These cottage cheese banana muffins are an easy, delicious breakfast or snack that’s naturally high in protein and made with a moderate amount of sugar. The overripe bananas add sweetness and flavour while the whipped cottage cheese helps to produce a light and fluffy texture.
You might also like cottage cheese banana pancakes!
These cottage cheese banana muffins are moist and fluffy, made with walnuts for added texture, and gently flavoured with cinnamon and vanilla. This recipe is similar to my banana buttermilk muffins, which contain a generous amount of mashed banana and a little buttermilk.
In this recipe I’ve replaced some of the banana with the cottage cheese, so these muffins are higher in protein.
Making banana and cottage cheese muffins is quick and easy. Simply puree the cottage cheese, mash the banana, combine with the rest of the ingredients and bake! To save time you can also prepare the cottage cheese in advance, then cover and refrigerate until you are ready to make the recipe.
Will I taste the cottage cheese in these muffins?
No, you won’t! The cottage cheese blends seamlessly into the batter and the muffins do not taste sour at all.
Cottage cheese banana muffins ingredients and substitutions
- Cottage cheese: for best results use full fat, rather than reduced fat cottage cheese (some low-fat varieties can be a little dry). Do not strain it.
- Banana: for maximum flavour and natural sweetness be sure to use overripe bananas.
- Flour: I like to use a combination of whole wheat/wholemeal and all-purpose/plain flours. The former adds flavour while the latter produces fluffy muffins. However, you can just use all-purpose flour.
- Raising agents: baking powder and bicarbonate of soda.
- Cinnamon: you can use pumpkin spice instead. Alternatively use ginger (1 tsp) alongside the cinnamon.
- Vanilla extract.
- Egg.
- Sugar: I like to use light brown sugar for a hint of caramel flavour and added moisture. Regular sugar does not work as well and I don’t recommend making this swap.
- Walnuts: add texture, flavour and protein. Pecans make a good alternative. You can also omit this ingredient altogether.
Step-by-step recipe instructions
1. Preheat the oven to 450 F/230 C/210 fan/gas mark 8. Grease your muffin pan or line with 12 cases and set aside.
2. Puree cottage cheese: Puree the cottage cheese (do not strain it) until creamy and smooth. You can do this in the small bowl of your food processor (as I have done) or with a stick blender. Set aside.
NOTE: If you use cottage cheese straight from the pot the curds can sometimes harden as they bake (which would not give these muffins a pleasant texture). That’s why it’s important to puree it before using.
3. Prepare dry ingredients: Stir together the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon until thoroughly combined (I recommend using a whisk to do this). Set aside.
4. Mash banana: Mash the bananas with a fork.
TIP: You can puree the banana along with the cottage cheese instead, but if you are planning to puree the cottage cheese ahead it’s best to prepare these ingredients separately.
5. Prepare wet ingredients: Whisk together the egg, oil, sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Next add the mashed banana, whipped cottage cheese and walnuts.
6. Assemble: Gradually add the dry mixture stirring (with a whisk) only until combined (do not overstir).
7. Bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake in the centre of the oven for 7 minutes, then lower the heat (this is important!) to 350 F/180 C/160 fan/gas mark 4 (without opening the oven door) and continue baking for 17 more minutes.
8. Cool: Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely in the pan before serving (the flavour develops as they cool, plus the paper cases will come off easier).
Serving suggestions
These cottage cheese banana walnut muffins are best served cooled completely, either on their own or with toppings, including ricotta, cream cheese or more cottage cheese (for added protein). They make a delicious breakfast or snack, perfect for lunchboxes.
If you like warm muffins you can microwave these muffins for a few seconds before serving, but this is optional (though can be useful if they are straight from the fridge).
For me these banana cottage cheese muffins taste best at room temperature.
Top tips
- For best results use full fat (unstrained) cottage cheese (the low-fat variety can sometimes lack creaminess which can affect the texture of these muffins). To save time you can puree it in advance, cover and keep refrigerated until you are ready to make the recipe.
- Be sure to use overripe bananas (for maximum sweetness and flavour).
- Your cottage cheese and eggs should be at room temperature.
- Do not overstir the batter.
- Baking these cottage cheese banana muffins at a high temperature to start with gives them a nice rise. However, it’s important to lower the temperature after 7 minutes or your muffins will burn.
- These muffins retain their moisture for up to 3 days if you keep them covered or in an airtight container. I usually just cover them after they’ve cooled completely then place in a container the following day. After a couple of days you can refrigerate them.
- Freeze in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
What else to do with cottage cheese
Any leftover cottage cheese can be served for breakfast or as a snack on toast, with fresh fruit or granola, but you can also try the following:
- Add it to egg muffins
- Serve on toast with avocado
- Turn into a creamy dressing to use in egg salad or chicken salad
Related muffin recipes to try next
See also these other easy, delicious breakfast recipes!
Recipe
Cottage Cheese and Banana Muffins
Equipment
- Food processor or stick blender
- 12-muffin pan
Ingredients
- 1 cup (230 g) cottage cheese full fat, at room temperature
- 1 cup+1tbsp (250 g) mashed banana
- 1 cup (125 g) all-purpose/plain flour
- ¾ cup+½tbsp (95 g) whole wheat/wholemeal flour
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
- 1½ teaspoons cinnamon
- 1 large egg at room temperature
- ⅓ cup+2tsp (90 ml) oil any
- ½ cup less ½tbsp (100 g) packed light brown sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ½ cup (60 g) walnuts chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 450 F/230 C/210 fan/gas mark 8. Grease your muffin pan or line with 12 cases and set aside.
- Puree cottage cheese: Puree the cottage cheese (do not strain it) until creamy and smooth. You can do this in the small bowl of your food processor (as I have done) or with a stick blender. Set aside.NOTE: If you use cottage cheese straight from the pot the curds can sometimes harden as they bake (which would not give these muffins a pleasant texture). That’s why it’s important to puree it before using.
- Prepare dry ingredients: Stir together the flours, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and cinnamon until thoroughly combined (I recommend using a whisk to do this). Set aside.
- Mash banana: Mash the bananas with a fork.TIP: You can puree the banana along with the cottage cheese instead, but if you are planning to puree the cottage cheese ahead it’s best to prepare these ingredients separately.
- Prepare wet ingredients: Whisk together the egg, oil, sugar and vanilla extract until creamy. Next add the mashed banana, whipped cottage cheese and walnuts.
- Assemble: Gradually add the dry mixture stirring (with a whisk) only until combined (do not overstir).
- Bake: Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan and bake in the centre of the oven for 7 minutes, then lower the heat (this is important!) to 350 F/180 C/160 fan/gas mark 4 (without opening the oven door) and continue baking for 17 more minutes.
- Cool: Remove from the oven and set aside to cool completely in the pan before serving (the flavour develops as they cool, plus the paper cases will come off easier).
Notes
- For best results use full fat (unstrained) cottage cheese (the low-fat variety can sometimes lack creaminess which can affect the texture of these muffins). To save time you can puree it in advance, cover and keep refrigerated until you are ready to make the recipe.
- Be sure to use overripe bananas (for maximum sweetness and flavour).
- Your cottage cheese and eggs should be at room temperature.
- Do not overstir the batter.
- Baking these cottage cheese banana muffins at a high temperature to start with gives them a nice rise. However, it’s important to lower the temperature after 7 minutes or your muffins will burn.
- These muffins retain their moisture for up to 3 days if you keep them covered or in an airtight container. I usually just cover them after they’ve cooled completely then place in a container the following day. After a couple of days you can refrigerate them.
- Freeze in a freezer bag or airtight container for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is automatically generated and should be considered as an estimate.
**A note about baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance's instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.
Keep in touch!
If you make this cottage cheese and banana muffin recipe I'd love to know how it turned out for you. Let me know in the comments below, thanks:)
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