Strawberry Lemon Protein Cupcakes – Healthy Sweet Surprise

Strawberry Lemon Protein Cupcakes with a strawberry filling and strawberry lemon protein frosting! Healthy, low fat strawberry lemonade cupcakes with protein powder and no added sugar.

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Ingredients for Strawberry Lemon Protein Cupcakes 

A very clean and healthy list of ingredients in this Stawberry Lemon Protein cupcake recipe, so you can have no guilt as you go for a second one!

For the Lemon Protein Cupcake:

• Vanilla Protein Powder: For a strawberry lemon cupcake with no sugar; I used Quest Nutrition Vanilla
• Lemon Juice
• Some Lemon Zest
• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour
• Coconut Flour
• Unsweetened Applesauce
• Hot Water
• A bit of Melted Butter
• Baking Soda
• Vanilla Extract

The Strawberry Filling:

• Chopped Strawberries

For the Protein Strawberry Lemonade Frosting:

• Vanilla Protein Powder: I recommend Quest Nutrition Vanilla here since it’s whey-casein and blends well with the yogurt.
• Lemon Juice
• Freeze-died Strawberries
• Non-fat Greek Yogurt

How to make Lemon Cupcakes with Strawberry Filling using Protein Powder

It looks intimidating, but this lemon cupcakes with strawberry filling recipe is super easy! 

Make the Batter:

1. Whisk all the dry ingredients.
2. Whisk all the wet ingredients.
3. Add dry mix to wet.
4. Fold to get a smooth batter.

Some pointers:

• Use hot water since it’s required for the right reactions in the baking chemistry.

• Use melted Butter so that it mixes well into the healthy strawberry lemon cupcake batter.

• Don’t over-mix the batter!

Make sure you gently fold the dry mix into the wet to combine them.
If you over-mix it, the protein powder will make the low calorie strawberry lemonade protein cupcakes tough, dense and gummy.

• Taste the batter and see if you need some extra sweetener. I’d recommend using stevia powder to maintain the consistency of the batter and have sugar free and healthy cupcakes.

Baking:

5. Divide among 12 cupake liners about ¾ way to top (place in baking pan).
6. Bake around13-15 minutes at 350°F.

• Don’t let the batter sit out too long; Pour immediately into baking pan and bake.
  This is to avoid any reactions between the ingredients.

• Grease the cupcake liners if they aren’t silicon.
  This will allow the protein powder cupcakes to come off easily.

• Don’t over-fill baking pan cavities or the cupcake batter will overflow!
  Go only about ¾ the way to the top

• Don’t over-bake or your cupcakes might get tough; Remove when the tester/knife comes out just dry; Little moisture is okay.

Filing the Cupcakes:

7. Use teaspoon measure to make hollow on top of cupcake.
8. Add strawberry filling inside.
9. Cover with top piece of cupcake

• Let stuffed cupcakes cool completely before filling and frosting, or the filling and frosting will melt away.

Strawberry Lemonade Frosting:

10. Mix all ingredients for frosting – except freeze-dried strawberries.
11. Add freeze dried strawberries. Fold.
12. Use piping bag (or spoon) to put frosting on top of cupcakes.

How to Store Strawberry Lemonade Protein Cupcakes

To store these strawberry lemonade protein cupcakes, place in an airtight container and keep on the countertop for 2-3 hours, fridge for 5 days or freezer for 2-3 months.

You need to refrigerate strawberry lemonade cupcakes since the frosting is made with Greek yogurt, and will go bad kept outside.

To defrost frozen protein powder strawberry lemon cupcakes with filling, leave them on the countertop or place them in the fridge overnight. I would not recommend using the microwave, unless its for 10-12 seconds.

Alternatives for Healthy Strawberry Lemon Cupcakes

This reacipe as is makes a really healthy strawberry lemon cupcake, but here’s some options if you don’t have everything listed:

• Whole Wheat Pastry Flour: Use All purpose flour or 1:1 Gluten Free Baking Flour in the same amount by weight not cups.
• Unsweetened Applesauce: Mashed banana or pumpkin puree, but this would change the flavor of the cupcakes.
• Melted Butter: Melted Coconut Oil or Dairy Free Butter

Options for Cupcake Frosting:

• Greek Yogurt: Coconut Yogurt

To make Lemon Strawberry Cupcake Vegan:

Use a plant based protein powder, dairy free butter and coconut yogurt as alternate ingredients to turn this strawberry lemon cupcake recipe Vegan!

Some more Healthy Protein Cupcake Recipes with Filling

• Snickers Protein Cupcakes
• Bailey’s Protein Cupcakes
• Chocolate Pumpkin Protein Cupcakes
• German Chocolate Protein Cupcakes

Or regular Protein Cupcakes:

• Maple Bacon Protein Cupcakes
• Peanut Butter Protein Cupcakes
• Protein Apple Cupcakes with Protein Peanut Butter Frosting
• Carrot Cake Protein Cupcakes