What to add if low-carb muffins don't rise and are crumbly
I followed this recipe for low-carb lemon poppy seed muffins. I only substituted coconut for almond flour and granulated monk fruit for splenda. The mix was really loose and dry when I put it in the tins. I baked it for the max specified 20 minutes and they didn't rise (I didn't swap baking soda for powder, like some do). If I want to make these again, what do I modify to get these muffins to look like actual muffins?
Also, I saw these posts (1 and 2) but I'm doing low-carb and the answers don't fit as I'd expect.
Best Answer
Your recipe has no gluten in it. Baked goods without gluten tend to have a crumbly texture; muffin batter usually contains at least some wheat flour, which contributes gluten toward the muffin's structure. The Kitchn has a good blog post about using vital wheat gluten, which can be added to a recipe that is in need of a more bread-like structure (assuming no dietary restriction on gluten). If you add too much, you'll have to adjust the other ingredients in the recipe to compensate (mainly liquids, but possibly fats as well) but a little goes a long way; for your recipe, one tablespoon might be a good starting point.
Vital wheat gluten does contain similar carbohydrates to those found in regular wheat flour, but much less; where regular flour is almost entirely carbohydrates, vital wheat gluten is mostly protein. Consult the nutrition info before you buy it if you're worried about adding carbs to your recipe.
Adding gluten can also affect how the muffin rises, so you might find that's enough on its own; but it's not directly a leavening agent. More good info here: What does gluten "do" in baking?
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Why are my Keto muffins crumbly?
Unlike traditional flours, low-carb flours are gluten-free. Gluten is a protein found in wheat. It makes dough supple. Without gluten, baked goods are fragile and crumbly.Why is my muffins crumbly?
Muffins will become crumbly because of several reasons: if you overbeat the batter, overbake them, bake them at the wrong temperature, or use too much flour than necessary. These reasons give your muffins a greater chance to become crumbly after they're baked.Why are my almond flour muffins crumbly?
Since almond flour is denser than traditional flours, the muffins can sometimes end up crumbly, dry and almost more like cornbread that has dried out rather than a soft, fluffy muffin with a crustier top.What makes muffins rise baking soda or powder?
Baking Soda & Baking Powder. These are two common baking ingredients are chemical leavening agents that make muffins rise. When mixed with liquid and also when exposed to high heat, these chemical leaveners make muffins rise by releasing carbon dioxide causing bubbles to expand and raise the batter.KETO MUFFINS | Banana Nut Breakfast Muffin Recipe | 1.5g NET CARBS
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Answer 2
Coconut flour really soaks up moisture, so it can't just be substituted for other flours. You should use a coconut flour recipe, but if you can't find a coconut flour recipe for what you want to bake you need to (approximately) double the liquid in the recipe.
Answer 3
When swapping coconut flour for almond flour, you use only one third the amount. Coconut flour is EXTREMELY absorbent, so if you use one cup of almond flour, to swap with coconut flour would be one third cup, not a full cup. Otherwise, you're going to have one dry, crumbly mess.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
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