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!

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!

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!

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.

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:
Garlic Bread. (Skip the artisan bread. Gotta use cheap French stick!)
Cheese and Garlic Crack bread (there are no words…)
Cheese, Herb and Garlic Quick Bread (loaf form, no yeast)
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
Bacon and Egg Breakfast Muffins – with a whole egg inside!
Cornbread Muffins – personal favourite!


WATCH HOW TO MAKE IT
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Savoury Cheese Muffins
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:

Nutrition Information:
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!!

Hi, just sharing my adaptions for a guilt free version! Everything can be made without eggs! I used 3T of aquafaba (the liquid from a tin of chickpeas) to replace the egg, soy milk (any plant milk will do) neutral coconut yoghurt, and I skipped the garlic butter as I use non stick muffin pans, though plant based butter would do the trick too! Here I use violife cheddar cheese, but any plant based alternative available in your country would substitute perfectly. Bio cheese is a good one in Australia for example. These came out perfectly and I would make them again. Guilt free as no chickens, cows or calves were harmed ❤
Thank you for this adaptation!
So a completely different recipe Jaimee, so glad you enjoyed it though! N x
No, the exact same recipe, just with dairy free alternatives and egg replacer. They all work the exact same way. Just sharing that it can be made guilt free, no need for eggs etc. To anyone reading wanting to learn why this adaption is gullible free, watch the dominion documentary.
If you want to post your own recipes then get your own page to do so, no need to rain on someone else’s parade. Also, that dominion doco is a load of rubbish. I’m a farmer, and trust me, animal health is our priority.
Off to make this recipe with free range eggs, dairy, bacon and home grown veg.
I didn’t know this was a vegan recipe site 🙄
Amazing taste and easy to make too…
Just wanted to clear….along with two cups of grated cheese, upto one and half cup of additional ingredients can be added?
Thank you so much for this lovely recipe…
Another winner from your recipes! Thank you for this and all of your amazing recipes that make the weekly meal planning for a family of 4 to be so much easier! Never run out of ideas! ❤️
Taste amazing! However all mine sunk after cooling and appeared raw inside, i baked for 40 mins in total:( please could you tell me where I could have gone wrong, as I followed the ingredients and recipe exactly, except from adding red onions as an extra ! If they had baked they would have been perfect 🙂
Hi Aleks – I’m sorry to hear you had trouble with this. If these were not cooked and if they sunk after 40 minutes of baking, that to me is a very clear sign that your oven run weals. No way should muffins take that long to cook! Have you had trouble with baking recipes before where they were still raw when cooked per the recipe time? If so, I would suggest getting an oven thermometer to check your oven temp so you know how much to increase it by to get the right temp. In my last house, I had to increase by 30C to get the right temperature ie when my dial said 210C, it was actually 180C inside! N x
Wow! I didn’t have sour cream or parsley but I think it’s the garlic that makes such a difference!
Delicious! Best savoury muffin recipe I’ve come across.
I just made these using old cheddar cheese and christmas ham. I also added some chives. Unvelievable. Thank you.
Oh my good god these are delicious! We made 11 this morning for school lunchboxes for the week..
We only have 1 muffin left!!!🤣
We now use only your website for weekly food planning!! Thank you so much! Xxx
What modification could be made to make it keto friendly ?
Hi Nagi, these muffins were absolutely delicious, i added 1/3 of a cup of chilli flakes + seeds and some paprika (my family loves spice) and they turned out amazing!! I also added another cup of cheese 😋 Naughty But nice!
Thank you so much
Maya
Sounds great Maya!! N x
Thank you! These were sooo good! I added bacon and chives and skipped the garlic and they were divine! I froze some after they cooled and popped them in the microwave to heat up after defrosting – tasted as fresh as the day they were made. I’ll be making these again and again and again!
Nagi, these came out great. My husband said they were the best savoury muffins he’s had in his life. I added a cup of chopped chorizo and made 9 giant muffins. Thank you for another excellent recipe.
Hi. Ian’s is exited to try this but only have olive oil, grape seed oil and avocado oil. Could or of-these b used instead of plain oil?
Thank you
Tammy
Hi Tammy, go for a neutral flavoured one like grape seed or avocado 🙂 N x
Greetings, I may need to whip up 7-8 dozen servings of bread tomorrow to feed the heroes on the fire line nearby. Will they peel out of cupcake papers? I only have 2 muffin tins and I’ll need to work quickly if the call comes in.
Thanks Nagi! The recipe is great! They turned out delicious. I used your idea of grated zucchini …and I also snuck a bit of chipotle powder in the flour mix which gave it a nice kick for those that like spice. Looking forward to making more of your recipes!
This recipe looks great. Do you think I could make them jumbo size muffins?
Sure could Eleni, they may just take 5 minutes more in the oven 🙂 N x
Just finished making these with gluten free SR flour, and even though you said not to, olive oil – as it was the only oil I had on hand. I added an extra egg to the mix to help with the gluten free version, some garlic powder and onion powder. And they rised beautifully and had the defect dense to fluffy result! Nice and buttery, that fried cheese taste on top of the garlic goodness! Only other alteration I want to make for next time is more garlic!
Can I use a mini muffin tin and make minis ?
Best muffins of any kind that I have ever made!
My husband ate 3 in a row!
Love your recipes, they always turn out great!
Keep posting!
Love your recipes
Thanks so much Heather! N x
Hi Nagi,
I tried these today and yummm
They are so popular I have the second batch in the oven now.
Tomorrow will be your apples muffins.
Loving your recipes thank you and pats to beautiful Dozer.
xooo
Wahoo, that’s great to hear Felicity!! N x
Love LOVE these, so yummy! But every time they stick to the muffin tin. Do you have any tips?? Not sure if it’s because my tray is so old? Or my obsession with extra cheese?
Use parchment paper liners. Nothing sticks to parchment paper.
Hi Grace, could be a combination of both – maybe sure you grease them well to help them come out 🙂 N x