Levain-Style High-Protein Cottage Cheese Chocolate Chip Muffins (Bakery-Style Eggless, Naturally Sweetened Recipe)
Bakery-style Levain-inspired chocolate chip muffins made with cottage cheese for extra protein and moisture. These eggless muffins feature tall domed tops, crisp bakery-style edges, naturally sweetened flavor, and soft chocolate-filled interiors — perfect for breakfast, snacks, or healthy desserts.
Ingredients
Wet Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese full-fat recommended
- ¼ cup milk or unsweetened kefir
- ⅓ cup avocado oil or vegetable oil
- ⅓ cup maple syrup or ¼ cup honey
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 tbsp coconut sugar or date sugar, optional
Dry Ingredients
- 1¾ cup all-purpose flour or 1:1 gluten free baking powder
- 2 tsp baking powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ½ tsp salt
- 1⅓ cup chocolate chips divided. I love to chop my chocolate or use an assortment of milk chocolate, semi-sweet chocolate, and dark chocolate.
- Turbinado sugar for pre-baking topping, optional
- Sea salt for post-baked topping, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F (204°C). Line and grease or grease a 12-cup muffin pan.
- Blend cottage cheese until completely smooth using a blender or food processor.
- Mix your wet ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in the cottage cheese.
- Whisk together your dry ingredients.
- Fold dry ingredients into wet ingredients just until combined. Do not overmix.
- Toss 1 cup chocolate chips lightly with flour and fold into batter.
- Rest batter for 5 minutes to hydrate flour and improve muffin rise.
- Divide batter into muffin cups, filling nearly to the top for bakery-style domes.
- Add remaining chocolate chips and sprinkle tops with coarse sugar if desired.
- Bake at 400°F for 5 minutes, then reduce oven to 350°F (177°C) and bake an additional 14–17 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out with moist crumbs. Watch carefully.
- Remove from the oven and sprinkle muffins sea salt, if using. Cool in pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.
Notes
Notes
- Egg-free: Cottage cheese provides structure and protein.
- For tall domes, do not underfill muffin cups.
- Use full-fat cottage cheese for best texture.
- Muffins stay moist for several days due to high protein content.
🥗 Estimated Nutrition (Per Muffin)
(Approximate values based on 12 muffins, using maple syrup and dark chocolate chips.)- Calories: ~210 kcal
- Protein: ~7–9 g
- Carbohydrates: ~26 g
- Sugar: ~11 g (naturally sweetened)
- Fat: ~9 g
- Saturated Fat: ~2 g
- Fiber: ~1–2 g
- Sodium: ~180 mg