Strawberry Cottage Cheese Muffins
Cottage cheese has become extremely popular these days, and for good reason! Cottage cheese is packed with protein and it provides great hydration to any batter when utilized in baking. Bake this powerful ingredient with a cup of beautiful, fresh strawberries, and you have a breakfast or snack that’s packed with nutrients, but is also vibrant and exciting.
What are the benefits of cottage cheese in baking? The main benefit of using cottage cheese when baking muffins or any dessert is that it adds moisture to the batter. Often, light and airy baked goods such as muffins can dry out easily, but with the addition of cottage cheese to the batter it will retain hydration and give you a moist final product.
Can you make strawberry muffins with frozen strawberries? Yes, you can substitute fresh strawberries for frozen when making cottage cheese muffins and you don’t have to thaw them out in advance. My recommendation would be to chop the frozen strawberries just like you would fresh in this recipe to give the muffins small bites of berries instead of large chunks.
How long do strawberry muffins last? Strawberry muffins will last for up to 4 days if stored in a sealed container at room temperature. If you want to prolong the life and freshness of these muffins, store in the refrigerator.
How to store strawberry muffins? I recommend storing strawberry muffins on the counter either in a sealed container or on a plate covered in plastic wrap to retain their freshness. If you want to preserve the freshness of the muffins for up to a week, store in the refrigerator.
Can you freeze strawberry muffins? Yes, freezing baked strawberry muffins is a great way to meal prep and always have a healthy snack or breakfast on hand. For best results, put the muffins in a tightly sealed freezer zipper bag. When you’re ready to eat, defrost the muffin in the microwave on short intervals until thawed.
How long does it take to bake strawberry muffins? How long muffins take to bake really depends on a lot of factors, but a good rule of thumb here is that these strawberry cottage cheese muffins will take 30-40 minutes to bake. When in doubt of the muffins being fully baked, continue to cook them for an additional few minutes or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center of the muffin comes out clean. This means there is no raw batter left in the middle of the muffin and that it has cooked through properly.
How to tell when strawberry muffins are done? You can tell when strawberry muffins are finished baking by their tops being golden brown and the center batter having a light, airy texture. Test the center batter by inserting a fork or toothpick into the middle of the muffin and removing it. If the toothpick comes out clean (without any wet batter sticking to it) you can rest assured your muffin is cooked through.
What other kinds of fruit can you use in cottage cheese muffins? The sky's the limit in terms of what types of fruit work well in this recipe for cottage cheese muffins. A few examples of fruit substitutions you can make for strawberries are:
Peaches
Blackberries
Raspberries
Blueberries
Apples
Bananas
How to make Strawberry Cottage Cheese Muffins:
Strawberry Cottage Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
- ¼ cup butter, softened
- ¾ cup sugar
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup flour
- ½ tsp cinnamon
- Pinch salt
- 1 tsp baking powder
- ¼ cup oats
- 1 cup diced fresh strawberries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 and spray a muffin tin with non-stick spray.
- Combine wet ingredients (butter, sugar, egg, vanilla, and cottage cheese) in a stand mixer on medium speed for about 3-5 minutes. You’re looking for the cottage cheese to break up slightly and for the batter to become light and airy.
- In a separate, small bowl combine the dry ingredients (flour, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, oats) until thoroughly distributed.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet in the stand mixer on low speed until the batter is fully cohesive.
- Chop strawberries in small 1/2 inch pieces and gently fold into the batter.
- Spoon 1/4 cup of batter into each muffin section of the pan. This recipe makes 6 muffins.
