High Protein Strawberry Muffins (Low Carb, Sugar Free)

May 8, 2025

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Published: May 8, 2025 by Cathy Chenard · This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

These high-protein strawberry muffins are light and fruity and a perfect low-carb treat for breakfast or as a snack!

High protein strawberry muffins on a plate with one cup open showing fluffy interior with chopped strawberries

We love strawberry season! As one of our favorite fruits, there’s so much you can do with fresh, juicy strawberries, and these high-protein strawberry muffins are one delicious way to enjoy them!

They’re light, fluffy, and full of fruity flavor, making them perfect for breakfast, a snack, or even dessert.

For a boost of protein, we mix in low-fat cottage cheese and vanilla whey protein powder. And to keep them low in carbs, we use almond flour and a sugar-free sweetener. But don’t worry — there’s no strange aftertaste with these!

We like to take these protein strawberry muffins to the next level by serving with a dollop of sugar-free whipped cream and a hot cup of tea or coffee. It’s the perfect breakfast!

These muffins take just 10 minutes to throw together and bake in 20 to 25 minutes. So easy and so worth it!

Key Ingredients

Almond flour: Use blanched, super-fine almond flour for the best texture in these muffins. Coarser almond meals can result in a dense or gritty crumb.

Low-fat cottage cheese: We use low-fat (2% milkfat) cottage cheese to boost the protein and keep the muffins moist. Feel free to use full-fat cottage cheese if you like.

Sugar-free sweetener: We sweeten these muffins with Lakanto monk fruit with erythritol, but feel free to use your favorite sugar-free option. Erythritol, allulose, or other low-carb sweeteners also work well — just be sure to reference a sweetener conversion chart for accurate substitutions.

Low-carb vanilla whey protein powder: To bump up the protein, we add low-carb vanilla whey protein powder. We love Quest Vanilla Milkshake protein powder for both taste and texture, but any comparable brand will do.

Lemon juice: A splash of lemon juice brightens the flavor and enhances the sweetness of the strawberries — don’t skip it!

Fresh, organic strawberries: Fresh organic strawberries give the best flavor and texture, and we recommend organic due to the high pesticide levels typically found on conventional berries. You can also use frozen organic strawberries; be sure to thaw and drain them well before dicing.

How to Prepare

STEP 1: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F and line a muffin tin with paper liners or lightly grease it. In a food processor, pulse cottage cheese until smooth.

STEP 2: In a separate bowl, whisk together the almond flour, vanilla whey protein powder and baking powder.

STEP 3: In a large bowl, combine the cottage cheese, eggs, lemon juice and sugar alternative. Mix until well combined.

STEP 4: Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, mixing until just combined. Be careful not to overmix to keep the muffins light and airy.

STEP 5: Lightly dust the diced strawberries with almond flour and toss to combine. Gently fold the strawberries into the batter.

STEP 6: Spoon the batter evenly into each cup or liner, filling each ¾ way to the top. Optional: add a few diced strawberries to the top of each. Bake for roughly 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck in the middle. Remove and let muffins cool completely before eating.

Expert Tips for the Best Muffins

For best results, use room–temperature eggs. To quickly get eggs to room temperature, simply run under warm water for a few minutes.
When combining the wet and dry ingredients, do not overmix the batter, which may result in tougher muffins. Rather, gently fold mixture together until just combined.
Dust the strawberries with a little almond flour before folding them into the batter. This helps prevent the berries from sinking to the bottom.
Since every oven heats differently, we recommend checking for doneness at 20 minutes. Our muffins typically bake in 24 minutes. To check for doneness, simply insert a wooden or medal pick into the center. If it comes out clean or with just a few crumbs or melted chocolate, it’s done.
For best results, let muffins cool completely at room temperature before eating (or else they may crumble apart).
Store in a covered container at room temperature for 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

How to Store

These muffins are best stored shortly after cooling to maintain their moist, tender texture. If left out too long at room temperature, they can become dry and crumbly.

Store muffins in an air-tight container after cooling for up to 3 days. Or refrigerate muffins in covered container for up to a week.

More Low Carb Muffin Recipes

If you try this recipe, we would love to hear your feedback! Leave a comment, rate it, and tag @lowcarbsimplified on your photo of this recipe on Instagram or Facebook. We hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do!

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