I had the idea a few weeks ago for a savory muffin and I’ve been brainstorming what flavors I wanted to use ever since! There are so many directions you can go with this one but cheese was a given from the very start for me.
These muffins are so light and fluffy thanks to the leaveners and buttermilk which is exactly what I wanted them to be. I packed these full of sharp cheddar, a bit of garlic, and plenty of thyme so they’re super flavorful. In the recipe you’ll see that I suggest filling the muffin tin right up to the top before baking. This does mean that the muffins and the cheese on top of them are going to spread out a bit on the top of the muffin tin. It may not be the prettiest thing, BUT that does mean that you get some crunchy cheese bits on the muffins and that’s worth it to me! If you want to make them a bit smaller you can, it’s definitely a personal choice.
What I love about these muffins is that they’re the perfect addition to just about any meal because they’re so easy to make, much quicker than a traditional bread, and you can change up the mix ins to go well with whatever you’re making. The sky is the limit for the mix ins, but I would keep it to no more than 2 cups of mix ins, but you can do whatever you want with those two cups. The only thing I would keep in mind would be how much moisture your mix-ins add – if you’re adding any veggies, cook them first to remove some of the water.
Some other variations are:
- breakfast muffins: cheese, cooked bacon, green onions
- sausage & peppers: cooked sausage, cooked bell peppers
- trail mix: nuts and dried fruit
If you’re using bacon in your muffins, I bet you can replace some of the butter with melted bacon fat and it would be an extra hit of flavor and be so so good! I haven’t tried it, but I probably will next time I make bacon.
Savory Cheese and Thyme Muffins
These soft, fluffy muffins are the perfect side for any meal! They're so customizable and come together quickly with ingredients you've probably already got in the pantry.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (240 g) all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1 Tbsp thyme
- 1 egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 4 Tbsp butter, melted
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/4 cup sharp cheddar cheese, grated
Instructions
- prep: preheat the oven to 400*. spray 9 cups of a muffin tin with baking spray and set aside
- combine the dry ingredients: in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pepper, and thyme. set aside
- combine the wet ingredients: in a small bowl, combine the buttermilk, egg, butter, and minced or grated garlic.
- bring it all together: add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined. add the cheese and mix to distribute
- portion and bake: divide the batter among 9 muffin cups. bake in the preheated oven for 5 minutes, then decrease the temperature to 350 and bake for an additional 15-17 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean and the muffin springs back when you touch the top
- enjoy! store at room temp for up to 3 days or in the freezer for weeks.