt and blend again until smooth.
3. Assemble the muffins: Line the wells of two muffin pans with silicone or parchment liners and fill each muffin cup about half full with the batter. Then add half a teaspoon of the cinnamon swirl into the center of each muffin and swirl lightly with a toothpick or the end of a small spoon. Take care not to push the cinnamon mixture toward the bottom of the muffin.
4. Bake the muffins: Divide the remaining batter overtop, then add more cinnamon swirl and swirl it in. Bake at 325ºF for 15 to 20 minutes, until the muffins are puffed and golden brown. The very top may not seemed cooked through because of the buttery cinnamon mixture, but it will set when they cool.
5. Make the drizzle: While the muffins cool, whisk together the sweetener and heavy whipping cream in a small bowl. Add water in tiny amounts until a drizzling consistency is achieved. Drizzle over the cooled muffins.
Tips for Success
One of the most important things when making these protein muffins is that you don’t push the cinnamon mixture toward the bottom of the muffin. I did that with a few of them and it’s so buttery that the bottoms come off the muffins as you try to get them out of the liners.
I tried this recipe with both almond flour and coconut flour, and I found that the coconut flour made it very rubbery and eggy. So I can’t recommend it.
Whey protein powder works best here but egg white protein may work as well. Plant protein will likely have too strong a flavor, and collagen will make them gummy.
Sweetener Options
For the filling, you will want a brown sugar replacement. But if you can add a tablespoon of allulose or xylitol as well, it helps make it gooier. If not, it will still be delicious!
The muffin batter can be made with your favorite sweetener. I deliberately didn’t sweeten it as much because the filling adds so much sweetness.
The drizzle requires a powdered sweetener to work properly.
Frequently Asked Questions
This funny curdy cheese is a healthy addition to your low carb diet. Each ½ cup serving of cottage cheese has 12 to 14 grams of protein and only 3 to 5 grams of carbohydrate. I really like the Good Culture brand, for the probiotics as well.
Store these muffins on the counter in a covered container for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them for several months.
These keto protein muffins have 4.4g of carbs and 1.7g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.7g net carbs per muffin.
Cinnamon Protein Muffins Recipe
Healthy keto protein muffins that taste like cinnamon rolls! These tender low carb muffins have a buttery sweet cinnamon filling and pack 11g of protein per serving.
Servings: 14 muffins
Calories: 156kcal
Instructions
Cinnamon Swirl
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In a medium bowl, stir together the butter, sweeteners, and cinnamon. The butter should be almost melted but not quite, and the mixture should be like a thin paste. Set aside.
Muffins
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Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line the wells of two muffin pans with silicone or parchment liners. If you only have one pan, you may need to work in batches.
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In a blender, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, sweetener, and vanilla, and blend until smooth. Add the almond flour, whey protein, baking powder, and salt and blend again until smooth.
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Fill each muffin cup about half full with the batter. Then add half a teaspoon of the cinnamon swirl into the center of each muffin and swirl lightly with a toothpick or the end of a small spoon. Take care not to push the cinnamon mixture toward the bottom of the muffin.
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Divide the remaining batter overtop, then add more cinnamon swirl and swirl it in.
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Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the muffins are puffed and golden brown. The very top may not seemed cooked through because of the buttery cinnamon mixture, but it will set when they cool.
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Remove and let cool 20 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
Storage Information: Store these muffins on the counter in a covered container for up to 4 days or in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them for several months.
Nutrition Facts
Cinnamon Protein Muffins Recipe
Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)
Calories 156
Calories from Fat 104
% Daily Value*
Fat 11.5g18%
Carbohydrates 4.4g1%
Fiber 1.7g7%
Protein 11g22%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
