Mini keto corn dogs! These delicious little corn dog muffins are a fun appetizer or snack. Made with coconut flour, they are completely grain free. And completely delicious too.
I’ve had these mini keto corn dogs on my blog since 2015. They’re a great low carb snack that appeal to kids and adults alike. And now they’re lower in carbs and even easier to make!
It is simply a fact of life that kids love hot dogs. They just seem universally appealing to children, both young and old. All parents would be wise to keep some good all beef, uncured hot dogs near at hand for those moments of dinnertime despair, when you simply cannot think of anything else to feed them.
But I have to be honest that corn dogs have never been that high on my list of appealing foods. I guess I didn’t go to enough county fairs as a kid to have fallen in love with hot dogs dipped in corn batter and then deep-fried.
I don’t even remember them at all in my Canadian childhood so perhaps they are an American thing. But they do appear to be popping up with greater frequency now, seemingly as a retro comfort food item.
I am never one to pass up an opportunity to keto-fy a popular comfort food. And these mini keto corn dogs are a fun and easy way to enjoy it.
Are Corn Dogs Keto?
Conventional corn dogs are not even remotely keto-friendly, so it’s best to steer clear.
But you can still enjoy a reasonable facsimile with these mini keto corn dogs. They are made with coconut flour, which can taste a lot like cornbread when treated correctly.
I discovered this little fact long ago when I made some vanilla cupcakes with coconut flour. Before they were frosted, I was startled to find that both the taste and the texture was similar to cornbread. I played around with that and came up with my ever popular Keto Cornbread. I’ve also used a scaled down version to top my Keto Tamale Pie.
And of course I wanted to try my hand at a keto friendly corn dog. But I didn’t want to put in the work and the mess of deep frying. So when I spotted some mini baked corn dogs from Wilton, I knew I found my answer.
These little keto corn dog bites were such a hit with my kids!
How to make Mini Keto Corn Dogs
This recipe is so easy to make, your kids could help you with it. Here are my best tips for getting it right.
Use good coconut flour
I recommend either Bob’s Red Mill or King Arthur Flour for best results. Coconut flour can vary a great deal brand to brand but these are two of the most consistent coconut flours I have tried.
Add a little sweetener
Cornmeal is naturally a bit sweet to the taste. It makes sense when you think about it, since corn syrup is used frequently as a commercial sweetener. So adding a bit of your favorite granulated sweetener can mimic that same taste. I prefer Swerve but almost any sweetener will do here.
Use all the eggs
For the uninitiated, the amount of eggs you need for coconut flour is shocking. But it’s thirsty stuff and you need them all! Read my article on Baking with Coconut Flour to learn more.
Don’t skip the butter (or the cheese)
Butter gives it that classic cornbread flavor. The cheddar doesn’t hurt either!
Do you need cornbread flavoring?
You don’t have to add this. I’ve made these keto corn dog bites with vanilla extract and they are just as tasty. But it does amp up the flavor of real corn dogs.
Don’t forget the hot dogs
Because it wouldn’t be a corn dog recipe without them!
Can you make mini keto corn dogs ahead?
Yes, this is a great recipe for whipping up a big batch ahead of time.
You can store these keto corn dog bites in the fridge for up to a week or in the freezer for up to two months. Just keep them in an airtight container or wrapped up in a freezer bag.
Let them come to room temperature and then gently warm in a microwave or oven before serving.
More delicious keto bite sized appetizers
- Keto Broccoli Cheese Bites
- Keto Cheese Straws
- Keto Cucumber Bites
- Keto Mini Taco Bites
- Keto Spinach Artichoke Bites
- Keto Dill Pickle Fat Bombs
Keto Corn Dog Bites
Ingredients
- ½ cup coconut flour
- 2 tablespoon Swerve Granular
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 4 large eggs
- ¼ cup butter, melted
- ½ cup water
- ¼ to ½ teaspoon cornbread flavoring (optional, can also use vanilla)
- 4 ounces shredded cheddar cheese, divided
- 4 hot dogs, each cut into 6 even pieces
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325F and grease a nonstick mini muffin pan very well (if yours seems likely to stick, try using silicone liners).
- In a large bowl, whisk together the coconut flour, sweetener, baking powder, and salt. Stir in the eggs, melted butter, water, and cornbread flavoring. Stir in ¾ cup of the shredded cheese.
- Divide the batter among the prepared muffin cups. Press 1 piece of hotdog into the center of each. Sprinkle the tops with the remaining cheese.
- Bake 15 to 20 minutes, until the cheese is melted and the muffins are firm to the touch. Remove and let cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then gently run a knife around each to loosen.
Tucker says
made these. measured everything to a T. very very runny. did not taste like corn dog breading. used almond flour in a chaffle one before and it nailed it. these just tasted like it was a hot dog in an egg. thanks for trying.
Carolyn says
While you think you measured everything “to a T”, something went very wrong. The batter should not be runny at all. So I suspect whatever brand of coconut flour you were using was not as absorbent as most of them are. I recommend 2 brands in the blog post, both work well in this recipe.
Petra says
had no idea there’s such a thing as a bit dog dipped in corn batter and deep fried
Az Anna says
I doubled the recipe. They came out doughy, like the dough didn’t cook through 🙁
Carolyn says
sounds like something got mismeasured in the doubling process.
Debby says
sometimes doubling is not exact process and needs tweaking – true in “normal” baking, so I would assume it’s even more so with alternative flour sources.
Kimberly Richey says
I have SO many similar recipes, but bc I love all of Carolyn’s recipes, I just had to check it out. It did not disappoint!! Truly tastes like real cornbread! Yummy treat for lunch or to accompany a soup or salad! Thanks for another winner!
Carolyn says
Great to hear!
Helen CW says
I made them today and shared it on FB and IG, What an easy, peasy recipe. I had to use a 12 piece muffin pan and a 6 piece bagel mold since I don’t have a mini muffin pan like yours, but both batches still came out nice. Now what to eat with them. I wish I could share a photo here – they are pretty to look at and I know they will taste good. I may just have a cup of tea with a couple of them tonight. Thanks for this recipe!
Della says
Carolyn — I LOVE your recipes! And I REALLY want to try this one. But we’re in a heatwave without air conditioning, Could this be made in the air fryer or instant pot? Both of those can be used outside to avoid heating the house… 🙂 What do you think? Thanks!
Carolyn says
I am sure they can be made in an airfryer… not sure about an IP.
Karen says
This came out great; thank you, Carolyn! I was going to make pigs in blanket and had sliced my four Applegate chicken sausage into thirds, but discovered my mozzarella had been in the fridge too long, so I found your recipe. Not only was it delish but it was so quick and easy—no dough rolling or cutting, and it fit perfectly into my silicone muffin liners. I love using coconut flour recipes.
Carolyn says
Excellent!
Laura Gorman says
I made the corn dog bites and even ordered and waited for the flavoring. I wonder if there is a combination of almond flour with the coconut flour that might work? The taste of coconut feels very forward to my palate.
They look good and taste good except for the taste of coconut.
Carolyn says
Not sure I can help there, as this whole recipe is based on coconut flour. Maybe you need to try a different coconut flour? You could also try the batter from my mini pizza muffins: https://alldayidreamaboutfood.com/low-carb-mini-pizza-muffins/#recipe
Kathy F. says
Positively delicious!!! I used a cheddar jalapeño hotdog and I bought the corn bread flavoring. I shared them with my neighbor and her and her husband also loved them. Thank you for another great recipe!!