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!!
Amazing!!! I used wholemeal flour as that’s all I had at home and they’re perfect. Demolished 2 straight out of the oven with butter. Will be making these again and again!
Woo hoo Helen!! I am so glad that you enjoyed them!! N x
Can you make by scooping onto a cookie sheet instead of a muffin tin? My luck, I will have troubles getting them out of the tin…lol
I think they will just run everywhere Michelle so not recommended! Sorry! N x
Can you bake the sa or muffins in mini muffin tins?
You could but I haven’t tested the timing! N x
These are fantastic, but, I must confess, I forgot to add the yogurt- didn’t matter, they were superb and all my guests asked for the recipe, which I gave them- including the yogurt/ sour cream!
Love the way you list your wet and dry ingredients separately. * Makes a huge difference when following your recipes.
Thanks for sharing 🙂
Absolutely agree! The way this recipe is laid out is so user friendly!
These have turned out well every time. But, and I know I have made these many times before, but…has the ‘chees’ ingredient been missed out of this recipe? For the life of me, I can’t see how much to put in, so ofc I put in as much as I wanted 🙂
Hi Kris – the ingredients list says 2 cups/200 grams cheddar cheese! If you hit the recipe button at the top of the post it will jump you straight to the written/printable recipe! N x
Hahahaa…of course it does! I can see it now. Up the top, yep…my excuse is I didn’t have my glasses on. LOL
These are amazing and so easy to make. I’ve frozen the majority to stop myself from eating them all 🙂
Such an easy and tasty recipe! Thank you Nagi❤️
My 2 year old is allergic to eggs, what can I use instead? Thanks
Ive just made these to go with dinner of pasta – awesome!!!
Hi,
I was wondering if you can make these without adding the cheese.
These taste exactly like the red lobster biscuits! So great! I followed the regular recipe but used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream, sharp cheddar cheese, and garlic powder in the batter. I thought the butter used to brush the tin would make the muffins not stick, but they didn’t. Next time I would just use spray on the bottom and leave the butter to brush on the top. These were sooooo good.
Agree, mu muffins also stuck a bit to the tin & was pleasant to clean.
However, they did come out without breaking (after the intervention of a butter knife to get them out)
That garlicky butter DOES give it another layer of flavor- delish!
Very nice savoury muffin. I used pickled jalapeños and banana peppers with green onion. Used whipping cream and yogurt. Delicious, thank you. Squamish BC
This is my first time trying a recipe from your site and WOW, I am impressed! These are DELICIOUS. The house smells amazing!
Using your mixing trick, these came out so fluffy and soft. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
Hi!
Can I use multigrain four i/o regular flour? And natural greek yogurt i/o sour cream?
No sorry – the hydration amounts are different so that won’t work! N x
Delicious – I used avocado oil for the oil and cottage cheese instead of sour cream. I also used wholemeal plain flour, basil as the herb and grated pumpkin and a little finely chopped red onion. While I was making the mixture I oven roasted some cherry tomatoes and added to the top of the muffins. Fingers crossed my 2 year old likes them!
Another great recipe from you Nagi! I didn’t have enough sour cream but had some leftover french onion dip and smooth ricotta cheese so used them in a 25/25/50 ratio making a double batch. Also used wholemeal flour and added some veg and meat as suggested in the tips. Excellent lunch box filler.
Wow! Delicious, I gad to joke MG isn buttermilk (milk anc apple cider vinegar) as I didn’t have yogurt or sour cream. I added a small very finely diced red onion, pinch of cayenne pepper anc a touch of mustard… will definitely be on the make again list 💕
Wow. Yummy.
My family have been hassling me to make some savoury muffins for ages but I like chocolate too much.
Made these. Absolutely gorgeous and so tasty.
I used natural yoghurt which worked great. Also used my favourite cheddar and was glad I did. Maybe a little salty? I might leave out the salt next time.
Made for a friend as a birthday gift. They smell, look, and taste delicious! I didn’t have sour cream or cheddar cheese so I substituted buttermilk and colby+parmesan (respectively) and they turned out fine.
Thank you Julia! So glad you enjoyed them! N x
Every recipe I have tried by Nagi has turned out delicious! One of my favorite food bloggers ever and I’m making her pot roast tomorrow for my family.
Thank you for those kind words Sharon! N x