Lemon Blueberry Cottage Cheese Muffins
These lemon blueberry cottage cheese muffins are perfectly fluffy and packed with around 6g of protein each. Made without any refined sugar, they're perfect for baby-led weaning or high-protein toddler snacks.
I've honestly underestimated cottage cheese for years. I used to think of it as "just a bit boring", but I've completely changed my mind lately. It adds so much creaminess to baked goods, blends beautifully into batters, and gives recipes an easy protein boost without making them too heavy.
Other baby and toddler-friendly muffin recipes my kids love include these Carrot, Zucchini Banana Muffins, Sweet Potato Zucchini Muffins.
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Ingredients you'll need
- Whole wheat flour: Regular white flour would also work but is lower in fiber.
- Baking powder & baking soda: Help the muffins rise.
- Eggs: I use high-quality organic eggs- it really does make a difference.
- Oil: I usually use a neutral oil like rapeseed or light olive oil. Any neutral oil would work here.
- Fresh blueberries: You could swap for frozen but I always prefer fresh tbh.
- Dates: They are the sweetener here. Go for Deglet Noor (cheaper than Medjool). If they are't soft, soak them in hot water before using. Check out my post on baking with dates for more infos.
- Cottage cheese: There are quite a few different types out there, but for this recipe I recommend using a plain full-fat or low-fat cottage cheese with a creamy texture. Since everything gets blended anyway, small or large curd both work perfectly here.
- Lemon: We need both the juice and the zest so make so you're using an organic one.
Step-by-step instructions
Here's a quick step-by-step with photos so you can see exactly how it comes together. You'll find the full printable recipe card down below.
Step 1: In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder + soda and lemon zest.
Step 2: Add cottage cheese, eggs, oil, milk and dates to a blender and blend until smooth.
Step 3: Gently stir together wet and dry ingredients and fold in blueberries.
Step 4: Divide the batter into 12 muffin tins and bake for 20-23 minutes.
Tips for success
- Soft dates: If your dates aren't really soft straight out of the package, soak them in very hot water for about 30 minutes first.
Picky eaters tip
If your toddler has a favorite fruit other than blueberries, feel free to let them choose what goes in. Raspberries, chopped strawberries, blackberries, or even little apple pieces work really well here.
Giving little ones some choice can make them much more excited to eat what's on their plate- I talk more about that in my How to Get My Toddlers to Eat Veggies post.
Serving suggestions by age
Once your pediatrician has cleared mixed-ingredient foods, these cottage cheese blueberry lemon muffins can be a great option from around 6 months onward.
For more specific age-related serving suggestions- including how to serve muffins for 6-month-olds, 9-month-olds, and 12-month-olds check out our Healthy Muffins for Kids post.
Storage
- To store: Store the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.
- To freeze: These blueberry muffins are also freezer-friendly. Let them cool completely, then store in a freezer-safe container or bag for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: Let thaw at room temperature or warm briefly in the microwave for a few seconds until soft again.
FAQs
I recommend using plain cottage cheese, either full-fat or low-fat both work well.
Yes. They don't even need to be thawed first. Just fold them straight into the batter from frozen to stop them from bleeding too much color into the muffins. That being said, I prefer fresh ones.
Yes, definitely. I don't recommend adding liquid sweeteners like maple syrup here, as they can throw off the texture of the batter.
If you'd like sweeter muffins, add ½ cup (110 g) granulated sugar to the blender with the wet ingredients. You'll also need to increase the flour to 1 ¾ cups (260 g) instead of 1 ¼ cups to keep the muffins soft and fluffy.
More muffin recipes
- Banana Zucchini Carrot Muffins
- Sweet Potato Zucchini Muffins
- Apple Banana Carrot Muffins
- Carrot Date Muffins
Cottage Cheese Lemon Blueberry Muffins
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup (150 g) white whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon lemon zest *use an organic lemon
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup (210 g) cottage cheese
- 2 eggs
- ¼ cup (60 g) oil *I used rapeseed- see notes
- ⅛ cup (30 g) milk of choice *I used soy
- 24 dates (Deglet Noor)
- ⅛ cup (30 g) fresh lemon juice fresh (about 1 large lemon) *or granulated sugar- see notes
Fold In
- ½ cup (75 g) fresh blueberries *cleaned
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C ) and line a muffin tin with paper liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda, and lemon zest.1 cup white whole wheat flour, 2 tsp baking powder, ½ tsp baking soda, 1 tsp lemon zest
- Add the lemon juice, eggs, oil, milk of choice, dates and cottage chees to a blender. Blend until smooth and creamy.¾ cup cottage cheese, 2 eggs, ¼ cup oil, ⅛ cup milk of choice, 24 dates (Deglet Noor), ⅛ cup fresh lemon juice fresh (about 1 large lemon)
- Pour the blended wet mixture into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined. Don't overmix.
- Fold in the blueberries. If the batter feels too thick, add a splash of milk (about ⅛ cup) to loosen it slightly.½ cup fresh blueberries
- Bake for about 20-23 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out mostly clean. Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5-10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack. Let cool completely.
Equipment
- 1 (stick) blender
- 1 large mixing bowl + spatula
- 1 muffin tin + liners
- 1 wire rack
Notes
- Type of oil: Any neutral type of oil would work- I like rapeseed. If you don't mind the taste you could also try light olive oil.
- Sweetness: These muffins are lightly sweetened with dates.
If you'd like sweeter muffins, add ½ cup (110 g) granulated sugar to the blender with the wet ingredients. You'll also need to increase the flour to 1 ¾ cups (260 g) instead of 1 ¼ cups to keep the muffins soft and fluffy. Yes, definitely. Don't use any liquid sweeteners like maple syrup, as they can throw off the texture of the batter. - Picky eaters tip: If your toddler has a favorite fruit other than blueberries, feel free to let them choose what goes in. Raspberries, chopped strawberries, blackberries, or even little apple pieces work really well here.
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Storage: Store the muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months- just thaw or warm briefly before serving.
