Low carb apple crumb muffins spiced with cardamom, ginger, and allspice evoke the feeling of warm afternoons in an exotic location. A moist and delicate crumb and a nice balance of flavors will have you reaching for another.

Apple spice muffins with crumb topping on cutting board with butter knife beside and green granny smith apple in background.

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There's nothing more delicious than a nice low carb muffin for breakfast with a hot cup of coffee or tea. Muffins from the local coffee shop were a weekly treat before starting this WOE (way of eating). Luckily, there are low carb recipes for almost every treat imaginable, even low carb muffins!

Apples can be tricky to work with on low carb diets, especially if you keep your macros at keto levels as I do. Choosing the right ingredients is important to keep carbohydrates as low as possible and to minimize impact on blood sugar.

These apple crumb muffins are moist and delicious. They taste like and have the texture of regular apple muffins without the sugar and carbs. But the best thing is that enjoying one of these low carb muffins won’t wreck your diet.

Picture of apple crumb muffin ingredients: green apple, low carb brown sugar, oat fiber, baking powder, spices & salt

Apple crumb muffins ingredients: almond flour, coconut flour, oat fiber

Two low carb flours I reach for time and again are almond flour and coconut flour. They have wildly different properties and used alone result in heavy baked goods. However, when combined, almond flour and coconut flour result in a lighter baked good.

I originally paired almond flour and coconut flour in this tasty apple spice muffin recipe with delicious results. However, I’ve become a huge oat fiber fan. For this recipe update, I replace coconut flour with oat fiber with great success. The result it a moist and delicious muffin with a taste and texture like the real thing.

Oat fiber is made from the tough, outer papery husk of the oat groat - it’s almost pure fiber. Light and powdery, its taste is similar to whole wheat making it perfect sub for those who don’t like the taste of coconut. I also use oat fiber in this delicious recipe for keto coconut flour muffins.

Picture of apple crumb muffin wet ingredients: large eggs, coconut milk, stevia and vanilla

Apple, spice and everything nice!

Apple muffins conjure warm fall flavors. A low carb brown sugar substitute is the natural choice. Sukrin Gold is my favorite, but also try Swerve Brown Sugar, Lakanto Golden or my homemade brown sugar substitute. This homemade low carb brown sugar recipe works for most recipes and is much more affordable.

A good apple recipe needs a little spice. Most recipes call for a little cinnamon and you’re done - good but not exceptional. Ginger, allspice, and cardamom enhance natural apple flavors and evoke thoughts of exotic locations.

keto apple spice muffins with streusel topping on cutting board

Streusel and crumb toppings

There’s no need to make a separate crumb or streusel topping for most low carb muffin recipes. Instead, remove a portion of the dry ingredients. This saves time on measuring and streamlines the preparation process. All you need to do is add a little sugar free sweetener, melted butter, and mix until it clumps together.

Storing your low carb apple crumb muffins

After baking, allow the apple muffins to cool completely. Keep loosely covered on the counter for up to two days or place in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week.

To freeze, place the muffins in a plastic zipper bag. Freeze up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator and warm gently in the microwave before enjoying, if you wish.

Apple muffin process shots: baked muffin, crumb topping, wet ingredients, dry ingredients, ingredients combined, filled muffin tins

Pro Tips:

Always whisk your low carb flours before measuring to remove lumps.
Never pack the ingredients into the measuring cup (exception: low carb brown sugar).
Eggs add moisture and help bind ingredients. Use large eggs unless otherwise specified.
Low carb and gluten free ingredients need extra binding agents (xanthan gum, psyllium powder or glucomannan powder) to achieve a nice rise and texture. Each choice has different properties.
Low carb, gluten free, and keto baking recipes always contract upon cooling.