Pumpkin Protein Bread or Muffins Keto THM-Fuel-Pull
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Deliciously guilt-free Pumpkin Protein Bread or Muffins is/are keto, low-carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, nut-free, low-fat, and even THM:FP!
It’s my favorite season – PUMPKIN SEASON! But honestly, my family enjoys pumpkin bread and muffins all year around. I usually make a gluten-free/Paleo version for my family but it’s both high-carb and high-fat. While this is great for my husband and kids (they need to gain weight lol), it’s not so great for this mama. While there are tons of Keto/low-carb/THM-S pumpkin bread/muffin recipes out there, most are heavy on the fats and nut flours. However, Pumpkin Protein Bread or Muffins are light on the macros (both low-carb AND low-fat) but are heavy on deliciousness. 😋
What makes Pumpkin Protein Bread or Muffins so delicious?
Honestly, this was one of the most challenging recipes for me to develop. I wanted a pumpkin bread or muffin recipe that was light and fluffy but also moist and tender. And I also wanted that perfect pumpkin spice flavor and richness (but without the fat – so no whole eggs, cream, butter, etc). And I needed it to be high-protein, too, so that it’s a meal in itself.
I initially tried making it with collagen and nonfat Greek yogurt. While it was yummy, it still wasn’t perfect to me. I experimented with a ton of things. But, the combination of oat fiber, whey protein isolate, psyllium husks, low-fat cottage cheese, and Laughing Cow Light cheese (LCLC) was the winner.
Yes, you read that right, this recipe uses LCLC. While it is an optional ingredient (though it’s easily found in most grocery stores), it provides the perfect amount of richness without the fat. Don’t worry, it doesn’t make the bread/muffins taste like cheese, I promise! LCLC is a soft cheese that tastes more like cream cheese.
You also won’t be able to taste the cottage cheese, either! Like the LCLC, cottage cheese is added for more richness (and moisture and protein), but without the fat.
Pumpkin Protein Bread or Muffins is/are so easy to make, too!
Whether you make this recipe as bread or muffins, they are equally easy. The bread does take a little longer to bake than the muffins do but neither takes more than an hour from start to finish.
And the batter is mostly made in the blender. If you want, you can blend all the ingredients in the blender, or transfer to a bowl (after blending wet ingredients) and stir-in the dry ingredients by hand.
It is important to bring your wet ingredients to room temperature, though, to get lighter bread or muffins. But you can speed up this process by measuring out your wet ingredients into a Pyrex measuring cup or small bowl and submerging the container into a basin of hot tap water and stirring occasionally while preparing your dry ingredients.
This recipe makes 1 loaf (I use a 1.5qt loaf pan) or about 12 large-ish muffins. You’ll know they’re ready when the tops become firm and a toothpick or butter knife comes out clean in the middle. While I know it’s hard to wait, it’s best to let the bread or muffins cool (mostly) before slicing/enjoying since they continue to cook for a little while after coming out of the oven.
Don’t forget the sugar-free chocolate chips/chunks or Fuel-Pull cream cheese frosting!
I intentionally designed the macros of this Pumpkin Protein Bread or Muffin recipe to be low-fat enough (while still being high-protein and low-carb) that 2 slices or muffins could be enjoyed in a meal. And, while it’s delicious just the way it is, even traditionally THM-S ingredients like sugar-free chocolate chips/chunks and cream cheese frosting, can be added, too. 😋
Since this is a THM-FP recipe (5g fat or less per meal), we have to limit THM-S ingredients like chocolate chips and cream cheese frosting. And the amounts that can be used will depend on which specific ingredients you choose to use in your recipe.
The oat fiber version:
If you make yours with oat fiber (and LCLC), you can add up to:
172g (~3/4 cup) Lily’s chocolate chips
Or:
92g (~10 TBS) of my homemade chocolate chunks
Or you can top with a full serving (based on a full recipe making 16 servings) of this yummy THM-FP Cream Cheese Frosting.
Before adding chocolate chips/chunks or frosting, each slice or muffin (based on making 12 servings) is:
59 calories, 1.7g net carbs, 0.7g fat, and 9.8g protein.
The THM Baking Blend version:
If substituting THM Baking Blend (I make my own with this) for the oat fiber, I recommend omitting the LCLC (to reduce fat since THMBB is higher in fat than oat fiber) if you want to add chocolate chips.
You can add up to:
114g (~1/2 cup) of Lily’s chocolate chips
Or:
61g (~6 TBS) of my homemade chocolate chunks
Or you could top with the FP Cream Cheese Frosting, but you may need to use less than a full serving of frosting (if you include LCLC). Though, I honestly never use a full serving myself anyway.
Based on a full frosting recipe making 16 servings, each serving is about:
24 calories, 1.1g net carbs, 0.8g fat, and 2.4g protein.
Each slice or muffin (based on 12 servings made with THMBB and LCLC) is 80 calories, 2.1g net carbs, 1.8g fat, and 12g protein.
Sorry that’s a ton of numbers! 😜 But, if you only plan to have one slice/muffin in a sitting, you can add more chocolate chips/frosting than noted above. Or, if you don’t want to mess with the numbers, it makes a yummy THM-S (where you can have more fat) treat, too!
The ultimate versatile treat!
Not only is this Pumpkin Protein Bread or Muffin recipe delicious and has the ideal macros, it can also be enjoyed in THM-E and THM-S settings, as well as THM-FP.
I love being able to make something for myself, like fuel-pull bread or muffins, and know that I can enjoy it in any setting (except Deep-S). It’s just so much easier to make one yummy versatile fuel-pull treat rather than to have separate THM-S or THM-E treats around.
And I love how breads and muffins freeze and reheat well, too! And they’re the perfect healthy convenience food, too! Just grab and go (while loading up on veggies and protein)! And they can be enjoyed for breakfast, as a snack, or as a dessert!
While I haven’t tried it yet, this recipe would also likely make a fabulous cake, too! 🍰
Pumpkin Protein Bread or Muffins Keto THM-Fuel-Pull
Course: THM-Fuel-Pull, Snack, Breakfast, DessertCuisine: AmericanDifficulty: Easy12
servings10
minutes18
minutes59
kcalDeliciously guilt-free Pumpkin Protein Bread or Muffins are keto, low-carb, sugar-free, gluten-free, nut-free, low-fat, and even THM:FP!
Ingredients
- Wet Ingredients (room temperature):
183g or 3/4 cup pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin filling!)
184g or 3/4 cup egg whites
113g or 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese (I use Daisy 2%)
4 wedges Laughing Cow Light Cheese (LCLC), optional
2 tsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp maple extract (optional)
1/4 tsp butter extract (optional)
20 drops liquid stevia (optional, to taste)
- Dry Ingredients:
75g or 1 cup oat fiber for nut-free (or 117g or 1 cup THM Baking Blend or make your own with this)
84g or 3/4 cup whey protein isolate
1/2 cup sweetener* (I use Lakanto Golden) – note that this recipe is only lightly sweet but it pairs perfectly with the sweetness of the frosting/chocolate chips. You could add more sweetener if you prefer.
1 TBS finely ground psyllium husks (I buy NOW whole psyllium husks and grind in coffee/spice mill before measuring)
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
2.5 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground clove
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp xanthan gum
- Optional Add-Ins/Toppings:
Sugar-free chocolate chips can be folded into mixed batter or added to tops of bread or muffins. If using oat fiber, you can add up to 172g (~3/4 cup) Lily’s chocolate chips or 92g (~10 TBS) of my homemade chocolate chunks. If using THMBB, I recommend omitting the LCLC (to reduce fat) if you want to add chocolate chips. You can add up to 114g (~1/2 cup) Lily’s or 61g (~6 TBS) of my homemade chocolate chunks.
Top with FP cream cheese frosting, but serving size will vary depending on ingredients you use in your bread or muffins. Based on a full frosting recipe making 16 servings, each serving is about 24 calories, 1.1g net carbs, 0.8g fat, and 2.4g protein.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350* and grease (I use coconut oil spray) or line (with parchment paper or muffin wrappers) either a 1.5qt loaf pan or muffin pan.
- Measure out wet ingredients into small bowl or Pyrex measuring cup and submerge container into basin of hot tap water, stirring occasionally, to quickly bring ingredients to room temperature.
- While waiting for wet ingredients to come to room temperature, measure and mix dry ingredients into medium sized mixing bowl.
- When wet ingredients are room temperature, pour them into a blender and blend until smooth. Then either pour out into dry ingredients and mix by hand or slowly add dry ingredients to the blender with the wet ingredients. If mix in blender, occasionally stop and scrape sides to ensure ingredients are thoroughly mixed. If adding sugar-free chocolate chips to batter, fold them in by hand at the end (or wait and put on top of bread or muffins just before putting in oven).
- Then pour batter into either prepared loaf pan or muffin pan. If making muffins, it should make about 12 large muffins. Muffins need to bake for 18-25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean and tops are firm. Bread should bake for 45-60 minutes (cover with foil when top starts to brown around 25 minute mark) or until knife comes out clean in center. These continue to cook as they cool, so it’s best to wait until cooled (or mostly cooled) before slicing or eating. Top muffins with optional FP cream cheese frosting when fully cooled (or spread on slice of bread just before eating). Enjoy!
- Store in fridge or freezer (they freeze and reheat well!)
Notes
- If any ingredients appear to have a line through them, just click to side of ingredient (or on another ingredient) and the line should disappear. It’s a feature of the recipe plugin that allows people to cross off ingredients as they add them to a recipe. Also, the print feature of this plugin is a little wonky so always check over recipe print-outs to make sure all ingredients are included and correct. Another option is to copy and paste the recipe text and print through a different program.
- The macro breakdown:
- If using oat fiber (not including chocolate chips/chunks), each slice or muffin is 59 calories, 1.7g net carbs, 0.7g fat, and 9.8g protein.
- If using THMBB (with LCLC and no chocolate chips), each slice or muffin is 80 calories, 2.1g net carbs, 1.8g fat, and 12g protein.
- As mentioned, I have tested this recipe with collagen and Greek yogurt. These ingredients can be substituted for the WPI and the cottage cheese but the batter will be “wet” and the final product will be more dense.
- If using a different sweetener, check out this sweetener conversion chart.
Nutrition Facts
12 servings per container
- Amount Per ServingCalories59
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat
0.7g
2%
- Total Carbohydrate
8.4g
3%
- Dietary Fiber 6.7g 27%
- Protein 9.8g 20%
* The % Daily Value tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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