Orange Cranberry Whey Protein Muffin Recipe

Are you looking for a healthy snack for your kids? This Orange Cranberry Whey Protein Muffin Recipe is a great alternative to chips and candy! This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DoMoreWithProtein #CollectiveBias

Like most parents, our weekends are jam packed with our kid’s sports and activities. If you happen to have more than one child, this means that you will ultimately find yourself rushing from one activity to the next. Since it’s very important for me to encourage my kids to be as healthy and active as possible, I let them know after each practice and game how much I love watching them run, swim or play. They feel a great sense of pride knowing that we enjoy and appreciate all of their hard work on and off the field.

Naturally, as soon as I finish telling them how much I enjoyed watching them, they loudly proclaim that they are starving! I can always anticipate that at least one of my children will insist that if they don’t eat something right that minute, they will collapse from hunger. Now of course I know this is a gross exaggeration seeing that I was the one that just fed them breakfast two hours earlier, but no matter, I always have a snack up my sleeve.

Knowing that my kids will be racing off to their next activity, I try to have a protein-packed snack waiting for them. One of our family favorites ate the orange cranberry whey protein powder muffins. They are easy to bake and even easier to eat. I know I can hand my kids a muffin as soon as they come off the field and know that they are putting something good in their bellies. I also love that I can bake these muffins the night before and they will keep fresh for days. When I know I am going to have a very busy week, I make extra and freeze them for the following weekend.

If you find yourself looking for a healthy alternative to a bag of chips or a package of cookies, we have just the recipe for you! This whey protein muffin recipe can be easily modified for whatever your favorite fruit happens to be. Also, for some reason, these muffins taste best when cooled completely.

If you’re unfamiliar with whey protein powder, we recommend EAS 100% Whey Protein Powder (we buy ours at Target. Coupon Alert: From April 19th – May 23rd: Save 5% Cartwheel offer on any EAS item and in the April 26th Ad in Circular (online and in-store) = Save 10% off entire EAS line.)

It’s a simple, yet effective way for active kids and adults to meet their protein needs. But, when adding protein powder to your baked goods, it’s important to remember a few simple tips so that your food doesn’t end up tough, dry, or tasting like rubber. 😉

6 Tips For Baking With Whey Protein Powder

1.) You need flour and you need to be mindful of your whey-to-flour ratio. If you add too much whey, or try to eliminate the flour completely, the end result will be terrible. For this recipe, one packet of EAS 100% Whey Protein Powder was just enough whey to meld nicely with 2 cups of flour.

2.) Always include a wet ingredient. Baked goods need moisture to keep them from drying out. A general rule of thumb is to have at least 1/4-1/2 cup of wet ingredient for every 1 cup of dry ingredient. Good sources of moisture include: fats like eggs, peanut butter, coconut oil as well as other ingredients like: applesauce, pumpkin, banana, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc. In general, if your batter looks too dry, just add more wet stuff.

3.) Don’t forget a binding ingredient like eggs.

4.) Make sure the protein powder flavor you pick will meld with your recipe. Vanilla was perfect for these muffins, but chocolate would have tasted off. You can also use the unflavored variety and add vanilla extract to this recipe if you prefer.

5.) Protein powders tend to toughen up baked goods, so it’s very important not to over mix your batter. I repeat, do not over mix your batter! Just mix the wet and dry ingredients until just incorporated.

6.) Grease your pans! Whey will stick to your pans so make sure you use a nonstick cooking spray or butter – or better yet, use muffin liners and spray them too.

CRANBERRY ORANGE WHEY PROTEIN MUFFINS

Ingredients:

1 cup white flour
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 packet EAS Whey Protein Powder, Vanilla (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup light brown sugar, packed firmly
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon grated orange zest
1 large egg
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup orange juice, no pulp
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries, or frozen cranberries, unthawed
Wilson’s sugar crystals (optional, but go for it – they balance out the tartness of the cranberries)

Directions:

Step 1: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a standard muffin pan.

Step 2: In a bowl, stir together all of the dry ingredients: flour, white sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, salt and orange zest.

Step 3: In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and orange juice until just blended. Gradually, add the melted butter and whisk until blended. Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and stir with a wooden spoon (or mixer) until just blended.

Step 4: Using a spatula, add the cranberries to the batter and mix just until cranberries are evenly distributed. Do not over mix the batter.

Step 5: Spoon the batter into muffin tin cups, filling them evenly.

Step 6: Bake for 20 minutes or until golden; a toothpick should come out clean when inserted into the middle of a muffin. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin and allow to cool completely.