Easy High Protein Mini Pumpkin Cake
So often when doing meal preps, I tend to focus on lunch because most people are working away from home. But a delicious and macro-friendly breakfast is probably just as important. People are rushing out of the door, often running late, and it’s so tempting to just grab something unhealthy or nothing at all. So, here is my solution to that problem. This Easy High Protein Mini Pumpkin Cake is not only tasty, but it’s going to help you hit that protein goal earlier in the day! Not to mention, it’s calorie friendly, and even gluten-free!
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Personally, I’m not a big breakfast eater and I think that’s why it slips my mind, but most of my family (parents/siblings) eat breakfast every single morning. And I’m not just talking about a bowl of cereal. They get up early enough to cook bacon, eggs, and some bread. (Is your family like this??) Anyways, I’m not that girl. I’m the odd one out in the family. I have to wait a little while before I can eat anything for the sake of my stomach.
But in just a few short hours, my stomach is going to start growling and I need to have something nearby that can keep me on track. That’s one of the great things about meal prepping these little muffins. This is an easy recipe to just grab and go. You can eat them immediately or wait a few hours because they don’t have to be refrigerated.
Another great thing about this recipe is that it’s gluten-free, but delicious! (HA) It is such a challenge to find any type of breads, muffins, cakes, etc… that are gluten-free and you still want to eat them. (Sad but true) But I think it’s important to remember people who have dietary restrictions and work towards finding and making things that can fit into their diet that taste as close to the real thing as possible. And maybe sometimes even better!
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This meal prep recipe is perfect for Fall. If you are anything like me, you like a theme and Fall is the time for pumpkin spice, cinnamon, and all of those warm spices that just make you feel good inside. These little muffins are FULL of pumpkin spice flavor and are sure to wake up your taste buds first thing in the morning! And they are made with relatively simple ingredients.
Now, I say relatively because the KETO pancake/waffle mix is probably not an ingredient that everyone has in their pantry. (Good news is that if you are not concerned about the gluten-free aspect of this recipe, you can substitute regular all-purpose flour and it will be just fine.) But if you have the dietary restriction of gluten in your life, then I’m sure you will have this ingredient or something like it. (Almond flour and cocounut flour can also be substituted, but you will need more liquid.)
Which Gluten-Free flour is better, Almond flour or Coconut Flour?
Photo of service sliceWhy is the high protein aspect of this recipe so important? Well, we know that high protein diets help keep us fuller longer but also helps us build muscle and burn more calories at rest. The recommendation for protein is almost a gram per lb. of body weight. And yes, it sounds like a lot because it is. (Of course, there are some exceptions when the number on the scale becomes larger and larger.) But in general, if you will aim for that goal, you will see a huge difference in your health journey.
If you are trying to lose weight and are in a calorie deficit, focus on your protein goal and you won’t feel HANGRY all the time. If you are eating quite a few calories and pumping the weights to try and build muscle and put on good weight, then again. your focus needs to be on high-protein recipes first. So, these muffins will help you with that at 7 grams of protein per muffin.
How can I increase my protein in small ways throughout the day?
- Add a glass of your milk of choice to your meals. If you are concerned about calories, opt for unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk.
- Find ways to hide protein powder in your recipes from drinks to desserts. (Chocolate protein powder in protein brownies etc…)
- Make high protein snacks to keep around the house when hunger strikes. (Monster Bites, High-protein Oreo fluff, French Onion Dip)
- Add large egg whites to your whole scrambled eggs or even hide egg whites in other recipes. That will be protein without detection. (HA)
- Eat the protein portion of your meals first. That way you don’t fill up on the carbs or vegetables before hitting that goal. Focus on eating your meals in this order: Protein first, vegetables second, and carbs last. That way if you are sacrificing anything… it will be the unnecessary carbs at the end of your meal. You will find that you are full by the time you get to it and that’s the goal. (for weight loss)
You can also use this protein cake recipe as one of your high protein desserts. The white chocolate chips and pumpkin spice chips on top of the cake, make this sweet treat extra decadent. You could use a cake pan instead of the muffin tin and create a high protein birthday cake as a surprise for your health-conscious friends and family or just for yourself. No special occasion needed.
Tips for an Easy High Protein Mini Pumpkin Cake :
- If you don’t have cupcake wrappers, just use parchment paper. You can cut them to fit into the slots perfectly. (Check this video out)
Make this Easy High Protein Mini Pumpkin Cake with me on YouTube!
Easy High Protein Mini Pumpkin Cake Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder (whey)
- 10 grams white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 225 grams pumpkin puree
- 10 grams caramel chips
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil (can substitute coconut oil or olive oil)
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 20 grams, pumpkin flavored chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup stevia
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup Keto friendly pancake/waffle mix (Birch Benders)
Easy High Protein Mini Pumpkin Cake Instructions:
- First, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Second, mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl: whey protein powder, pancake mix, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and caramel/pumpkin chips.
- Third, in a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients: avocado oil, Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla extract, applesauce, and stevia.
- Next, slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry carefully. Make sure that you don’t overmix.
- Then, spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and fill each of the 12 slots with the pumpkin cake mixture.
- Top each muffin with white chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes.
- Finally, enjoy morning, night, or noon!
Storage for this Easy High Protein Mini Pumpkin Cake:
- You can keep these muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 4 days wrapped individually in plastic wrap.
- You can also store them in a Ziploc bag in the fridge or even freeze them for longer storage.
What are the Macros for this Easy High Protein Mini Pumpkin Cake?
Makes 12 servings (Nutritional information below is for 1 serving = 1 muffin)
- Calories – 145
- Protein – 7 grams
- Carbs – 9 grams (net)
- Fat – 8.2 grams
Check out some of my other meal prep recipes!
Beef Enchiladas with Spicy Pico
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Easy High Protein Mini Pumpkin Cake
Equipment
- 1 Muffin tin
- 2 Mixing Bowls
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup vanilla protein powder whey
- 20 grams white chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 225 grams pumpkin puree
- 20 grams caramel chips
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil can substitute coconut oil or olive oil
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
- 20 grams pumpkin flavored chocolate chips
- 1/4 cup stevia
- 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 2 large eggs
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/4 cup Keto friendly pancake/waffle mix Birch Benders
Instructions
- First, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Second, mix the dry ingredients in a large bowl: whey protein powder, pancake mix, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, and caramel/pumpkin chips.
- Third, in a separate bowl, combine the wet ingredients: avocado oil, Greek yogurt, pumpkin puree, maple syrup, eggs, vanilla extract, applesauce, and stevia.
- Next, slowly fold the wet ingredients into the dry carefully. Make sure that you don’t overmix.
- Then, spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray and fill each of the 12 slots with the pumpkin cake mixture.
- Top each muffin with white chocolate chips.
- Bake at 350 degrees F. for 20 minutes.
- Finally, enjoy morning, night, or noon!
Video
