These Cheese Muffins taste like cheesy garlic bread, in muffin form!! I’ll take these savoury muffins over sweet ones any day. Quick to make and sinfully more-ish with golden crusty tops and incredibly fluffy soft 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 unsalted butter
- 2 garlic cloves , crushed using a garlic press or grated finely
- 2 cups (200g) shredded cheddar cheese (Note 1)
Dry Ingredients
- 2 cups 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)
- 1 cup milk (full or low fat)
- 1/4 cup sour cream (or plain yoghurt)
- 1/3 cup vegetable or olive oil (or any plain flavoured oils)
- 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley , optional (Note 3)
- 1 garlic clove , crusted using garlic press or finely grated using microplane
Instructions
ABBREVIATED RECIPE:
- Melt butter with garlic, brush 11 holes generously (reserve bit for tops). Whisk Dry and Wet ingredients in separate bowls. Pour Dry into Wet, mix just 8 times. Add cheese, mix as little as you can. Fill 11 holes of muffin tin. Bake 25 minutes at 180°C/350°F (160°C fan), brush tops with remaining butter.
FULL RECIPE:
- Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced)
- Garlic butter – Place butter and garlic in a microwave proof bowl and melt in 2 x 30 second bursts. Mix.
- Great muffin tin – Brush a 11 holes of a standard muffin tin generously with the butter, being sure to slather with some garlic. Use most – just reserve a bit for brushing the tops later)
- Make batter – Whisk Dry ingredients in a bowl. Whisk Wet ingredients in a separate bowl. Pour Wet into the Dry ingredients bowl. Mix 8 times – some flour will remain not mixed in, that's ok.
- Add cheese, then mix as few times as possible just to incorporate remaining bits of flour – no more than 7 big stirs (secret to soft muffs). The batter can be lumpy, that's fine.
- Fill muffin tine – 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 25 – 27 minutes or until the muffins are domed, golden and crusty. A toothpick inserted should come out clean.
- Butter brush and cool – Brush remaining butter on the surface (re-melt again if needed). Let muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes then remove onto cooling rack. Cool for at least 5 minutes 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!!
These are amazing, I’ve made them 5/6 times now and added crispy bacon or fried onions. I’ve used a yorkshire pud tin with muffin cases and works perfectly, just fill them to the top. Enjoy.
These were fabulous! We are gluten free, and I just used Bob Mill’s 1 t0 1 flour, and they turned out perfect. My family of four polished them off in one night!
Hi can I add green Pickle jalapeños ?
Thanks
Yes 100%!! Enjoy! N x
Hi Nagi!
Silly question I’m sure but can these be left out of the fridge? I’ve noticed it seems to be the go with baking with cooked cheese but thought I might ask once and for all! As you can tell, I’m a very basic cook!!
These are utterly delicious by the way! Thank you for all your help and amazing (and achievable) recipes!
Hi Jane, I refrigerate mine if leaving for an extended time. I usually microwave to heat up before I eat 🙂 N x
We’re still in lockdown in South Africa, so I made these savoury muffins for Mother’s Day breakfast, and sent some pics to our children. They came out really lovely!
Perfect Vernon, I’m so glad you enjoyed them! N x
WOW! Because of the virus, we are stranded away from home and we are staying in an AirBnB so we don’t have a muffin tin; I just made them like a cake. Yummy! My daughter just said, “We need these ALWAYS!” Thank you for the great recipe!
That’s awesome Yolanda! N x
Love these muffins. I add cooked breakfast sausage and some chives. Excellent. Thank you.
YUM, I’ll have to try it – sounds great Lorne! N x
Hi Nagi,
Hope you’re staying safe 🙂
Just wondering if I can add chives to the recipe
Hi Jasmine, of course! They are so versatile you could add a variety of different herbs 🙂 N x
Can I bake them in mini muffin pan?
Sure can Angela, I’d cook for about 15 minutes or so. Enjoy! N x
deliciously cheesy, yum.
Thank you Nagi
You’re so welcome Viktoriya!! N x
This recipe is excellent!! Thank you for sharing. I added a bit of cooked breakfast sauce and scrambled egg and this turned into the most amazing breakfast muffin. Perfectly cheesy but not too much, moist, and crazy easy to make. Best part is the easy clean up and didnt make a huge mess that baking usually involves.
I meant cooked breakfast sausage!
Perfect Miss Red!!! N x
Hiya! Can these muffins be frozen?
Savoury cheese muffins – so good!! I added some olives and sundried tomatoes to a few as well. Thanks 🙂
YES! They are so versatile! N x
can i substitute cheddar cheese with parmesan?
Hi Natalie, you’ll find it way too salty – a mix of parmesan and mozarella would work though!! N x
These are AMAZING! I omitted the salt because I added a cup of cooked bacon and they turned out so tasty. Muffins are still moist 3 days later, wonderful to take to work. Thankyou Nagi!
LOVE this recipe. It is my go-to recipe for muffins. I don’t always add as much cheese (when trying to be healthy) and instead I pack it with veggies and smoked ham.
Sounds perfect Sal & easily adaptable! N x
Hi, Nagi. Why olive oil can’t be used? thx
The flavour overpowers the muffin – you want a neutral tasting oil here 🙂 N x
Used 1:1 gluten free flour. To warm up, we were able to just slice in half and warm in toaster on low. Yummmmmers!
That’s great to hear May, I’m so glad they worked out! N x
Absolutely scrumptious! Just made them as an alternative to have with some soup. I added some dried chilli to give them a bit of a kick. Thanks for another fantastic recipe x
Sounds perfect Lyndsay! You could definitely add so many things here!
WARNING: DO NOT deviate from this recipe!! I have made these muffins many times since it came out and, other than to experiment with changing out the cheese from time to time, have always followed it exactly as written. Like the lazy dummy I was today, I didn’t do that. Big mistake & will never do it again. Used garlic powder rather than fresh crushed garlic, unsalted margarine rather than butter, yogert instead of sour cream … you get the picture. They did not have the deep garlicy flavor or soft texture they usually have & were dry. This in no way your fault or the recipe … totally because I was having a dumbbell, too lazy moment. Never again; I’ve learned my lesson.
You always have the best recipes; never had a bad one yet. I always look forward to your posts and apologize profusely for thinking I was smarter than the recipe. Thank you.