These Low-Carb Cinnamon Apple Spice Muffins are perfect for an autumn breakfast. They can be part of a low-carb, keto, Paleo, Atkins, diabetic, LC/HF, gluten-free, grain-free or Banting diet.
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So far this fall, I have been focusing on pumpkin spice for the treats I have developed. That doesn’t mean that apples are less dear to me than pumpkin. No way! Apples are one of my favorite things about this season!
I grew up in northern Pennsylvania where apples were an important crop. My family wasn’t in the apple business, but we had our share of apple trees. We had red delicious, yellow delicious, Rome, cortland and several other varieties.
Seemingly wild apple trees also grew on the property lines or the edge of the woods. We had no idea what varieties these apples were. Instead, we named them for their location–horse pasture apples, for example.
We used our apples in a variety of ways. My mother made loads of applesauce and apple butter to preserve them through the winter. She made apple pies, apple fritters, and apple dumplings.
My father even made a cider press to use up the apples that weren’t pretty enough for other uses. How I loved watching him turn the crank and filling my glass straight from the press. Nothing beats freshly squeezed cider!
My ponies loved apple season as well. We gave them apple peelings and the leftover squeezed out apples as a special treat. Not too many, though. Too many apples can make a pony sick.
The problem with apples is that, like most fruits, they have too many carbs to eat in the quantity I did when I was a kid. That doesn’t mean I don’t eat apples at all! I love eating treats that have just enough apple to give them huge apple flavor, but not enough to add a significant number of carbs. One of my favorites is our recipe for Low-Carb Apple Pastries.
Now, I know some of you are thinking that you haven’t seen apples on the list of “ketogenic foods”. I agree that you can’t eat six apples and stay in ketosis. However, it is quite likely that the tiny amount of apple in one of these muffins will allow most people to stay in their macros, and in ketosis.
I think that it is important to eat a variety of foods, not just to round out you nutritional intake, but also to keep food from being boring. Being bored leads to dissatisfaction. Dissatisfaction can lead to cheating.
If it is important to you to not eat apples, you can still enjoy these muffins. You could leave the apple out and have cinnamon muffins, or you could add a teaspoon of apple flavoring instead of the apple. Do what works for you.
I love these Low-Carb Cinnamon Apple Spice Muffins with real apple, though. The flavor of ripe juicy apples is complemented by a burst of sweet, spicy cinnamon. These muffins make a delicious breakfast or snack. Grab one on the go when you don’t have time to sit down. Enjoy!
-Annissa
Low-Carb Cinnamon Apple Spice Muffins
These Low-Carb Cinnamon Apple Spice Muffins are perfect for an autumn breakfast. They can be part of a low-carb, keto, Paleo, Atkins, diabetic, LC/HF, gluten-free, grain-free or Banting diet.
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 cups super fine almond flour
- 3/4 cup granulated stevia/erythritol blend
- 1 teaspoon grain-free baking powder
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/4 cup butter or coconut oil melted
- 4 large eggs
- 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 ounces Granny Smith apple (about 1 small) peeled, seeded, and finely diced
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350º Fahrenheit. Prepare a muffin pan by lining it with muffin papers or spraying lightly with coconut oil.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the almond flour, granulated stevia/erythritol blend, baking powder, cinnamon, and salt until well blended. Whisk in the butter or coconut oil. Mixture will appear mealy.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the eggs, almond milk and vanilla extract.
Pour egg mixture into the dry ingredients and stir together. Stir in diced apple.
Spoon batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each 2/3 to 3/4 of the way full.
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until the top springs back when lightly touched.
Allow to cool 5-10 minutes in the pan, then remove from the baking pan and allow to finish cooling on a cooling rack.
Recipe Notes
Per muffin:
Calories: 198
Fat (g): 17
Carbs (g): 7
Fiber (g): 3
Protein (g): 7
Net carbs (g): 4
I made these tonight and they are another winner. Thanks for this great idea!
Yay! It’s reviews like this that keep me going!
-Annissa
These are a great gomto snack anytime. My hubby enjoys earing in his work snack pack. Tastes like a special trear.
Thanks for the feedback!
Annissa
Could we use any other apple, like honeycrisp, instead? Would other types of apples be ok for diabetics? My mom in law is Type 1.
Thank you and be safe,
Ari
Other apples will work in the recipe, but may be higher in carbs.
-Annissa
They are incredible.. The problem is I just ate four of them. In a row.
Four in a row can happen! Lol.
-Annissa
These are the best low carb muffins I’ve made. I did use monkfruit sweeter and a green Delicious apple but the rest per recipe. Thanks.
Woohoo! Thanks for your kind words!
-Annissa
How much monk fruit would I use And would I add any other sweetener?
It depends on what blend you are using. Pure monk fruit will greatly change the texture of the muffins, so I wouldn’t recommend it. If you are using a blend that substitutes equally for sugar, the safest thing to do is substitute it equally for the Pyure I use in the recipe, but expect the muffins to be less sweet.Sweetener changes can be risky in baked goods.
-Annissa
So so good! I made a crumble for the top with butter swerve cinnamon and almond flour, it was delicious!
Just made this recipe, but baked into a loaf instead of muffins. It came out very nicely and so tasty! I added a little nutmeg and a dollop of unsweetened applesauce. I didn’t see the comment about doubling the amount of sweetener when using Swerve which is what I had on hand, until after it was in the oven. It still came out great. I will be sure to try it with the extra sweetener next time.
I’m probably missing it, but how many muffins from this recipe? Sounds good! Going to make it tomorrow since I have all the ingredients
It makes 12 muffins. I hope you enjoyed them!
-Annissa
I made them today & they smelled delicious even before baking them. I added I tsp of whiskey to remove egg odors.
It was scrumptious. Thanks
Sara,
I love the addition of whiskey. I’ve started using it a lot more in my baked goods.
-Annissa
We made these but…doubled cinnamon and baking powder. Added extra apple pieces and craisins. Used 2 cups of almond flour and 1/2 cup coconut flour. Baked for 30 minutes. Everyone loved them.
Fast and delicious! My Panera addicted father enjoyed them!
These are easy to make and incredibly delicious! I made a tin of regular apple cinnamon muffins for a friend and I knew I would be too weak willed to abstain from eating a couple so I decided to make these low carb muffins for myself! It was totally worth the effort! If I were to have eaten 2 of the regular muffins I would have had 40 grams of net carbs. And because I had these delicious muffins I only had 8 grams of net carbs.
Low-Carb versions of foods I love help me stay on plan too! I’m glad you enjoyed these!
-Annissa
These are delicious!! I made them this morning for brunch. Everyone loved them even the ones who eat carbs. They had no idea! LoL! These muffins are a winner and haved been added to my regular rotation of foods that everyone lines. Thank you!
Glad everyone liked them! I love it when even the carb eaters like our recipes!
-Annissa
Can you substitute plain erythritol (Swerve) for the stevia-erythritol blend and if so, how would that change the measurement?
Megan,
I think it would be fine to substitute Swerve. I believe the sweetness of Swerve is equal to sugar while Pyure is twice as sweet as sugar. Therefore, you will need to use double the amount of sweetener if you use Swerve.
Good luck!
Annissa
Delicious! I made these with unsweetened applesauce instead of an apple.
Sheri, I’m so glad you liked them! Thanks for the feedback. What a great hack if you don’t have an apple in the house!
-Annissa
How much apple sauce did you use
How did it work with the applesauce? How much did you use?
Can we substitute with Splenda and if so what would the measurements be??
There are different blends of Splenda. Check the packaging of what you have for a conversion chart. If it tells you that it measures like sugar, the you will need to double the amount of sweetener in this recipe. If the conversion says that you use half as much as you use for sugar, then you will use the same amount as I have listed. Good luck and I hope you enjoy the muffins!
-Annissa
Would I need to change quantities of other ingredients if I were to omit the sweetener entirely? Thanks!
Maria,
I really don’t know. The sweetener adds bulk to the recipe, so my guess is that you may need to change the quantities a bit and the final product will be different. I really don’t have experience making the recipe without any sweetener. Good luck!
Annissa
Tried recipe tonight, turned out great, added 1/2 cup sugar-free applesauce and made in loaf pan added a crumble, baked about 30 minutes, thanks for my best keto dessert so far
Yay!
-Annissa
Do you think I could substitute the almond milk for heavy cream?
Hi Miranda,
I think heavy cream may make them a bit more dense, but I don’t think it would destroy the recipe. I haven’t tried it, though.
Good luck!
-Annissa
Would it be okay to use regular sugar?
I haven’t made them with regular sugar, but I think it should work fine. You may want to increase the amount because the sweetener I use is twice as sweet as sugar. Good luck and let me know how it goes!
Annissa
These were amazing! Thanks so much for posting this. Really satisfied a craving – I like that you take the trouble to note the texture of the ingredients at various points in the steps – can really make a difference to the final result. Even my carb-eating husband liked these!
Also wanted to note that since I didn’t have the erythritol/stevia blend, I used the same quantity of erythritol along with about 8 drops of liquid sucralose sweetener.
Thanks so much for your comments! It’s always nice to get feedback on what is helpful to my readers. Also, thanks for adding the substitution information. I get so many questions about substitutions and can’t try them all. This info may be helpful to someone else.
Annissa
Are these okay to make the night before? How long would they last on a countertop or in a fridge? They look so great but I can’t really make them the morning of!
Yes, I know what you mean! I have made them the night before. I usually keep them in a covered container in the fridge and reheat the portion I’m going to use in the morning. Enjoy them!
-Annissa
These are incredible . Normal muffins only stay moist and fluffy for a day or so … 5 days later and mine are still amazing. Everyone at work wanted to try a piece of my morning tea and they all loved then. I think I’m going to try use it as a base muffin recipe and try to make some blueberry ones today or even feijoa as the are in season in n.z. at the moment. Perfect texture ..perfect taste
Thnaks so much for this incredible recipe
You are welcome! Thanks for sharing.
Annissa
Can I use stevia in the raw for this? And if so would it be the same amount?
Hi Tiffany,
I think you are referring to their baking mix. Their baking mix is half as sweet as Pyure, so you would need to use twice as much and I suspect that they will turn out fine.
If you are referring to the type in the jar, This is supposed to have the same sweetness equivalency as Pyure, so you could simply substitute at a 1:1 ratio.
If you’re referring to the more intense, pure stevia products, you would need to use much less. Using one of these products will affect the bulk of the dry ingredients, so the recipe may not turn out well.
-Annissa
-Annissa
I made these today. I’ve been frustrated with my ability to make actual delicious Keto friendly foods. Most of what I make is tolerable, at best. I decided to give these a whirl today. I did have to make substitutions but that was just b/c if my items on hand. I used coconut milk, swerve and didn’t use salt b/c I didn’t have any. I also mis-read where you’re supposed to add the coconut oil to dry ingredients. I know apples aren’t Keto friendly but I needed them in my recipe! I popped them in the oven and hoped for the best. I definitely didn’t utilize all of the wait time and scooped them right out, put kerrygold butter on and OH MY HEAVEN!!! They were amazing. Thank you!!!!
Lacie,
I’m glad that you they worked out for you!They are definitely best slathered with a good dollop of butter!
Annissa
I just made these muffins – I followed everything in the recipe using the butter option. Part way through mixing I realized I was out of apples so I put in a peach instead.
I was worried about using so many ingredients and not being sure how it was going to come out. I’ve wasted a lot of pricey ingredients recently looking for low carb options for breakfast.
These were absolutely the best muffins. If heaven had a taste, it would taste like these muffins.
First, it passed the “look” test. These look like muffins. Not like eggs in a muffin costume.
Then it passed the “texture” test. When you open these muffins up, they have that muffin texture that makes you want to put butter or peach jam on them. Yum.
At that point I would have been devastated if they tasted awful, but they were not only good, they were really really good. Good enough that I see no reason to make regular muffins ever again. This will be my muffin recipe to turn to whether I’m eating low carb, or eating everything in arms reach.
Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!
Meryl,
Thanks much for your feedback! I’m glad my recipe makes a difference for you! Your comments made my day.
-Annissa
These were excellent! I did make several substitutions due to what I had on-hand, but they still turned out delicious! I sweetened with 1/3 cup of stevia blend and 1/4 cup coconut sugar because I don’t like the stevia aftertaste. Even tho I used less sweetener, they are still plenty sweet. I also added nutmeg and allspice with the cinnamon; subbed 1/2 cup of unsweetened applesauce for the apple; and used only 3 eggs. Oh, and pecans. I always add nuts to my fruit muffins. Didn’t wait til they cooled! These will make a great weekday breakfast.
I love nuts in my muffins, too! Glad the recipe worked out for you!
-Annissa
Do you think these would keep well frozen and then thawed and reheated? Thanks for the recipe!
Samantha,
These muffins freeze very well. Just defrost and reheat. Enjoy!
-Annissa
I’ve made these twice now. I substituted the apples for peaches (because peach season). The first time I made a crumble topping with almond flour, coconut flour, swerve and butter and it was like coffee cake! The second time, I added a cream cheese swirl by mixing cream cheese, Swerve and egg, and layering with the batter in the muffin tins. I used butter the first time and the second with coconut oil and both were perfect. I put them in baggies for an easy breakfast to grab as I’m leaving for work. They are delicious warmed up for 20 seconds with a bit of butter.
Wow! Your alterations sound amazing! Yum!
-Annissa
Bless you, I’m still trying to figure out ways to keep my blood sugar from becoming elevated. Things like almond flour and erythritol are still new to me, but I’m learning. Thanks for keeping the other ingredients simple. Someone bought me a Healthy Mom cookbook and I couldn’t make heads or tails of it and had to buy their expensive products…no thanks!
Glad you enjoyed them! I try to keep my ingredients as simple as possible. A few special ingredients are necessary to make some of my recipes work. While I link to them on Amazon, most are available at your local health food store. Most are also available at Walmart. Good luck on your low-carb journey!
-Annissa
I need clarification. Are you using a regular muffin pan or mini muffin pan.
I use a regular muffin pan.
-Annissa
These are fantastic! I didn’t have almond milk so I used the heavy cream I had on hand and they still turned out well, just a limitless more dense that a regular muffin. I shared some with my non-keto coworkers and even they loved em! Thank you for this amazing recipe.
Jamie,
I love it when non-keto people like my low-carb recipes! That’s what I strive for.
-Annissa
Super delicious! I used Swerve 1:1 and they were plenty sweet for my taste. Great recipe!
I made these tonight so I can bring them to work in the morning. Of course I just had to have one while they were still warm with some butter on it and it was fantastic! I did add more cinnamon to the recipe for my own preference of taste. They are simply fantastic! Thank you for sharing!
Glad you love them!
-Annissa
Those are the best keto/paleo muffins I’ve encountered. I think using almond flour vs. coconut works better for me. I made them by substituting a ripe banana for the sweetener, as I always do, and added walnuts and coconut milk vs. almond. Delicious!
Almond flour is definitely my favorite low-carb, grain-free flour to work with! Thanks for sharing your substitutions!
-Annissa
Do you think I could use half almond flour and half coconut flour for these muffins
That would require altering the amount of liquid. You may want to use a different recipe if you want to change the top of flour.
-Annissa
Overall I thought they were quite good although there was a slight bitter taste and I’m not sure why. I used the specified ingredients. I would prefer a tad bit sweeter but that might have been because I may not have used enough apple–thought I did but more would have been better. Next time I’ll up the sweetener a tad and increase the apple and see if that makes a difference.
Evelyn,
Just out of curiosity, what sweetener did you use? Some sweeteners are not as sweet as others and that may be why they weren’t as sweet as you like. Pyure is twice as sweet as sugar, so if you subbed one that is the same sweetness level as sugar and didn’t double the amount, it wouldn’t be as sweet. That being said, some people do like their foods sweeter than others.
-Annissa
Are you sure about doubling the sweetener I doubled it and had a complete mess, There was not enough liquid to even mix it all together. I added more milk then water and it came out horrible even added more apples. It’s in the oven baking now , but I think I just wasted a lot of expensive ingredients for nothing 1
Oh no!
It’s really hard to predict what will happen when making substitutions. I can’t possibly test every recipe with each sweetener. I try to use the same sweetener in most of my recipes so my followers keep it on hand. I try my best to help people when making substitutions, but sometimes things go awry. How were they after baking?
Tried these, I followed the instructions, but the batter was more like a crumble. Can I check the ingredient amount: 21/2 cups of flour to only 1/4 cup of almond milk seems like too little liquid. Is that correct?
Marlene,
The batter is fairly thick and NOT liquid like cake batter. The eggs also add liquid. Did you try baking them?
Annissa
Could I make this as a loaf?
I haven’t tried this. It would take quite a bit longer to bake if you do it as a loaf. I have had some issues with getting loaves to cook all of the way through when they are made with almond flour. If you try it, let me know how it works.
-Annissa
So I made this on a 8×8 pan. 40min bake time. Did the tooth pick check, came out clean.Turned out excellent!!
Love it!!! You turned it into an Apple Spice Coffee Cake. 🙂
-Annissa
These are good. I was able to bake in a pan for 35 mins as a loaf. The only thing I found is I find the after taste of Stevia awful and erythritol is always a better substitute.
Personally, I’m not a fan of the cooling effect or the lack of solubility of erythritol. Everyone has their own sweetener preferences. I typically use Pyure stevia/erythritol blend in my recipes because that’s what I prefer.
Annissa
I just made these this morning and they are AMAZING! I am impressed with the flavour and texture and that they don’t taste like they’re sweetened without sugar. WOW! I’ll be making these regularly. Thank you for this recipe. Game changer!
Best muffins ever!!!! I sliced one up and toasted it with a little butter and OMG!!!!! Amazing with my morning coffee! Thank you so much!!!
I’ve tried so many keto muffin recipes and was always disappointed. This is by far the best recipe for muffins. Thank you so much even my husband likes them..
Thank you for a wonderful recipe! Made a batch yesterday and it is delicious
Simply delicious! I’m new to the keto low carb diet and I’m still working to build a bank of fast and easy recipes. This one was a winner. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks so much! Good luck on your low-carb journey!
-Annissa
Liiiks like a very good recipe. Willbrtrying soon. Thanks
I tried it with 2 eggs (didn’t want them eggy), sour cream (i know not palette but had to use it), bit of milk, reduced almond flour to 2 cups and put 1/4 cup of coconut and tapioca flour (supposed to improve texture) plus 1 tbs of apple purée and 2 apples instead of one Enough changes??!! They were great though! Very yummy
*paleo* not palette stupid autocorrect
These aren very good! I found them a bit sweeter than I prefer, but do realize that different sweeteners have different levels of sweetness.I used an erythritol/monk fruit blend because that is what I had on hand, and will use ½ cup of that next time. I would suggest that if you do not have the exact type of sweetener used in the original recipe, to research equivalents online for just the right amount of sweetness.. Thanks for the yummy recipe!
Just made these for the first time, I only used 1/4 cup of Splenda because we find it way to sweet.
I know my carb loving husband will want to eat these because of the cinnamon and apple lol but I’m diabetic so he best not
What could I use in place of the almond milk?
Any other milk with a similar consistency should work–Oat milk, coconut milk (the kind in the carton), cashew milk, etc. should all work.
-Annissa
I used Lakanto Monkfruit Classic (monk fruit and erythritol) instead of a stevia/erythritol blend and they are wonderful! Love the addition of apple! Thanks for the recipe.