I had a huge craving for something that tasted like Fall last night, and these definitely came through. As one of the softest and most moist muffins I’ve EVER MADE on Keto, these really fit the bill. And today? Nope, not dried out – still super moist and super delicious. If you’ve ever read the back of a Lay’s chips package, you’d see their slogan “you can’t just have one”. Well, you can definitely apply that motto to these keto muffins!
These muffins have such an explosion of flavor! The first thing you taste is the cinnamon coating, giving you a delicious cinnamon and buttery taste that starts it all off. Then, as you chew, the notes of nutmeg, ginger, and allspice roll around your taste buds to keep you guessing. The texture is sublime. Absolutely the softest and most moist muffins I’ve ever made on keto. It’s like eating a freshly made old fashioned donut, dense but airy at the same time. The brown butter comes through on the end, giving you this delicious, nutty taste to finish it all off.
If you’re not a big fan of that “cooling” aftertaste you get with raw erythritol, please make sure you sub out the erythritol for xylitol when you make the Cinnamon “Sugar” Coating. This way, it’ll have much less of a “cooling” aftertaste and you can enjoy the texture and flavors of the cinnamon coating.
Yields 12 Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
The Preparation
Donut Muffins:
- 1/3 cup butter, salted
- 1/2 cup erythritol, powdered
- 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 1/2 cups almond flour
- 2 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 large egg
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia
- 1/2 teaspoon orange extract
Cinnamon "Sugar" Coating:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 cup erythritol, or xylitol
- 1/4 cup butter, melted
The Execution
1. Start by putting 1/3 cup butter into a small pan over medium-low heat. You want to let this melt and stir occasionally as you get the other ingredients ready.
2. In a spice grinder, add 1/2 cup erythritol and 1 twig of clove (if you’re using pre-ground clove, skip the twig). We’re going to grind these together to save a bit of time.
3. Add all dry ingredients to a bowl. 1 1/2 cups almond flour, 1/2 cup erythritol (powdered), 2 tbsp. psyllium husk powder, 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. allspice, 1/8 tsp. ground clove, and 1/8 tsp. ground ginger.
4. By this point, the butter has started to smell nutty. Make sure that it’s golden to golden brown in color, then set aside (or in the fridge) to cool completely.
5. Once the butter is cool, mix together the dry ingredients and set aside for a moment.
6. In a bowl, combine all wet ingredients. 2 large eggs, 1/2 cup heavy cream, the 1/3 cup browned butter, 1/4 tsp. (25 drops) liquid stevia, and 1/2 tsp. orange extract.
7. Using a hand mixer, beat together all of the wet ingredients until combined.
8. Sift 1/2 dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. You can use a colander to do this, or a proper sifter.
9. Use the hand mixer again to mix all of the dough together. Repeat this process with the other half of the dry ingredients. Preheat your oven to 350F here.
10. Measure out all the dough into some silicone cupcake molds.
11. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown around the edges.
12. Remove from the oven and set aside. Wait for about 5-10 minutes for this to cool.
13. Mix together cinnamon and erythritol (or xylitol).
14. Melt 1/4 cup butter in a saucepan, then turn the heat off. Dip each muffin into the butter (sides and bottom included) and then dip into cinnamon sugar. You have the option to only cover the top (recommended) or cover the whole thing.
15. Set aside on a cooling rack or eat warm!
This makes a total of 12 servings of Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins. Each serving comes out to be 218 calories, 20.3g fats, 2.2g net carbs, and 4.4g protein.
| NUTRITION | CALORIES | FAT | CARBS | FIBER | NET CARBS | PROTEIN |
| 1/3 cup butter | 537 | 60.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.6 |
| 1/2 cup erythritol | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves | 1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0 |
| 1 1/2 cup almond flour | 973 | 84 | 37 | 21.8 | 15.1 | 35.3 |
| 2 tablespoon psyllium husk powder | 112 | 0 | 25.6 | 22.4 | 3.2 | 0 |
| 1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder | 4 | 0 | 1.9 | 0 | 1.9 | 0 |
| 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg | 3 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0 |
| 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice | 1 | 0 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0 |
| 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger | 1 | 0 | 0.2 | 0 | 0.1 | 0 |
| 2 large egg | 157 | 10.5 | 0.8 | 0 | 0.8 | 13.8 |
| 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream | 405 | 42.9 | 3.3 | 0 | 3.3 | 3.4 |
| 1/4 teaspoon liquid stevia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1/2 teaspoon orange extract | 6 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.3 | 0 |
| 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon | 6 | 0 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 0.7 | 0.1 |
| 1/4 cup erythritol | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1/4 cup butter | 407 | 46 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.5 |
| Totals | 2642 | 244.5 | 71.9 | 46 | 26 | 53.8 |
| Per Serving (/12) | 220 | 20.4 | 6 | 3.8 | 2.2 | 4.5 |
Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins
Ingredients
Donut Muffins:
- ⅓ cup butter salted
- ½ cup erythritol powdered
- ⅛ teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 ½ cup almond flour
- 2 tablespoon psyllium husk powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
- ¼ teaspoon ground allspice
- ⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
- 2 large egg
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- ¼ teaspoon liquid stevia
- ½ teaspoon orange extract
Cinnamon "Sugar" Coating:
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ¼ cup erythritol or xylitol
- ¼ cup butter melted
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Start by adding the butter for the muffin dough to a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Let it melt, occasionally stirring while preparing the other ingredients.
- In a spice grinder, process the erythritol and cloves (if using whole cloves). Let the mixture settle for a few minutes to avoid a cloud of sweetener when removing the lid.
- Add the almond flour, powdered erythritol, psyllium husk powder, baking powder, nutmeg, allspice, ground cloves, and ground ginger in a large mixing bowl.
- By this point, the butter should be starting to smell nutty. Make sure that it's golden to golden brown, then remove from the heat and set aside (or place in the fridge) to cool completely.
- Once the butter is cool, mix the dry ingredients and set them aside for a moment.
- In a bowl, combine the eggs, heavy cream, brown butter, liquid stevia, and orange extract.
- Use a hand mixer to beat together the wet ingredients until combined.
- Sift half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
- Use the hand mixer again to combine the dough. Repeat with the other half of the dry ingredients.
- Measure the dough out into silicone cupcake molds.
- Bake for 20–25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown around the edges.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for 5–10 minutes.
- Mix the cinnamon and sweetener.
- Melt the butter for the coating in a saucepan and turn off the heat. Once baked, dip each muffin into the butter (including the sides and bottom) and then the cinnamon sugar.
- Set aside on a cooling rack or eat warm!
The nutrition part does not include the sweeteners (Stevia and Erythritol) so I don’t believe its accurate.
Jena, it’s correct. I don’t count the sweeteners.
The sweetener that is truly lowest in carbs is going to be Stevia. Though by itself it can have quite a bitter aftertaste.
My personal choice is a mixture between erythritol and stevia. While erythritol does have sugar alcohols, they are not processed in the body – erythritol does not pass the blood barrier in the intestine during digestion and it passes through us mostly through urine. Neither of the two effect blood sugars, and both have a glycemic index of 0. Not to mention, both are natural sweetener.
Erythritol alone can have a “cooling” sensation that can be unpleasant, but when I combine both together, it seems to negate the “bad” tastes from both and create a delicious sweetener that is 0 GI, natural, and perfect for almost everything I need it for.
Hope that explains everything!
Craig
I didn’t think you could top the coffee cake recipe but this is amazing. The idea to dip it in browned butter and then the xylitol, cinnamon is perfect! Cider and donuts ARE Fall in Michigan and now I can enjoy it once again. I never cared about the cider anyway, just the amazing spice donuts. My husband’s comment: Don’t lose that recipe! THANKS!!
Glad to hear Kathy – glad to help! If you end up trying them don’t forget to leave a comment telling me how they went 🙂 I think if you liked the coffee cake, you’ll love these, too!
What would happen if I didn’t have the psyllium husk powder?
Becky,
The texture would be slightly different. I recommend getting it – it’s cheap, and it lasts a long time. I hear some people sub it out for flaxseed. Others can sub it for a little xanthan and coconut flour.
Craig, your recipes are always so inventive, and you use spices that most people don’t, which I really love! My question, though, is about psyllium husk powder. I’ve never used it before but I’m considering buying some to try a few of your recipes. What sort of texture does it add to baked goods? Can you compare it to anything that might be more familiar to me? Thank you!
Hey Abby – thank you! Psyllium husk powder adds more of a…bready texture? I’m not sure how to explain it really. It reminds me of the taste of whole wheat, but gives a more chewy texture of bread that you know (rather than kind of crumbly if you use only almond flour). I’m not sure if that makes sense or not, but it’s the best I can do the explain 😛
Trust me, it’s well worth it!
Ahhh, I will definitely be ordering some. The “bready” texture in baked goods is something I’ve been craving a lot on keto. I’ve made some decent muffins with just almond flour, but I’m always looking for ways to improve the texture. Thanks for the tip!
For sure, I think you’ll enjoy it!
Been waiting all week to give these a try, been craving a treat to have with coffee. They turned out great! Can’t wait to share them with family and friends. Sure appreciate your efforts to bring us great recipes to help us stay on track.
You’re very welcome Lisa – happy they turned out well!
Craig, this definitely was a delicious treat. I’ve been giving some to coworkers every day so I don’t eat them all (with nothing but compliments)! I’ve kept to one with my morning coffee each day miraculously. 🙂 I’ll be using this as a “cake” base I think…for something different 🙂
Awesome Stacy! That’s always the best when people are giving compliments 🙂
Keep an eye out – I made a lemon poppy cake with it today and it turned out really good!
hi Craig,
Is browning the butter critical to the taste of the muffins? I ask because for some reason I always burn my ‘browned butter’! Can’t seem to get it right and I am so ready to make these for work next week.
Laura,
I think browning the butter will make a difference in the final taste. You just need to brown it on a low heat – and it doesn’t have to be “brown”, but it gets to a golden color. If you smell it, and it’s nutty, then it’s fine to be taken off 🙂
Hi Craig I am very excited about this. My son has Autism and I am trying to keep him on Keto to the best of my ability and always need kid friendly fun snacks so these sound great! However, as for myself I need to question the use of xylitol if I may. I L OVE it but I was using it for a while and the weight was not coming off AT ALL and I was so strict with myself. I then contacted someone that I follow whom I feel is a Keto Goddess and she said DO NOT use xylitol because it’s a sugar alcohol.. Only use the Stevia ..ugh! I know other bloggers have used xylitol but this is something I am confused about .I just don’t want to put all this effort in and then be sabotaging myself. Do you have any insight on this or know if others have stalled because of using the xylitol? Thank you, as I await your response I’m going to make muffins now for breakfast. Niki
Xylitol may impact weight loss slightly, but these are treats and should be treated as such – every once in a blue moon to treat yourself (or others). Xylitol has a glycemic impact (13 GI) while Erythritol has a 0 GI, so it doesn’t affect blood sugars. Erythritol isn’t absorbed by the body and we don’t have the enzymes to process it, so we mainly excrete it through urine. That’s why I use it. Stevia and erythritol are my favorite 2 (0 GI, natural), so I use those. I just wanted to give the xylitol option because erythrtiol has a slight “cooling” sensation when you eat it, so it may be unpleasant to some.
Hope that helps!
Craig,
You knocked it out of the park with this recipe. I love to bake so always bring baked goodies to family events. I have relatives who are now afraid that what I bring will be “healthy”. They loved these! These are definitely going to be made regularly and frozen so my daughter can have a healthy breakfast before shcool or have one packed in with her school lunch. She feels like she is being naughty when I make her things like this that don’t seem “healthy”. Maria Emmerich’s “frozen hot chocolate” or “shamrock shakes” are also school morning favorites. Next we need to try your “maple sausage pancake muffins”. Can’t wait. Keep up your great work. You are so appreciated. God bless! Susan
Thanks for that Susan! I always know if non-keto people like it, it has to be a winner haha. I hope your daughter likes them also, maybe it’ll give her a nice change-up from the normal things she has. Hope you guys enjoy the pancake muffins, too!
These are amazing! I made them for my husband, but ended up loving them myself. They are like moist, delicious little spice cakes with a yummy cinnamon and sugar coating. They are even delicious without the topping.
Glad you liked them! They were a favorite in my house too 🙂
These are fabulous! I didn’t have the orange extract so I subbed vanilla, and used oat fiber (not flour) in place of the psyllium, which I also didn’t have. These feel like cheating! I’m going to have to hide the extras from my husband or he’ll eat them all at once.
Haha, glad to hear it Noelle! Seriously, they’re so moist that I had to make them again to make sure it was able to be replicated and I didn’t just mis-write something on my notecards. Glad you liked them – your vanilla sub sounds great, give them a try with orange extract or zest next time 🙂
It may be worth mentioning that Psyllium Husk can be found at the local
grocery store in the medicine aisles as a laxative such as Metamucil. It would seem that many are subbing out psyllium husk because they are unaware that it is readily available at the grocery store, much like I did when I first began the keto diet. My local grocery (Smith’s) carries the brand “Konsyl”, which is labeled
as a 100% all-natural psyllium fiber. I’ve used this in all recipes
that call for psyllium husk, such as this one, and have had no issues
with the results. This is a fantastic recipe by the way, thank you so much.
Glad to hear it Maxx! Yes, it is available in most grocery stores under different brand names, but for me online has been the cheapest way to get it.
These are so damn good! I made the mistake though, it was only when i was on my second last one i thought “i wonder what its like warm” and microwaved it for 10-15s…. omg it makes them so amazing, Definitely give that a go if you make some!
Thanks so much Michael! I have to try that next time I make them 🙂
Another success! I love these and quickly froze some once out of the oven and cooled for ’emergencies’. Making another batch tomorrow 🙂 Seconded the microwaving – they get all warm and moist… and the browned butter…
Haha, glad you like them Seraphina – they’re definitely a favorite in my house 🙂
These are great!! So moist and the flavor is spot on! I followed the recipe to a T. I use the psyllium from Trader Joes (with Ancient Eyptian pictures on it-and have never had an issue with it
Craig, do you think I could make normal-sized donuts with this recipe? I have a 6-donut pan that I just bought and would like to use for this recipe.
I’ve never tried it myself, and I know I’m super late to answering this, but wanted to know if it worked out.
These are amazing it does feel like you’re cheating, however I liked them better the next day at room temperature rather than fresh out off the oven I think it had to do mostly with texture.But I was always that weird kid who preferred cooled Krispy Kreame instead of going when the light is on. Either way amazing recipe and site, I practically make at least one thing from here once a day.
Glad to hear it! I usually prefer my food cold (from the fridge) but these were fantastic warm for me. Long as you enjoyed them, it’s a win/win right?
These were really good! I love food that is more sweet for breakfast and these made the perfect grab and go meal. I had them last about a week in a container on my counter even after sharing them with co-workers! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
That’s great to hear!
I recently got a Babycakes Multi-treat maker that can make cake pops, donuts, and muffins. I got it mostly to make quick homemade snacks for my kids. I was looking for some Keto recipes I could use for it. I made these using the mini muffin plates and they are wonderful! Really they are the best muffins I have ever had. Very dense but soft. Crunchy with the erythritol coating, buttery, and full of bold fall flavor. Another success, thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that Michelle! How do you like your Babycakes machine? I’ve been thinking about getting one…
These are the best muffins that I have ever made!!! I’ve been doing low carb for over three years and must do gluten free due to celiac disease. I’ve tried many, many muffin recipes and these are by far the absolute best!! They are better than my mother’s coffee cake recipe!! The flavor is phenomenal and the texture is light and moist!! Thank you for making my day!!!!
Thanks for making our day Renee! I wont tell your mom hahah :3
These. Are. Amazing! I haven’t had a muffin in 8 months. Thank you!
I’m so glad to hear that!
Can I use regular cupcake liners or does it have to be silicon.
You might have more trouble getting them out of the liners, but they should still bake up OK.
Would this recipe work using a muffin pan?
It would – but they may stick some. Grease the inserts and you should be okay.
I used brown muffin cups and I had no issues with them sticking. And boy were they delicious. Thank you for the recipe.
No problem at all – just happy to hear you liked them!
Anyway to get different flavours of these? Misses isnt a fan of the cinnamon type of flavors. Maybe some chocolate chip versions?
Any spice that’s involved, you can just replace with another one (or leave it out).
Are these sweet enough without the topping?
Any suggestions on different toppings? Or maybe mix-ins?
They should be sweet enough without the topping.
These were great! Made them with some changes with what I had on hand: didnt brown the butter, substitued almond milk for the cream, and added vanilla and almond extract instead of the orange. I also made a milk & swerve confectioners glaze instead of the powder. Baked perfectly too.
A wonderful treat! Next time, I may do a quick deep fry after baking. I saw the idea in another blog. They would be perfect of they were a bit crispy! Thanks so much
This looks amazing. Do you think I could use a donut maker? I made the pancake keto donuts and they turned out great.
So So good. Totally fixed my carb crave!
Best muffins ever! I subbed the orange for almond extract, and skipped the liquid stevia. They were lovely, light and moist with a deliciously contrasting crunch. Thank you so much for the recipe 🙂
can’t wait to make these. So…… can I substitute xanthium gum for the Psyllium Husk powder?. It is on order for delivery. thanks.
I would wait for the psyllium husk. It absorbs liquids a bit differently than xanthan gum acts with liquid. You should be able to use xanthan gum if you really want to (I’d start with 1/4 tsp. and go from there).
Is there anything I can sub for the psyllium husk powder? Wanted to make these this weekend and cant find it at any store near me. I do have ground flax seed, or chia seed, could I use that? If so, same amount?
The psyllium husk really brings the dough together and adds a more bread-like texture. I’d personally not recommend skipping it. You could use ground flax seed or ground chia seed (2x as much) but it may leave a different texture and taste than what was intended.
Why do you have to use a spice mixer to blend clove and Swerve? I don’t have one… cian I use my vitamix to blend the swerve and the spices? I have ground clove. Thanks!
A vitamix should work!
Am I suppose you use powdered erythritol for both the muffins and the coating? The second picture confused me. I really want to make these, but I don’t want to use my powdered Swerve in the wrong way.
I used non-powdered for the outside, but you’re also welcome to skip the outside coating. I used powdered for the inside as I think it lends a better texture to the finished product. Hope you enjoy the muffins!
Just wow! I made a lazy version of these donut muffins this afternoon (mixed all dry ingredients in one bowl, mixed all wet into another. Dumped all wet into dry. Divided and baked as recipe stated) and they were off the chain! The texture is perfect! Swoon! My sons (15 and 20) usually turn their noses up to Keto muffins and I had to smack these out of their hands. These are going in the rotation and thanks a million for a bang up recipe!
Really, really happy to hear that you guys liked them. I’m honored they are going into your rotation!
You’re welcome! Truly awesome recipe! I actually made another batch tonight. We have four teenagers so nothing lasts long around here and they were all requesting them! Thanks again!!
hey did anyone do this and measured it in the metric system and could maybe post the measurements?
Why are your psyllium husk, Eurythritol, and Almond Flour nutrient figures lower in carbs than what is on the packaging? When I put the numbers on the packaging for these foods the net carb count is more than what you list here. Am I buying the wrong products? Or maybe I’m converting wrong…6 tsp is 2 Tbs…right? The nutrient information on the package of Eurythritol says 4 carbs per tsp…however it advertises itself as 0 carb and you also show it as 0 carb. In almond flour is there a difference between blanched and whole in terms of fiber content? Bob’s Red Mill Super Fine Almond Flour says 5 carbs 1 fiber for 2 Tbs of flour so my total carbs calculate out to 48 instead of your 18. My psyllium husk net carbs come out to 6 as opposed to your 2. I’m sure I’m missing something basic about labeling?
Hello – the almond flour nutrition looks to be correct to me. There is a difference between blanched almond flour and almond meal, but we are using almond flour in this recipe. The psyllium husk is almost all fiber, so I’m not sure where you are getting your numbers as well. Sometimes the labels can have some different measurements, but we try to use the USDA nutritional database values.
As far as the erythritol goes, it’s a sugar alcohol that is not processed by humans. Because of this, we tend to not count the carb count. You can see more about it here: https://www.ruled.me/keto-d…
This is by far THE BEST keto muffin recipe I have tried. Most of them end up going in the trash…these are amazing AND filling (but hard to have just one!!)
Really happy to hear you enjoyed it!
I just made these muffins. I saw the recipe a week ago, and I kept thinking about them. I went to Disneyland and bought churros for my grandchildren, so tempting and I didn’t take a bite. Today I was craving something sweet, so I decided to make these muffins. These are delicious and very satisfying. I will make these again.
Even after all these years, they are still a favorite of mine – really happy you’ve been able to try (and enjoy) the recipe!