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Cinnamon Swirl Protein Muffins - Soft, Sweet, and Satisfying

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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 12 servings
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 1 cup (120 g) white whole wheat flour (or regular all-purpose; use gluten-free blend if needed)
  • 1/2 cup (45 g) oat flour (blend rolled oats if you don’t have oat flour)
  • 1/2 cup (45–60 g) vanilla protein powder (whey or plant-based; see notes in FAQs)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon (for the batter)
  • 2 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) maple syrup or honey
  • 1/3 cup (70 g) light brown sugar (or coconut sugar)
  • 3/4 cup (180 ml) Greek yogurt (2% or whole; use dairy-free yogurt if needed)
  • 1/3 cup (80 ml) milk (dairy or unsweetened almond milk)
  • 1/4 cup (60 ml) neutral oil (avocado, light olive, or melted coconut oil)
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • For the cinnamon swirl: 1/4 cup (50 g) brown sugar + 1 tbsp ground cinnamon + 1 tbsp melted butter or coconut oil
  • Optional topping: Coarse sugar or a simple glaze (1/2 cup powdered sugar + 1–2 tsp milk)

Method
 

  1. Prep your pan and oven. Heat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a 12-cup muffin tin with liners or lightly grease each cup.
  2. Stir together the dry ingredients. In a large bowl, whisk flour, oat flour, protein powder, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon until evenly combined.
  3. Mix the wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, maple syrup, brown sugar, Greek yogurt, milk, oil, and vanilla until smooth. The mixture should be creamy with no large lumps of yogurt.
  4. Combine wet and dry. Pour the wet mixture into the dry bowl. Stir gently with a spatula until just combined. Do not overmix. The batter should be thick but scoopable.
  5. Make the cinnamon swirl. In a small bowl, mix the brown sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter until it looks like damp sand.
  6. Layer the batter. Spoon about 1 heaping tablespoon of batter into each muffin cup. Add a scant teaspoon of cinnamon-sugar mixture on top. Cover with another tablespoon of batter. Finish with a small pinch of the cinnamon mix on top for a visible swirl.
  7. Create the swirl. Use a toothpick to gently swirl the top layer 2–3 times. Don’t overwork it or the swirl will disappear into the batter.
  8. Bake. Place the pan on the center rack and bake for 16–20 minutes, or until the tops spring back and a toothpick comes out with a few moist crumbs (not wet batter).
  9. Cool. Let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a wire rack. Cool completely if adding glaze; otherwise, they’re great slightly warm.
  10. Optional glaze. Whisk powdered sugar with milk to a drizzle consistency. Drizzle lightly over cooled muffins for a cinnamon roll feel without heavy sweetness.