I make no secret of my love for browned butter. That rich, slightly nutty, slightly caramelized flavor adds depth to both sweet and savory recipes. It’s what makes my Keto Blondies so special. And even my kid will devour Brown Butter Chicken.
Adding it to some keto muffins was the next logical step in my cooking journey.
I also make no secret of my love for pecans. I love them in cookies and cakes, and of course keto pecan pie. And you know what goes well with pecans? Ding ding ding! That’s right, browned butter.
I happened to have some pecan flour that needed using, so I went full pecan crazy on this recipe. It makes them more rustic looking, but deeply delicious. But don’t worry, it works just as well with almond flour!
Why You Will Love These Muffins
- Moist and tender: These muffins have a wonderful texture that reminds me of bran muffins.
- Rich flavor: Brown butter, brown sweetener, and the pecans give these a rich, nutty flavor.
- Easy to make: They take only about 10 minutes of active time and then you are on your way to breakfast deliciousness.
- Easy to store: You can freeze the extras for easy snacks or breakfast when you need it.
- Low carb and gluten-free: No grains or sugar, and only 2.7 grams net carbs per muffin.
Ingredient Notes
- Nut flour: I used a combination of almond flour and pecan flour. I don’t recommend using all pecan flour (it can make them too coarse and a bit dry), but you can do this recipe using all almond flour.
- Sweetener: A brown sugar sweetener adds more flavor and richness.
- Protein powder: Use whey or egg white protein (plain or vanilla). It helps the muffins rise better and hold their shape.
- Almond milk: I use a little almond milk to thin out the muffin batter but you can also use regular milk or water.
- Pecans: Chopped pecans are in the muffin batter and added as a garnish as well.
- Kitchen staples: Butter, eggs, vanilla extract, baking powder and salt.
How to Make Keto Brown Butter Muffins
- Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a skillet and cook, stirring frequently, until the butter becomes a deep amber. Remove and let cool.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk together the almond flour, pecan flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the wet ingredients: Mix in the eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until well combined. Stir in the almond milk until the batter is smooth. Stir in the chopped pecans.
- Bake the muffins: Divide batter evenly among the prepared muffins cups. Top with more chopped pecans. Bake until the muffins have risen and are just firm to the touch on top.
Tips for Success
It may be tempting to use pecan flour for all the flour in this recipe but I caution against it. Despite their high oil content, I have found that too much pecan flour can make baked goods overly dry. I believe this is due to the brown skins, which can’t be removed as easily as they can from almonds.
You will need liners for your muffin pan, and I recommend the silicone ones over the parchment. They both work, but silicone is reusable and it will protect your muffins better from over-browning.
Sweetener Options: I suggest using an erythritol-based sweetener for this recipe, as allulose will cause the muffins to darken more and possibly taste burnt. If you do choose to try a sweetener that contains allulose, lower the oven temperature to 325ºF and keep a close eye on them.
More Delicious Keto Pecan Recipes
Keto Brown Butter Pecan Muffins
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 1 cup pecan flour, (or more almond flour)
- 1/2 cup brown sugar replacement, erythritol recommended
- 1/3 cup unflavored whey protein powder, (or egg white protein powder)
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 3 large eggs
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/3 cup almond milk, (or other liquid)
- 2/3 cup chopped pecans
Instructions
- Place the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the butter becomes a deep amber, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove and let cool.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF and line a standard muffin pan with silicone or parchment liners.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the almond flour, pecan flour, sweetener, protein powder, baking powder, and salt.
- Add the eggs, butter, and vanilla extract until well combined, then stir in the almond milk until the batter is smooth.
- Stir in most of the chopped pecans, reserving a few tablespoons for the tops of the muffins. Divide evenly among the prepared muffins cups. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining chopped pecans.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the muffins have risen and are just firm to the touch on top. Remove and let cool completely in the pan.
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Cooking butter in a shallow pan until it “browns” gives baked goods and other recipes more depth of flavor. The milk solids in the butter become toasted as it cooks, giving the butter a nutty, almost caramelized flavor. Just watch it carefully because it can burn quickly and that doesn’t taste very good!
You can store your keto muffins in a covered container on the counter for 4 days, or place in a sealed container in the fridge for up to a week. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months.
This Keto Brown Butter Pecan Muffins recipe has 5.8g of carbs and 3.1g of fiber per serving. That comes to 2.7g net carbs per muffin.
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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muffins just out of the oven. cooled a bit and couldn’t wait to nibble. Very good muffins. A bit of work as I had to grind the pecans into flour, but ended up more like meal. Added in measured amount and worked just fine. Are delicious, give them a try.
I haven’t gotten any emails from you lately. I have been signed up for quite awhile. I re-submitted my subscription twice now, but I’m still not getting your emails!
Can I use? Beef protein powder, instead of whey protein powder in your recipes?
In most cases, no. It makes baked goods gummy and hard to cook through.
These look good. Can you use a silicone cupcake pan instead of the silicone muffin cups? I only have 6 of those.
These look wonderful I can’t wait to make them. I am trying to reduce the calories and keto recipes are so high and fat that’s always a thing. I’m wondering if I can substitute a lower calorie flour for any of the almond flour or pecan flour. Personally I’m not as concerned about the carb count as I am the calorie count.
Your recipes are so delicious and Many of them kind of priced me out calorically. I need the low carb but I also need low cow. Love the addition of all the higher protein things!
I’m thinking cassava flour or even a low-carb baking mix, any thoughts?
Sorry, I don’t use cassava flour as it’s much too high carb. sounds like you need to experiment.
Looks like I will bake before my road trip. Yum