Sourdough Banana Chocolate Chip Cottage Cheese Protein Muffins

Use a blender to mix most of the ingredients for these Sourdough Banana Chocolate Chip Cottage Cheese Protein Muffins that have 10g of protein in each muffin!

These not-too-sweet sourdough discard muffins come together in an instant and are a perfect grab-and-go protein breakfast muffin. They’re made with a cup of cottage cheese, eggs, and protein powder so they’re more filling than traditional muffins, but still soft and moist.

Bananas and maple syrup add natural sweetness, and I fold in chocolate chips for that classic banana chocolate chip muffin combo.

This protein muffin recipe is very flexible (can easily make gluten-free!) and I include lots of variations, tips, and substitutions in the guide below.

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👍 Why You’ll Love This Recipe

• High-protein sourdough muffins with 9-10g of protein per serving.
• Come together quickly and use a blender for mixing the wet ingredients.
• Can make batter the night before, rest overnight, and bake in the morning.
• Bananas, cottage cheese, and sourdough discard keep the muffins moist and tangy.
• Not-too-sweet, using only bananas and maple syrup for sweetness, and optional chocolate chips.
• This is a very adaptable recipe with many variations, and you can make it gluten-free.

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🔍 Baking Tips

• It’s helpful to rest the batter for at least an hour and up to overnight in the refrigerator for taller bakery-style domed tops.
• Use mini chocolate chips that distribute better and don’t sink in the batter.
• Overbaking will lead to a dry muffin. Use a toothpick to test if they’re done (no crumbs should remain) and follow the baking indicators.
• No salt is needed because cottage cheese is already salted.
• Gently fold the ingredients and don’t overmix the batter so the muffins will stay tender.
• Line your muffin pan with muffin tins/paper and grease them with oil to prevent sticking.

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🛠 Tools Needed

You only need a blender and a few basic tools to make these muffins.

• Baking scale
  • Flour and sourdough starter can weigh differently from person to person, so weighing your ingredients is the best option! Measuring your ingredients by weight will make your baking more consistent and accurate.
• Blender
  • Cottage cheese has small clumps that a blender or food processor will mix with your wet ingredients.
• Muffin Pan
  • I love this USA Muffin Pan because it’s naturally non-stick and heavy-duty!
• Muffin Liners
  • They help prevent sticking, look nice when serving, and let you take them on the go.
• Spatula
  • For folding the chocolate chips and dry ingredients into the wet.

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🛒 Ingredients Needed

See below for my ingredient recommendations and possible substitutions.

• Bananas
  • The bananas add needed moisture and natural sweetness to the muffins.
  • If you love bananas, you have to try my delicious Sourdough Banana Bread!
• Cottage Cheese
  • Use full-fat cottage cheese for the most flavor and richness. Daisy is the brand I used for recipe testing.
  • Cottage cheese is already salted, so you don’t need to add salt in this recipe.
  • Substitute the cottage cheese with Greek yogurt (no need for a blender).
• Maple Syrup
  • You can adjust the sweetness level in the recipe by adding more or less maple syrup. The caramel sweetness pairs well with the bananas and chocolate chips.
  • Substitute with agave, honey, or date syrup.
  • Other favorite maple recipes are these Sourdough Maple Pecan Sticky Buns and Sourdough Pumpkin Maple Cookies.
• Eggs
  • The eggs add structure and lift to these muffins and a little more protein.
  • Can substitute with ½ cup of applesauce or flax eggs.
• Sourdough Discard
  • If you don’t have an active sourdough starter, learn how to make one in a week following my how-to guide. See my top sourdough starter tips and other sourdough discard recipes.
• Coconut Oil, melted
  • You can substitute with melted butter, olive oil, or another neutral oil.
• All-purpose flour
  • You can substitute some or all of the all-purpose flour with whole wheat flour or with a gluten-free flour like oat flour or almond flour to make these gluten-free muffins.
• Baking Powder
  • Helps the muffins stay soft and rise tall in the oven.
• Vanilla Protein Powder
  • Protein powders can vary quite a bit by ingredients, flavors, and protein amounts. This is important to keep in mind following this recipe as my muffins have about 10g of protein in them using this brand of whey protein powder, but yours may have more or less, depending on the brand you use.
  • If you skip the protein powder, add 1 ½ tsp of vanilla extract to the batter.
• Mini Chocolate Chips
  • The mini chocolate chips, or finely chopped chocolate, won’t sink to the bottom of your batter such as in my Sourdough Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread.
  • You can leave out to just make sourdough banana muffins or sub with sugar-free chocolate chips or cacao nibs.

Variations

• Make a nut butter swirl by adding 2-3 TBS of peanut butter or almond butter in the batter.
• Substitute the chocolate chips with blueberries or strawberries (check out my Sourdough Blueberry Yogurt Muffins or Sourdough Strawberry Muffins with Crumb Topping).
• For a tropical twist, add shredded coconut or chopped pineapple to the batter.
• Use rolled oats instead of all-purpose flour and grind them into oat flour.
• For a salty variation, add in chopped peanuts or pretzels.

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🍌 How to Make Sourdough Banana Chocolate Chip Cottage Cheese Protein Muffins

Follow this detailed recipe guide as you make the best sourdough protein muffins.

This recipe makes 12 soft muffins.

1. Blend the Wet Ingredients

Add the bananas, eggs, cottage cheese, sourdough discard, maple syrup, and melted coconut oil to a blender or food processor and blend until completely smooth.

2. Combine the Dry Ingredients

In a large mixing bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, and vanilla protein powder together.

3. Mix the Muffin Batter

Pour the blended wet ingredients into the bowl of dry ingredients and use a spatula to fold the sourdough discard protein muffin batter together until just a few lumps remain.

Finally, fold the chocolate chips in last until incorporated.

4. Chill the Batter

For the best results, cover and chill the batter for an hour and up to overnight.

This hydrates the muffin batter so the flavors meld. Also, baking cold muffin batter helps them release more steam so they rise taller in the oven.

5. Bake

Preheat the oven to 375ºF (191ºC).

Line your muffin pan with paper liners or tins and spray with non-stick oil or grease.

Divide the cold muffin batter evenly among the 12 muffins. I like to use a large ice cream or cookie scoop.

Sprinkle more chocolate chips on top.

Bake for 20-23 minutes, or until the tops are light golden brown and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Finally, remove from the oven and cool completely on a wire rack.

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How to Store and Serve

You can store sourdough banana chocolate chip cottage cheese protein muffins at room temperature, in the refrigerator, or freeze them.

The sourdough discard, bananas, and cottage cheese help keep them soft and moist for a few days on the counter. Alternatively, you can wrap and refrigerate them for 5 days.

To freeze, wrap them in plastic wrap and freeze for up to three months in a freezer-safe bag. Thaw overnight and reheat in the oven or a toaster oven.

These sourdough protein muffins are a great, quick grab-and-go breakfast or pre- or post-gym workout fuel.

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

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Other Sourdough Breakfast Recipes You May Enjoy:

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