Fruit and Oat High Protein Muffins - Caity

 
These muffins are fantastic little punches of protein and fiber.  They are delicious for an after workout treat or for a quick work snack. When I feel like I'm about to faint from hunger at work and don't have any time to take a real break, I can eat one of these guys quickly and feel satisfied. They have a nice almondy flavor and the apricot and hemp hearts give it a nice little crunch. 

This recipe comes originally from a friend of my mom's Sandae.  My mom highly adapted it (as did Sandae she thinks) and is very popular in my family and with my mom's other friend Lee Anne, whose husband likes to have two of these muffins in his lunch everyday (Lee Anne also has adapted it highly--so please feel free to do the same!). There are so many different variations you can make; like trying dried blueberries or cherries, or frozen mixed berries, or alternating different kinds of nuts or using vanilla extract instead of almond extract or you could add a little bit of cinnamon... The options are endless! My favorite way to eat them is with apricots and cranberries, either straight out of the oven or microwaved for 15 seconds and drizzled in agave. 

Makes about 16 muffins

what you'll need:

3/4 cup low-fat cottage cheese 
3 whole eggs
2 cups uncooked rolled oats (old fashioned or quick)
1/2 cup plain whey protein powder (we like Bob's Red Mill Brand - it's easy to find and doesn't have artificial sweeteners like regular protein powder does)
1 medium-to-large apple, grated using a large-holed grater
1 Tbsp almond extract (or vanilla, I like almond)
3 Tbsp sliced almonds (or other nuts) 
2-3 Tbsp chopped dried apricots
2-3 Tbsp chopped dried cranberries (or dried sour cherries)
2-3 Tbsp hemp hearts 
1-2 Tbsp chia seeds 
agave syrup, to serve



Preheat the oven to 375 F. Spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray. 

Using a hand blender or mixer, blend the cottage cheese and eggs until it is smooth. 

Add the cottage cheese/egg mixture to a large bowl and add in the rest of the ingredients. 

The batter should be quite wet. If you find it to be on the dry side, add water in 2 Tbsp increments until you have reached the desired consistency. 

Fill the muffin tins about halfway up. 

Bake until they begin to brown just a bit, only about 15 or so minutes. 

They keep on the counter for about 5 days or wrap them individually and store them in the freezer. Serve warm with a drizzle of agave syrup and enjoy! 



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