Salted Caramel Muffins

Almond meal muffins with salted caramel protein through the batter and a two-ingredient whipped coconut frosting. Makes ten, at 228 calories and 16 g of protein each.

Twenty to twenty-five minutes in the oven, plus chilling a tin of coconut milk overnight.

Ingredients

Muffins

• 1 cup almond meal
• 1/4 cup buckwheat flour
• 1/4 cup coconut sugar
• 4 scoops salted caramel protein powder
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tbsp psyllium husk
• Pinch of salt
• 2 large eggs
• 1/4 cup almond milk
• 1/4 cup coconut yoghurt (or natural Greek yoghurt)
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Frosting

• 1 can coconut milk solids (refrigerate the can overnight)
• 1 white chocolate protein mousse sachet

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C and line or grease a muffin tray.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine the almond meal, buckwheat flour, coconut sugar, protein powder, salt, baking powder and psyllium husk.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond milk, coconut yoghurt and vanilla.
4. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and combine well.
5. Pour 1/4 cup of mixture into each muffin hole.
6. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until golden and cooked through. Cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
7. To make the frosting, spoon the coconut milk solids from the can and mix well with the white chocolate mousse until thick and creamy. Refrigerate to set while the muffins cool.
8. Once the muffins are cool, top with frosting.

Nutrition

Per muffin: 228 calories, 16 g protein, 8 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat.

Why chill the coconut milk overnight?

Because it is the only way to separate the solids from the water, and the frosting is made from the solids alone.

A tin of full-fat coconut milk left upright in the fridge overnight separates: thick white cream rises to the top, thin water sits underneath. You scoop the solid part and leave the water behind. Shake the tin, or use it at room temperature, and you get a runny mixture that will never whip.

Three things that go wrong:

• Using light coconut milk. Not enough fat to separate. It must be full fat.
• Moving the can. Put it in the fridge and leave it alone.
• Scooping too deep. Stop when you reach the water.

Save the coconut water for a smoothie rather than throwing it out.

Why are mine dry?

Four scoops of protein powder is a lot for ten muffins, and that is where the risk sits.

• Weigh it rather than scooping. Scoop sizes vary enormously between brands, so four scoops of one powder can be half again as much as four of another. Around 25 to 30 g per scoop is typical.
• Check at 20 minutes. Almond meal browns before the centre is done, so colour will mislead you. A skewer with moist crumbs is right.
• Do not skip the yoghurt. It is providing moisture that almond meal cannot.

If your batter looks stiff before it goes in the tin, add a tablespoon of almond milk. It should drop from a spoon, not hold its shape.

What is the psyllium husk for?

Structure. There is no gluten in almond meal or buckwheat, so nothing holds the muffin together on its own.

Psyllium husk absorbs many times its weight in liquid and forms a gel that does a similar job. Leave it out and these will crumble when you peel the case away. Ground chia or flaxseed is the closest substitute if you have none.

Can I make them without the frosting?

Yes, and the muffins stand up fine on their own. The frosting is presentation and sweetness rather than structure.

Without it you save the coconut milk solids, which are most of the 14 g of fat per muffin. That takes the calories down considerably.

Why do doctors and dietitians recommend food first over protein powder?

The objections are reasonable and worth knowing, even though we sell the powder.

• Most people already eat enough protein. In Australia, average intake exceeds requirements for the majority of adults. If you are already meeting your needs, a powder adds cost rather than benefit.
• Whole foods bring more with them. Eggs, dairy, fish, meat and legumes carry micronutrients and fibre a powder does not.
• Supplements are less tightly regulated than food. Buying from established brands matters.
• It can displace better options. A shake instead of a meal is usually a nutritional downgrade.

Where a powder earns its place is convenience and higher requirements: people training hard, older adults preserving muscle, anyone struggling to hit their intake through food alone. That is a real use case, and narrower than the marketing suggests.

Which protein powder should I use?

Salted caramel as written. Vanilla and white chocolate both work. Fruit flavours do not.

Whey blends most reliably in baking. Plant protein absorbs more liquid, so add a tablespoon or two of almond milk if you use it.

100% Whey Protein is our house-brand option, and the full protein range is worth comparing on price per serve.

How long do they keep?

• Fridge. Up to five days once frosted, and they need refrigerating because of the coconut frosting.
• Bench. Three days unfrosted in an airtight container.
• Freezer. Up to three months, unfrosted.

For more like this, browse the full recipe collection.