Chocolate Chunk Protein Muffins

I’ve been making muffins every week lately for work week snacks. I invented these today after having to pass up Costco muffins at church…these might give those chocolate muffins a run for their money. If you don’t want to add protein powder, just substitute an extra half cup of oats. Enjoy!

• 1 1/2 cup Old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup Chocolate or vanilla protein powder
• 1/4 cup Unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 Banana, mashed
• 4 Egg whites
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened apple sauce
• 3/4 cup Stevia (or sweetened of choice)
• 1/3 cup Milk (I used Almond milk)
• 1 tsp. Baking powder
• 1 tsp. Baking soda
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 2 TBS. Mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients but the chocolate chips in a blender until batter is smooth. Pour batter in cupcake liners (use foil or silicon) until 3/4 full. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Store in the fridge. Makes 12 muffins.

Nutrition Stats:

Cals: 89

Protein: 6 grams

Fat: 2 grams

Carbs: 13 grams

Sugar: 4 grams

3 Ingredient Cereal Bars

 I’ve been seeing Cheerio bars on Pinterest a lot but all the recipes I’ve found have an extra cup of sugar and/or corn syrup. These are healthier and faster to make.  Less than 5 minutes & 3 ingredients…go!

• 3 cups of cereal (I used Kashi Heart to Heart, but feel free to use Protein Cheerios or any other kind your heart desires)
• 1/2 cup Creamy peanut butter
• 1/4 cup Honey

Microwave honey and peanut butter together for 20-30 seconds and stir. Pour over cereal and mix thoroughly. Press into an 8×8 pan sprayed with cooking spray or lined with parchment paper. Refrigerate for 30 minutes until firm and cut into 9 squares.

Nutrition Stats (per 1 bar):

Cals: 166

Protein: 5 grams

Fat: 8 grams

Carbs: 23  grams

Sugar: 11 grams

Chocolate Chip Cookie Protein Bars

A snack that tastes like an oatmeal chocolate chip cookie with perfect amounts of protein, slow digesting carbs, and healthy fats? Sign me up! These are great for a snack or breakfast on the go. I use Cashew Butter because it has more of a mild flavor and makes these taste more like a cookie, but any nut butter will do.

• 1 cup Old Fashioned Oats
• 1 large Banana, mashed
• 2 Egg whites
• 1/2 cup Cashew Butter (or nut butter of choice)
• 1/2 cup Vanilla protein powder (or an extra half cup of oats)
• 1/2 cup Stevia
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened almond milk (or skim)
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Butter extract (or vanilla extract)
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 2 TBS Mini chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Soften nut butter in the microwave fr 10-15 seconds if needed. Mix all of the ingredients except for chocolate chips until well blended. Pour into a 9×9 inch baking pan sprayed with cooking spray. Sprinkled chocolate chips on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Let cool completely before cutting into 8 bars. Store in the fridge for up to 4 days (if they last that long).

Nutrition Stats: (per bar)

181 Cals

Protein: 8 grams

Carbs: 18 grams

Fat: 10 grams

Sugar: 5 grams

BBQ Chicken Cauli-Crust Pizza

I love pizza on a ninja turtle level but if there is a way I can make it delicious, easier on the waistline, and sneak veggies in the process then count me in. I hear the complaint that cauliflower crust pizza takes too long to make but really unless you’re popping a DiGiorno in the oven, all homemade pizza takes prep work. You can change toppings but I always make mine BBQ Chicken because its obviously the best kind :).

Crust Ingredients:

• 1 Large head of cauliflower
• 1 Egg
• 1/2 cup Mozerella cheese
• 1/2 cup Shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp Garlic powder
• Pinch of Salt

Toppings:

• 1 1/2 cup (or two small breasts) Chicken Breasts, cooked and shredded (I just stick frozen breasts in the crockpot with 1 cup of broth on low for 8 hours)
• 3/4 cup reduced fat cheese (I use 1/2 moz and 1/2  cheddar combo)
• 1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I try to find a low sugar sauce like Stubbs)
• 1/3 cup Sliced red onion
• Fresh cilantro

To make crust: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Cut cauliflower into quarters and grate florets (or throw florets into a food processor and pulse until its a rice-like texture). Heat the grated cauliflower in the microwave, uncovered, for 8 minutes. Stir and let cool. Add the rest of the crust ingredients and form into a 1/2 inch crust shape on a piece of foil or parchment. Bake for 25 minutes or until slightly golden brown.

Mix the pre-cooked chicken with bbq sauce and spread onto the crust. Add the sliced onion and cheese. Bake for 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle with cilantro and enjoy!

Makes 8 slices

Nutrition Stats for 1 Slice:

Cals: 125

Protein: 11 grams

Carbs: 6 grams

Fat: 6 grams

Cream Cheese Swirl Protein Pumpkin Muffins

I jumped on the pumpkin bandwagon for fall and made these beauties for the work week. I love having 2 of these for a snack with a cup of coffee or tea mid-morning. I’ve made these without the cream cheese swirl and they still turn out great. The protein powder isn’t necessary either – they are still a super healthy snack without it.

For the Muffins:

• 1 1/2 cup Oat flour
• 1/2 cup Stevia (or sugar)
• 1/4 cup Vanilla protein powder (substitute 1/4 cup more flour)
• 1 cup Canned pumpkin
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 cup Nonfat greek yogurt (substitute Almond Milk for a dairy-free option)
• 3 Egg Whites
• 1 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp Nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 2 tsp Baking Powder
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1 tsp Vanilla Extract
• Optional: 1/4 cup chopped pecans, walnuts, or raisins

For the Cream Cheese Swirl:

• 4 tbs Light cream cheese (I used the new greek yogurt blended cream cheese)
• 1 tbs Stevia

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine the dry ingredients and slowly whisk in the wet ingredients. Batter will be thick. Spoon the batter into foil liners or silicone muffin pan till 3/4 full. (These will stick to paper liners, foil liners are available in the baking aisle)

For the swirl, soften cream cheese in the microwave for 10-15 seconds and mix in sweetener. Drop the mixture by rounded teaspoon onto each muffin. (You can leave as is, or swirl with a knife. Sprinkle nuts on top if desired. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Makes 12-13 Muffins

Nutrition Stats: For 1 muffin, no nuts

Cals: 85

Protein: 6 grams

Carbs: 12 grams

Fat: 2 grams

Sugar: 2 grams

Fiber: 2 grams

Healthy Chocolate Zucchini Bread

I had a ton of zucchini to use up from my mom’s garden and got inspired to make a healthy chocolate treat. For those who have never had chocolate zucchini bread or cake, don’t worry, you’ll never be able to tell it has vegetables in it and the texture is amazing. In fact, I think these taste better than regular chocolate chip muffins or bread. This recipe tastes exactly like regular chocolate zucchini bread but it doesn’t have a whole cup of refined sugar and vegetable oil in it. These can be eaten as a snack or dessert and won’t cause a sugar crash. The oat flour and low glycemic advantage of maple syrup gives this treat some staying power too. This recipe can be made into muffins or loaves. 

• 1 1/4 cup Oat flour (I ground about 1 1/2 cup of old fashioned oats in my blender)
• 1 1/4 cup Shredded zucchini, squeezed dry
• 1/2 cup Applesauce (No Sugar Added)
• 1/2 cup Cocao powder
• 1/3 cup Pure maple syrup
• 1/4 cup Milk (I used Unsweetened almond milk)
• 1 Egg, beaten
• 1 Egg white
• 1 tbs Coconut oil, melted
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/3 cup Mini chocolate chips
• 1 tsp Cinnamon (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk wet ingredients together and slowly add dry ingredients. Pour into two mini loaf pans and add a few more chocolate chips on top if desired. Bake 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. For muffins, bake 22-25 minutes. If making muffins, use foil liners or a silicon pan as oat flour has a tendency to stick to paper liners.

Makes 12 muffins or two mini loaves. (I haven’t tried a large loaf but I’m sure it would work baked for 52-60 minutes)

Nutrition Stats: For 1 muffin or 1/6 of a mini loaf

Calories: 132

Carbs: 21 grams

Fat: 5 grams

Protein: 4 grams

Sugar: 10 grams

Fiber: 3 grams

Triple Berry Protein Muffins

It’s been over a month since I’ve posted a recipe but for good reason. We bought our first house! I’ll post a few pictures after we tackle the yard work.

Here’s a recipe I’ve made the last couple of weeks for a mid-morning snack. I’ve got a work conference I have to travel for next week so I’m throwing these in the freezer and packing them so I have some healthy options.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cup Oats
• 1/2 cup Unsweetened applesauce (or mashed banana)
• 1/2 cup Nonfat plain greek yogurt
• 4 Egg whites
• 1/2 cup Vanilla protein powder (or 1/2 cup more oats)
• 1/2 cup Stevia (or sweetner of choice that measures like sugar)
• 1 cup Fresh or frozen mixed blueberries, strawberries, and raspberries
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 tsp Baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp Baking powder
• Pinch of Salt
• Pinch of Cinnamon (optional)

Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Blend all ingredients except for berries. Gently fold in berries. Pour into 12 muffin cups. This recipe works best with silicon baking cups but if you do use paper liners, spray them really well. Bake for 22-27 minutes or until a fork comes out clean. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze them.

(For an optional streusel topping, mix together 1/2 cup oats, 3 tbs applesauce, 1/2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tbs Stevia and sprinkle on top before baking)

Nutrition Stats: for 1 Muffin

Cals: 75

Protein: 8 grams

Carbs: 11 grams

Fat: 1 gram

Sugar: 4 grams

 

Birthday Cake Protein Pancakes & Waffles

I think that one of the toughest choices in life is deciding whether to eat an elephant ear or funnel cake at the fair every summer. Second runner up is choosing between waffles and pancakes.  I say have them both! These make you feel like you are eating something naughty but pack a ton of protein + fiber so you are satisfied for hours.

• 1/2 cup Old fashioned oats (ground into oat flour)
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• Pinch of Salt
• 1/2 scoop (or 2 tbs) Vanilla protein powder (optional)
• 3 packets Stevia (or 2 tbs of a sweetener that measures like sugar)
• 2 Egg whites
• 1/4 cup Almond milk (or skim)
• 3 tbs Applesauce (no sugar added)
• 1/2 tsp Almond extract
• 1/2 tsp Butter extract (if you can’t find this, use vanilla but butter extract really makes the “cake” flavor)
• 1 tbs Rainbow sprinkles

For Pancakes: Blend all ingredients except for sprinkles OR mix dry ingredients together in a bowl and create a well in the center. Add the wet ingredients and mix. Preheat skillet on medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and pour the batter depending on a desired size of a pancake (2-3 tbsp for a medium 1/4 cup for larger ones). Add sprinkles to each pancake. Cook for a couple minutes until you see the edges turning brown and bubbles start to form on the top. Flip with a spatula and cook until browned on the other side. Serves 1

For Waffles: Same mixing directions. Pour half of the batter into a waffle iron greased with non stick spray. Add sprinkles to the batter or just put on top after cooking. (Makes 2 waffles)

Top with some light whipped cream or – to make a frosting topping : Mix 2 tbs nonfat greek yogurt, 2 tbs protein powder, 2 tbs Unsweetened almond milk, and 1 packet of Stevia.

Nutrition Stats: For entire recipe, without topping

Cals: 330

Protein: 26 grams

Carbs: 40 grams

Fat: 6 grams

Sugar: 15 grams

Breakfast Cookies

I don’t like rules when it comes to food. Like the kind that says you can’t have cookies for breakfast (and I’m not talkin’ about Cookie Crisp cereal). Or that you have to eat this particular recipe at breakfast – have these anytime! They’re amazing.

• 1 banana, mashed
• 1/2 cup Old fashioned oats
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• Pinch of Salt
• 2 tbs Peanut Butter (I like to use crunchy for this recipe)
• 4 squares Chopped dark chocolate (or 1-2 tbs chocolate chips)
• Optional add ins: Raisins, Dried Cranberries, 1 tbs ground Flaxseed, 2 tbs protein powder.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. Drop dough by rounded tablespoon onto baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Press down (these cookies don’t spread). Bake 8-10 minutes. Serves 8.

Nutrition Stats: (per cookie)

Cals: 84

Protein: 2 grams

Carbs: 9 grams

Fat: 5 grams

Sugar: 3 grams

 

 

 

Brownie Batter Pancakes

Chocolate and pancakes are two of the best things in life so why not combine the two? The problem with a lot of protein or healthy pancake recipes is that they turn out dry and spongy. These are light and fluffy. If you want to up the protein content, just add a 1/2 scoop protein powder to the batter. Now, I just need to figure out how to make a healthy version of Dairy Queen’s brownie batter blizzard.

• 1/2 cup Oat Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Powder
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
• Pinch of Salt
• 4 packets Stevia (or 3 tbs of a sweetener that measures like sugar)
• 2 tbs Unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 tbs Applesauce (you could also sub 1/2 of a mashed banana)
• 2 Egg Whites
• 2 tbs Nonfat greek yogurt
• 1/2 tsp Butter extract (or vanilla)
• Optional add ins: 1 tbs chopped Dark Chocolate, 1/2 scoop Protein Powder

To make a chocolate topping (optional): Mix 2 tbs Unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 tbs NF greek yogurt, 2 tbs Unsweetened almond milk, and 1 tbs or more Stevia.

Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl and create a well in the center. Add the wet ingredients and mix. Preheat skillet on medium heat. Spray with cooking spray and pour the batter depending on a desired size of a pancake (2-3 tbsp for a medium 1/4 cup for larger ones). Cook for a couple minutes until you see the edges turning brown and bubbles start to form on the top. Flip with a spatula and cook until browned on the other side. Serves 2

Nutrition Stats: (for 1 serving, with chocolate topping)

Cals: 169

Protein: 13 grams

Carbs: 26 grams

Fat: 3

Sugar: 3

Fiber: 7