Persimmon Protein Muffins - Sweet, Spiced Surprise!

To be honest, I’ve never had persimmon before this – on its own or in a dessert – and the only reason I went for this recipe is because one of my readers emailed me asking for a persimmon dessert recipe.

Looked up some persimmon puree recipes online and went for these protein muffins. Not sure where the hint of nutmeg and topping of hazelnut came from, but these spiced muffins turmed out just perfect.

Ingredients for Persimmon Protein Muffins:

This recipe for persimmon protein muffins is made with simple and healthy ingredients; No butter, oil or sugar here.

• Persimmon Purée/Pulp from fresh, ripe persimmon or a can
• Vanilla Protein Powder as a replacement for the sugar – this is what makes this a sugarfree protein muffin recipe; I use Quest Vanilla protein powder
• Unflavored Protein Powder to replace some of the flour (and carbs) in the recipe for a slightly lower carb high protein brownie. I used Quest Nutriton Multi-purpose here.
• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour for a healthy, nutritious and whole grain muffin recipe.
• Non-fat Greek Yogurt to add even more protein and keep these low fat
• Almond Milk for some moisture
• Also makes this a dairy free muffin recipe. Feel fee to use any other non dairy or normal milk
• Eggs
• Stevia Sweetener
• Baking Soda and Baking Powder – you need them both for that perfect rise!
• Nutmeg

And then for the topping

• Macadamia Nuts

Tips for making Persimmon Muffins with Protein Powder

This recipe for persimmon protein powder muffins really is quite easy, but here’s some tips to get them perfectly light and fluffy.

• Use puréed persimmon so there’s no chunks in the muffin batter; A few are okay.
• If using fresh persimmon, make sure they are completely soft ripe (this ensures they’re sweet too). Puree using a hand mixer or blender.
• Don’t overmix the batter!

Pour the dry mix into the dry and just fold them together or too much gluten will develop, again giving you dense and gummy muffins. The protein powder could also cause toughness.

• Don’t skip out on the almond milk or the yogurt
• They add a fair bit of moisture to the muffins since there’s no oil here, also the protein powder in the muffins needs extra moisture.
• Spray the insides of the muffin pan/liners with oil spray so the muffins come off easily.
• Bake muffins at 425°F for 5 mins, then reduce temperature to 350°F and continue baking to get that perfect rise!
• That initial hot air makes the tops rise, and then the lower temperature lets the muffins continue to cook on the inside.

Can you store Persimmon Purée Muffins?

You can keep the persimmon purée breakfast muffins out at room temperature on the countertop for 2 or 3 days, or in the fridge for or 4 or 5 days. Be sure to use an airtight container.

To freeze the healthy persimmon muffins, wrap them plastic wrap, and place in a freezer-safe zipper bag. They’ll last for 2 or 3 months. Thaw them when you want a cozy persimmon dessert recipe for brunch!

Some alternatives for these Healthy Persimmon Muffins:

I made these healthy persimmon mufffins with the whole wheat pastry flour and protein powder as described, but here’s some other clean ingredients to try:

• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: All purpose flour or 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour, in the same amount by weight not cups.
• Unflavored Protein Powder: 45g more Flour, but also reduce yogurt to ½ cup (112g)
• Greek Yogurt: Coconut Yogurt
• Almond Milk: Any other milk
• Stevia Sweetener: Monkfruit sweetener (I use the one from Lakanto; Code HAYLSKITCHEN gives you a discount here) or regular sugar

Some more Protein Muffins with Fruit to try:

• Oil Free Apple Protein Muffins
• Blueberry Sausage Protein Muffins
• Cranberry Eggnog Protein Muffins
• Chocolate Banana Protein Muffins in a Blender