Savoury Cheese Muffins

Is there even such a thing as enough cheese? Never. These Savoury Cheese Muffins are perfect for a cheese craving. Great for breakfast, brunch, school lunches or with an afternoon cup of tea.

What are Mac & Cheese Muffins?

What is a mac and cheese muffin? Well, to some it's basically just macaroni and cheese baked into muffin cups. For me, it's using the flavours of mac and cheese in muffin making, no cooked macaroni here! Traditional recipes for mini mac cups usually involve scooping macaroni mixture into cupcake liners, topping this with grated cheese and a panko mixture and baking these in an oven. Such a cute idea, but not what we are making here!

This recipe is for savoury cheese muffins made with cheddar and parmesan cheese and flavoured with dried thyme and mustard powder.

Ingredients for Mac n Cheese Muffins

The ingredients needed to make these cheese muffins are simple, just make sure you are choosing quality tasty cheeses! Before starting to bake these cheese cupcakes be sure to have the following ingredients at room temperature.

·     All-purpose flour

·     Baking powder

·     Salt

·     Dry mustard powder

·     Dried thyme

·     Sharp cheddar cheese

·     Parmesan cheese

·     Sugar

·     Milk

·     Water

·     Sunflower oil

·     Extra-large eggs

·     Cooked bacon, optional

Sharp cheddar - when choosing the cheese to use in this recipe, pick a cheese with a strong flavour that has matured over many months. This helps ensure the muffins are flavourful. I use a white cheddar cheese that has been aged for 18 months and this is the perfect cheese to use.

Parmesan cheese - I like combining both cheddar and parmesan cheese for the best results. But if you don't have access to parmesan use pecorino or fontina cheese as other great options for alternatives. I would avoid options like mozzarella cheese or gouda as these are not strong-tasting cheeses.

Dried thyme - fresh or dried thyme can be used in this recipe. If you are using fresh thyme, just be sure to pick the leaves off the stems and discard the stems.

Bacon - I choose not to add bacon to my muffins, but you can! Cooked pancetta or sliced ham can also be added to the muffin batter. Add the meat of your choice at the same stage as adding in the cheese.

Salt - for this recipe I have used two types of salt, a standard table salt and also a herbed salt. You can use the same or just normal white salt.

How to Make Savoury Muffins

Step 1

Start by grating and measuring out all of the ingredients. Grease a 6-hole jumbo muffin tin or a 12-hole standard muffin tin with sunflower oil, olive oil or nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 200C

Step 2

In a large bowl sift together the dry ingredients, the flour, baking powder, salt, mustard powder, dried thyme and the sugar.

Step 3

Mix in the grated cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese.

Step 4

In a small bowl or jug, whisk together the oil, milk, water and eggs. Make a well in the centre of the dry ingredients and then pour the wet ingredients into the well. Use a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients together. Starting in the middle and moving outward, until all of the ingredients have been incorporated.

Step 5

Scoop the batter into the prepared muffin tins and top each muffin with extra grated cheese if you like. Bake in a preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre of the muffin comes out clean. Remove the muffins from the oven, cool them on a wire rack and enjoy!

Pro Tips for Muffin Making

Muffins look easy to bake, however, there are a few things you need to make sure you get them right. Otherwise, your muffins could be dense, flavourless and even overcooked!

• Use quality ingredients, this is especially true for the cheddar and the parmesan cheese. Pick cheeses that are flavorful and have a strong taste.
• Use an oven thermometer to test the temperature of the oven before baking the muffins.
• Be sure to brush the muffin tin with oil before adding the muffin batter. You want the muffins to release easily after baking.
• Prepare and measure out all of the ingredients before you start, the quicker you make the batter the better your chance of a perfect muffin.
• Do not over-mix when adding the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients. Try to only turn the batter no more than 15 times. This way you will make sure that you haven't overworked the batter. Overworking the batter can result in dense muffins.
• For a cheesy crust on the muffins, top the uncooked muffin batter with extra grated cheese and then bake them.
• To test if the muffins are ready, insert a toothpick or cake tester into the muffins. These should come out clean.

The best way to store these cheese muffins is in an airtight container. To freshen the muffins up the next day before eating, either reheat them in the oven or the toaster.

What are your favourite toppings for a savoury muffin like this cheese muffins recipe? I'd love to see your response in the comments below! Mine has to be raspberry jam, butter and well… more cheese.

I hope you give these Jumbo Just Like Mac & Cheese Muffins a go. They really are the perfect lazy Sunday treat with a cup of strong coffee.

If you love easy recipes for savoury bakes try this recipe for a Tomato and Burrata Quiche the next time you are looking for delicious ways to use cheese in baking!

Happy Baking

With Love,

Kitty

📖 Recipe