FLOURLESS MOCHA PROTEIN MUFFINS (VEGAN)
These Flourless Mocha Protein Muffins are such a treat to wake up to! I’ve made two batches already and seriously contemplating making another… they’re that good. I struggle calling them “muffins” because the texture is more like a brownie, but not complaining. And yes, they’re flourless! There’s banana in the recipe, but due to the rich chocolate and coffee flavors, you can’t really taste it. These decadent muffins are high-protein, low-sugar, dairy-free, egg-free, grain-free, and vegan!
Did you know? A 2011 study of almost 400 obese and healthy weight individuals showed that those who ate larger breakfasts consumed more calories throughout the day than those who ate smaller breakfasts. The study concluded that those seeking to lose weight could benefit from eating a lighter breakfast.
Protein recommendations
To up the protein factor, I used LIV Body Lean Vegan Protein in Chocolate Mocha. This protein provides a boost of organic antioxidants and greens, plus digestive enzymes with NO artificial sweeteners or flavors. And, unlike a lot of vegan protein powders, it tastes fantastic! Feel free to use my code “NOEXCUSES” for 20% all orders from LIVBody.com.
Any plant-based protein should work in this recipe, though it may change the flavor and texture somewhat. If using whey blend or casein protein powder, you may need to make some adjustments!
If you don’t have protein powder, you can substitute one and one-quarter cup (150g) all-purpose flour, cassava flour, gluten-free baking blend, oat flour (blend rolled oats into flour), sorghum, spelt, or wheat flour; or substitute three-quarters cup of coconut flour. Of course, then they won’t be “flourless protein muffins!”
Sweetener recommendations
To add sweetness without any sugar, I used an organic, calorie-free stevia blend that’s twice as sweet as sugar with no bitter aftertaste! If you substitute granulated monk fruit, granulated erythritol, baking stevia, or any sweetener thant measures 1:1 like sugar, you will need about twice as much (1 1/3 cup) to achieve the same level of sweetness. If using stevia extract or drops, please refer to the brand-specific conversion chart 😉
Banana substitutions
The banana in this recipe acts as a binding agent in place of flour and eggs, and also adds moisture. I recommend using spotty bananas that are slightly over-ripe for best results. I used four medium-large bananas for this batch of a dozen muffins.
The bananas can also be swapped for baked then mashed sweet potato, or avocado for a keto version! All of these double as binding and moisturizing agents… and yield amazingly moist muffins.
Ground flaxseed substitutions
The original recipe for these muffins called for one and one-third cup (160 grams) of protein and half a cup of almond butter per dozen muffins. Myself and other reviewers found this sometimes yielded muffins that were too mushy in the center (kind of more like a brownie).
Sooo... being the perfectionist I am (LOL) I tested these a few different times and ended up reducing the protein powder a bit (150g) then swapped the almond butter for one-quarter cup of ground flaxseed plus added liquid. Flaxseed acts as a binder and gives the muffins structure so they can rise.
Feel free to use the almond butter for a more brownie-like muffin that's higher in fat. You can also substitute another nut butter like hazelnut butter, cashew butter, or, sunflower seed butter if you’re allergic to nuts. Or, swap the nut butter for one-quarter cup of egg whites or vegan egg substitute.
Other ingredients
The only other ingredients are high-quality cocoa powder, baking powder, salt, and pure vanilla extract. For even more coffee flavor, you can add a teaspoon of coffee powder, or espresso powder dissolved in one teaspoon of warm water. For extra chocolate goodness, top your muffins with dairy free chocolate chips like I did!
Here’s the printable recipe for these vegan Flourless Mocha Protein Muffins. Don’t forget to rate and comment below if you try it 😉
This post contains affiliate links and is sponsored by LIV Body.
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