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    Home » Muffins & Scones » Keto Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins

    Published: Jan 15, 2020 · Modified: Mar 21, 2021 by Carolyn

    Keto Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins

    This post may contain Amazon or other affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    39.4K shares
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    Tender keto chocolate muffins with a sugar-free cheesecake center. Just like a bakery but so much healthier. Make your keto mornings fun again. Nut-free option too! This post is sponsored by ChocZero.

    A keto chocolate cream cheese muffin on a cupcake stand, cut open to see the inside.

    Is it weird that I have so many keto recipes that I can’t even remember them all? Or maybe it’s not weird at all, given my advanced age and my penchant for cranking out recipes at a furious pace. One’s aging brain simply cannot keep up!

    There are so many recipes in my archives that I truly do forget about some of them. But I happened up on this old recipe for Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins, originally written back in January of 2012. Eight long years and this poor thing hadn’t had an update in all that time. I am clearly a very neglectful recipe parent.

    Upon choosing to tackle it again, I also decided to give it a complete overhaul, from top to bottom. The original recipe was fine but I’ve learned so much about keto baking in the past 8 years that I thought I could improve upon it, making the batter smoother and more cohesive.

    I even changed the name, since “Black and White Muffins” had many people scratching their heads. Keto Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins seems much more apropos.

    And while I was at it, I couldn’t help but throw a few of the new ChocZero dark chocolate chips on top, to make them even more appealing! Can’t go wrong with that.

    Top down photo of chocolate cream cheese muffins in the pan with an open bag of chocolate chips.

    Using a blender can improve your keto batter

    I’ve really come to love using a blender to whip up keto muffins and other baked goods. It seems to make a lighter, fluffier, and more cohesive batter. It doesn’t work with all of my recipes, because some are just too thick, but it works very well for muffins.

    In conventional baked goods that contain flour, you have to be very careful about over-developing the gluten, causing the end result to be tough. That’s why so many muffin and cake recipes say “mix until just combined”. So using a blender, which goes way beyond “just combined” can be trickier.

    But in most keto recipes, we don’t need to worry about gluten so there is no issue with over-developing or over-mixing. In fact, I often find my blender baked goods more tender when they are made this way. It produces an incredibly smooth batter, even when working with more coarse ingredients like nut meals.

    One caveat to this approach is that you really do need a good, high powered blender with a large, wide jar and strong blades. Keto batters can be quite thick and you risk burning out the motor.

    The good news is that you can still mix this batter up in a bowl if you prefer. They will still be utterly delicious.

    Keto chocolate muffins with cream cheese filling on a pewter plate over a patterned napkin

    Tips for making Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins

    Cream cheese filling

    The delicious cheesecake-like filling is simply cream cheese, powdered sweetener, heavy cream and vanilla. You don’t want an egg in here, as it will make the filling rise too much and it won’t be as creamy smooth once the muffins cool.

    Make this before you whip up your batter, so you are ready to fill the muffins right away.

    Chocolate muffin batter

    This recipe calls for almond flour but you can actually use any nut meal or seed meal you like here. Because it’s blended up, even the more coarse nut meals should work well. If you are hand mixing, however, you may find that your batter is a bit coarse when using meal.

    I had a plethora of hazelnut meal that needed to be used so I chose that, which gave these muffins a delicious hint of hazelnut. If you need to be nut-free, try using sunflower seed flour.

    Do be sure that your eggs and almond milk (or hemp milk for nut-free) are at room temperature before whisking in the melted butter. If they are cold, your butter will solidify and won’t blend properly. Using room temperature ingredients is a good idea for most baked goods anyway.

    The espresso powder is really only to enhance the chocolate flavor, it doesn’t result in any strong coffee taste. It’s an old trick I learned from my idols over at America’s Test Kitchen.

    Spooning cream cheese filling into keto chocolate muffins

    Assembling the muffins

    Once the batter is in the muffin pan, you want to make wells in the center of each one. I used a spoon for this and I pushed the batter up the sides of the muffin cup.

    Then plop a nice dollop of the cream cheese filling right into that well. I found it took about 1 ½ tablespoon per muffin, and it didn’t always want to come off the spoon nicely, since it was rather thick. I used a small rubber spatula to push it off into the muffin.

    Finally, throw some keto-friendly chocolate chipseon top! This is optional, of course, but it makes the muffins somehow more appealing. Chocolate chips are kind of magic, that way.

    If you haven’t tried the ChocZero chips yet, I highly recommend. Since they aren’t sweetened with any kind of sugar alcohols, they are great for those with intolerances.

    And ChocZero gives all my readers 10% off when they use code FOODDREAMER at checkout. 

    Two keto chocolate muffins with cream cheese centres on a white plate with a white coffee pot in the background

    More delicious keto chocolate chip recipes

    • Single Serve Keto Chocolate Chip Cookie
    • Homemade Sugar Free Chocolate Chips
    • Keto Chocolate Chip Skillet Cookie
    • The Best Keto Banana Bread
    • Keto Chocolate Chip Blondies

     

    A keto chocolate cream cheese muffin on a cupcake stand, cut open to see the inside.

    Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins

    Tender keto chocolate muffins with a sugar-free cheesecake center. Just like a bakery but so much healthier. Make your keto mornings fun again.
    4.65 from 17 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Breakfast
    Cuisine: American
    Keyword: chocolate cream cheese muffins, keto chocolate muffins
    Prep Time: 20 minutes
    Cook Time: 25 minutes
    Total Time: 55 minutes
    Servings: 12 muffins
    Calories: 267kcal

    Ingredients

    Cream Cheese Filling

    • 6 ounces cream cheese softened
    • ¼ cup powdered Swerve Sweetener
    • ¼ cup heavy whipping cream
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract

    Chocolate Muffins

    • 4 large eggs room temperature
    • ½ cup unsweetened almond or hemp milk room temperature
    • ⅓ cup melted butter
    • ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
    • 2 cups almond flour (can use sunflower seed meal)
    • ½ cup Swerve Sweetener
    • ⅓ cup cocoa powder
    • 1 tablespoon baking powder
    • ½ teaspoon espresso powder (optional, enhances chocolate flavor)
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • 3 tablespoon dark chocolate chips, sugar-free

    Instructions

    Cream Cheese Filling

    • In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until well combined. Add the cream and vanilla and beat until smooth. Set aside.

    Muffins

    • Preheat the oven to 350F and line a muffin pan with 12 silicone or parchment muffin liners.
    • In a large blender, combine the eggs, almond milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Blend until smooth.
    • Add the almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt. Blend until smooth. If your batter is overly thick, try adding a tablespoon of almond milk or even water. It should be scoopable but not liquidy.
    • Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each no more than ⅔ full. With the back of a spoon, create a well in the center of each muffin.
    • Divide the cream cheese filling among the wells, adding about 1 ½ tablespoon to each muffin. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with chocolate chips
    • Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are puffed up. Remove and let cool in the pan (the centers will sink, this is normal).
    Nutrition Facts
    Chocolate Cream Cheese Muffins
    Amount Per Serving (1 muffin)
    Calories 267 Calories from Fat 206
    % Daily Value*
    Fat 22.9g35%
    Carbohydrates 7.6g3%
    Fiber 3.9g16%
    Protein 7.9g16%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
    39.4K shares

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    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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      Recipe Rating




    1. Blue Ridge Lady says

      October 03, 2022 at 12:03 am

      5 stars
      Making muffins extra special, this is the recipe. Dazzles the taste buds and looks snazzy, too! I found I could get by with about an ounce less cream cheese having some mixture leftover, so there was a smidgen fewer carbs and calories. Otherwise, the recipe was on the money and tasted divine!

      Reply
    2. Danielle says

      May 10, 2022 at 2:53 pm

      How do I store these?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        May 10, 2022 at 5:34 pm

        The fridge is best because of the cheesecake center.

        Reply
    3. Mel says

      February 20, 2022 at 9:35 pm

      Hi. I measured everything exactly to the Recipe but somehow had quite a bit of batter. Turned it gritty and really no taste at all. Any suggestions on what went wrong?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        February 28, 2022 at 9:07 am

        What almond flour are you using?

        Reply
    4. Ro says

      December 12, 2021 at 4:38 pm

      Do you by chance have the cholesterol in one if these muffins? I have been on the Keto plan since Jan 18, 21 and am beginning to capture cholesterol amounts as my blood work has changed. No point in my spending copious amount of time to figure it out if you already have it. Thank you and Christmas blessings to you and your family.

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        December 12, 2021 at 7:28 pm

        Sorry, I don’t calculate that part. 🙂

        Reply
    5. Larisa says

      November 15, 2021 at 10:28 am

      I don’t have heavy cream, can I skip it? Or replace with anything else? These are always delicious, one of my favorites

      Reply
    6. Sonya says

      October 03, 2021 at 2:58 pm

      5 stars
      I make these often and they never disappoint!

      Reply
    7. Rebecca Wood Wyatt says

      October 01, 2021 at 12:33 pm

      Hoping they taste good, but the batter was too thin, so couldn’t make a well for the cream cheese. Dropped it in the middle and currently waiting to see what happens. Muffin cups were full to overflowing and a peek in the oven showed they are oozing all over the top as they bake. Predict it’s going to be a mess when done – not perfect separate muffins. Only thing I can think is the eggs were too big, otherwise I measured correctly. Suggestions?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        October 01, 2021 at 12:43 pm

        Well something went very wrong on your end, since you can see from my photos that the batter should not be that thin. I guess it could be the eggs but I think you added too much liquid in some way.

        Reply
    8. Doreen says

      September 10, 2021 at 12:32 pm

      Can heavy cream be used instead of almond milk? If so, would the measurement be the same?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        September 10, 2021 at 1:10 pm

        It makes the batter too thick. Do water instead, or a mix of cream and water. Same ratio.

        Reply
    9. Angie says

      May 15, 2021 at 4:56 pm

      Have tried many of your recipes and love them – thank you. With this one however faced same issue as some others mentioned – batter was too liquidy …. I unfortunately did not read the note in instructions that said it shouldn’t be! Only realized an issue when the cream cheese disappeared from the top. It ended up at the very bottom of the muffins! Pretty sure I measured everything accurately – used large eggs, Lakanto golden monk fruit sweetener, and Anthony’s fine blanched almond flour. Any ideas on what may be the problem or what to do? Add almond flour? Or maybe coconut flour? Appreciate the help – I’m pretty new at this! Thank you.

      Reply
    10. Lois says

      February 14, 2021 at 6:11 pm

      5 stars
      I made these yesterday for a Valentines day treat and they turned out amazing! My batter wasn’t as thick as shown in your picture but after reading other reviews I didn’t worry about it and they baked up perfectly!
      Thank you so much for sharing your delicious recipes!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        February 14, 2021 at 6:53 pm

        Glad to hear it!

        Reply
    11. Victoria Walker says

      January 18, 2021 at 3:59 pm

      5 stars
      Oh my word! these are the best! For fun I added some crushed pecan and unsweetened coconut to half of my cupcakes, and I had just enough batter to make a heart shaped cake for my husband, oh so yummy!

      Reply
    12. Christina says

      January 08, 2021 at 3:00 pm

      Can I replace the milk with coffee?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 08, 2021 at 5:04 pm

        Sure! Would be delicious!

        Reply
    13. Sabrina says

      January 08, 2021 at 8:54 am

      3 stars
      Just made these. My batter was also very runny. And yes, I followed the recipe just as written. Been baking keto for over a decade so I kinda know what I am doing. Added some gelatin powder and some coconut flour to add thickness. They are in the oven as we speak. The batter tasted delish ☺️ Thanks for the recipe. Not quite sure why with some people the batter is so runny. I get it when making own adjustments but I followed it just as written with the same ingredients. Thanks for the recipes

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        January 08, 2021 at 1:17 pm

        5 stars
        I need to know what sweetener and what brand of almond flour you used…

        Reply
    14. Cara says

      September 19, 2020 at 3:18 pm

      Just took these out of the oven and couldn’t wait to try them! Burned the heck outta my tongue but so worth it.. they are THAT good!

      Reply
    15. Viana H. says

      May 21, 2020 at 11:23 pm

      5 stars
      These muffins came out just perfect on this Portland raining night! ( Comfort food night!)
      Thank you, Carolyn!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        May 22, 2020 at 7:50 am

        Looks like we’re getting some nice weather soon!

        Reply
    16. Ann says

      May 15, 2020 at 7:56 am

      5 stars
      Just made these today and they are delicious! Thank you!

      Reply
    17. Jenna says

      May 06, 2020 at 8:08 pm

      2 stars
      I made these recently and I’m wondering if there is an error in the measurement of the baking powder? I used the 1 Tbsp recipe called for and these tasted horrible, very ‘tinny’. I am thinking the recipe should be 1 Tbsp?

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        May 07, 2020 at 7:28 am

        5 stars
        Hi Jenna, no it’s not an error and you can see from the overwhelmingly positive reviews that most people do not experience this. Sounds to me like you have a baking powder that’s not good. And possibly contains a lot of aluminum, if you got a tinny taste. A lot of them do contain aluminum and it’s really not good for you.

        Keto baked goods lack gluten and thus require a lot more leavening agent to rise properly. You could cut it back to 2 tsp but that’s the least.

        Reply
    18. Lindsay says

      April 18, 2020 at 1:21 pm

      These muffins are delicious. Just baked them this morning. What’s the best way to store them? Thanks for the awesome recipes! The vanilla scones were also amazing! Better than Starbucks if you ask me!

      Reply
      • Carolyn says

        April 18, 2020 at 1:30 pm

        They are best stored in the fridge in a covered container.

        Reply
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