A Perfect 1-Minute Muffin

Here is how to make a perfect 1-minute muffin
for Atkins Induction or other ketogenic diet

If you're new to low-carb diets, you might not have heard about 1-Minute Muffins yet.

If not, you're in for a very special treat.

1-Minute Muffins are extremely popular within the low-carb community. They are super high in fiber, easy-to-make, and completely gluten free.

When made with flaxmeal, rather than almond meal, the net-carb count is very low because flax is almost all fiber. On Atkins, you don't have to count the fiber, so these little gems go a long way on your carbohydrate budget.

However, almond meal is still a great alternative choice if you are in Phase 2 of Atkins or doing the Keto Diet.

Nuts are low in carbs and high in essential fatty acids. 

In fact, both flax and almond flour are so nutritious, that many low-carb bakers combine the two together into a single low-carb muffin.

A 1-Minute Muffin is Quick and Easy to Make

The following version of a 1-Minute Muffin is baked in the microwave. Using the microwave, rather than the oven, makes them a quick on-the-go breakfast option if you don't have a lot of time in the mornings.

These low-carb muffins are also great for French toast on the weekends, sandwiches for work, and can even be turned into pancake batter by adding 1/4 cup of extra water or other liquid to the batter.

Since gluten gives bread its structure, they don't hold up well against a burger, but they make great tuna sandwiches, BLTs, and ham-and-cheese masterpieces.

The texture is similar to a bran muffin.

Unlike some yeast-based low-carb breads that are made with a lot of wheat starch and other high-protein low-carb flours, such as vital wheat gluten, these low-carb gluten-free muffins are bread-like instead of spongy.

They can also be made with Carbquick (a wheat-based low-carb bake mix) for a totally different flavor and bread-like texture, but I haven't experimented with wheat-based low-carb baking options in a long time.

I have celiac disease, so I am completely gluten free now.

Being Gluten Free Helped Me Discover the PERFECT 1-Minute Muffin!

Gluten-free baking isn't like traditional baking.

Flour has to be measured accurately.

The weather has to be considered, as the humidity level will affect the flours and, therefore, the dough. The batter needs extra rising power and stickiness for structure. The gluten in the flour is what enables bread dough to rise.

For muffins, you don't want a lot of gluten, though.

Gluten makes muffins tough.

Accuracy is important for the sour cream. Too much sour cream will make these low-carb muffins mushy.

Mushiness will also happen if you don't bake the muffins long enough. Microwaves differ in wattage, which will affect the end result. If you have a lower watt microwave, you might have to bake these muffins longer.

Some people have found that 1-minute and 15-seconds will work better for them.

The original version of this recipe used a coffee cup to make the muffins in, but I prefer to use the large 4-inch Corningware custard cups available at Amazon instead.

*If you're dairy free, you can substitute a tablespoon of almond milk for the sour cream in the following recipe.

Perfect 1-Minute Muffin

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup golden flaxmeal, almond flour, Carbquick, or combination of both
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• sweetener equal to 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• dash salt
• 1 egg
• few drops of vanilla
• 1 level tablespoon sour cream

In a small bowl, combine flaxmeal, baking powder, sugar substitute, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In another bowl, whip together the egg, vanilla, and sour cream with a fork. Just do the best you can. You won't be able to get the mixture really smooth. There will still be some lumps of sour cream in it.

Add the wet ingredients to the flax mixture and stir it up well.

Spray a large custard cup with non-stick spray. Make sure it isn't "baking" spray. Baking spray contains flour.

Pour the batter into the cup and smooth it out the best you can. Allow the batter to sit and rest for 2 to 3 minutes. The flax will soak up some of the liquid and begin to puff up.

Slip the cup into the microwave and nuke for 1 minute.

Make sure the top is nice and dry. If it isn't, nuke for another 5 to 10 seconds. Dump the muffin out onto the counter or a cutting board, bottom-side up, and allow it to air dry for a few minutes.

Usually, the bottom is still quite moist when done. Air drying will help to eliminate that.

You can then slice the muffin into 2 or 3 horizontal slices and use as you would regular bread. For sandwiches, it's best if you toast it first. The muffin will be firmer.

Nutritional Information: 

Flaxmeal has 120 calories in 1/4 cup, but it is almost all fiber, so its net-carb count is basically 0.

However, there are carbs in the egg, Splenda, vanilla, and sour cream. On the Atkins Diet, you count the Splenda packages as 1 carb each, so these muffins have about 1 net-carb when made with flaxmeal and a liquid sweetener.

Almond flour is higher in both calories and carbs. If you use all almond flour, there is 160 calories in the flour and the net-carb count increases to 3.

Those calorie counts are for the flax and almond meal only.

The muffins themselves have a lot more calories due to the other ingredients. For a combination muffin, you can count it as 2-1/2 net carbs. If you add any extras like nuts, you'll have to adjust the carb count for whatever you add.

For an extra special treat, you can frost the muffin, without toasting, with a yummy cream cheese frosting.

Low-Carb Cream Cheese Frosting

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces softened cream cheese
• 1/2 cup soft butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• sugar substitute to taste

With an electric mixer, whip together the cream cheese and butter until it's nice and fluffy.

Add vanilla and continue whipping to incorporate.

Sweeten the frosting to taste with whatever sugar substitute you like best. Liquid sweetener is fine.

For extra flavor, you can add a little lemon Crystal-Lite, or any other extract instead of the vanilla.

Nutritional Information: 

There are 8 carbs in the cream cheese, but the above recipe makes a lot of frosting, about 2 cups once you whip the air into it. That's enough to frost an entire square-pan sized cake.

You won't need anywhere near that much frosting for the muffins, so you might want to cut the recipe in half and store it in the refrigerator.

There is 1 carb in about a 1/4 cup of frosting.