Gluten-Free Cranberry Pecan Protein Muffins

close up of cranberry pecan protein muffins

Gluten-Free Cranberry Pecan Protein Muffins

I developed this gluten-free, high-protein cranberry muffin recipe because, to be honest, I wanted to have a guilt-free cranberry treat to enjoy over the holidays. You see, I LOVE cranberries. And, not just for their taste. I also love how nutritious they are.

Shop ZEGO Double Protein Oats

And if you use seeds instead of pecans and an egg substitute, these gluten-free muffins are free of the top 14 allergens. That means you can meet almost everyone’s dietary needs in one fantastic recipe.

Whether you are helping to feed a crowd for the holidays, need to bring something to share for teacher appreciation day, or simply want to have a quick breakfast in the freezer, you’ll love these delightful muffins.

How This Gluten-Free Cranberry Pecan Protein Muffin Recipe is Better

There are so many nutrients to celebrate in the ingredients I chose for this recipe.

By using our Double Protein Oats as the base of this recipe, you get about 5g of protein and 4g fiber per small muffin. Double that if you make monster muffins.
We add nutritional yeast because it is high in Lycine, an essential amino acid that complements our oats to make the protein fully bioavailable.
We use coconut sugar to keep the glycemic load low and the extra fiber from the oats and cranberries help to slow down the absorption of the sugar so your insulin doesn’t spike.
Whole cranberries are low in sugar. They have a lot of vitamin C and anti-oxidant phenols to help you fight off viruses (far more than grapes). They also have a lot of anthocyanins, which gives them that beautiful dark red color. Anthocyanins are linked to lower rates of cancer and inflammation.
Nuts / seeds add iron, minerals and healthy fats.

Shop ZEGO Double Protein Oats

cranberry protein muffin batter — Mix the gluten-free protein muffin wet and dry ingredients together.

Gluten-Free Cranberry Pecan Protein Muffins

Makes 12 cupcake-sized muffins with approximately 5g protein and 4g fiber. Or make 6 monster muffins and pack 10g protein and 8g fiber.

INGREDIENTS

1/3C butter or dairy free alternative (if using ghee, decrease by 1 T)
1C coconut sugar (trust me, it’s not too sweet and the fiber balances it out) If you want a ligher colored muffin, use white sugar.
2 eggs or egg substitute
3/4C pumpkin puree
1/3C water
1t vanilla
250g ZEGO Double Protein Oats (grind in the food processor or high-speed blender for 2 minutes to make oat flour)
60g sweet rice flour (if you don’t have this, increase your oats by the same amount. The muffins will be a bit more crumbly but still delicious)
1T nutritional yeast (optional)
1/3c pumpkin seeds
1t baking soda
1/4t baking powder
3/4t pink or sea salt
1T cinnamon
1/4t nutmeg (approximately 10-20 shavings of fresh nutmeg)
1/3C pecans, chopped + extra for decorating the top of each muffin
1+1/4C fresh cranberries + extra for decorating the top of each muffin
zest of 1 orange, optional

DIRECTIONS

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease (or use parchment liners) a standard 12-cup muffin tin.
Cream the butter and sugar together. If using a butter substitute like ghee, don’t worry if it doesn’t get creamy.
Add in the eggs, pumpkin, water, and vanilla. Stir to combine.
In a separate bowl, add the oat flour, sweet rice flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir to blend.
Combine the dry ingredients into the wet and stir to combine.
Set aside some of the fresh cranberries, pecans, and orange zest (if desired) for topping the muffins. Stir the rest into the batter.
Divide batter evenly in your prepared muffin tin. Top with additional nuts and cranberries.
Bake for 25 minutes. Then loosely cover the muffin tin with foil or parchment paper to prevent the tops from burning. Bake for an additional 10 minutes or until a tester comes out clean.
Let cool for 10 minutes and remove from the pan to cool completely.
Take pictures and post for all your friends. Share with loved ones.
Rest and smile.