Nothing makes you feel more cozy than the smell of warm apple cinnamon wafting from the kitchen. And these Keto Apple Muffins embody all of that autumnal deliciousness, without the resulting sugar spike. You will find it hard to believe that they’re keto-friendly!
I love apple-flavored recipes and I like working in just a little bit of real apple. For me, it’s about striking the balance between authentic flavor and overall carb count. I find I can usually hit that sweet spot! If you love that classic fall flavor, you will also love Keto Apple Cheesecake Bars and Keto Apple Caramel Scones.
And best of all, you can bake these muffins right in your air fryer. I recently got my hands on a Cosori TurboBlaze air fryer and thought it would be a great way to bake without heating up my big oven. It did take a bit of experimentation to get them right – but the third batch was spectacular!
Of course, as I always do, I have included oven instructions as well.
Why we love this recipe
- Soft and fluffy: The texture of these keto muffins is absolutely perfect, in my humble opinion.
- Cozy fall flavor: With a little grated apple, some extract, and some cinnamon, they taste like something from a bakery.
- Easy to make: Ready in less than 30 minutes with a handful of simple ingredients.
- Make ahead: Great for freezing so you can grab them for easy breakfasts or snacks.
- Gluten-free and low-carb: Made with almond flour and keto sweeteners, so they are keto-approved!
Ingredient Notes
- Almond flour: Finely ground almond flour works best for these muffins.
- Protein powder: Unflavored protein powder (whey or egg white) helps the muffins rise properly and hold their shape.
- Sweetener: I recommend a brown sugar replacement for a richer flavor.
- Apple: Grating half an apple gives authentic flavor and texture while still keeping the carbs in check. Don’t want to use real apple? Try some grated zucchini instead.
- Apple extract: This adds more apple flavor to the muffins without adding additional carbs. You can substitute with vanilla extract.
- Heavy whipping cream: The batter needs a touch of additional liquid.
- Kitchen staples: Butter, egg, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
Overview: How to Make This Recipe
- Grate the apple: Use a box grater for the apple to allow for better distribution throughout the recipe.
- Combine the dry ingredients: Whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, sweetener, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients: Stir in the grated apple, egg, butter, apple extract, and cream until well combined.
- Bake: Divide the mixture evenly between 6 silicone muffin cups and place into the bottom of the air fryer basket. Bake until done.
Tips for Success
Place at the very bottom: Unlike conventional ovens, air fryers bake from the top down. So make sure to put the muffins at the very bottom of the air fryer basket. If there is a removable rack, take it out. This way, the tops down cook too quickly.
Check on them: It’s okay to stop and start an air fryer during cooking. So check on them about halfway through. If the tops are browning very quickly, cover them with a piece of foil.
Bake function: If your air fryer has a bake function (most of them do), use it. It sends more gentle heat around the muffins so they don’t overcook on top.
Sweetener options: Because of the more intense heat of an air fryer oven, I recommend using an erythritol based sweetener. Allulose will brown the tops much too quickly. If you want to cut back on the erythritol, try using some stevia or monk fruit extract to sweeten them.
Oven Instructions:
To bake these Keto Apple Muffins in the oven, preheat to 325ºF and use a muffin tin lined with silicone or parchment liners. Reduce the protein powder to 3 tablespoons and add an additional tablespoon of heavy cream. Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until risen on top, golden brown, and just barely firm to the touch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Apples are not the most keto-friendly choice of fruit, as the average medium apple has 25g of carbs. However, you can add just a little bit of chopped apple to a multiple serving recipe without blowing your diet. In this muffin recipe, I add 1/2 cup of chopped apple to a recipe that serves 6.
This keto apple muffin recipe has 6.6g of carbs and 2.0g of fiber per serving. If you count net carbs, each muffin has 4.6 grams.
These muffins can be stored on the counter in a covered container for up to three days, and in the fridge for up to a week. They can also be frozen for several months.
More keto air fryer recipes
Keto Apple Muffins Recipe
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup (84 g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (27 g) whey protein powder, or egg white protein powder
- 1/4 cup (47.5 g) granular sweetener
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 medium apple, grated, (about 1/2 cup)
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (56.75 g) butter, melted
- 1/2 tsp apple extract, or vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp (30.43 g) heavy whipping cream
Instructions
- Preheat an air fryer to 300ºF. (If your air fryer has a bake function, use that rather than regular air fry). Remove the rack from the bottom of the basket.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, protein powder, sweetener, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt.
- Stir in the grated apple, egg, butter, apple extract, and cream until well combined. Divide the mixture evenly between 6 silicone muffin cups.
- Place the filled muffin cups right into the bottom of the air fryer basket. Set the cook time for 18 minutes. After 10 minutes, check on the muffins and if they are browning too quickly on top, cover with a piece of foil (shiny side up).
- The muffins are done when the tops are just firm to the touch. Be careful not to overcook.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them. I expressly disclaim any and all liability of any kind with respect to any act or omission wholly or in part in reliance on anything contained in this website.
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Perfection! The only problem is I want to eat more than one! Thank you for the oven directions.
I made these muffins in the oven. They needed to bake for 27 minutes before they were a little firm and golden. They did not rise at all, they actually sunk a bit. They taste good. I didn’t have apple extract, used vanilla, they really didn’t taste like apple. They taste good. If I make them again I will get apple extract or use a stronger apple.
I love making your recipes.
Did you make the adjustments I called for to bake them in the oven?
yes I did. 3 Tblsn of protein powder and 3 Tblsn. heavy cream.
Really good flavor and texture! I love learning new air fryer recipes and baking in it was a first for me. Like another reviewer said, I had to figure out how to put the filled muffin cups into the hot, basket-style air fryer. I ended up using a paper plate (8.5 in) to set the filled cups on and then lowered the plate into the air fryer bottom using two sets of tongs.
Carolyn,
I used your recipe as written. I have a question about the type of apple. I used a 🍏 which I have used for baking for years. The bake on these were perfect, but the flavor was lacking. I don’t like to add more apple flavoring as it can taste artificial when used too liberally. Did you use another variety of apple. I will say I have made your pumpkin and morning glory muffins and they both are so flavorful. I want to love these muffins as much as the others. Help!!!
I just used a regular lunchbox apple. I think it was Gala?
great recipe! unfortunately, I am having a very hard time placing the filled muffin cups into the preheated basket without burning myself. I tried tongs but they squeezed the muffin cups; when I loosened my grip—plop! muffin batter all over. i only managed to salvage three of them, but they were delicious. any advice?
Hmmm, what kind of air fryer to you have? Is it narrow? Could you put on oven gloves to put them in?
Great apple muffins, with low carbs! How do you do it? Genius!
Super moist like a real muffin. So tasty as well. Stuck in a metal muffin pan. Next time I’ll make than in my silicone muffin pan. Husband enjoyed them as well.
I have a convection function on my oven, so which measurements should I use for the protein powder and cream? Thank you for all the wonderful years of low carb & keto recipe creations. You have been such a blessing for over the last 10 years!
I would do the oven method ingredients and bake at 325F, but keep a close eye on them. The thing with air fryers is that they are small and they really force that heat. A larger oven on convection won’t be as intense.
I usually can plain sliced apples….no sugar. How could I incorporate these into this recipe?
I would just use what amounts to half an apple. But I am not sure how you should grate it, I don’t use canned apples.
I made these this morning. I doubled the recipe so I would have a dozen. My husband loves them. I cooked them in the oven. I will definitely make them again.
Haven’t made these yet. Have a question. Can I use Collagen peptides instead of protein powder?
No, they will turn out very gummy and hard to cook through.
Delicious!! Light & airy. Will make again
Too hot to cook inside so moved our airfryer to the back yard and voila! Awesome Sunday breakfast with a cuppa!
Reading this recipe made my mouth water! I’m going to make this as soon as I purchased an apple 🍎. Which variety do you recommend – Granny Smith, Gala, or ????????
Thank you 😊