Keto friendly Muffins & Mixes - Which is the most delicious?
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What do I miss most about Muffins? Actually not their taste but their texture. That fluffyness. That bounce great muffins have. How they are soft, chewy.
My own attempts at baking Keto Muffins have been mediocre at best. Almond Flour made them gritty. Coconut Flour overpowered and dried them out.
New Keto friendly Muffin Baking mixes are entering the Keto arena
In recent years more and more companies have ventured into creating Keto friendly Baking Mixes. Most started with Chocolate Chip Cookies. Separate Blog post on these to follow soon.
Slowly, mixes for muffins and cupcakes are coming but there aren’t many yet.
And yes - Muffins are the base for Cupcakes which is why many of these mixes are labeled as Muffin AND Cupcake Mixes. But which ones actually give you that Muffin feel? That fluffy texture I’ve been dreaming of?
I’m happy to report back that after testing a few of these new mixes some are absolute winners. No need to try 32389 Keto recipes. Get the mix. Bake. Enjoy!
Don’t feel like baking? I’m also including a few reviews of ready-made muffins / cupcakes. How will these stack up? Good? meh? Read on to find out!
Keto friendly Muffin & Cupcake Showdown
The following comparison - as all other Keto Anywhere Blog Post comparisons that will follow soon - is not only laid out to compare net carbs, ease of preparing, taste and texture but also to share whether everything that says ‘Keto’ truly is ‘Keto’.
‘Keto’ can be an easy way to label something and sell it at a higher price. Let me note too though that truly Keto products, especially when coming from smaller companies, need to be priced higher as the Sweeteners used and raw materials like Almond Flour are pricier than regular flour or sugar.
Ready to see which Muffin - to bake or pre-made - you should consider trying? Off we go!
To jump straight to a particular product, click on them in this list. A one-page high-level overview is also included at the bottom!
I’ve reviewed the following:
Pre-made Muffins
Muffin & Cupcake Baking Mixes
I’m planning to soon review these:
Highkey - Muffin & Cupcake Baking Mix - Blueberry
If I can get my hands on samples I will eventually review these:
Carb0licious - Muffins
Miss Jones - Keto & Paleo Muffin Baking Mixes
Simply Scrumptuous - Muffins
ThinSlim Foods - various pre-made sweet and savory muffins
Pre-made Keto or Keto friendly Muffin
Smart Baking Co - Smartcakes - Chocolate, Lemon, Raspberry Cream
About the company: For the Smart Baking Company™, “healthy and fun can go hand in hand”. From buns to cakes, all are gluten free with no sugars or starchs.
They are operating out of Central Florida and focus on creating products with zero digestible carbs, making them perfect for Keto or Low Carb.
Sweetener used: Erythritol, Monk Fruit
Cleanliness of ingredients for strict Keto: In their proprietary blend they mention ‘corn fiber’. This is not the same as starch or corn syrup though. It is manufactured differently and should thus have no effect on glucose levels which you’re trying to keep level and low with Keto and Low Carb diets. Read more on ingredients here.
Serving Size: 1 Cake / Muffin - 30gr
Calories per serving: 38 kcal
Net Carbs per serving: 0gr net carbs
Carb calculation: 9gr (Total Carbs) - 5gr (Fiber) - 4gr (Erythritol) = 0gr (Net Carbs)
Serving per bag: 2
My thoughts on serving size: When I was tasting these I only ate half a cake and felt satisfied so I feel that the serving size is great
Visual appeal: Chocolate had just the right color. There are some crystals on top that made me wonder what that is - maybe sweetener. Lemon is also a bright yellow as expected and Raspberry Cream has a slight pink hue without making it look artificially colored.
Smell: As you open Lemon and Raspberry Cream you immediately get the smell of those fruits. Chocolate smells more discreetly.
My texture review: Although these are cakes I chose to feature them in the Muffin comparison as they were fluffy enough to be muffins and with frosting could easily be made into cupcakes. Raspberry Cream was even fluffier than Chocolate and Lemon but maybe that was just because of that particular batch. I loved the texture. Great to bite in and enjoy!
My taste review: I liked all three flavors. Chocolate wasn’t not overpowering but still chocolatey enough to be satisfying. I tried one microwaved for 15 seconds and felt like that brought out the chocolate flavor even more. Lemon has a great flavor balance too. Not too sweet. Not sour. Very pleasant. Raspberry Cream brought back memories of raspberry cookies I ate as a child. I was worried that it could taste artificial but it didn’t. None of the flavors had any cooling effect that can sometimes come with sweetened Keto snacks.
Freeze review: These can be frozen but they also last very long in the fridge. I received them in July, placed them in the fridge and their expiration dates show end of year! If you freeze them, try to let them thaw on the counter for 20 minutes before eating.
Other notes: These are also Gluten Free
Overall: I think these little cakes / muffins are fantastic. As a snack or now that I’m writing this I could see myself considering them as Cupcakes in the future. I love the very long shelf life - if kept refrigerated. It means you can go for a bigger box without feeling pressured to eat it all right away. Although to be honest, they are so good that a big box might vanish pretty quickly.
Other products available: Smart Baking Co also sells Burger Buns and Mfns and cakes in Cinnamon flavor.
Where to buy: Online through their website www.smartbakingco.com or on Amazon. They are also available in stores specializing on Keto and some bigger retailers like Wegmans. Check out their store locator.
Price: On their website $14.99 for 4 double-cake packs. So a total of 8 little cakes - enter code KETOANYWHERE for 10% off! $9.99 for 1 double-pack on Amazon or a mixed pack with 6 double-packs for $32.99
Smart Baking Co - Smartmuf'n - Chocolate Chip
About the company: As above, for the Smart Baking Company™, “healthy and fun can go hand in hand”. From buns to cakes, all are gluten free with no sugars or starchs.
They are operating out of Central Florida and focus on creating products with zero digestible carbs, making them perfect for Keto or Low Carb.
Sweetener used: Erythritol, Monk Fruit, Stevia Extract
Cleanliness of ingredients for strict Keto: In their proprietary blend they mention ‘corn fiber’. This is not the same as starch or corn syrup though. It is manufactured differently and should thus have no effect on glucose levels which you’re trying to keep level and low with Keto and Low Carb diets.
Serving Size: 1 Muffin (75gr)
Calories per serving: 99 kcal
Net Carbs per serving: 0gr net carbs
Carb calculation: 20gr (Total Carbs) - 12gr (Fiber) - 8gr (Erythritol) = 0gr (Net Carbs)
Serving per bag: 3
My thoughts on serving size: I usually try to only eat half of whatever snack I’m trying. This was so good that I ate the whole thing. Perfect serving size. With more self restraint you could stick to half ;)
Visual appeal: It’s looks like a bigger flat muffin. The Chocolate Chips are very visible as well as some crystals on top that made me wonder what they are - maybe sweetener. The muffin itself has a lighter brownish color
Smell: It smells like chocolate as it should :D
My texture review: Nice and fluffy! I would bite straight in. My kids tried an Apple Cinnamon one where I tried to tear off bite size bits for them and it was a bit crumbly. Ok…very crumbly. So bite right in and enjoy without crumbs!
My taste review: Wow! Like really. I’ve tried my fair share of snacks by now and these surprised me. They have an amazing chocolate chip ratio and the taste is delicious. Not too sweet. Just perfect! I can’t wait to eat more.
Freeze review: These state that you should freeze them upon receipt to eat whenever you like or refrigerate and eat within 2 weeks. I froze them. Took them out prior to a hike. Kept them in an insulated bag - as ice packs for other foods that needed to stay cool. We ate them about an hour after packing them and they were perfect. Still cool which was great on a hot summer day. Next time I might thaw them at home and warm them up to see how that is.
Other notes: These are also Gluten Free.
Overall: After loving the cakes (see above) I now love these muffins. The chocolate chip gave them a great bite, the sweetness and texture were perfect. There’s no way to beat zero carb. These Smart Baking Co products seem too good to be true. I love their Buns as well! Review of those to follow soon in a Keto Bread comparison.
It’s also great that they last forever when you freeze them and yet are so easy to thaw and take on the go.
Other products available: Smart Baking Co also sells Burger Buns and Smartcakes. These Muf’n’s are available in Apple Cinnamon which the family loved. I don’t like cinnamon so didn’t try them. Same for Banana Nut. Friends have reported back that they taste amazing. I’m allergic to banana’s so these are out for me too. Amazon also lists Pumpkin Spice.
Where to buy: Online through their website www.smartbakingco.com or on Amazon. They are also available in stores specializing on Keto and some bigger retailers like Wegmans. Check out their store locator.
Price: On their website $8.95 for a pack of 3 or $24.99 for a pack of 9 - enter code KETOANYWHERE for 10% off! They also have a Variety pack with 3 of each flavor for $24.99. Amazon has the pack of 9 for $29.99
Keto or Keto friendly Muffin (or Cupcake) Mixes
HighKey - Muffin & Cupcake Mix - Double Chocolate Chip
About the company: Co-CEO Joe Gen’s guiding philosophy in life is ‘if you’re not growing, you’re dying’. He believes that everyone has the desire to maximize their potential…sometimes they just need a little support.
“Highkey represents the exact opposite of a low-key life…we want to enable people to live their best life!”. It all starts with our food. “The best way to help people get carbs and sugar out of their diet is to make the alternative taste as good as the original.” HighKey is based in Orlando, FL and ships across the US.
Sweetener used: Erythritol, Allulose, Stevia Extract, Monk Fruit Extract
Cleanliness of ingredients for strict Keto: The only ingredient I was initially hesitant about for someone who does strict Keto is the “Tapioca Fiber (Resistant Dextrin). Here are the results of my research (aka reading through a few links on Google). Tapioca comes from the roots of Cassava. A starchy plant that grows in warmer climates. Starch is usually a no no on strict / clean Keto yet this is ‘Tapioca FIBER’ not ‘Tapioca STARCH’. The fiber is produced and processed in a way that should result in it not affecting your blood sugar levels. You do want to stay away from Tapioca STARCH though as that will affect your level of Ketosis. Read more here.
Serving Size: 1 Muffin - 44gr as prepared
Calories per serving: 120kcal
Net Carbs per serving: 1gr net carbs
Carb calculation: 14gr (Total Carbs) - 5gr (Fiber) - 5gr (Erythritol) - 3 gr (Allulose) = 1gr (Net Carbs)
Serving per bag: 12
My thoughts on serving size: The package shows that you can create 12 muffins by filling your batter evenly into 12 muffin pan cups, filling to about 3/4 full. I managed to fill about half my cups to 3/4 and the others to 1/2.
Ingredients that need to be added: 4 eggs, 1 Tbsp Unsweetened Almond Milk, 1/3 cup Coconut Oil, some more Coconut Oil, butter or pan spray to prepare the cups
Chocolate Chip ratio: I think it could have a few more chips and bigger chips for them to be more noticeable once you eat the baked muffins.
Raw Dough Taste Test: Better than expected! I’ve had very limited luck in finding tasty rough dough. This one was good.
Ease of preparing: Easy. Fatten the pan. Stir up the eggs, milk and mix. Add the melted Coconut Oil and split into 12 portions. Bake 14 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes (this was harder) and enjoy!
Baking time: 14 minutes
Visual appeal: Some had the rounded top, some sunk in. I think if you turn them into Cupcakes with frosting they would be perfect and turn beautiful. As muffins mine looked fine but would not win a beauty contest!
Muffin smell in the kitchen: On point. The Kids and Husband commented on how great it smelled and how excited they were to try these.
Further tips: I tried to fatten a few of the pans with Butter rather than Coconut Oil as I’m not always fond of the Coconut Oil taste. I also used Butter in a part of the mix rather than Coconut Oil to see if that would also impact the taste. I’ll review the regular version below (with coconut oil). For the buttery one, what surprised me was that the dough was less thick. It was more liquid and the muffins came out more dense. By using Butter they did have no taste of Coconut although the mix itself still has coconut flour. I might try it again but mix it longer with a machine to see if I can get the mix to fluff up more.
My texture review: This is the important one for Muffins. Similar to the taste my family commented on how they thought these were just like regular muffins. Again, I agree. They are fluffy. They have that bit of a bounce when you press on them. Chewyness as you take a bite. Really autenthic Muffin texture.
My taste review: The regular Muffins prepared to instructions did have a hint of Coconut taste but if you’re not searching for it you might not notice it. Their taste was on point. Nice and chocolatey. My husband (non-Keto) said “this is one of the best Keto mixes you’ve tried so far”. My kids usually suspisciously eye by baked Keto goodies as they’ve found them treacherous in the past. Looking delicious but not tasting that way. With these Double Chocolate Chip Muffins they both asked if they could take a muffin to school / camp the next day. I have to agree with them. These are spot on. Highly recommend trying them!
Freeze review: TBD
Other notes: These are also Gluten Free and Grain Free
Overall: Not gonna lie: I’m pretty blown away by these. I didn’t expect them to be this great. If you crave chocolate muffins or want a base of Keto Cupcakes, go for it! I’m very picky when it comes to baked goods and with these even though I thought they might not be up my alley with the Coconut Components they turned out great. Thanks HighKey for creating Muffins that make me fully agree with your slogan of “FOMO NO MO”. No need to eat regular Muffins when you can also have these!
Other products available: HighKey makes ready made Chococlate Chip Cookies, Brownies, Hot Cereal, Cereal, Pancake Mixes, other Muffin Mixes, Biscuits. Check out the other Blog posts with comparisons to learn more
Where to buy: Online through their website www.highkey.com or on Amazon. This mix is not available in stores yet as of August 2020.
Price: $19.94 for 2 packs on their website - entre code KETOANYWHERE for 15% off! or $9.97 for 1 pack on Amazon
Keto & Co - Bundle of Vanilla Cake & Frosting Mix to make Cupcakes
About the company: “Ted Tieken, the founder of Keto and Co, has been following a ketogenic diet since 2014 to manage chronic pain. (He also lost 35 lbs after going keto.) Ted wants to make sure the ketogenic diet is as easy, low-sacrifice, and delicious as possible.”
All of their products are designed according to four guiding principles: Nutrition, Convenience, Taste, and Affordability.
The team is based outside of Boston, MA.
(abbreviated version from Keto & Co Website)
Vanilla Cake Mix
Sweetener used: Wondrose Sugar Replacer = Blend with Erythritol and Monk Fruit
Cleanliness of ingredients for strict Keto: You might hesitate when reading “Non-GMO soluble corn fiber” simply because ‘corn’ is not something considered to be Keto friendly. This particular fiber does not spike blood sugar though and this is fine for the Keto diet.
Serving Size: 1 slice - 28gr / 1oz
Calories per serving: 130kcal
Net Carbs per serving: 1.8gr net carbs
Carb calculation: 24.1gr (Total Carbs) - 12.4gr (Fiber) - 9.9gr (Erythritol) = 1.8gr (Net Carbs)
Serving per bag: 9
My thoughts on serving size: I managed to create 12 muffins out of it so for me the serving size seems fine
Ingredients that need to be added: 4 eggs, 6 Tbsp of butter (3/4 stick) - melted, 1/2 tsp cider vinegar (I used white vinegar as I didn’t have cider and it worked well too)
Raw Dough Taste Test: Just ok. Not finger licking good ;)
Ease of preparing: Easy. Grease the pan. Beat the mix with eggs and butter. Let it briefly sit and stir in vinegar. Spread in pans and bake.
Baking time: 15-20 minutes for cupcakes - I ended up taking them out and back in for a total baking time closer to 25 minutes
Visual appeal: They stay flat which is perfect for cupcakes to add frosting to.
Cupcake smell in the kitchen: You get the nice cakey smell!
Further tips: Even though the cupcakes might come out a bit wobbly they will firm up as they cool. Try to trust the process.
My taste review - Plain - Just the cupcake base: Nice but a bit too sweet for me. I taste the sweetener which I don’t like too much. It doesn’t taste strongly like vanilla but provides a good base for a frosting.
Buttercream Frosting
Sweetener used: Wondrose Sugar Replacer = Blend with Erythritol and Monk Fruit
Cleanliness of ingredients for strict Keto: same as above
Serving Size: 1/18th of the package
Calories per serving: 150kcal
Net Carbs per serving: 0.5gr net carbs
Carb calculation: 12.6gr (Total Carbs) - 5.8gr (Fiber) - 6.3gr (Erythritol) = 0.5gr (Net Carbs)
Serving per bag: 18
My thoughts on serving size: I would suggest preparing only half the mix for a dozen cookies
Ingredients that need to be added: 1 Tbsp lemon juice or 1/2 Tbsp cream of tartar, 1 1/2 cup butter - softened (3 sticks), 1 Tbsp vanilla extract, 1/4 tsp salt
Ease of preparing: Medium-ish. You have to first combine the mix with water in a small saucepan to make a thick paste. Then cook over low heat until smooth, thick and slightly bubbly. Add lemon juice or cream of tartar and stir to combine. Cover and cool at room temperature (I actually ended up putting it briefly in the fridge and then freezer to save time). Then combine in a separate bowl the butter, vanilla and salt. Add the frosting mixture and whip until light and smooth.
Preparation time: I’d say at least 20-30 minutes.
Visual appeal: Because of my ‘rush’ to cool part of the mixture down I think I lost some of the possible smoothness so it was not as pretty as it potentially could have been.
Overall Cupcake review
My texture review: I won’t compare this to a Muffin as it is based on a cake mix which naturally has a firmer texture and I wouldn’t expect it to be fluffy.
My taste review - Plain - Just the cupcake base: Nice but a bit too sweet for me. I taste the sweetener which I don’t like too much. It doesn’t taste strongly like vanilla but provides a good base for a frosting.
My taste review - with the Buttercream Frosting from Keto & Co: This made it way too sweet for me. While the cupcake was still warm and the frosting fresh is felt like it tasted less sweet or I noticed less. In the evening I placed them in the fridge and the next morning the Buttercream was firm and has a bit of that crystally texture. If I were to make them again I would make them for an occasion to be eaten right out of the oven. Well a bit of time to cool before the frosting comes on but definitely eat the same day.
Freeze review: After it not doing well in the fridge I passed on trying to freeze it.
Other notes: To make these dairy free you can replace the butter with 6 Tbsp of melted coconut oil. This is also gluten free.
Overall: I went in with VERY high expectations. Keto & Co’s Brownie Mix is to die for and I somehow expected all their other mixes would be amazing too. For me this one didn’t work out, simply based on the sweetness. I’m sure for many it is great. Since starting Keto I’m much more sensitive to sweetness levels and this one is just past my ideal point.
Other products available: Keto & Co makes many other products like the Brownie Mix mentioned above. Bread and Pizza Mixes. Granola. Pancakes…
Where to buy: Online through their website www.ketoand.co or on Amazon for the Frosting. The Vanilla Cake Mix is not available on Amazon as of August 2020.
Price: $9.99 for a bag on their website - entre code KETOANYWHERE for 10% off! The frosting on Amazon is $22.99.
Few options but great Keto friendly muffins to enjoy!
Fingers crossed I can further build out this guide soon as more ready-made or Muffin mixes enter the market. Although I have to say that overall I was very impressed with what is available already!
Here’s the high-level comparison to see which Muffin is the best for you!
Order Keto friendly Muffins from small businesses too!
Besides these muffins that you might see more in grocery stores, there’s also always the option to visit or order online from Keto friendly bakeries.
To find bakeries close to you check out the Keto Anywhere Map - currently exclusively available through the Keto Anywhere Facebook Group . It shows over 900 recommended Keto friendly places from restaurants to shops and bakeries.
To learn more about which bakeries deliver what throughout the US check out my separate blog post. It lists Keto friendly and Low Carb bakeries. What they sell. Shipping Costs and more! Yes! You you can get Keto goodies shipped right to your front door!
Any feedback is as always highly appreciated. In the comments or via email!
If you love discounts on Keto friendly items make sure to check out the Keto Anywhere Discount section. The biggest you’ll find!
More blog posts comparing Keto products to follow soon!
For more ways to save check out We Thrift.