Savory keto Cheddar Jalapeno Muffins make a delicious low carb snack. Pair them with your favorite keto soups and stews or even turn them into a breakfast sandwich! Grain free.
Going way way back in the keto recipe archives and updating this delicious Cheddar Jalapeño Muffins recipe. I first made these in May of 2012 and decided they needed new photos and an updated and even lower carb recipe.
It’s no secret that I love my keto muffins. I’ve been having a love affair with muffins for a long time, and in fact, one of my first ever jobs was in a muffin shop called Mmmmarvelous Muffins. Not kidding!
And when I first realized that I was going to be a diabetic for life, the first low carb recipe I attempted to make was a blueberry muffin recipe. It was serviceable, but let’s be honest, I have come a long way since then. I think I may officially be the Keto Muffin Queen and my recipes and techniques have changed considerably.
I don’t know what exactly it is about muffins that I love so much, but they are an essential part of my life. Perhaps it’s that they are perfect any time of day. Muffins can be breakfast, they can be snack, and in a pinch, they can be lunch or dinner. And they are an infinitely portable, pop them in a bag and head out the door type of food. As a mother of three who is virtually always on the go, this makes me love them even more.
And muffins don’t have to be sweet. Savory muffins like these Cheddar Jalapeno Muffins are perfect for pairing with low carb soups, chili, or stew. They are wonderful as breakfast too, with a slather of butter. Or hey, why not make a keto breakfast sandwich out of them?
If you’re craving something else, try these Keto English Muffins.
Tips for Keto Cheddar Jalapeno Muffins
These tasty keto muffins are really quite simple to make, but here are few extra tips for success.
Fresh jalapeños are going to give you the best flavor but pickled will do in a pinch. If you like spice, don’t de-seed your peppers, since that is where much of the heat is.
Cut thin slices from one of the jalapeños for the tops of the muffins, as it makes a lovely presentation.
Grate your own cheese if you want to avoid the added starch in pre-shredded cheeses.
Fine blanched almond flour will give you the best results for ANY low carb muffin recipe. But coarser almond meal will work alright in this recipe if that’s all you can find.
You can use water instead of almond milk for the added liquid, if you prefer. Or a mixture of cream and water works well too.
Keto muffin batters tend to stick to paper liners, so either use parchment or silicone for these.
Testing for doneness: Because the cheese covers the top of the muffin, it can be hard to check for doneness. I found that these needed longer than some of my other muffin recipes, and I could tell they were done mostly by touch. But inserting a tester or a toothpick in the center is your best bet if you are having trouble.
Other Great Keto Jalapeno Recipes
Cranberry Jalapeno Cornbread Muffins
Bacon Wrapped Chicken with Jalapeno Cream Sauce
Savory keto Cheddar Jalapeno Muffins make a delicious low carb snack. Pair them with your favorite keto soups and stews or even turn them into a breakfast sandwich! Grain free.
- 2 medium jalapeños, divided
- 2 cups almond flour
- 1/4 cup coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided (about 6 ounces)
- 4 large eggs
- 6 tbsp butter, melted
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
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Preheat the oven to 325F and line a muffin pan with parchment or silicone liners.
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Cut 12 thin crosswise slices of jalapeño for the top of the muffins, and finely dice the remaining peppers.
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In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese and the chopped jalapeños.
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Add the eggs, butter, and almond milk and stir to combine well. Divide the mixture among the muffins cups and top with the remaining cheese and a slice of jalapeno.
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Bake about 30 to 35 minutes, until the tops are set and just firm to the touch, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove and let cool completely in the pan.
The_Mom_Chef says
I can't believe how good those look. I don't know that I've really tried a savory muffin, but as long as I was warned beforehand, I bet I'd like it. If one were to attempt to un-gluten-free this, would they just use regular flour and forget about the xanthan gum?
halanamalie says
Wow! I admit, I've been a longtime lurker on your blog for ages, bookmarking and testing your recipes (they're all fabulous, by the way!), but this one compelled me to sign-in and comment. You're absolutely right about the endless possibilities of muffins, I never thought about them that way before, and I'll never think of them the same again! Can't wait to try this recipe…and many of your others, as well. =)
Liz says
Mmmm….these look amazing, Carolyn! You'd never guess that ANY of your recipes were gluten free! These would be perfect with chili…of course, with the 87º forecast, it may be a while till soup is on our menu again :/
theharriedcook says
I am totally in love with this recipe! I am always on the look out for new savory muffin recipes! I would love to make these soon… do you think I could make it with regular flour? what changes would I need to make to this recipe? Thanks for sharing!
Donna says
I have not tried it yet, but the exchange from regular flour to almond flour is supposed to be cup for cup. That of course will make the muffins higher in carbs. I would also leave out the xanthan gum. I don’t think it would be needed if using regular flour.
Good Luck,
Donna
Alicia says
These are AMAZING!! Before starting low carb I made Mexican cornbread and these muffins are SO close. I added some bacon grease (I’m southern and we use that for everything) onion powder and I used heavy whipping cream instead of almond milk. Perfect!! Will put in my regular rotation!
Carolyn says
So happy to hear it!
Muffin says
I cant see xanthan gum in recipe and now I’m confused if I have to add it or no?
Carolyn says
It’s an updated recipe. These are older comments. No more xanthan gum.
Emily says
Delicious and easy! Thank you!
Comfort of Cooking says
My husband would go nuts for these muffins! They look so good, Carolyn!
RavieNomNoms says
YES PLEASE! Those look outstanding, definitely bookmarking these!
dream2013awaits says
Can't wait to give these muffins a try, I totally agree with you about 'needing' something more with soup. I think it's called lagniappe, a southern Louisiana term which means a little something extra.
In my oven as I type this is your Lemon Rosemary Olive Cake…awesome!!!
healthyfoodie says
These looks fantastic! Jalapenos are always a great thing, and with cheddar? Mmmmmm!
Jenn Kendall says
omg, cheddar jalapeno muffins? genius!
chris says
Pretty or not, I'm definitely going to try these. I've been making jalapeno cornbread like it's going out of style, but I think it's time to change it up a bit :
Alice says
I'll be trying these this weekend! Jalapeno Cheddar is a favorite flavor combination of mine!!! Thank you, Carolyn!!!
cake duchess says
Cheddar and jalapeno in a sweet little muffin…yes, please! Love the spicy/savory idea and I'm craving a couple now:)
Terra says
I agree, they are very pretty! I love savory muffins, I need to make them more often:-) Love the jalapeno in your muffins:-) Hugs, Terra
Mireya Merritt says
I haven't made muffins in awhile, and jalapeno and cheddar is always a great combination.
lisamichele says
Like I always say..I love spicy hot, and there's a place near me that acyually makes jalapeno cheese muffins (not cheddar, though). However..NOT enough jalapenos! Yours look to just right. Oh, and I think rustic IS beautiful – they look terrific, Carolyn!
Hein Kymdell says
Hey all! Go over to Low Carb Lifestyle SA – we provide all kinds of delicious low carb products including bread, pitas, wraps, week meals, meal replacement shakes, bake mixes and much much more.
Aslo check out our website ” target=”_blank”>http://www.lowcarbsa.co.za for outlet lists and contact details country wide.
Inbox me personally if you are in the Pretoria/Centurion/Johannesburg area!
spiffycookie says
These are definitely great savory muffins!
[email protected] Couple says
Cheesy muffins and creamy soup are some of the best things in the world!
Nancy says
Hi Carolyn – these look wonderful! My husband loves anything spicy and I think these would go really well with a nice bowl of chili. One question, I have some problems with flax, do you think I could sub a little coconut flour, or would that change the texture too much?
Love your recipes.
Precious says
Hi, any suggestions on substituting flax?
Carolyn says
More almond flour.
Erin @ Dinners, Dish says
I love muffins! We always have them around and in the freezer. I have not done much with the savory kdin those. These sound great. I am going to have to try these very soon!
Roxana GreenGirl says
Muffins along with granola/snack bars are my favorite things to pack. Since most of the day I'm chasing my kiddo in the park 🙂
I love the savory twist, looks much better than a packed sandwich 🙂
liam low carb says
Cheddar and jalapenos, one of those i would not normally put in a muffin but they do sound like they could work very well together!
Moira Richardson says
These were great! I didn’t have any picked jalapenos, so I left those out and added in garlic powder and Emeril essence instead — also, I didn’t have any xanthum gum so I left that out too — they probably didn’t rise as much as yours but they were delicious anyway. Thanks for the recipe. Off to try another one for today’s breakfast 🙂
Emily @ Life on Food says
I am dreaming about muffin shops. What a wonderful idea! Great muffin, I have been saving this post for a while.
Vanderbilt Wife says
Carolyn, I hope you didn’t think you were an SRC orphan today! I thought someone was going to link my post up but they didn’t. I made your lovely muffins!
Carolyn says
Thanks for letting me know! Did you manage to get it linked?
Cindy Sampey says
Hi, I am going to make the muffins today, but also need some “sandwich bread”. I am going to put some of the batter (maybe 2) in my muffin top pan. Since the batter will be spread more thinly than in a regular muffin pan, do you think they will need to bake at the same temperature and for the same amount of time? Thanks for any tips or suggestions.
Carolyn says
Bake them at the same temp but I’d say start with 10 to 12 minutes, then do a few more minutes and a few more until they feel done.
Cindy Sampey says
Ok, thanks so much Carolyn – love your blog and all your recipes – they really help me eat good food and keep my blood sugar in check.
Rene Hughes says
Carolyn I love your recipes! Thanks for making it easier to eat grain free and sugar free! Since you are so fond of muffins…have you ever made a re-make of a Bran Muffin? One of my favorite muffin recipes was the refrigerator bran muffins using buttermilk and a box of bran cereal. When I think of things I don’t get to enjoy anymore that Bran Muffin Recipe is at the top of the list. Would love to see what you come up with for that! Thanks!
Carolyn says
Hi Rene, I haven’t tried to recreate plain bran muffins but I did make these Pumpkin “Bran” muffins. I may attempt a regular kind at some point! https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/2012/09/pumpkin-bran-muffins-low-carb-and-gluten-free.html
Sandi DeFalco says
Oh Carolyn, these look right up my alley! Sort of like a huge jalapeno popper (I hope anyway). I was reading the comments and saw that a muffin top pan was mentioned, that’s a great idea too, since I hardly use mine! Looking forward to the soup recipe soon.
Keep those recipes coming!
Buttoni says
These look amazing, Carolyn. Love jalapeno/cheese breads of all kinds. I look forward to trying these out!
angela says
Carolyn,
Have you tried making any savory muffins like this but adding, say, breakfast sausage or bacon or something to make it like a breakfasty type muffin? I haven’t tried these yet but it is on my list for the near future (getting ready to do a 7 day detox and can’t eat eggs, dairy during that time). Thanks!
Angela
Anita says
Jum Jum Jum…..
These are soooooo good.
I ate 6 in the last 3 days.
the rest is in the freezer.
Next time i might make them with some spicy dutch cheese (I am from the netherlands) and maybe ad some union and garlic powder.
But they do not need it they are great.
Next time I am going to ad bleuberries and sunfower seeds because I have thos in the house. (and leave the cheese and peppers out of course).
I love this recipe and hopefully use it over and over agian.
As I am not alergic to gluten I used plain milk and did not use the xanthan gum because I could not find it.
Jaime says
I came across this recipe this morning and was thrilled that I already had everything to make them. I just ate one (after waiting very impatiently for them to cool) and they are so good! These will be a new staple in our house, I’m thinking these will make great road trip snacks. I might throw in some sauteed onions next time too. Thanks for the recipe!
Nita says
I made a batch of these the other day. They came out great but there were a couple of things I wasn’t a huge fan of – the “slimy” feel from the flax comes through quite a bit and there was a slight ammonia smell from the baking soda. So I sliced the muffin, toasted it in butter, slathered it with neufchâtel cheese and some green hot sauce and they’re absolutely wonderful! Next time I might try replacing 4 tbsp of flax with 2 tbsp whey protein and 2 tbsp coconut flour to lighten it a bit (increase liquid to match) and adding 2 tsp baking powder instead (no baking soda). But I think if you plan to toast it, the denser texture will work better. I might also try baking it in a 7.5″ loaf pan. Thanks so much for posting such wonderful GF-LC recipes!
Jo says
This is the second recipe of yours that I’ve recently made, and now I’m addicted to your blog!
These turned out really well, with a nice muffin texture (I used the fine Honeyville almond flour). I went a little light on the jalapenos, but next time I think I’ll add a few more. What’s great is these keep really well in the frig–I just nuked them for 30 seconds or so and enjoyed with cream cheese.
Thanks!
Maria says
I know I posted a comment on these about 4 months ago, but I don’t see it, so, since I plan on making these today, I’ll say that these were wonderful! I’ll just have to add more jalapeno 🙂 Why did it take me so long to make another batch you ask? BECAUSE I’m always trying something new from you. So many recipes, so little time ::sigh:: Thank you.
Diana says
These were phenomenal!!! I didn’t have Xanthan Gum so I left that out and I added about a 1/2 C of diced jalapeño. Just the right amount of spice and the cheese was sublime!!
Dense and filling, without the guilt 🙂
My husband had one and said he would eat 5 more!!
Great recipe!! Keep sharing em’
Megha says
Great! Looking for something like this for a long time. What can be substituted for Xanthum gum?
Thanks much,
Megha
Marla says
Carolyn, I made these today and they came out great! I used 1/2 cup HWC and 1/4 cup of water since I don’t have nut milks on hand. I also only had 4 oz of cheese (a mix of sharp cheddar and mozzarella) and they still came out wonderful!
Anna says
These muffins are fantastic! Love the spice from jalapenos!
Toni says
I loved it! It was such a huge hit!
Lori says
Love these alongside a big bowl of chili!
Jen says
These were so good! The perfect addition to our Sunday BBQ dinner.
Aimee Shugarman says
Made these with chili last night. PERFECTION
Slavka says
Made these on the weekend and they’re delicious. Am going to make some more to take with me on a girls weekend away! Will add more jalapeño this time. Very easy recipe too. Thank-you.
Sharon Everett says
Hi Carolyn,
Just finished making these…DELICIOUS! Looking so forward to having these muffins with chili, soups and my 90 year old Mama will surely love them with her collard greens:) . I’m going to try making bread stuffing with them some how for Thanksgiving. Thanks so much for all your recipes!
Sharon
Carolyn says
That’s a great idea!
Wendy says
These are really excellent! I highly recommend them.
Jlickman says
These are absolutely delicious!
Emily says
Delicious!
Ana says
Ridiculous. Everything Carolyn puts on here is INSANELY delicious.
Anita says
I made them yesterday and they are Delicious!
Baked them in the Airfryer on 155 celcius gor 20 minutes.
Julie says
Just finished making my 4th batch of these, as my garden has a bumper crop of jalepenos. Amazing! (Next recipe I try is the bacon wrapped chorizo stuffed jalepenos.
I did double batches, using silicone muffin tins in a sheet pan. Makes a perfect 24 muffins. Followed the recipe as is the first time, (OK, not quite as I used 8 small vs 4 medium jalepenos,) but as dairy protein triggers my eczema and DH is trying to minimize consuming cholesterol, I used coconut oil for the butter in this last batch and eliminated the cheese topping, only using 1C cheese per batch. Not quite as pretty but just as tasty and a little less oily.
This recipe is a keeper on steroids. Thank you so much for all your hard work. I can’t tell you just how many times I have referred people to your website!
Brandy says
Amazingly delicious! This is the best low carb muffin recipe I have ever had!