These savory, cheesy keto muffins are super tender, moist, and flavorful. Flecks of fresh jalapeño give them a little kick of spice too! Serve them warm out of the oven with a bowl of keto chili for the perfect comfort food meal.
Sometimes I forget how versatile muffins can be. You can make the classics, like Keto Blueberry Muffins, or get a little creative like Cinnamon Roll Protein Muffins. And of course, they can also be savory like these Keto Cheddar Jalapeño Muffins. I’ve had this recipe on my website since 2012, but I’ve since update it to make it even lower in carbs.
Muffins are an essential part of my healthy, low carb diet and I often credit them with keeping me on track. They can be breakfast, they can be snack, and in a pinch, they can be lunch or dinner. And they are infinitely portable – just pop them in a bag and head out the door. I even take them with me as low carb travel snacks.
This savory version is so tender and delicious, my family has requested them again and again!
Why you will love this recipe
- Buttery, cheesy flavor: These muffins are so tender, with a deliciously cheesy crust on top!
- Kick of spice: Jalapeños and cheddar go so well together. Of course, you can leave them out if you really don’t like them. T
- Easy to make: It only takes 15 minutes to prep these muffins and get them in the oven!
- Perfect side dish: They pair perfectly with your favorite soups and stews. They’re also delicious with Keto Pulled Pork or Chile Colorado.
- Freezeable: Make a big batch and toss them in the freezer for any time you need an easy snack or breakfast.
- Low Carb: They have only 6.2g carbs per muffin.
Reader’s Thoughts
“These are so yummy! We ended up eating them for dinner and skipped the rest of what we had planned to make. They were so good, it was hard to stop eating them!” — Zhenya
Ingredients you need
- Jalapeños: 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.
- Almond flour: 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.
- Coconut flour: These muffins are made mostly with almond flour, but I added a bit of coconut flour for consistency.
- Shredded cheddar cheese: Grate your own cheese if you want to avoid the added starch in pre-shredded cheeses.
- Unsweetened almond milk: 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.
- Kitchen staples: Eggs, butter, garlic powder, baking powder and salt.
Step by Step Directions
- Cut the jalapeños: Cut 12 thin crosswise slices of jalapeño for the top of the muffins, and finely dice the remaining peppers.
- Mix the dry ingredients: Whisk together the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, salt, and garlic powder. Stir in 1 cup of the cheese and the chopped jalapeños.
- Add the wet ingredients: Add the eggs, butter, and almond milk and stir to combine well.
- Fill the muffin cups: Line a muffin pan with parchment or silicone liners. Divide the mixture among the muffins cups and top with the remaining cheese and a slice of jalapeño.
- Bake the muffins: Bake at 325ºF for 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.
Tips for Success
I always recommend silicone or parchment muffins liners, as paper can stick badly to keto muffins.
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.
Keto flour options: Don’t want to use coconut flour? Try adding another 1 cup of almond flour instead. Want to use all coconut flour and no almond? Use the same amounts I use in these Keto Rhubarb Muffins, leave out all the sweetener and spices, and add the cheese and jalapeño listed here. I can’t advise exactly how long they will take to bake so please keep your eye on them in the oven.
Frequently Asked Questions
Jalapeños are a wonderful way to add flavor to keto recipes. A single small pepper (14g) has only about 1g of carbs, according to the USDA. This recipe uses 2 medium peppers so it only adds about 3 to 4 grams of carbs for the entire recipe of 12 muffins.
Store these savory muffins in a covered container the fridge for up to 8 days. You can also freeze them for several months.
This keto cheddar jalapeño muffin recipe has 6.2g of carbs and 3.0g of fiber per serving. That comes to 3.2g net carbs per muffin.
Cheddar Jalapeno Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 medium jalapeños, divided
- 2 cups (224 g) almond flour
- 1/4 cup (30 g) coconut flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1 1/2 cup (169.5 g) shredded cheddar cheese, divided, (about 6 ounces)
- 4 large eggs
- 6 tbsp (85.21 g) butter, melted
- 3/4 cup (177.44 ml) unsweetened almond milk
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a muffin pan with parchment or silicone liners.
- Cut 12 thin crosswise slices of jalapeño for the top of the muffins, and finely dice the remaining peppers.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
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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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!
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.
Hi, any suggestions on substituting flax?
More almond flour.
Cheesy muffins and creamy soup are some of the best things in the world!
These are definitely great savory muffins!
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Inbox me personally if you are in the Pretoria/Centurion/Johannesburg area!
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!
I haven't made muffins in awhile, and jalapeno and cheddar is always a great combination.
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
Cheddar and jalapeno in a sweet little muffin…yes, please! Love the spicy/savory idea and I'm craving a couple now:)
I'll be trying these this weekend! Jalapeno Cheddar is a favorite flavor combination of mine!!! Thank you, Carolyn!!!
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 :
omg, cheddar jalapeno muffins? genius!
These looks fantastic! Jalapenos are always a great thing, and with cheddar? Mmmmmm!
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!!!
YES PLEASE! Those look outstanding, definitely bookmarking these!
My husband would go nuts for these muffins! They look so good, Carolyn!
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!
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
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!
So happy to hear it!
I cant see xanthan gum in recipe and now I’m confused if I have to add it or no?
It’s an updated recipe. These are older comments. No more xanthan gum.
Delicious and easy! Thank you!
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 :/
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. =)
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?