4 High Protein Pumpkin Recipes You'll Want on Repeat

If you love pumpkin season and you're looking for more easy, delicious ways to get more protein into your diet, this video is for you because I am sharing four of my absolute favorite high-protein pumpkin recipes. Starting with my protein pumpkin muffins, my delicious protein pancakes, a creamy pumpkin smoothie, and then for a savory twist, I'm also showing you how to make my turkey pumpkin chili. These are all simple, delicious recipes that are perfect for fall. But before we jump in, I'd like to thank today's sponsor, Wild Grain. Wild Grain delivers delicious artisan breads, pastries, and fresh pastas right to your door, and I'm gonna share more on them in just a bit. But first things first, let's make some pumpkin protein muffins. These are so good. They're soft, they're fluffy, they're sprinkled with chocolate chips, and each muffin gets a great boost of protein thanks to the combination of Greek yogurt and protein powder. Now, my favorite thing about this recipe is it all takes place in one big bowl. So grab your bowl, and then you're gonna start with one and 1 1⁄4 cup of canned pumpkin puree. Now, for this recipe and all of these recipes, make sure that you are grabbing pumpkin puree. The only ingredient that should read on the can is canned pumpkin. Sometimes people grab the pumpkin pie mix, and that has a lot of sugar and added spices. That's not what we want. So we're gonna keep it very simple. Look for the pumpkin puree. Then I have 1 1⁄3 cup plain nonfat Greek yogurt, two large eggs, two tablespoons of melted coconut oil. This could also be butter, but I find when baking, I really like the texture that coconut oil brings. I feel like it just makes for a little bit of a more moist muffin. And then two teaspoons of vanilla extract. I'm gonna give this a good mix. I like to start with my fork because it just helps to break down the yolks a bit. And then I switch to my handy-dandy spatula to finish the job. Get that all mixed really well, and then it's on to our dry ingredients, starting with two and 1 1⁄4 cup oat flour, a half a cup of protein powder. Now, the type of protein powder you use does make a difference. I would recommend using a whey protein powder as my first choice. You could also do a plant-based protein powder. But I do find that while I really enjoy the beef isolate proteins as well, they don't bake as well. So I will link to a couple options down in the description box below if you wanna check them out of the types of protein I would use for a muffin like this. Then I have 1 3rd cup coconut sugar. You could really do any granulated sugar here. One tablespoon plus an extra teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice. That's gonna get all of the warm, cozy flavors. And then to keep them nice and fluffy, I've got two and 1⁄2 teaspoons of baking powder, a half a teaspoon of baking soda, and then just one teaspoon of sea salt. Again, I'm just gonna mix this until I have a nice, thick, hearty muffin batter. And then a half a cup of chocolate chips, although I usually save a few of them to sprinkle over the top. I just love the combination of pumpkin and chocolate together. It is so delicious. But keep in mind, you could really do any stir in that you prefer. So a raisin, a cranberry, a walnut, a pecan, or a combination of any of the above would be absolutely delicious. Now, once you've got this all mixed together, you wanna let the batter sit for about 10 minutes because the oat flour and the protein powder are going to slowly begin to absorb some of that moisture. And as the batter gets nice and thick, that is what's gonna create those nice, big, fluffy, domed muffin tops that we all know and love so well. In the meantime, I am gonna prepare my muffin pan. So you need a 12-cup muffin pan. And if you had muffin liners, that would be my first choice to just keep things really easy, but I don't have them. So I am just lining each cup with a little bit of coconut oil. Of course, this could be butter, or it could be a cooking spray. You just wanna make sure you have something in the muffin cup so that the muffins don't stick. Then I usually go about 3 1⁄4 of the way up with each muffin. And if I have extra batter at the end, I go back again and just top them off. Few extra chocolate chips over the top just for fun and pretty. And then these are going into a 375-degree Fahrenheit oven, anywhere between 20 and 25 minutes. You're gonna know they're done because they're gonna be lightly browned on top. The kitchen is going to be very fragrant. And when you stick a toothpick in the center, it should come out clean. I wish you could smell these. They are so good. They're soft, they're fluffy. They have little bits of chocolate throughout. And each muffin delivers 11 grams of protein and four grams of fiber. They would be perfect for breakfast as a pre- or post-workout snack, or if you just like a little something sweet in the afternoon. Okay, so next up we have a clean and delicious classic. I am making my pumpkin protein pancakes. And these couldn't be any easier to make because everything just goes straight into the blender. And these pancakes get their protein from a combination of egg whites and cottage cheese. So you don't even need any protein powder. So into the blender goes one cup of good old-fashioned rolled oats, 3⁄4 of a cup of egg whites, which is 180 grams. By the way, if you use egg whites often, I highly suggest buying them pre-separated like this, because not only is it super convenient, but then you also don't have a whole bunch of extra egg yolks that you have to figure out what to do with. Then I've got a half a cup of cottage cheese and one quarter cup of canned pumpkin puree. Then for a little bit of sweetness, I'm adding a tablespoon of maple syrup and then one teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice for that warm, cozy fall flavor. And that's all you need, just six simple ingredients. I'm gonna pop my lid on, blend this until I have a nice, thick, pourable pancake batter, just like this. Then you're just gonna cook them just the way you would any type of pancake, okay? I've got a nice, large nonstick skillet heating over a medium heat. I'm doing just a light coating of coconut oil to make sure the pancakes don't stick. Then I like to pour these straight from the blender. And I usually keep them on the smaller side, small to medium, and make about three pancakes at a time. You're gonna know that they're ready to flip because the sides are gonna start to set up and you're gonna see these little bubbles over the top. So then you just get right underneath them, flip them over, give them another minute or so until they're golden brown and cooked through, get them out of the pan, and then repeat until you've worked through all the batter. Now, quick side note, these pancakes are on the thinner side which I really enjoy, but if you want a fluffier pancake, all you need to do is add two teaspoons of baking powder to your blender right before you mix up all of your ingredients. And then that's gonna create a nice fluffy pumpkin pancake. So they're both absolutely delicious. It's just a matter of personal preference. I love topping these pancakes with some chopped nuts and then a little drizzle of maple syrup over the top. But almond butter, chocolate chips, fresh berries, bananas, these would all be delicious. So definitely have some fun with your toppings. These are so good. They're super light and they just have the perfect pumpkin spice flavor. Now, this recipe is going to get you two servings and each serving delivers 13 grams of protein. And keep in mind, these are also fantastic for meal prep because they will last up to five days in the fridge and for a couple of months in the freezer. Okay, now, before we jump into recipe number three, I just wanna share more about today's sponsor, Wild Grain. Now, I discovered Wild Grain about a year ago and I became a big fan. It's a monthly subscription box filled with artisan breads, pastries, homemade pastas that you can bake straight from the freezer. You can choose from classic, vegan, and gluten-free. Each box is fully customizable and they're always adding new and seasonal products to choose from. For instance, our most recent box included these gorgeous apple cider donuts, which are a fan favorite. We actually got these last year as well and I was very excited to see them again. Maple Belgian waffles, and then also these tear and share cranberry pecan rolls. And I have to tell you, I am a sucker for any type of nut and fruit bread and these were so good. Our box also included a garlic butter baguette, ham and cheese croissants, classic croissants, which are absolutely delicious, and then these super yummy protein blast oatmeal raisin breakfast cookies, which quickly became a family favorite. Each one of these cookies packs in 13 grams of protein, so they're super satisfying and they give you a little extra staying power when you want something sweet. But what I really love about having wild grain in the freezer is that it makes everyday meals feel a little more special without creating more work. Everything bakes straight from frozen in 25 minutes or less, no thawing required. So it's great for busy weeknights, school lunches, weekend breakfasts, or whenever you want something delicious without a lot of effort. So if you'd like to give wild grain a try, and I recommend that you do, I'm gonna leave all of the information for you along with my link down in the description box below. Just be sure that you use my code DANNYSPEES because this is gonna get you $30 off of your first box, plus free croissants in every box for the life of your membership. Okay, so back to our pumpkin recipes. Recipe number three is the easiest of them all. It is a thick and creamy pumpkin pie spice protein smoothie. And this literally takes just two minutes to make. So into my blender, I'm starting with one cup of unsweetened almond milk, although this could really be any type of milk you love or have on hand. Then I have one cup of that canned pumpkin puree, two frozen bananas, and I like to break them into little chunks because they just blend a little bit more easily. Then I have two tablespoons of almond butter, although again, this could be any nut or seed butter you have on hand, and then one scoop of vanilla protein powder, half a teaspoon of pumpkin pie spice, and half of a teaspoon of cinnamon. Now you could add a few ice cubes at this point too if you want a really thick, cold smoothie, but I find between the frozen bananas and then the pumpkin puree, it is thick enough and cold enough for my personal liking. Then all you're gonna do is blend that until you've got this thick, smooth, creamy pumpkin pie smoothie. So simple, so delicious. This makes two servings, and each serving delivers 26 grams of protein. So it's great for an easy breakfast. It's also fantastic pre or post-workout, and it's a really great option when you just want something sweet, but you wanna keep it balanced. Moving along to our final pumpkin recipe, we are taking a turn, and we're gonna switch from sweet to savory, and I'm showing you how I make my turkey pumpkin chili with black beans. So I've got a nice big pot heating up over a medium heat, and to that I'm adding one tablespoon of olive oil, and then in goes one chopped onion, one chopped bell pepper, two chopped carrots, and then I have a few cloves of chopped up garlic as well. I'll season that with just a little bit of salt, mix everything together, and then I let this saute for about six to eight minutes. The goal is for those veggies to become nice and tender, and for the onions to turn translucent. Then I'm gonna push all my veggies over to one side of the pot, and we're gonna add in one pound of lean ground turkey, and I'm just gonna season that with some sea salt and a little bit of black pepper. And then I'm gonna break up this meat until I have small crumbles, and then the goal here is for the turkey to turn from pink to opaque. So I have one tablespoon of chili powder, one teaspoon of warm, smoky cumin, and then just an eighth of a teaspoon of cinnamon. Now I know that that cinnamon is a little bit unexpected, but you just have to trust me with this one. It works so well in this chili. It really adds this layer of depth and warmth. It's perfect. And then it's time to add the star of the show, which is one 15-ounce can of pumpkin puree, which not only adds lots of vitamins and minerals and fiber, but the texture of the pumpkin puree adds a lot of body to the chili as well. So it creates this very thick, hearty, comforting pot of chili. And then we're gonna do one 15-ounce can of fire-roasted diced tomatoes, one can of black beans that I've drained and rinsed as well, and then three cups of low-sodium chicken broth. I'm gonna give this another stir, get everything really well incorporated. Then I like to turn up my heat, bring the whole pot up to a boil, and then I turn it back down, and then just let this simmer for about 20 minutes. As it cooks, all of those flavors are gonna come together, and you're gonna see that it thickens up a bit as well. This is truly seasonal comfort food at its best. And extra bonus, each serving delivers 27 grams of protein and 10 grams of fiber. So this chili is super satisfying, and it's another great option for meal prep, because if you store this in an airtight container, you can have it in your fridge for up to five days and for a couple of months in the freezer. So there you have it, four easy, healthy, delicious, high-protein pumpkin recipes that you can enjoy all season long. And while I don't think I could really pick a favorite, I am very curious to know which one of these recipes do you think you're gonna try first? Is it gonna be the muffins, the pancakes, the smoothie, or the chili? Come on down to the comment section below and let me know. And don't forget, if you wanna check out Wild Grain, I've got all that information for you down in the description box below. As always, I thank you for watching. And if you're looking for more healthy, seasonal inspiration, make sure you check this video out next. Cheers.