Blueberry muffins (low carb, high protein)

Muffins have a standing place in my quick, easy, healthy breakfast options. I tweaked a blueberry muffin recipe I've used for years to cut down on the carbs and increase the protein. You can experiment with other protein powders, but I've found the best results with the Jarrow brand, which has no additives or bulking agents. As an added bonus, these muffins freeze well- just defrost them in the fridge overnight. According to My Fitness Pal, the nutrition per muffin is: 135 calories, 11 grams fat, 9 grams carbs, 1 gram dietary fiber, 7 grams protein.

Ingredients

1 1/4 cup almond flour

1/2 cup unflavored whey protein (I use Jarrow brand)

1/3 cup granulated sugar or sugar substitute (I use Swerve- erythritol)

1 tsp baking powder

1/8 tsp sea salt 

3 tbsp olive oil 

1/4 cup non-dairy milk (I use almond milk, or almond-coconut milk)

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1/2 tsp orange extract (you can use vanilla if you do not have orange)

3/4 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen- if frozen, do NOT defrost)

Directions

1.  Line a regular-size muffin tin with paper liners.  Preheat the over to 350 F. 

2.  In a large bowl, sift together the almond flour, whey protein, sugar (or sugar substitute), baking powder and sea salt.  Mix well to ensure the dry ingredients are uniform and not clumpy.

3.  In a smaller bowl, mix the olive oil, non-dairy milk, eggs, and vanilla extract until it is smooth. 

4.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until there are no lumps.  Do not over mix! 

5.  Gently fold in the blueberries.

6.  Fill the muffin cups approximately 3/4 full (to allow a little room to grow). 

7.  Bake 20-25 mins.  If you insert a toothpick in the middle, it should come out clean.