These keto carrot cake muffins with cream cheese filling are so indulgent! They combine the flavors of spice cake with rich cheesecake for a delicious and guilt-free treat!
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When I was creating this recipe, I wondered whether to call them muffins or cupcakes.
After all, they are not topped with frosting. However, with the cream cheese center, they feel as indulgent as a cupcake! Whatever you call them, they are definitely a treat.
This keto carrot cake muffins recipe is so easy to whip up. All you need to do is blend up the batter, add it to muffin molds, and top with the cream cheese filling.
I love how the filling sinks into the batter as it bakes! It’s much less messy than frosting.
The result is the best combination of spicy carrot cake and rich cheesecake. The textures and flavors balance each other so well.
So whether you would call this a muffin, a cupcake, or something totally different, one thing is for sure. You can call it delicious!
Are they healthy?
Some people hear “carrot” in carrot cake and assume that it’s healthier than regular cake. However, the traditional cake is still loaded with sugar and empty carbohydrates.
Thankfully, it’s easy to make healthy carrot cake muffins using alternative ingredients. You can also make a keto carrot cake without all the unwanted carbs.
This recipe still uses carrots, but in a small amount that won’t impact the total carbs very much. Next, we replace the traditional flour with almond flour and coconut flour or oat fiber, which are much lower in carbohydrates.
Finally, we’ll use a low carb sweetener instead of sugar. This gives us the sweetness we expect in muffins, but without the spike in blood sugar.
We will still use the all spice, cinnamon, and chopped pecans you find in traditional carrot cake. These ingredients are what give this treat a perfect taste and texture!
Cooking time for these keto carrot cake muffins
Depending on your oven, this recipe will take about 20-25 minutes to bake. This is assuming you are using a 12-muffin baking tin.
You want to bake them until the muffin is set and the center is like a baked cheesecake. You don’t want to overcook them or they will become dry.
I recommend checking on them at the 20 minute mark and then keeping an eye on the muffins until they are done.
If you are using a muffin-tin that makes 6 or 9 larger muffins, you will need to increase the bake time.
How to make fluffy carrot cake muffins
The key to a fluffy batter is pretty simple. You simply whip the egg whites with cream of tartar!
Once whipped, the stiff egg whites will be full of tiny air bubbles. As you fold them into the rest of the batter, take care not to deflate the egg whites too much.
This is the easiest way to add fluffiness without adding more ingredients.
What about calories?
You will get 12 standard sized muffins from this carrot cake muffins recipe. At this size, each muffin will be about 200 calories.
It’s a perfect size for grab and go. It means you can grab one if you just want a quick snack. However, if you’re enjoying them as breakfast, you can eat two.
More muffin recipes
Looking for a few more of these great grab-and-go keto breakfast ideas? Check out these favorites:
- Low Carb Blueberry Muffins are a gluten free way to enjoy a traditional breakfast treat without any guilt.
- Keto Banana Muffins are low in sugar, high in healthy fats, paleo friendly, and use banana extract to save on carbs.
- Blueberry Cream Cheese Muffins taste like mini blueberry cheesecakes for an indulgent bite!
- Chocolate Zucchini Muffins are super moist and have a nice chocolate taste.
- Low Carb Pumpkin Muffins with cranberries and pecans are a low carb, gluten free treat that’s perfect for fall!
- Lemon Sour Cream Muffins with a crunchy streusel topping and drizzled with glaze are sure to become a favorite.
Follow us on FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and INSTAGRAM for even more tasty keto-friendly recipes!
Recipe
Low Carb Carrot Cake Cream Cheese Muffins
Video
Ingredients
- 4 eggs separated
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ cup powdered erythritol or Swerve
- ¼ teaspoon stevia extract powder
- ½ cup almond flour
- ½ cup coconut flour or oat fiber
- ¾ cup carrots
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ cup almond milk
- ¼ cup oil coconut or avocado
- 1 teaspoon allspice
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- ¼ cup chopped pecans
Filling:
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1 egg
- 1 tablespoon coconut flour
- ¼ cup powdered erythritol or Swerve
- ¼ teaspoon stevia extract powder
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
- Beat egg whites and cream of tartar until stiff peaks form.
- In separate bowl, mix egg yolks, erythritol, stevia, almond flour, oat fiber, almond milk, oil, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon and carrot until well combined.
- Gently fold in egg whites and pecans.
- Pour batter evenly into well greased 12 muffin pan.
Filling:
- Beat cream cheese with egg, coconut flour, ¼ cup erythritol, ¼ teaspoon stevia, and ½ teaspoon vanilla until well blended.
- Place a couple heaping teaspoons over each muffin.
- Bake at 350ºF for 20-25 minutes or until muffin is set.
Notes
Low Carb Sweeteners | Keto Sweetener Conversion Chart
Nutrition
Additional Info
Notes on Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber.
Copyright
© LowCarbYum.com - Unauthorized use of this material without written permission is strictly prohibited unless for personal offline purposes. Single photos may be used, provided that full credit is given to LowCarbYum.com along with a link back to the original content.
First Published: January 16, 2011... Last Updated: April 2, 2020
TwylaBeth
Hubs loved them! They aren't too sweet, which is a win. I seemed to have too much of the cheesecake batter, so might use only 6oz cream cheese next time or double the cake batter part. Also, the cake part seemed a bit dry, so I'll probably cut the coconut flour in half -- it is a *thirsty* flour! But it was a great start for his birthday month! Thank you!!
Sharon
You say this recipe makes 12 standard size muffin. Pictures appear to be mini muffins. Can you please state which size before I get started making. Also one place says 4 net carbs and another says 2 net carbs. Sorry to be so much trouble! Thanks. Cannot wait to make these!
Lisa MarcAurele
The muffins are full size and the net carbs calculated are 4g. Sorry for the confusion!
Dee
What can I substitute for the stevia?
Lisa MarcAurele
Any sweetener will work. You can use the conversion calculator to get the substitute amount.
LAURA DERRICO
I have your cookbook and I LOVE it. Good Job.
Lisa MarcAurele
Thanks so much Laura! Glad you enjoy those keto recipes!
Cindy
Going to try looks yummy
Susan
Can I substitute something for the stevia extract powder? I have all the other ingredients (swerve & Monkfruit blend), and plain whole yogurt instead of Greek (thinking with smallish amount it won’t matter or increase carbs too much?).
Lisa MarcAurele
You can use the keto sweetener conversion calculator to substitute in another sweetener.
Lisa
Those look wonderful!
Patty
I am so excited to see that I can substitute oat fiber for coconut flour! I like coconut but coconut flour in anything just tastes gross to me. I can't even really describe why. It's so hard to search for low carb recipes with no coconut flour. I'm so excited, to try these muffins and so many other recipes that call for coconut flour. In the note you say net carbs if substituting oat fiber for coconut flour is 2. Is that two additional net carbs or two total?
Lisa MarcAurele
Sorry if that note is confusing. It means the net carbs per muffin will be only 2g so it will be less with oat fiber.