Hello, my Kodiak Cakes recipe lovers.

It’s been a while since I dropped a new Kodiak muffin recipe on the blog.

And to make up for it, I’ve got not one, but two new holiday Kodiak muffin recipes coming your way.

This week I’m releasing the first one, my Protein-Packed Chocolate Peppermint Kodiak Muffins.

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Disclosure: Some of the links below are affiliate links. At no additional cost to you, I will earn a small commission if you click through and make a purchase. I only recommend products I have tried or genuinely believe would be beneficial. Utilizing affiliate links is one of the ways I support my blog to be able to keep delivering you guys great content. 

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As always, this Kodiak protein muffin recipe is high-protein, low-fat and full of flavor.

There are a lot of questionable protein muffin recipes out there. That’s why I began experimenting and creating my own Kodiak muffin recipes.

I felt recipes on the Kodiak boxes, while tasty, were too high in sugar, fat and calories.

On the flip side, the Kodiak protein muffin recipes I found online (and I tried quite a few) were lower in fat and calories but also turned out dry, lacking in flavor and were just a mouthful of disappointment.

If you’re going to have a muffin, even a healthy one, it should still at least taste like a muffin, right? Not a mouthful of sand?

I wanted a protein muffin that was low-fat, low-sugar and packed with protein and complex carbs. And I wanted it to taste like a muffin.

Light. Moist. So tasty you can’t resist a second helping (and healthy enough you don’t have to feel bad about it).

And these Protein-Packed Chocolate Peppermint Kodiak Muffins don’t disappoint.

They’re bold. Balanced. For your die hard, death-by-chocolate lovers and peppermint enthusiasts alike. We’re talking exactly the right chocolate to peppermint ratio without one flavor overpowering the other.

My husband is king of the picky eaters. He doesn’t like peppermint. He definitely doesn’t like it in his chocolate.

He. Loved. These. Muffins.

I kid you not that I had to set rules about how many of these he could eat before I had a chance to take photos for the blog. There were 2 dozen of these things at the start and only 4 left by the time I could stage and snap pictures of them. (Which he promptly ate after the pictures.)

He ate them. Took them to his office to share. Then asked me to make more of them so he could take them to him gym to share.

These are picky eater approved muffins.

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Protein-Packed Chocolate Peppermint Kodiak Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 Cups Kodiak Cakes dark chocolate protein-packed flapjack mix
• 1 Scoop SFH pure whey chocolate protein powder
• 1 Large egg
• 1 Cup skim milk
• 1/4 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1/2 Cup unsweetened applesauce
• 1/2 – 3/4 Teaspoon peppermint extract (1/2 tsp if you want less pepperminty-ness, 3/4 for the peppermint lovers)
• 1/2 Tablespoon cacao powder
• 1/2 Cup Splenda brown sugar blend, plus some to sprinkle

Throw all ingredients, except for chocolate chips, into a bowl and mix until smooth. Stir chocolate chips to mix in evenly.

Pour batter into greased muffin tins. Sprinkle some of the brown sugar blend over each muffin and bake at 350°F for 12-18 minutes (or until they pass the toothpick test). Makes 12 muffins.

To add some extra pizzazz, I topped them with a spritz of almond whipped cream (yes, almond and coconut whipped cream are a thing and so wonderful if dairy doesn’t jive well with your system) and a sprinkle of crushed, sugar-free peppermint candy.

PREP TIPS:

• Pay attention to the Kodiak mix you buy (the original mix has 8g of protein per serving while the protein-packed version has 14g).
• Try to distribute chocolate chips somewhat evenly between muffins for optimal tastiness.
• If you do meal prep in advance each week, keep in mind with fresh ingredients these muffins stay good for about 3 days. When making a big batch, consider freezing some to use as needed so they don’t start to spoil on you by day 4 or 5.
• If you are a sweet-tooth monger like myself, you can never be too generous with that crowning sprinkle of brown sugar.

SUBSTITUTIONS:

• For protein substitutes, see my list of protein substitutions at the bottom of the page.
• If you’re not a fan of artificial sweeteners like Splenda, you can substitute Stevia or regular sugar.
• You can also substitute soy or coconut milk for the skim milk.
• If you’re vegan, you can swap a vegan baking egg replacer for the chicken egg and use a vegan protein powder (see vegan protein powder recommendation further down on post).
• Need to go gluten-free? Kodiak has a mix for that. Find it below in my “where to find Kodiak cake mix” section.
• When making substitutions, just keep in mind that your macro count may slightly vary from this specific recipe. If you’re counting macros, just make sure to adjust the recipe macros in a macro calculator based on the ingredients you use.

MACROS PER MUFFIN:

• Calories: 148
• Carbs: 23g
• Fat: 3g
• Protein: 8g

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WHERE TO FIND KODIAK CAKE MIX

Quite a few retailers now carry Kodiak Cake mixes and products now. I’ve regularly found them in Target, Bi-Lo, Walmart and Publix.

But if you’re struggling to find it at your local grocery store (or, like me, just don’t like leaving your house and prefer things to come to you),  Amazon has got’cha back.

For Ultimate Chocolatey-ness:

Kodiak Cakes Dark Chocolate Flapjack and Waffle Mix

Click here to find on Amazon

This is the Kodiak Cakes mix that I used for my Protein-Packed Chocolate Peppermint Kodiak Muffins recipe. If you are looking for the ultimate death-by-chocolate level of chocolate flavor in your protein muffins, this guy is the way to go. It’s also one of their protein-packed mixes with twice the amount of protein as their regular mixes.

For Mild Chocolatey-ness:

Kodiak Cakes Original Buttermilk Flapjack and Waffle Mix

Click here to find on Amazon

Not everyone is a chocolate lover. Maybe you want minimal chocolate and maximum minty-ness. Just swap in the protein-packed original Kodiak Cakes buttermilk mix and swap out the 1/2 Tablespoon of cacao powder for a 1/2 Tablespoon of coco powder. Just make sure it’s the protein-packed original buttermilk mix for high-protein muffins.

For Gluten-Free Kodiak Muffins

Kodiak Cakes Gluten Free Protein Pancake Flapjack and Waffle Mix

Click here to find on Amazon

Does gluten not jive well with your system? Not to worry. Kodiak makes a gluten-free mix! That way no one has to miss out on the fun.

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Protein Powder Recommendations

A quality protein powder will make or break the difference in your protein muffin. I try to aim for a low-carb, high-protein powder that’s easy on the taste buds and the digestive system.

Here are three protein powder brands that I’ve tried, approved and will work with my smoothie recipes.

Tasty and Budget-Friendly Whey

Quest Nutrition Protein Powder

Click here to buy on Amazon

Quest Protein powders are gluten-free, soy-free, high-protein and low-carb. Their protein is smooth, delicious and won’t break the bank. I like their vanilla milkshake flavor, but their Cinnamon Crunch protein powder flavor is also great for fall smoothies.

High-Quality, Artificial-Free Whey

SFH Pure Whey Protein Powder

Click here to buy on Amazon

SFH is known for their high-quality protein. Gluten-free and soy-free, their Pure Whey Protein Powder is made of grass-fed whey that is that is 100% GMO and artificial ingredient-free. I’ve really enjoyed both chocolate and vanilla flavors of this protein powder.

Vegan

New Vega Protein & Greens Click here to buy on Amazon

It can be challenging to find a vegan protein powder that’s low-carb, high-protein and doesn’t taste like cardboard. I tested quite a few of them during my vegan dieting experiment and Vega was actually my favorite. It’s completely dairy, soy and GMO-free and easy on the taste buds.

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Hey there, don’t leave yet!

We’re still getting to know each other! Don’t go away so soon. Here are a few more of my Kodiak Cakes recipes that I think you’re going to love.

Protein-Packed Blueberry Kodiak Muffins

Protein-Packed Pumpkin Kodiak Muffins

Protein-Packed Apple Spice Kodiak Muffins

Pumpkin-Apple Spice Kodiak Protein Pancakes

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All writing and images copyright © 2019 Rachel Elise Weems Woods