Description
Warm chai-spiced cottage cheese muffins bring comfort straight from your kitchen, packed with aromatic spices that dance across your taste buds. Grab a mug of tea and savor these tender breakfast treats that blend Indian-inspired flavors with classic bakery charm.
Ingredients
Scale
Main Protein and Dairy:
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup milk
Wet Ingredients:
- ¼ cup maple syrup
- ¼ cup neutral oil
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients and Spices:
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- ½ cup whole wheat flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp salt
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground cardamom
- ½ tsp ground ginger
- ¼ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ cup chopped nuts or mini chocolate chips
Instructions
- Grab a large mixing bowl and whisk 1 cup cottage cheese, 2 large eggs, ¼ cup maple syrup, ¼ cup milk, ¼ cup oil, and 1 tsp vanilla until smooth and well combined.
- In a separate bowl, blend 1 cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup whole wheat flour, 1 ½ tsp baking powder, ¼ tsp baking soda, ¼ tsp salt, 1 ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp cardamom, ½ tsp ginger, and ¼ tsp cloves until evenly mixed.
- Gently fold the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, stirring just until ingredients are incorporated. Stop mixing as soon as no dry flour remains.
- Prepare a 12-cup muffin pan by spraying with cooking spray or lining with paper liners.
- Distribute the batter evenly across the 12 muffin cups, filling each about ¾ full.
- Place the muffin pan in a preheated oven at 375°F and bake for 18-20 minutes until the tops turn golden brown.
- Check doneness by inserting a toothpick into the center of a muffin – it should come out clean.
- Remove from oven and let the muffins rest in the pan for 5 minutes to set.
- Transfer muffins to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely before serving.
Notes
- Cottage cheese adds incredible moisture and protein to these muffins, creating a tender crumb that stays soft for days.
- Gentle mixing is crucial – overmixing will make the muffins tough, so stop stirring as soon as the flour disappears.
- Swap whole wheat flour with gluten-free blend for a celiac-friendly version, keeping the same measurement.
- Adjust spices to your taste – more cardamom brings warmth, while extra ginger adds a subtle kick.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 18-20 minutes
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Indian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 6
- Calories: 182 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 140 mg
- Fat: 8 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 22 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 7 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg