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Savoury Cheese Muffins

By Nagi Maehashi
496 Comments
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These Cheese Muffins will disappear in seconds! Quick and easy, sinfully more-ish, these savoury muffins are buttery and garlicky with golden crusty tops and fluffy moist insides.

Keep a stash for snacking, pop them in lunch boxes or serve a basket of these with dinner!

Overhead photo of golden Savoury Cheese Muffins in a gold muffin tin.

Cheese Muffins – a great savoury muffin recipe!

So basically, these muffins are every cheese-lovin’-Carb-Monsters’ dream come true.

Inhale deeply, and you’ll get a waft of buttery garlicky goodness mingling with that unmistakable smell of melting cheese.

Look closely, and you’ll feel the warmth radiating from these muffins, fresh out of the oven.

That top one’s got your name written all over it. Go on. I saved it for you!

Close up photo of a stack of Savoury Cheese Muffins

OK, technology hasn’t advanced quite far enough yet that I can deliver you fresh-out-of-the-oven Cheese Muffins through a screen.

But luckily, just 10 minutes of effort is all that stands between you and and a fresh batch of these!

Half a Savoury Cheese Muffin smeared with butter, slowly melting.

Add-in options for these savoury muffins

These Cheese Muffins are absolutely terrific as is, and it’s how I make them most of the time.

Having said that though, it’s a sensational base for all sorts of add ins. Imagine the possibilities! I’ve used sun dried tomatoes, olives and feta in the photo below. Try mushrooms, spinach, zucchini (grated and excess liquid squeezed out), BACON, ham, chorizo, even cooked chicken. You could really turn these savoury muffins into a mini meal!

I’ve added some more suggestions in the recipe notes – basically, just add 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups of whatever add ins you want.

Savoury Cheese Muffins with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Feta and Olives on white paper, with olives on the side, ready to be eaten.

Give me any combination of cheese, garlic, butter and bread, and it’s all over. It’s almost worrying that I have not one, but FIVE versions of garlic bread in various forms on this blog:

  1. Quick Cheesy Garlic Bread

  2. Garlic Bread. (Skip the artisan bread. Gotta use cheap French stick!)

  3. Cheese and Garlic Crack bread (there are no words…)

  4. Cheese, Herb and Garlic Quick Bread (loaf form, no yeast)

  5. These Cheese Muffins.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to grab one of these Cheese Muffins while they’re still warm. One of the most torturous photo shoots I’ve done in a while! – Nagi x

MORE SAVOURY MUFFIN RECIPES

Overhead photo of Savoury Cheese Muffins cooling on a baking rack, fresh out of the oven.

Close up photo of a Savoury Cheese Muffin with a golden dome.

WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT

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Close up photo of a stack of Savoury Cheese Muffins

Savoury Cheese Muffins

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Appetizer, Breakfast, Sides
Western
4.95 from 193 votes
Servings11 muffins
Tap or hover to scale
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Recipe video above. They taste like cheesy garlic bread – in muffin form! If you want lovely high domes as pictured, this makes 11 muffins. It’s irritating, I know, but such is life. See notes for Add In options! 

Ingredients

Butter and Cheese:

  • 3 tbsp / 50g salted butter (unsalted + salt)
  • 2 garlic cloves , crushed
  • 2 cups / 200g grated cheddar cheese (Note 1)

Dry Ingredients

  • 2 cups / 300g plain flour (all purpose flour)
  • 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp baking soda / bi-carb soda (Note 2)
  • 1/2 tsp salt

Wet Ingredients

  • 1 egg (large, about 60g / 2 oz) , lightly whisked
  • 1 cup milk (full or low fat)
  • 1/4 cup / 60 g sour cream (or plain yoghurt)
  • 1/3 cup / 85 ml vegetable oil (or any plain oils, not olive oil)
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley (Note 3)
  • 1 garlic clove , crushed

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 180C/350F (standard) or 160C/320F (fan).
  • Place butter and garlic in a microwave proof bowl and melt in 30 second bursts. Mix.
  • Brush a 12 hole standard muffin tin generously with butter, being sure to slather with some garlic. Reserve some butter to brush tops.
  • Whisk Dry ingredients in a bowl.
  • Whisk Wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
  • Pour Wet into the Dry ingredients bowl. Mix 8 times. Add cheese, mix as few times as possible just to incorporate remaining bits of flour – no more than 7 big stirs (secret to soft muffs).
  • Divide between 11 holes in muffin in (I use an ice cream scooper). Batter should be thick and fill muffin tin to top (if in ball shape due to scooper, leave as is). See video.
  • Bake for 22 – 25 minutes or until the muffins are golden and crusty and spring back when touched in the centre.
  • Remove onto cooling rack, brush with remaining butter (microwave again if needed) and cool slightly before getting stuck into them!

Recipe Notes:

1. I typically use grated Cheddar or Tasty Cheese (common in Australia). Any flavoured cheese will be terrific here, as long as it melts. Avoid Mozzarella – it doesn’t have enough flavour. 
2. Baking soda gives these muffins a kick start with the rise so you get a lovely dome BUT if you don’t have it, then you can use an extra 2 1/2 tsp of baking powder instead. OR use self raising flour instead of plain flour and no baking powder and no baking soda. 
3. Can sub with 1 tbsp dried parsley or 1 1/2 tsp of stronger dried herbs (thyme, oregano, mixed herbs, basil), or just skip. Still lovely flavour without!
4. These stay fresh for 2 to 3 days in an airtight container. Best served warm. These can also be frozen for 2 – 3 months.
5. As always for baking recipes, I have made these using Australian cups (metric measurements used by the most of the world, including Europe, NZ) as well as US cups. I actually made these while I was in LA at a friend’s house and they came out just as they do when I made them at home!
6. Add In options: Up to 1 1/2 cups of stir ins of choice, add with cheese. Sun dried tomatoes, chopped or large chunks of feta, chopped olives, ham, cooked bacon, grated zucchini (salt, leave for 20 minutes then squeeze out excess water), grated carrot, chopped spinach, bell peppers/capscium (cooked). Cooked mushroom slices, cooked chorizo, even chopped chicken. Let your imagination run wild! Makes 12 high dome muffins, or 13 – 14 sensible muffins.
7. Nutrition per muffin, going all out as per the recipe. Skip the butter and it reduces to 248 calories each.
Cheese Muffins nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 275cal (14%)
Keywords: Cheese muffins, Savoury Muffins
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

LIFE OF DOZER

He’s home! The first thing I thought when I saw his shaved leg was “Yessss!!!! 25% less fur droppage all over the house!” 😂

In all seriousness though, he is doing just fine. Zonked out for most of the day.

I am loving that harness he got sent home with. And so is Dozer – just that little bit of help to get him on his feet and hobble outside to the toilet. That’s the most action he’s going to get for a while!!

Dozer the golden retriever post ACL surgery

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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496 Comments

  1. Lynn says

    5 stars
    Really love your recipes! The pictures make my mouth water. I wish I had some garlic right now and I would be making these muffins…. Thanks.

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Baked treat for the weekend! 😉 N x

      Reply

  2. Peter Block says

    These look so tasty. Love the oozing cheese.

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Thanks Peter!! Ever seen oozing cheese that DOESN’T look incredible?? 😉

      Reply

  3. Dorothy Dunton says

    Hi Nagi! Cheese biscuit (which are really mini muffins) are very popular around here at BBQ places. I developed my own recipe because I wanted them cheesier and here you go and up the cheese factor even more! YAY! 🙂

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      I keep meaning to try biscuits at home! I’ve had them at diners in the US 🙂 I bet you make some seriously good biscuits Dorothy!!!

      Reply

      • Dorothy Dunton says

        Hi Nagi! You know I will share! 🙂 So excited about next week!!

        Reply

        • Nagi says

          How will you be when the time comes that I drop by to visit in person?? 😉 N x

          Reply

          • Dorothy Dunton says

            Hi Nagi! Seriously, you had better give me a heads up so I can at least try to make this place (and myself) presentable! 🙂

          • Nagi says

            I’ll call you as soon as I land at the airport….te he he!

  4. Fida | Sweet and Savoury Pursuits says

    These are some gorgeous muffins, like that they are so savoury. And those pictures are amazing! Will definitely give these muffins a try, I may even have to do it today they are so tempting!

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      Thank you Fida! I do hope you try them, they are SO insanely delicious!! Buttery garlicky cheesy goodness….hard to go wrong!!!

      Reply

  5. Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says

    5 stars
    Oh that picture of the melted cheese!!!!! So yum!!!!

    These are my idea of the most perfect morning tea. Cheesy, warm and delicious!!!

    I wonder if I warm them up in the morning….will they stay warm in the boys mini-thermo boxes? They could have them at school….Oooooo one to try 🙂

    Thank you

    Reply

    • Nagi says

      I know, right?? Melted cheese….so good with ANYTHING! 😉 I haven’t got mini thermo boxes so not sure how long things stay warm inside. Sounds like I should get one though!!! 😉

      Reply

      • Claire | Sprinkles and Sprouts says

        I got mine from Aliexpress. They are sort of like a thermos flask only square. A cross between a flask and a bento box I guess.

        I think they were about $8 each. But they are perfect for sending food to school! xx

        Reply

        • Nagi says

          They sound awesome! I’ve never gotten anything from Aliexpress, checking it out NOW!! 🙂

          Reply