High Protein Pumpkin Muffins for People with Dementia

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Is your loved one with dementia ignoring their meal but devouring their desserts? This muffin could be a great snack choice for them!

Why make a higher protein dessert?

Sometimes, people with dementia prefer to eat sweet things. Why this happens isn’t really known. It isn’t unusual, though. People with dementia can have changes to how they sense taste. When this happens, it can mean that the only flavor that the person seems to really enjoy is sweet flavors.

I’ve seen this in long term care many times. I’ll often have a client who won’t eat any of their soup, sandwich, or any other meal. Anything we try will tempt them into eating only two or three bites. As soon as we give some ice cream or cake, they eat the entire thing. This isn’t just an issue of enjoying dessert. I love desserts too! With these folks, though, there do appear to be changes in the brain that affect some people with dementia and make it so they only enjoy sweet things.

The problem with only eating dessert is that it’s hardly a balanced meal. Puddings, cakes, and muffins are delicious, but don’t have much protein. Protein is particularly important for seniors and for people with dementia. It is easier for older people to lose muscle mass, and eating less protein will only make this worse. Loss of muscle mass can lead to weakness, which can lead to difficulty walking and to falls. Falls are the leading cause of injury for seniors!

For this reason I’ve been creating higher protein baked goods specifically for people with dementia. Because it’s fall, I’d like to introduce a muffin inspired by my pumpkin pie smoothie. Not only do these muffins have higher protein, they’re also usually soft and easy to eat!

What is the muffin made of?

In this high protein pumpkin muffin recipe, you’ll see some ingredients that may be new to you.

First, I use almond flour. Almond flour is a great addition because it has tons of protein and a great flavor, as well as great plant fats. I also use chickpea flour and Greek yogurt in this recipe to add more protein. Together it means that each muffin has almost 5 grams of protein.

These are easy to eat

I made these muffins specifically for people with dementia in mind. They are very moist and soft, and so are very easy to chew. They are also not very large, so if your loved one needs finger foods to eat more easily, they can be held in the hand and eaten. They are also sweet and with a rich pumpkin flavor, making them perfect for fall! Try these muffins and let me know what you think! They’re very moist and soft.

What if I have food allergies?

Using these ingredients means that you can make these muffins gluten free as long as you make sure all the ingredients are gluten free. If this is a concern, always check the label of any ingredient you buy, even if you have used it before. Manufactures can change how they make an ingredient, and so something that used to be safe for people who could not have gluten might suddenly no longer be safe.

You will notice that this recipe is make from almond flour, though, so it is not safe for anyone with an allergy to tree nuts.

Recipe

One serving is two small muffins. To make 12 of these muffins:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, sift the chickpea flour to remove lumps.

Add the almond flour. You can also sift the almond flour if yours is very fine. I chose not to sift mine.

Add the rest of the dry ingredients – the sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Mix well.

In a second large bowl, crack and beat the eggs

Add the rest of the wet ingredients to the eggs. Add the pumpkin puree, the Greek yogurt and the vanilla extract.

Add a spoonful of the wet ingredients to the dry, gradually mixing until mixed well.

Add muffin cups to your muffin pan to make removing the muffins easier. Spoon the batter into the muffin cups, not going any further than three quarters of the depth of the cup. Place muffin pan into the preheated oven.

Bake for 20 – 25 minutes. Test with a wooden toothpick to see if the muffins are fully cooked throughout. When done, remove and allow to cool.

Optional – I added a dusting of confectioners sugar to the top to add some sweetness and make the muffins prettier.

Enjoy! And let me know what you thought!

Nutrition

One serving is two muffins: 210 calories, protein 9 g, carb 29 g, fiber 4 g, fat 7 g.