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!!
Delicious! I used basil and mixed Povencal herbs that a friend gave me. Am trying to use nutrient rich foods so substituted 3/4 cup of flour with flaxseed meal and light and tasty cheddar. I also used rice bran oil. They ended up with a subtle nutty flavour. Additional flavours came from capsicum, shallot, and diced pitted kalamatas. With some further additions they could be like a pizza muffin. Thanks for the inspiration Nagi. 🙂
Nagi, what a brilliant recipe! As per your add-in measurements, I added some fried streaky bacon, a grated green apple, grated onion and a few stalks of spring onion. Not ashamed to say I ate three in one setting LOL. I didn’t do the garlic brush on top or inside the pan as I used muffin liners, but if anyone is thinking the same, you will need to spray the muffin liners as this mixture stuck to the muffin liners. Love the taste, thank you for sharing your talent with us all.
I made the cheesy garlic muffins yesterday as my contribution to a Get together morning tea with friends and they were very popular, Iin fact they all disappeared first. Everyone asked for the recipe. So good. Definitely making them again soon.
These are the best savoury muffins I’ve ever made! I did add some frozen corn and half a diced up onion, but it was so good! Definitely keeping this recipe for the future, thank you!
Sooooooo good, light fluffy and so cheesy, the best I’ve ever made. Thank you, you’re an absolute recipe wizard!
These were so good!
Added a couple tbsp extra flour and Worcestershire sauce. Add one I used grilled capsicum (from a jar), shredded chicken, spinach and fry fried corn.
Next time I think I’d go with HP brown sauce for more flavour.
Brushed the tops with plain butter, not garlic.
These are delicious even 3 days after baking and storage in an airtight container. Reheat perfectly in the microwave. Lovely on their own or with some healthy soup for a filling lunch!
I did not bother with garlic in the butter and they were just perfect!
Another great recipe from Nagi!
Perfect every time thank you for your amazing recipe
These were pretty great but next time I make them I will definitely add a tbsp of sugar. Needs that hint of sweetness.
Loved the recipe! I added some chopped ham and chives and it added such a nice twist. Definitely making these again
Just made these today! I love garlic and would double or triple the amount of garlic next time. Muffins were soft and moist, delicious!
I made these for a Church Shared Lunch. Everybody loved them. Absolutely delicious. I added capsicum, onion and corn to the ingredients. I used Mild Cheese with a handful of grated Smoke Cheese. The only tip I would say is if you are going to use Mild Cheese, season well. If you are going to use Tasty Cheese the amount of salt in the recipe is fine. I have already had requests from my Church Family to make these again, but double the quantity.
Made these this morning & they were delicious! Turned out perfect. I did make 2 batches, 1 lot I brushed the tops with the garlic butter once cooked as recipe said & 2nd lot I only brushed the muffin pan with the garlic butter & skipped the tops. Strangely I preferred the ones without the tops brushed with the garlic as I could taste the muffins more rather than a massive garlic taste. So for a less intense garlic flavour I would suggest not putting it on top. But both ways were amazing! Thank you Nagi X
Mine turned out dry. Finished baking at the 22 minute mark. I only had about 5 oz of cheese instead of 7, but don’t think that would be the reason why.
Is the batter supposed to be thick? Like wet bread dough think.
Thank you for the recipe. I rarely cook and I am awful in the kitchen but these muffins came out perfect!
Have just found you Nagi,
We had a large bag of beautiful New Zealand red apples given to us and decided to look up apple muffins and found your site .
I made your beautiful MOIST APPLE MUFFINS .
BEAUTIFUL
Have never used white Vinegar before in muffins before it’s amazing how it will activate the soda .
Will experiment more.
Thank you .
These were amaaaazing! I can’t wait to make them again. Is there a substitute for sour cream if I don’t have any on hand?
Wondering this myself today. Did you attempt it without? I’m about to. Possibly I’ll try one more egg and splashes of milk …
The recipe says you can use yoghurt instead of sour cream.
I’m wondering if I can make the batter a day ahead so I can simply bake them when my guests arrive.
I would say not as the baking powder will have de-actvated
These are the softest fluffiest savoury muffins I think I’ve ever had. Substituted fresh garlic for jarred minced garlic. Then I added bacon, carrot, red onion, capsicum, zucchini and corn as add ins. So delicious!! 🤤
I made these today. I added shredded carrots and chopped jalapeños. The muffins were light, fluffy and delicious . Thanks!
Hi! Any chance you’d know if they would be good with whole grain flour?