Cottage Cheese Muffins
Cottage Cheese Muffins
Soft, golden, high-protein muffins with a cheesecake-style centre — blended smooth, baked in bright little cups
These cottage cheese muffins bake up soft and pale-golden with lightly crisped edges, just like the little cups on the blue plate in the photo. The cottage cheese is blended completely smooth first, so the middles taste creamy and cheesecake-like rather than curdy.
Estimated per muffin: 150 calories, 10g protein and 4g net carbs. Ready in about 35 minutes.
Why you'll love these muffins
- 10g protein in one little muffin
- Soft, creamy middles with golden edges
- Sugar-free and low carb without tasting like a compromise
- One blender, one bowl, six muffins
- Breakfast, snack box or dessert with berries
- They look adorable in colourful silicone liners, like the photo
Health notes
- Cottage cheese: The protein base — blended smooth, it gives a creamy bake with no flour needed.
- Almond flour: Just enough structure while keeping the carbs low.
- Powdered sugar-free sweetener: Dissolves into the batter, so no gritty bits and no sugar.
- Eggs: Set the muffins and add more protein.
- Estimated macros: No nutrition card came with this one, so values are estimated and kept consistent throughout.
Key element — blend the cottage cheese silky
Blend the cottage cheese with the eggs until completely smooth before the flour goes in. Skip this and the muffins bake grainy; blend well and the centres set soft and creamy like the ones in the photo.
Ingredients
Muffins
- 1½ cups cottage cheese (full-fat gives the creamiest centre)
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- ⅓ cup powdered sugar-free sweetener, to taste
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon zest (optional, lovely)
- ¾ cup fine almond flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp fine salt
- Oil spray or a little melted butter, for the liners
Swaps
- Blueberry: Fold in ½ cup of fresh blueberries just before baking.
- Chocolate chip: ¼ cup sugar-free chocolate chips through the batter.
- Savoury: Skip the sweetener and vanilla; add cheddar, chives and black pepper for breakfast muffins.
- Classic sugar: Use ⅓ cup of caster sugar instead of sweetener; carbs will rise.
Instructions
| 1 | Heat and line. Heat the oven to 350°F. Set 6 silicone muffin liners in a muffin tin (or on a tray) and lightly grease them. Silicone keeps the soft muffins easy to release. |
| 2 | Blend the base. Blend the cottage cheese, eggs, sweetener, vanilla and lemon zest until completely smooth and pourable, scraping the sides once. This silky base is the whole trick. |
| 3 | Stir in the dry ingredients. Pour the blend into a bowl and fold in the almond flour, baking powder and salt just until combined. Rest the batter for 5 minutes so the almond flour hydrates. |
| 4 | Fill the cups. Divide the batter evenly between the 6 liners, filling each about ¾ full. Smooth the tops with the back of a spoon. |
| 5 | Bake until just set. Bake for 20–24 minutes, using oven mitts for the tin, until the edges are lightly golden and the centres are just set with the faintest wobble. Do not overbake or they dry out. |
| 6 | Cool and serve. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes; the centres finish setting as they rest. Ease the muffins out of the liners and pile onto a plate, like the photo. Serve warm or chilled. |
Pro tips
- Blend longer than you think — completely smooth means creamy muffins.
- Powdered sweetener only; granulated can stay gritty in this batter.
- Pull them when the centre still has a tiny wobble; carryover heat finishes the set.
- Full-fat cottage cheese gives the softest, cheesecake-style middle.
- Chilled overnight, they taste even more like little cheesecakes.
Nutrition
| Nutrient | Per muffin (est.) |
|---|---|
| Calories | 150 |
| Protein | 10g |
| Net carbohydrates | 4g |
| Total carbohydrates | 6g |
| Fiber | 2g |
| Total fat | 9g |
| Sodium | 230mg |
Estimated per muffin (6 muffins), based on full-fat cottage cheese, eggs and almond flour. Cottage cheese brands vary in moisture and salt, so expect a small swing.
Variations
Lemon poppy seed
Extra zest, lemon juice and 1 tsp poppy seeds.
Cinnamon swirl
Cinnamon in the batter and a sweetened cinnamon sprinkle on top.
Cheesecake style
Serve chilled with sugar-free berry compote and whipped cream.
Double batch
Double everything for 12; bake time stays about the same.
Storage
| Method | Time | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Refrigerator | Up to 5 days | Airtight container; lovely cold straight from the fridge |
| Freezer | Up to 2 months | Wrap individually; thaw overnight or microwave for 30 seconds |
| Reheat | — | 10 seconds in the microwave brings back the soft centre |
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