Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Protein Muffin promises a sweet treat for one made easily in the microwave. Read on to find out if you should buy yourself a cup!
I was super excited when I saw that Trader Joe’s had come out with a microwavable, single-serving muffin mix that was also gluten-free. I’m not much of a sweet breakfast person, but I envisioned this being a nice afternoon treat here and there.
There are two flavors of these protein muffins – maple and dark chocolate. I went with chocolate because…well…chocolate.
The directions seem to be confusing quite a few people. You add water to the fill line without stirring. Once you have added all the water then you stir. Some folks have missed that “stir well” at the end of that paragraph and microwaved the whole thing as-is. Not surprisingly, their muffins did not turn out at all.
I followed the directions exactly, and after cooking for 60 seconds, my muffin was still raw in the middle. I don’t think it’s my microwave because I’ve seen many complaints about this same issue. It took another 60 seconds (so 2 minutes total) to fully cook the middle of the muffin.
Once cooked, the texture of this muffin was not good at all. It looked like it was going to be fudgy but was actually more gummy than anything. It also had a fake sugar aftertaste that I found unpleasant.
Nutrition Facts for Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Protein Muffin
Each cup contains one serving at 270 calories. There is quite a bit of sodium and added sugar. There is also monk fruit extract in the ingredients list which is where the fake sugar taste is coming from.
This item is labelled gluten-free, but does contain milk, egg, and coconut, so avoid it if those are concerns for you.
Like all Trader Joe’s products, this mix does not contain artificial flavors, preservatives, or colorings.
Verdict: 2/10
I like the idea of making myself a muffin as a treat now and then, but this misses the mark. The texture is awful and it didn’t taste nearly good enough to make up for that. I won’t be buying this again.
Have you tried Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Protein Muffin? Leave a comment and let me know what you think.
Looking for more reviews? Try these:
I followed directions — and then added time — but never got anything more than partially cooked, and the bits that cooked got overcooked while I was trying to get to a point where I was not eating batter. Taste was…meh.
So disappointing, right?
My muffin took 1.5 minutes but once it was done I thoroughly enjoyed it.
I’ll cop to being one of the people who did not carefully read directions! I bought this on an impulse. I’m usually a good boy, but sometimes I have an incurable sweet tooth — enough where I can con myself into buying “protein” muffins. Indeed, my purchase was SO impulsive that when I loaded the groceries into the trunk of my car, I pulled this out to eat on the drive home. Yep. This sounds like “Confessions of a Heroin Addict.” I opened the container and saw powder. When I finally got home, the first thing I did was carry this ONE item into the house, added water, and popped it in the microwave, figuring it would be done by the time I brought in the other groceries. I ate some of it. Or maybe I should say I let some of it slide down my gullet. Then I found this website and tried rehabilitating the “muffin.” No luck. Still, I ate — I mean, consumed — the whole thing. It tasted like failure.
Judging by the reviews of the more patient and wiser ladies above, it looks like I wasn’t missing anything. Little wonder they don’t show a photograph of the product on the container. Never again.
Love your comment! And, honestly, even when you follow the directions, it doesn’t taste much better than failure.
I just tried this for the first time and discovered that it was absolutely undercooked after 60 seconds. I popped it in for 20 more seconds and then decided to eat it as-is. Since it was still a little undercooked, it had the texture of a chocolate lava cake, which I actually enjoyed. After reading your review and the comments I think I’ll avoid cooking it all the way through if I buy this again. Certainly not as good as the Kodiak version!
Forget about muffin.
It’s just a yummy chocolate treat in a bowl.
Verdict: 7/10
mixed with half macadamia milk and half yogurt, microwaved for 2.5 minutes. Cake rose to the top of the cup and was fully cooked. I enjoy the taste when I need a chocolate fix. Texture like cake.
You might’ve cracked the code! Now I want to give it another try with your suggestions!
I saw all the complaints and baked it.(I was baking cinnamonrolls anyway) I did add a dash of sugar to cut the fake sugar taste as well as a half teaspoon oil gave it that soft center. 13-17 minutes. 2 regular sized muffins that hardly rose. If i did this again id try the yogurt/milk mix 6/10