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Close up of four Blueberry and cottage cheese muffins on a cooling rack.

Blueberry Cottage Cheese Muffins (Naturally Sweetened, with Lemon)

Marissa
Moist, fluffy blueberry cottage cheese muffins sweetened with maple syrup or honey. No refined sugar. Two methods, quick one-bowl or a longer airier version, and juicy blueberries in every bite.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 23 minutes
Total Time 38 minutes
Course Breakfast, Brunch, lunch, Snack
Cuisine Baltic, European
Servings 12 muffins
Calories 190 kcal

Equipment

  • 1 12-cup muffin tin
  • 2 Mixing Bowls
  • 1 Whisk
  • 1 Rubber Spatula
  • Electric hand mixer (Optional) To whip the egg whites
  • 1 Blender Optional - or food processor, or stick blender is useful for smoothing the cottage cheese.

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour (240 grams) or white whole wheat flour
  • 1½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ⅓ cup maple syrup or honey
  • ⅓ cup unsalted butter (75 grams) softened to room temperature
  • 2 large whole eggs at room temperature
  • ½ cup whole milk at room temperature
  • 1 cup cottage cheese 240 grams full fat is best, lightly blended or processed until smooth if you have time
  • 1½ teaspoons lemon zest or vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon cinnamon optional
  • 1½ cups fresh blueberries or 1¼ cups frozen, unthawed - this recipe depends on the natural sweetness of the blueberries, rather than sugar, so there are 1 1/2 cups. Literally a bite of blueberries in every bite!

Instructions
 

Quick Method

  • Preheat your oven to 375°F / 190°C. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or line with paper liners.
  • Step 1. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Set aside. Keep the eggs whole for this method, no need to separate them.
  • Step 2. In a large bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, maple syrup, melted butter or oil, cottage cheese, whole milk, and lemon zest or vanilla extract. The butter needs to be fully melted or very soft; cold butter won't incorporate properly. Lumps from the cottage cheese are fine.
  • Step 3. Sift the dry ingredients over the wet and fold gently with a rubber spatula until just incorporated. Stop the moment the flour disappears. Overmixing is the main thing that goes wrong here.
  • Step 4. Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour, then fold them gently into the batter.
  • Step 5. Divide among the 12 muffin cups, about ¾ full. The batter should be thick and scoopable, not pourable. If it looks very thin, your cottage cheese may have been wet; fold in an extra tablespoon of flour.
  • Step 6. Bake at 375°F / 190°C for 5 minutes, then drop the temperature to 350°F / 175°C without opening the oven and bake another 15–18 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Starting hot gives you a good dome; finishing lower cooks the center through properly.
  • Step 7. Cool in the pan for 3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack. Don't leave them sitting; the bottoms go soggy.

Longer Method (for the lightest, fluffiest muffins)

  • Preheat your oven to 375°F / 190°C. Grease or line a 12-cup muffin tin.
  • Step 1. Whisk or sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a bowl. Set aside.
  • Step 2. Toss the blueberries with 1 tablespoon of flour. Set aside.
  • Step 3. Pulse the cottage cheese in a food processor or blender for about 30 seconds until smooth. Optional, but it adds air and means no visible curds in the finished muffin.
  • Step 4. Beat the softened butter in a large bowl with an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Using oil instead? Just whisk it with the egg yolks, maple syrup, and lemon zest or vanilla extract, then continue with Step 6.
  • Step 5. Separate the eggs. Add the yolks, maple syrup, and lemon zest or vanilla extract to the butter. Beat until fluffy and pale.
  • Step 6. Beat in the blended cottage cheese until light, about 1 minute. Add the milk and beat until the mixture looks airy.
  • Step 7. Add the dry ingredients in two additions, folding with a rubber spatula until the streaks just disappear. Stop there.
  • Step 8. In a clean bowl, beat the egg whites until soft peaks form.
  • Step 9. Add the blueberries and egg whites to the batter together. Fold with just a few strokes. A couple of white streaks are fine. Don't overdo it or you'll lose all the air you just built up.
  • Step 10. Divide among the muffin cups, about ¾ full. Bake at 375°F / 190°C for 5 minutes, then drop the temperature to 350°F / 175°C without opening the oven and bake another 15–18 minutes. Use a toothpick, not the color. These stay paler than traditional muffins because of the cottage cheese.
  • Step 11. Cool in the pan for 3 minutes, then move to a wire rack.

Notes

  • Use a silicone muffin tin or skip paper liners if eating same day; they stick.
  • Rely on the toothpick test, not the color; these stay paler than traditional muffins because of the cottage cheese.
  • Store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days, or freeze for up to 2 months.

Nutrition

Calories: 190kcalCarbohydrates: 26gProtein: 6gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 0.5gMonounsaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0.2gCholesterol: 45mgSodium: 267mgPotassium: 102mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 248IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 77mgIron: 1mg
Keyword Baltic baking, Blueberries, blueberry cottage cheese muffins, blueberry muffins with maple syrup, Cottage Cheese, cottage cheese muffins, healthy blueberry muffins, healthy breakfast muffins, muffins without refined sugar, naturally sweetened blueberry muffins, protein-rich cottage cheese muffins
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