Tender keto chocolate muffins with a sugar-free cheesecake center. Just like a bakery but so much healthier. Make your keto mornings fun again. Nut-free option too!
Introduction
Switching over to a Keto way of eating can be a bit overwhelming. Maybe the most challenging part is finding Keto substitutions for your favorite recipes. Oh that sugar. It’s in everything! And finding a great sugar substitute, one that you actually like, can be tough. If you’re now on a Keto diet, you are probably stocking up on cream cheese. Are you buying cream cheese in bulk yet? I sure am.
These Keto Cheesecake Cupcakes are the dessert you have been dreaming about. All the things you love about cheesecake, but in individual serving sizes. Great for parties, potlucks, and barbecues. It’s not a big secret that I love cheesecake! I’m sure you probably feel the same way. There is no way to resist that creamy goodness and incredible flavor. So, when you are heading out to all your family parties and events, I highly recommend bringing these velvety smooth cheesecakes with you. You don't need a springform pan or fancy gadgets for these little creamy sugar free bundles.
Why Keto Cheesecake Muffins?
For years, though, low carb dieters lamented that they missed desserts. There were a few sugar-free substitutes but the taste was always so-so. Well, this is one low carb muffin recipe that does not disappoint. These muffins taste especially good ever-so-slightly warmed up with a dollop of butter added to the top. If you’ve ever asked “how do I satisfy my sweet tooth on keto?”, this recipe is for you!
One of the biggest reasons I love this low-carb chocolate cheesecake recipe is that it’s super simple to make with only five ingredients but tastes like it took a long time. It’s one of those recipes that come out perfect every single time.
Read also: Pumpkin Cheesecake Keto Recipe
Key Ingredients
- Almond Flour: Using almond flour gives the crust a fantastic texture and delicious flavor too.
- Melted Butter: It’s vital that you use melted butter because it bonds the almond flour together.
- Cream Cheese: You can’t really make cheesecake without some cream cheese. If you’re now on a Keto diet, you are probably stocking up on cream cheese. Are you buying cream cheese in bulk yet? I sure am. Side note, one of my favorite recipes is cream cheese pancakes. Cream cheese is a great staple on the Keto diet and if you can make a cheesecake that is ‘legal’ to eat, yes please! Philadelphia cream cheese - You have to have cream cheese to make cheesecake!
- Sweetener: While you don’t need a ton of sweetener, you certainly need some. Erythritol: this is my favourite sweetener as I find it is the closest sweetener to sugar and as a type 2 diabetic it does not seem to spike my blood sugars.
- Vanilla: I usually stick with good old traditional vanilla extract; however, you could use any extract you like. For extra vanilla flavor, add fresh vanilla bean or vanilla bean paste.
Step-by-Step Recipe Guide
Here's quick access to the recipe.
Keto Cheesecake Cupcakes
Keto Cheesecake Cupcakes are the dessert you have been dreaming about.
Crust
Line 12 cupcake liners onto a baking tray. Mix together the butter and almond flour then spoon 1 teaspoon of the mixture into the cupcake liners.
Using your fingers press down on the mixture to evenly form the crust. Set aside.
Filling
Preheat oven to 350°F. Using a stand mixer or hand mixer cream together the cream cheese and erythritol on medium speed until creamy. About 1 minute.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Add the eggs and vanilla extract and beat on medium/high speed for 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
Using an ice cream scoop, spoon the filling evenly into the 12 cupcakes.
Bake at 350°F for 16-18 minutes until set. Allow to cool and then store covered with plastic wrap in the refrigerator overnight.
(Optional) To make the blueberry topping add 1 cup of frozen blueberries to a saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool and then spoon over cupcakes before consuming.
Cheesecake is better the next day after baking. Therefore, wait until the next day before consuming these delicious keto cheesecake cupcakes.
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Keto Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins
Tender keto chocolate muffins with a sugar-free cheesecake center. Just like a bakery but so much healthier.
Cream Cheese Filling
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese with the sweetener until well combined. Add the cream and vanilla and beat until smooth. Set aside.
Muffins
Preheat the oven to 350F and line a muffin pan with 12 silicone or parchment muffin liners. In a large blender, combine the eggs, almond milk, melted butter, and vanilla. Blend until smooth. Add the almond flour, sweetener, cocoa powder, baking powder, espresso powder, and salt. Blend until smooth. If your batter is overly thick, try adding a tablespoon of almond milk or even water. It should be scoopable but not liquidy.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups, filling each no more than 2/3 full. With the back of a spoon, create a well in the center of each muffin. Divide the cream cheese filling among the wells, adding about 1 1/2 tbsp to each muffin. Sprinkle the tops of the muffins with chocolate chips.
Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges are set and the centers are puffed up. Remove and let cool in the pan (the centers will sink, this is normal).
I recommend lining muffin tins with parchment paper muffin liners. You can find them here. Line 12 muffin tins with parchment paper muffin liners and pour equal amounts of batter into each. Bake for 18- 20 minutes.
New York Style Keto Cheesecake Bites
These New York style keto cheesecake bites are one of my favorite keto friendly desserts. This is actually one keto dessert that I have to hide from my family if I don’t want them to disappear. Even the pickiest of my kids give them a thumbs up.
Instructions
Prep - Let your cream cheese soften to room temperature on the counter. Line 6 muffin cups with paper liners.
Crust - Combine almond flour, brown Swerve, salt, cinnamon, and melted butter in a small bowl. Stir until combined and divide between the 6 cups.
Filling - Beat the softened cream cheese and powdered Swerve until smooth and creamy. Add the egg, sour cream, and vanilla. Beat on low just until blended. Pour into the 6 crusts.
Bake - Pop the muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake at 350° for about 20-25 minutes, or until the centers are just set.
Tips for the Tastiest Almond Flour Crust
There are a few secrets to making the tastiest almond flour crust. First up is toasting the almond flour. Next up you want to add a pinch of salt and some cinnamon. And lastly, you want to use the perfect amount of melted butter. Too much and your crust is oily. Not enough and it’s dry.
Toast almond flour in a skillet over medium heat for 5-8 minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant.
Toast your almond flour in a skillet over medium heat, stirring frequently. It should only take about 5-8 minutes; just toast it until it smells fragrant and turns golden brown.
Important Considerations
- It’s best if your cream cheese and eggs are both at room temperature.
- After adding the eggs, don’t overbeat. I accidently overbeat my mixture when I was taking the process shots, and the filling rose up so much that it sank and cracked as they cooled.
Tips and Tricks for Perfect Keto Cheesecake Muffins
- It’s ideal to use room temperature ingredients. It’s easier to blend the ingredients and will save you some time.
- Use full fat dairy products. That is the only way the cheesecakes are going to be extra creamy and rich.
- Don’t overbake the cheesecakes. They will be dry and crumble easily if you cook them too long.
- Using crushed pecans for the crust gives these Keto Cheesecake Muffins the perfect mix of sweet and salty. The pecan crust is a bit crumby so I might try mixing with a little bit of butter next time.
- I’ve really come to love using a blender to whip up keto muffins and other baked goods. It seems to make a lighter, fluffier, and more cohesive batter. One caveat to this approach is that you really do need a good, high powered blender with a large, wide jar and strong blades. The good news is that you can still mix this batter up in a bowl if you prefer.
- This recipe calls for almond flour but you can actually use any nut meal or seed meal you like here. Because it’s blended up, even the more coarse nut meals should work well. I had a plethora of hazelnut meal that needed to be used so I chose that, which gave these muffins a delicious hint of hazelnut.
- Do be sure that your eggs and almond milk (or hemp milk for nut-free) are at room temperature before whisking in the melted butter. If they are cold, your butter will solidify and won’t blend properly.
- The espresso powder is really only to enhance the chocolate flavor, it doesn’t result in any strong coffee taste.
Variations and Toppings
- Chocolate: In the mood for chocolate? Add in a few sugar-free chocolate chips to the keto mini cheesecakes. Finally, throw some keto-friendly chocolate chips on top! This is optional, of course, but it makes the muffins somehow more appealing. If you haven’t tried the ChocZero chips yet, I highly recommend. I added sugar free chocolate chips to this batch.
- And for toppings? Add some fun berries in season or delicious homemade whipped cream. I prefer these Keto Chocolate Cheesecake Muffins with strawberries, Lily’s Chocolate Chips, and whipped cream.
- Top with blueberries or a dollop of whipped cream and enjoy this luscious and comforting dessert. (Optional) To make the blueberry topping add 1 cup of frozen blueberries to a saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Allow to cool and then spoon over cupcakes before consuming. Place 1 cup of frozen blueberries in a saucepan and simmer it for 5 minutes or until reduced to your preference. Place in a small bowl and allow to cool completely.
Storage and Freezing Instructions
- Nope. It’s vital that you refrigerate the keto cheesecake cupcakes after they are prepared. They should never sit out any longer than 1-2 hours.
- They will last 3-4 days in the fridge if they are kept in an airtight container. You can also freeze them if you wrap them with plastic wrap and put them in a freezer bag. They’ll last around 3-4 months.
- This recipe is so versatile. I store the Keto Cheesecake Muffins in the fridge for 7-10 days in an airtight container. If you find that you can’t eat them all, you can always freeze them for up to 6 months.
- Can I freeze the cheesecake cupcakes? Yes, after they have cooled completely you can wrap each individual cupcake in plastic wrap and then tin foil. Freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw on the kitchen counter at room temperature for 30 minutes.
- To Freeze: Wrap the cheesecake cupcakes with plastic wrap. They will last up to 3 months.
Nutritional Information
One of these keto mini cheesecakes has 2.8 net carbs. Even a mini cheesecake can have 20-40 carbs. So not exactly keto friendly. That totally depends on the recipe and the serving size.
Nutrition: The nutrition facts are for 1 cheesecake.
Important Considerations
Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I am simply recounting and sharing my own experiences on this blog. Nothing I express here should be taken as medical advice and you should consult with your doctor before starting any diet or exercise program. I provide nutritional information for my recipes simply as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using MacGourmet software and I remove erythritol from the final carb count and net carb count, as it does not affect my own blood glucose levels. I do my best to be as accurate as possible but you should independently calculate nutritional information on your own before relying on them.
Are these keto cheesecake cupcakes safe for diabetics? This recipe uses almond flour and erythritol to keep it sugar free with minimal carbs. Therefore it may be safe for diabetics. However, all foods affect everyone differently and you should always monitor your blood sugars when trying out new recipes.
How do I know when the keto cheesecake cupcakes are done? Using oven mitts jiggle the baking pan. If the cheesecake is firm and set on the top, they are done.
tags: #keto #cheesecake #muffins #recipe