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Chocolate Cottage Cheese Muffins

Closeup of double chocolate cottage cheese muffins on a wire rack.
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These easy to make Chocolate Cottage Cheese Muffins are healthy, gluten-free and high in protein. They’re soft and moist, full of delicious chocolate flavors and perfect for a quick snack, dessert or grab and go breakfast!

Ingredients

Scale
  • ¾ cup / 75 grams Oat Flour (store-bought recommended – note 1)
  • ¼ cup / 24 grams Natural Unsweetened Cocoa Powder (such as Hershey’s)
  • ⅛ teaspoons Fine Sea Salt
  • ½ TSP Baking Powder
  • ½ TSP Baking Soda
  • ½ cup / 115 grams Low Fat Cottage Cheese (small curd, optional to blend but not necessary – note 2)
  • ¼ cup / 60 grams Unsweetened Apple Sauce
  • ¼ cup / 60 grams Liquid Egg Whites (or use egg whites from 2 large eggs)
  • ⅛ cup / 24 grams White Sugar Replacement (such as Lakanto Monkfruit Sweetener – note 3)
  • ⅛ cup / 24 grams Brown Sugar Replacement (or light brown sugar, I used Swerve Brown Sugar – note 4)
  • 3 TBSP / 45ml Unsweetened Almond Milk (I use unsweetened vanilla almond milk)
  • 1 TSP Vanilla Extract
  • ⅓ cup/ 56 grams Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips (or chocolate chunks, substitute with milk or dark chocolate chips)

Instructions

  1. Prep: Preheat oven to 220°C / 425°F. Line a 12-count muffin pan with 8 paper or silicone muffin liners. Fill the rest of the empty muffin cups with water to promote even baking and protect your muffin pan from warping.
  2. Combine the dry ingredients: In a medium bowl, combine the oat flour, unsweetened cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and fine sea salt. Whisk until fully incorporated, then set aside.
  3. Combine the wet ingredients: In another medium mixing bowl, mix together the low-fat cottage cheese, liquid egg whites, unsweetened apple sauce, white sugar replacement, brown sugar replacement, unsweetened almond milk and vanilla extract with a silicone spatula until evenly combined.
  4. Combine dry and wet ingredients: Add the dry ingredients mixture into the bowl with the wet ingredients. Mix until everything is evenly incorporated and combined well.
  5. Fold in the chocolate chips: Fold in most of the chocolate chips until just combined.
  6. Scoop and divide batter: Use a cookie scoop (or spoon) to scoop the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling the muffin liners about halfway full. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chips evenly on top.
  7. Bake: Bake for 5 minutes at 220°C / 425°F, until the muffins have slightly rise. Then reduce the temperature to 175°C / 350°F without opening the oven door and bake for a further 13-16 minutes, or until toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean.
  8. Cool: Allow to cool for 5 minutes in the muffin pan, then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely or until ready to eat. Enjoy warm or at room temperature.
  9. Store: Store leftover muffins in a sealed airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week or in a cool dry area for up to 3 days.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Oat Flour. I recommend using store-bought oat flour as the texture of the muffins will be more fluffy and soft. Homemade oat flour (made from blended rolled oats or quick oats) can’t be as finely ground as store-bought even if using a powerful high-speed blender or food processor. While it will still work in this recipe, the muffins will be slightly denser.
  2. Use an immersion blender. If your kids are picky eaters and won’t touch these cottage cheese muffins if they spot a white speck of cottage cheese, use an immersion blender to blend the wet ingredients until smooth. Then mix in the dry ingredients.
  3. White Sugar Replacement. Feel free to use regular granulated white sugar or other sugar-free sweetener made from stevia, allulose, monkfruit, etc. If using a liquid sweetener such as maple syrup or honey, you’ll need to add 1-2 tablespoons of oat flour in order to prevent the batter from becoming too runny.
  4. Brown Sugar Replacement. Feel free to use regular light brown sugar, coconut sugar or other sugar-free sweetener. Again, if substituting with a liquid sweetener, you’ll need to add additional oat flour.
  5. To make 12 muffins: Multiply the recipe ingredient quantities by 1.5.
  6. Make blender cottage cheese muffins. You can use rolled oats or quick oats instead if making blender muffins. Blend all the ingredients except the chocolate chips in a blender, scraping down the sides as needed, until a smooth batter consistency is achieved. Stir in most of the chocolate chips until evenly distributed. Divide the batter evenly between the 8 muffin liners in the prepared muffin pan. Sprinkle with the remaining chocolate chips and bake as indicated.
  7. To Freeze: Allow to cool completely then place on a baking sheet pan. Freeze for 2 hours or so, until they have hardened. Then transfer to a sealable zipper bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave for 20-30 seconds on high to enjoy warm if desired.
  8. See “Cook’s Tips” and “Variations” for more tips and if you’d like to customize this recipe.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/chocolate-cottage-cheese-muffins/