High-Protein Muffin Tops Recipe [Gluten-Free]

These high-protein muffin tops earn a spot in your breakfast rotation because they solve an actual problem: mornings when you need something fast, filling, and already made. As a nutrition coach, I built these to be a real breakfast, not just a snack, with enough protein in them to actually hold you over instead of leaving you hungry by 10am (hint: I enjoy mine alongside dairy-free scrambled eggs for a full meal).

There's no special pan, no portioning, and no waiting around for anything to set. You drop the batter and bake. Plus, they reheat beautifully, meaning you can make them the night before, fitting into an actual make-ahead routine instead of adding one more thing to your morning to-do list (this is also the idea behind my Rise and Chill Breakfast Ebook: making mornings easier).

Ingredients and Substitutions

Most of the ingredients are basic gluten-free pantry staples you should have on hand.

• Dairy-free yogurt: I use a Greek vegan yogurt for the recipe to pack in more protein. A regular dairy-free yogurt will work, but the texture will be slightly different as regular yogurt is thinner. The same goes for frozen yogurt protein bars.
• Fruit: I use frozen cherries for the recipe, but any fruit, frozen or not will work. We recently made apple cinnamon muffin tops, and they came out perfect.
• Applesauce: This can be substituted with more yogurt or with canned pumpkin (which is a great way to change the flavor!).
• Collagen or protein powder is what makes these muffin tops so high in protein. You can omit it and add ⅛ of a cup more gluten-free flour if you don’t have it. Learn more about what collagen powder is and why it’s such an amazing protein.

How To Make High Protein Muffin Tops

Step 1: In a large bowl, combine all the dry ingredients.

Step 2: One by one, add in the wet ingredients and mix well, making sure no dry clumps remain.

Step 3: Stir in the frozen cherries until just coated.

Step 4: Portion onto a lined baking sheet and sprinkle some cane sugar on top if using.

Step 5: Bake for 21 minutes and let cool on the pan. Serve warm

How To Store and Meal Prep Them

As mentioned, you can make these muffin tops in advance and just bust them out when needed to save you precious kitchen time (great for busy mornings with kids!).

Fridge: Store leftover muffin tops once cooled in an airtight container in a single layer or separated between layers of parchment paper for up to 3 days.

Freeze: Freeze the muffin tops between layers of parchment paper and then in a freezer-safe bag for up to 2 months. Let them thaw in the fridge overnight.

Reheating: Place them on a lined baking sheet and pop them in the oven at 200F for 10-20 minutes until heated through.

Serving Them

We like to serve ours sprinkled with a bit of cane sugar and a little drizzle of maple syrup. It makes for sticky hands, but the maple-cherry combination is delicious. I personally enjoy two of them with a hard-boiled egg or two for a complete breakfast (learn more about how to eat more protein).

You can use these gluten-free muffin tops alongside fruit for an easy school morning breakfast or as part of a larger brunch with dairy-free egg casserole.