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Enjoying low carb baked goods helps me stick to my ketogenic diet
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In spring 2019, after the medical scare that
motivated me to get serious about losing at least 50 pounds and become
significantly leaner
to reduce my risk for cancer and heart disease, a ketogenic diet was one of
several options I considered. One of my biggest concerns about keto was
whether–and how–I could stay on such a restrictive diet for however long it
would take to lose that weight.
I didn’t think I could, nor did I want to, commit to a way of eating that
prohibited all baked goods, since I estimated that it would probably take a
year, or maybe longer, to reach my healthy weight loss goal. And, based on
what I had read during my
extensive research on the ketogenic diet
approach, most recipes for keto baked goods turned out dry, dense, and with an
unpleasant aftertaste from the sweetener. To be successful on an extremely low
carb diet, I could find ways to incorporate keto-friendly baked goods that
didn’t taste like cardboard!
When I thought about which ones would be most helpful in staying on track
long-term, I initially narrowed my focus to muffins, cupcakes, cake, bread,
and rolls, including hamburger buns. I tried a lot of recipes, many of which I
didn't care for, but was able to find some I liked. I also sampled an array of
keto-friendly baking mixes, limiting them to ones that were made with simple,
high-quality ingredients, mostly the same ones I used in my homemade low carb
baked goods. Again, some weren't up to my standards, but others were a very
pleasant surprise.
Today, I'm sharing my favorite baking mixes (so far) for making keto-friendly
muffins and cupcakes, as well as some recipes I can recommend, and the
variations and add-on ingredients I use frequently. I'll also include some
tree nut and coconut free options. (I'll do the same for other types of baked
goods in future posts.)
Keto Baking Mixes vs. Recipes: Pros and Cons
I've been an avid baker all my life and have always enjoyed baking. And, of
course, it always costs less when you only have to pay for the ingredients.
However, I've found that when it comes to making my own keto baked goods,
there's often more prep time and more ingredients needed than with
conventional recipes (which also means more measuring cups, spoons, etc., to
wash).
In addition to being less expensive, many of us generally prefer to bake from
scratch to ensure that our treats are made with wholesome, nutritious, high
quality ingredients, and because if you're a reasonably good home baker, they
usually taste better than those made from a commercial mix (such as Duncan
Hines, Betty Crocker, or even Krusteaz). However, the keto-friendly baking
mixes I'm sharing here are made with the same foods I would use in my favorite
low-carb baking recipes (with only a couple of exceptions), and most taste
even better than many of their scratch-baked counterparts.
Another very important consideration for anyone tracking their macros is that
many of the best keto recipes for cupcakes and muffins I've tried are
significantly higher in calories, net carbs, and fat than treats made from the
mixes I've included here.
Since last year, low carb food manufacturers have been really stepping up
their game. There are many more options and much better tasting baking mixes
than when I started in 2019. So, whether you prefer double chocolate chip
cupcakes or savory (faux) corn muffins, I encourage you to give some of the
mixes I recommend a try. You may find, as I do, that the taste and texture of
your keto baked goods, the convenience, and not having to stock your pantry
and freezer with a range of new, more expensive, and often perishable
ingredients might be worth the higher cost.
Keto Blueberry Muffins or Cupcakes
HighKey Blueberry Muffin & Cupcake Baking Mix
HighKey Snacks makes some wonderful products for people who follow a ketogenic
diet. I keep a wide range of them in my cupboard at all times, especially their
baking mixes and mini cookies. Their
HighKey Blueberry Muffin & Cupcake Baking Mix, which I usually order on Amazon with free Amazon Prime shipping, produces a
nice, tender, cake-like muffin.
The mix uses a combination of coconut flour and almond flour for a tender
texture that's a cross between a muffin and a cupcake. It's sweetened with
HighKey's proprietary natural sweetener blend that includes erythritol,
allulose, stevia and monk fruit, as well as
soluble tapioca fiber (resistant dextrin), a non-digestible carbohydrate
that the FDA considers a dietary fiber.
Prepared according to the package instructions with 4 eggs, 1 Tbsp unsweetened
almond milk, and 1/3 cup coconut oil, each blueberry muffin has only 1g net
carbs, 140 calories, 12g fat, 7g dietary fiber, 0g added sugars, and 4g
protein.
If you can afford a few extra net carbs in your daily keto macros, these
individual treats taste even better with some extra fresh or frozen
blueberries, especially wild blueberries that are plentiful in Maine during
the season. They have much better, more intense flavor than regular
blueberries, and they're also tiny, which means the fruit can be more evenly
distributed when it's mixed into the batter. If you don't live in New England,
or when wild blueberries are out of season, Wyman's of Maine brand frozen wild
blueberries are an excellent alternative to fresh berries.
You can also add a little finely grated fresh lemon zest and/or lemon extract
(but not lemon juice), if you'd like.
Blueberry Muffins Recipe With Almond Flour
One of the first cookbooks I bought when I started my keto weight loss journey
was
The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook by Maya Krampf, and the first think I tried from it was the blueberry muffins recipe. They
turned out very good, if slightly dry (it's possible I might have overbaked
them a smidge). And split, lightly toasted and buttered, they were delicious!
They're sweetened with erythritol, but since the book was published Maya
Krampf has come out with her own line of Besti sweeteners, including a
granulated monk fruit and erythritol blend that can be substituted 1:1 for
erythritol in baked goods recipes.
Note that these homemade muffins are significantly higher in calories, fat,
protein, and net carbs than those made with the HighKey mix: 5g net carbs, 254
calories, 23g fat, 0g added sugars, and 8g protein. (The recipe's nutrition
information doesn't include dietary fiber.)
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The almond flour blueberry muffins I made with the
recipe from The Wholesome Yum Easy Keto Cookbook
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Keto Chocolate Cupcakes or Muffins
HighKey Double Chocolate Chip Muffin & Cupcake Baking Mix
Update: HighKey No Longer Makes Baking Mixes! I now recommend Good Dee's Chocolate Brownie Mix, Good Dee's Soft Baked Keto Brownie Mix Double Batch Bag, Livlo Keto Brownie Baking Mix or Keto and Co Keto Fudge Brownie Mix instead.
Given my chocoholic tendencies, you may have guessed my favorite low carb
cupcakes or muffins flavor is double chocolate chip. I make them from
HighKey Double Chocolate Chip Muffin & Cupcake Baking Mix
often, and usually mix 1/2 cup of sugar-free ChocZero white chocolate baking
chips into the batter. (Does that make them Double Chocolate Double Chip, or
Triple Chocolate Chip?)
The texture falls somewhere between a cupcake and a muffin. I think of them as
the former when I eat them for dessert, and as the latter when I enjoy them as
a decadent breakfast treat.
The mix requires 4 eggs, 1 Tbsp unsweetened almond milk, and 1/3 cup coconut
oil to yield 12 servings. Like the HighKey blueberry mix, it's sweetened with
HighKey's proprietary natural sweetener blend, which includes erythritol,
allulose, stevia and monk fruit.
Prepared according to the package directions, one serving of these sumptuous
treats has only 1g net carbs, 120 calories, 10g fat, 5g dietary fiber, 0g
added sugars, and 4g protein.
The optional
ChocZero white chocolate chips
add not only a complementary flavor but also a bit of extra dietary fiber,
which can be hard to get enough of on an extremely low carb diet.
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I made these decadent, fudgy treats with HighKey Double Chocolate Chip
Muffin & Cupcake Baking Mix and ChocZero white chocolate
chips
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Low Carb Chocolate Muffins and Cupcakes Recipes
Here are a few good ones to try.
Keto Chocolate Cupcakes recipe
from Wholesome Yum
Keto Double Chocolate Muffins recipe
from All Day I Dream About Food
Keto Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins recipe
from My Keto Kitchen (I haven't tried this one yet, but it has a 5-star
rating with 230 votes - a pretty good endorsement in my book!)
Keto (Faux) Corn Muffins
Good Dee's Corn Bread Mix
Real corn is a major no-no on a ketogenic diet, which is a bit of a bummer for
those of us who love all things corn. Fortunately, it's possible to bake
something that gives us something that is sort of reminiscent of cornbread
that is also very low carb, if you set realistic expectations for how "corny"
something with no corn in it can taste. And if you're going to top it with
keto chili, for example, it does very nicely, indeed.These days, my favorite
way to make faux corn muffins is with
Good Dee’s Corn Bread Low Carb Baking Mix. (The package says “Corn Free Bread,” with the word "free" in much smaller
letters than "corn" and "bread" for truth-in-advertising purposes.) The
directions, which are based on making cornbread in an 8-inch pan, say to bake at
325 F for 18-23 minutes. I divide my batter among 12 silicone baking liners and
bake until the muffins test done (i.e., a wooden toothpick stuck into the center
comes out without any uncooked batter). That takes around 12-15 minutes, if I
remember correctly.
I boost the corn flavor by adding
Amoretti Sweet Corn Extract
to the batter. It costs more than other brands, but has really good flavor and
is keto-friendly. And, since I don't make corn muffins or bread that often,
the 2-ounce bottle lasts me quite a while.
This mix makes faux corn muffins that are neither savory nor sweet and contain
just a hint of stevia extract. They're perfect for adding shredded cheddar or
pepper jack cheese, with or without chopped jalapeño or other chili peppers,
if you're so inclined, or you can add a little erythritol, monkfruit,
BochaSweet (pentose), or a blend, if you prefer yours on the sweeter side.
Prepared with 3 large eggs, 3 tablespoons of melted unsalted butter, and 1
tablespoon of apple cider vinegar according to the package directions, these
low carb cornbread muffins have 1g net carbs, 130 calories, 11g fat, 5g
dietary fiber, 0g added sugars, and 4g protein. The optional teaspoon or two
of Amoretti sweet corn extract adds negligible calories or fat and no net
carbs per serving.
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Tasty keto corn muffins made with Good Dee's Corn Bread
Low Carb
Baking Mix and Amoretti Sweet Corn Extract
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Keto Banana Muffins
Keto and Co Banana Caramel Muffin Mix
I love banana bread and cupcakes, and I really missed them after I adopted my
new low carb lifestyle. Then, I discovered the awesome
Banana Caramel Keto Muffin Mix by Keto and Co, which makes extremely moist, tender, and flavorful muffins that taste as
though they were made with real mashed, ripe bananas, yet they contain no fruit
at all. They have a slightly sticky, chewy texture similar to almond macaroons
(yum!).
This mix is sweetened with the company's proprietary Wondrose Sugar Replacer,
a mix of erythritol, non-GMO soluble corn fiber, inulin, monk fruit and
natural flavors.
Each bag of mix, which calls for 4 large eggs, 6 tablespoons of melted butter,
and 1/2 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar, makes 9 banana cupcakes or muffins.
I like to amp up the banana flavor even more with 1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons of
OliveNation Pure Banana Extract, which has 0 net carbs, no added sugars, and no calories when used as
directed for baking (the alcohol burns off in the oven). These muffins are
even better if you add 1/3 cup of
ChocZero sugar-free dark chocolate chips
or white chocolate chips.
To make them into cupcakes, simply cover the tops with a swirl of
keto-friendly frosting.
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I love adding ChocZero sugar-free white or dark chocolate chips when I
bake Keto and Co Banana Caramel Keto Muffin Mix batter
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Keto Banana Muffin Recipes
Banana Chocolate Chip Muffin recipe
from Joy Filled Eats
Low Carb Banana Muffins recipe
with cacao nibs or dark chocolate chips from Sugar Free Londoner Note: This
recipe is flavored with one very ripe banana, which is why it has nearly 8 net
carbs. But if you really dislike recipes that use banana extract and you can
fit it into your macros, you might want to make a batch of these and freeze
them, so you can have one occasionally as a treat.
Low Carb Carrot Muffins or Cupcakes
Good Dee's Carrot Muffin & Cake Mix
I've always been a big fan of carrot cake and muffins, so I was really happy
to discover
Good Dee's Carrot Muffin & Cake Mix. Instead of almond flour and/or coconut flour, it's made with watermelon
seed flour and sunflower seed flour.
Although this mix contains erythritol and very small amount of stevia extract,
it's not as sweet as many others, which is actually a very good thing. If
you'd like it a bit sweeter, you can easily add a very little bit of
additional erythritol and/or stevia extract or another alternative, such as
granulated/crystallized allulose, monk fruit, or a blend of some or all of
them. However, after several months on a fairly clean keto diet (which also
means no artificial sweeteners that can spike your blood sugar and can feed
your psychological sugar addiction), you are likely to find that your sweet
tooth has diminished, and you may find yourself preferring your baked goods a
bit less sweet. I kept hearing this from other people doing mostly clean keto,
but never dreamed it could happen to me...until it did!
This mix also has some cinnamon and a touch of nutmeg, but it's pretty subtle.
I prefer carrot muffins and cupcakes with a more prominent spice flavor, so I
always add additional cinnamon and, often, a bit of powdered ginger. I highly
recommend Penzeys Spices for fresh, high quality herbs, spices and pure
vanilla extract at terrific prices.
This mix calls for 3 eggs, 1/3 cup melted coconut oil, and 1 teaspoon vanilla
extract for carrot muffins, or 4 eggs, 1/3 cup melted coconut oil, and 2
teaspoons vanilla extract for carrot cake or cupcakes (follow the directions
for the cake, but divide the batter into 12 silicone cupcake liners and bake
for only 18-23 minutes). The "as prepared" nutrition information (which
doesn't specify whether it's for cupcakes or muffins) listed on the package is
3g net carbs, 150 calories, 12g fat, 3g dietary fiber, 0g added sugars, and 4g
protein.
Note: Although there are no tree nuts or coconut in the ingredients, the mix
is manufactured in a dedicated gluten-free facility that also processes soy,
milk, tree nuts, and eggs. So, if you have a severe food allergy to any of
those things, this might not be an option for you.
Variation: Carrot Muffins with Nuts and/or Shredded Coconut
Traditionally, carrot muffins and carrot cake recipes often include crushed
pineapple, raisins or dried cranberries, all of which are off-limits on a
ketogenic diet. However, if you enjoy tree nuts and/or coconut and can
tolerate them, these carrot cake muffins are even better if you add 1/4 to 1/2
cup of unsweetened shredded coconut and/or chopped, lightly toasted walnuts or
pecans to the batter.
While these additions will nudge the calories and net carbs a bit higher, they
will also provide more healthy fat, dietary fiber and protein. I have tried
several brands and prefer
Anthony's Organic Unsweetened Shredded Coconut, which is great quality and costs less per ounce than many other high
quality brands. I keep a 2-pound bag of it in our freezer.
Variation: Carrot Cake Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Make the Carrot Muffins with Nuts and/or Shredded Coconut variation, then add
a dollop or swirl of sugar-free cream cheese frosting to each serving. I
recommend either the
cream cheese frosting recipe from the Wholesome Yum website, or my favorite keto cream cheese frosting recipe on page 380 of
The Ultimate Guide to Keto Baking by Carolyn Ketchum, an absolutely fabulous cookbook that has become my go-to for low carb
baking. If you want to learn how to make delicious keto muffins, cupcakes,
layer cakes, frostings, cookies, doughnuts, gingerbread, brownies, pies,
tarts, pizzas, crackers, bread, and more, this cookbook will become your keto
baking bible. In addition to explaining simply and thoroughly the fundamentals
of low carb baking, this book contains more than 150 sweet and savory baking
recipes. And, while I haven't tried them all yet, every recipe I've made has
been a winner.
Choose Your Flavor Muffin Mix
Good Dee's Low Carb Base Muffin Mix
You can whip up a batch of sweet or savory keto muffins in a jiffy by mixing
in whatever flavoring ingredients you want into
Good Dee's Low Carb Base Muffin Mix. This versatile mix makes a neutral muffin batter that you can customize to
suit your individual preferences. Shredded cheese and bits of ham or crispy
bacon, fresh raspberries or strawberries, shredded coconut and lemon zest, any
flavor extract you can think of...the only limit is your imagination!
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Good Dee's low carb base muffin mix is a blank canvas
so you can
flavor it with any ingredients you wish
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Adapting Keto Baking Recipes for People with Tree Nut Allergies
Almond flour, alone or with coconut flour, is the foundation of most low-carb
baking. While there are some recipes that use coconut flour and no almond
flour, these two ingredients behave very differently in baked goods, and you
can't simply substitute one for the other and end up with a successful result.
That means most keto recipes for baked goods are off limits to people who
suffer from severe tree nut allergies.
Fortunately, in most cases, sunflower seed flour, also called sunflower seed
meal, can be substituted for almond flour, if you add a bit more than the
recipe calls for to get the right consistency (you may need to experiment a
bit).
Although I'm not allergic to tree nuts, last fall I wanted to make a recipe
that called for this almond flour alternative. I ordered a bag of
Gerb's sunflower seed meal, which is convenient and high quality, but also on the expensive side. So,
when that bag is finished, if I want more, I'll make my own by grinding raw
sunflower seeds in a clean coffee grinder and sifting it. This post from
Carolyn Ketchum on how to
make sunflower seed flour
has some helpful and important tips.
My Favorite Silicone Baking Cups / Liners for Muffins and Cupcakes
Keto baked goods often don't release as easily as their conventional
counterparts. So, whenever I make low carb muffins or cupcakes, I always scoop
the batter into my favorite non-stick, reusable,
Pantry Elements Silicone Cupcake Baking Cups / Liners. This set of 24 fluted silicone liners includes four each of six bright,
cheerful rainbow colors—yellow, orange, red, purple, blue, and green—in a
bonus see-through storage container. The silicone passes the "pinch test" for
color, and they also can be used standalone without the support of a cupcake
or muffin tin, which is how I usually use them, since my old wall oven died
and we now use only our countertop oven, which won't accommodate a full-size
cupcake pan. I use these wonderful silicone liners for baking at least every
other week.
Note: I've also recommended these silicone cups previously, in my review of
the best silicone cooking and baking tools and accessories.
Thoughts on Soluble Tapioca Fiber, Soluble Corn Fiber, and Inulin in Low
Carb Mixes
Tapioca and corn are starches, and high-fructose corn syrup (aka HFCS) and
maltodextrin are high carbohydrate sugars with a very high glycemic index.
None of them should be eaten on a ketogenic diet. However, although it is
derived from HFCS, soluble corn fiber (SCF) is a horse of an entirely
different color!
Soluble corn fiber is a resistant dextrin, a water-soluble dietary fiber
that has other potential health benefits, such as increasing bone calcium retention in postmenopausal women. It adds
viscosity and sweetness without spiking blood sugar levels, because it
passes through the stomach and small intestine without being digested. Similarly, inulin, another soluble dietary fiber recognized by the FDA,
also provides sweetness and has an extremely low glycemic index.
Some people argue that anything with a sweet taste should be avoided on a
ketogenic diet because, they allege, continuing to eat sweet-tasting foods
will simply feed your food addiction to sugar. They point to studies that
suggest that consuming artificial sweeteners may affect the metabolism, and a
recent study
that suggests that merely tasting something sweet might alter our metabolism
and glucose control. However, these studies were focused solely on sugar
(sucrose) and artificial sweeteners sucralose (Splenda), aspartame (Equal,
NutraSweet), and saccharine, all of which affect blood sugar and metabolism
differently than plant-based, low glycemic sweeteners such as erythritol, monk
fruit and stevia. It doesn't seem scientifically valid to draw conclusions
about the metabolic effects of anything that tastes sweet based on
extrapolating findings about effects of sugar and artificial sweeteners.
I have been eating foods containing soluble tapioca fiber, soluble corn fiber,
and inulin for more than a year, while losing 58 pounds on my ketogenic diet,
and I successfully kicked my sugar addiction and enjoy, but no longer crave,
sweet foods. There are many, many others who have had similar experiences. As
always, your mileage may vary.
Also, different people metabolize carbohydrates differently. If you have any
concerns about how any type of sweetener might affect your blood sugar
(especially if you are pre-diabetic or diabetic) or your ability to stay in
ketosis, or just try adding plant-based sweeteners in limited amounts for a
month, without changing anything else about what, when, and how much you eat,
and see whether it seems to affect your weight loss.
High Quality Keto Baking Ingredients & Mixes Cost More Than Flour,
Sugar, and Honey
The only significant downside of my ketogenic lifestyle is a noticeably higher
grocery bill, despite purchasing less food on our shopping trips. Whole, high
quality, nutritious foods are cost significantly more than processed foods,
pizza, rice, grains, and traditional baked goods, especially since I try to
choose mostly foods that are organic, non-GMO, grass-fed, pasture-raised,
etc., when possible (and practical). And for baking, ingredients like almond
flour, coconut flour, psyllium husk powder, and high quality,
naturally-derived sweeteners, such as monk fruit extract, stevia extract,
erythritol, allulose, and my personal favorite,
BochaSweet
(pentose) that have a low glycemic load, are more expensive than their far
less nutritious conventional counterparts, such as wheat flour, cornstarch,
sugar and honey.
But I consider the added expense a small price to pay, compared to the
extremely high financial, emotional, and quality of life costs of developing
and being treated for cancer, heart disease, diabetes, or another serious and
potentially life-threatening illness, for which my obesity put me at much
higher risk. And the ability to enjoy life so much more, now that I feel (and
look) so much better, free from my prior chronic joint pain and inflammation,
with more energy and verve than I could have imagined, is priceless.
Save 15% on Good Dee's Baking Mixes!
You can buy Good Dee's products both on Amazon and on the Good Dee's website. The company frequently does promotions in both places.
But you don't need to wait for a promotion to save money.
Use my Good Dee's affiliate link to go to the website and use code GOODDEES15MRS to save 15% on your entire order!
Want Even More Low Carb Cupcakes and Muffins?
Bookmark this page and check back often over the next few weeks. I'll be
updating this review with more of my favorite keto recipes and baking mixes for
the best muffins and cupcakes to enjoy on a ketogenic diet.
Low Carb Muffins & Cupcakes: Treats to Enjoy on a Keto Diet by Margaret Schindel
Posts About My Keto Diet Journey
My First Year on The Keto Diet
Preparing to Succeed on the Keto Diet, Part One
Preparing to Succeed on the Keto Diet, Part Two
Low Carb Muffins & Cupcakes: Treats to Enjoy on a Keto Diet
Low Carb Keto Chocolate Yogurt Granola Chip Pudding Recipe
Good Dee’s Keto Cookie Low Carb Baking Mix Review
Hamama Microgreens Growing Kit Review & Success Tips
My Favorite Hamama Microgreens Seed Quilt Accessories
Keto Cheddar Cheese Biscuits With Chives Recipe
The Ultimate Keto Hot Chocolate Recipe
The Best Low Carb Keto Gift Ideas: Keto Gift Guide
The Best Low Carb Keto Cinnamon Muffins
Wholesome Yum Keto Bread Mix and Yeast Bread Recipe
The Good Chocolate 100% Organic No Sugar Dark Chocolate Review
The Best Advice to Maintain Your Keto Diet Weight Loss
My New Irresistibly Delicious Keto Cheese Crackers Recipe
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Snack Better With The Best Healthy Keto Cookie Dough Bites
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