Strawberry Protein Muffins

Hello lovely! I hope it's bright and sunny where you are, because June has been absolutely GORGEOUS here in Montreal! And now that things are FINALLY starting to open up and restrictions are lifting (hallelujah!!!), we decided it's time to get outside and DO things lol

One of the things I've been itching to do for a long time is strawberry picking. Believe it or not, I've never gone! Like how in 37 years have I not gone lol? And when my amazing neighbor Stephanie recommended Quinn Farms as THE place to go, I knew we had to make a day of it.

And I am SO glad we did - it was the BEST experience. Picking and taste testing on the spot, there's nothing fresher than ripe berries in your mouth - YUM!!! While we initially went for Aiden, I'd like to think this outing was just what Ty and I needed too. It's been a very long pandemic, and it felt like a small semblance of normalcy was returning. And I'm so grateful for that!

So now that we have 10L of fresh berries at home, you bet I got to work creating some delicious things!

First up on the menu was a muffin. Because they're just so delightful, portioned, and make for easy snacks on the go. I usually opt to try to make a dessert a bit more balanced, and protein is how I usually do this, since most baked goods are high carbs and fat. In this recipe I also opted to reduce the sugar content, since the berries naturally sweeten it.

Well, I gotta say THIS recipe is one of my absolute FAVES. It really turned out perfect from batch 1, and I'm sure you're gonna love it too!

If you try it, be sure to comment below and let me know. I LOVE getting tagged and messaged when you try my recipes :D

Enjoy!

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Strawberry Protein Muffins

Prep Time: 20min | Bake Time: 30min | Total Time: 50min

Makes: 12 muffins

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and levelled-off with knife, plus 2 teaspoons more for tossing with strawberries

• 1/2 cup vanilla/plain protein powder (I used Isagenix IsaPro Whey Protein in vanilla)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

• 3/4 cup granulated sugar

• 2 large eggs

• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 1/2 cup milk

• 2 cups diced strawberries, plus 1/2 cup for topping

• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, for topping

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°Fahrenheit. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, protein powder, baking powder and salt.

3. In the bowl of an electric mixer or a large mixing bowl, beat the butter and granulated sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla extract, scraping down the sides of the bowl.

4. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three separate additions, alternating with the milk and ending with the flour.

5. Toss the strawberries with 2 teaspoons of flour (this keeps them from sinking to the bottom). Set 1/2 cup of the berries aside. Add the remaining berries to the batter and fold with a spatula until evenly distributed. Do not overmix.

6. Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tin (an ice-cream scoop works well here). Scatter the reserved berries evenly over the muffins, then sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the centre of each muffin.

7. Bake for about 30 minutes, until lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for about 5 minutes, then transfer the muffins to a rack to cool completely.