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 loved it! It was such a huge hit!
These muffins are fantastic! Love the spice from jalapenos!
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!
Great! Looking for something like this for a long time. What can be substituted for Xanthum gum?
Thanks much,
Megha
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’
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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
These look amazing, Carolyn. Love jalapeno/cheese breads of all kinds. I look forward to trying these out!
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!
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!
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
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.
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.
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.
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!
Thanks for letting me know! Did you manage to get it linked?
I am dreaming about muffin shops. What a wonderful idea! Great muffin, I have been saving this post for a while.
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 🙂
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!
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 🙂