I have been fairly loyal to my protein breakfast smoothies for quite some time now as a breakfast staple and rarely deviate. They give me a guilt-free start to the day and keep me full, never mind if those good intentions fall off the rails by cocktail hour on a Friday, or when my baking urge comes out and I of course have to taste along the way.
As much as I love my regular Coffee and Protein Smoothie, it can get a bit monotonous at times. It also doesn’t travel particularly well, especially if I need something to take racing (sailing) or just need to get out the door faster than I can drink a smoothie. But I wanted something that offered similar benefits – filling, heavy on the protein and not loaded with sugar.
So why not take a spin on my latest smoothie, the Lemon Cheesecake Protein Smoothie, and turn it into a transportable muffin? A Lemon Cheesecake Protein Muffin, to be exact.
It was well worth putting my NutriBullet aside for a day and cranking up the oven instead. These tick all the boxes I wanted them to, plus they keep well in the fridge and freeze well if you really want to go baking crazy and stock up the freezer. I certainly would have, if I had more space. Mine might just be too full with too many types of ice cream.
They’re even good enough to fool the health-food sceptics in your house, if you have any. My kids tucked into these and were none the wiser that they were loaded with cottage cheese and protein powder rather than hiding under a mountain of sugar.
So even if you aren’t trying to maximise your protein like I am at the moment, if you love lemon and cheesecake, these are well worth adding to your regular snack repertoire.
Worth Making?
YES — if you want a protein muffin that still deserves to be called a muffin. They’re soft, lemony and have a creamy cheesecake centre rather than relying on loads of protein powder to earn the name.
YES — if cottage cheese usually makes you suspicious. Blend it smooth and you’d never know it’s there; it adds protein and moisture without making the muffins taste remotely cheesy.
SKIP IT — if you’re chasing the absolute highest protein-to-calorie ratio. These aren’t gym food disguised as cake. There’s still enough fat and sweetness here to make them something you’ll actually want to eat.
Lemon Cheesecake Protein Muffins
Ingredients
- 250 grams cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs
- 80 grams greek yoghurt
- 60 ml vegetable oil
- 70 grams honey
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 lemons zest
- 40 ml lemon juice
- 165 grams plain flour
- 50 grams vanilla or plan protein powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt
Cheesecake filling
- 100 grams light cream cheese, softened
- 15 grams honey or caster sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Heat oven to 190°C conventional / 170°C fan. Line a 12-hole muffin tin.Blend the cottage cheese, eggs, yoghurt, oil, honey and vanilla until smooth. Add the lemon zest and juice.Whisk the flour, protein powder, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together. Add poppy seeds if using.Fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just combined.Add a spoonful of muffin mixture to each case. Drop approximately 2 teaspoons of cheesecake filling into the centre, then cover with more muffin batter. Alternatively, leave a little filling exposed and give it one very shallow swirl through the top — I actually think this will photograph better.Bake for approximately 18–22 minutes, until the muffin is cooked around the cheesecake centre.
Make it your own way
Add poppy seeds: Stir 1 tablespoon of poppy seeds through the batter for a classic lemon-poppy combination.
Make them blueberry cheesecake: Gently fold 100–120 g fresh or frozen blueberries through the finished batter. Add frozen berries straight from the freezer to minimise streaking.
Try raspberry cheesecake: Add a small spoonful of quick raspberry compote or crushed raspberries alongside the cream cheese and lightly swirl the two together.
Add a cheesecake crumb: For more of a classic cheesecake feel, scatter a small amount of crushed digestive or graham cracker crumb over the tops before baking. Keep it restrained—the cheesecake filling should remain the star.
Skip the filling: Leave out the cream cheese centre for a simpler cottage cheese lemon protein muffin that’s particularly good for breakfast or grabbing on the go.
