4 Ingredient Healthier Cottage Cheese Muffins
These 4-Ingredient Cottage Cheese Muffins are soft, naturally sweetened, and full of protein — perfect for kids’ snacks, lunchboxes, or a quick breakfast. With no processed sugar and just a few simple ingredients, they come together fast, and you can toss in chocolate chips for a fun twist.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (340g) 4% high protein cottage cheese
- 3/4 cup (180g) mashed very ripe or overripe bananas, about 2 large bananas, see note
- 1/2 cup (72g) coconut sugar
- 2 cups (280g) self-rising flour, see note before starting
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray two 12-cup muffin pans with non-stick cooking spray (you will need to grease 13 cavities total; you can either do 12 and 1, 6 and 7, or whatever combination you prefer). I don't recommend using muffin liners unless you use parchment paper ones because the muffins will stick to regular muffin liners.
- In a blender, blend cottage cheese, bananas and coconut sugar until completely smooth, scraping down the sides of your blender as needed to help everything evenly mix.
- Pour the mixture into a large bowl. Add in the flour. Fold in self-rising flour with a spatula until all of the flour is incorporated and there are no pockets of unmixed flour. Make sure to mix in the flour with a spatula and not a mixer or whisk. The latter can cause you to overmix the batter. If adding any mix-ins, add them in now.
- Use an ice cream scoop (with 1/4 cup capacity) or use a 1/4 cup measuring cup to scoop the mixture and release into your prepared muffin pans, filling about ¾ full.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes (mine were done around 30 minutes) or until the muffins are puffed, golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean. When you apply light pressure to the surface, it should also bounce back.
- Let muffins cool a few minutes in pan and then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Store uneaten muffins in an airtight container in the fridge or freezer.
Notes
- Banana note: If you are using a scale to weigh the bananas, you don't need to mash them first. You can add them directly into the blender. I included the mashed amount for people that are using measuring cups rather than a scale. You will need approximately two large bananas but I do recommend you weigh or mash them into measuring cup to get a more accurate measurement. Adding too much banana can make your batter too wet.
- Bananas can be substituted with 3 large eggs, but the muffins will have a more tangy taste from the cottage cheese. I preferred using bananas rather than eggs. If you use eggs, you should also increase the sugar to 3/4 cup instead of 1/2 cup.
- Cottage cheese note: Make sure to use 4% cottage cheese. These muffins don't have any other added fat. I also recommend a high protein cottage cheese, with approximately 13-14 grams of protein per 1/2 cup serving. I tested these with Amazon Grocery,* Daisy* and Clover Sonoma* cottage cheese brands.
- I tested these with Wholesome* and Big Tree Farms coconut sugar.*
- Self-rising flour amount. There are 2 main kinds of self-rising flour sold in the US. One that is a lower protein (2 grams per 1/4 cup serving) flour and one that has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup (30g) serving). The amount of protein affects how much liquid is absorbed. For this recipe, I tested it with Gold Medal self-rising flour (regular amount of protein). Please use a self-rising flour with a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup), or make your own self-rising flour with the recipe I share at the end of the notes. Avoid brands like White Lily self-rising flour or King Arthur self-rising flour which contain less protein. You do not want a low protein flour because your muffin batter will be too wet.
- I made these with Gold Medal self-rising flour.*
- *These product links are affiliate links. This means I earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
- Homemade self-rising flour: Whisk together 2 cup all purpose flour, 3 tsp baking powder and 1/2 tsp salt. Make sure your all purpose flour has a regular amount of protein (3 grams per 1/4 cup). Most brands in the US contain this amount but there are some brands with higher protein (4 grams per 1/4 cup) such as King Arthur Flour all purpose flour and Bob's Red Mill all purpose flour. You do not want a high protein flour because your muffins will come out dry and dense.
- You can add 1/2 cup of optional mix-ins like chocolate chips, chopped fruit or nuts. I also added a few extra chocolate chips on top of the muffins for presentation.
- Estimated nutrition does not include optional mix-ins like chocolate chips
Serving: 1muffin, Calories: 120kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 5g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 306mg, Fiber: 0.4g, Sugar: 8g, NET CARBS: 23
The nutrition information provided are only estimates based on an online nutritional calculator. This is not a comprehensive list of all the nutrients in the recipe (i.e., does not include vitamins, cholesterol, etc). I am not a certified nutritionist. Please consult a nutritionist or doctor for accurate information and any dietary restrictions and concerns you may have.
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