Savory Cheddar Muffins with Basil and Scallions, perfect served alongside a big holiday meal or for brunching it up with family and friends.
Have you jumped on the savory muffin bandwagon yet? These bad boys are where it’s AT!
They have this wonderful flavor explosion going on for them thanks to the combination of sharp cheddar, garlic, green onion, and basil, making them pretty darn addictive!
At one point I had to cut Paul off so I could save a few for the brunch date I had planned with some friends the next morning. He pouted like the man-child that he is but kept his promise to save the rest. I’m planning on making another batch for Easter weekend that he can faceplant into these fluffy muffins without sharing.
Well… he still has to share with me. And the chickpea. But we couldn’t possibly eat that many right?
Poor guy; we could easily eat our weight in muffins!
Ready for the recipe?
Savory Cheddar Muffins
These fantastically fluffy muffins channel the flavor and texture of my favorite drop biscuits in muffin form! They’re best hot and fresh from the oven and also taste amazing warmed up with a bowl of piping hot tomato soup.
Savory Cheddar Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 cups all-purpose flour (15 ounces)
- 1 TBSP baking powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp sea salt
- ½ tsp dried basil
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
- 3-4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese (grated to yield 1 cup)
- ¼ cup sliced scallions
- 1 + ¼ cups whole or 2% milk
- ¾ cup sour cream
- 3 TBSP unsalted butter (melted and cooled)
- 1 large egg
- 1 ounce Parmesan cheese (1/4-1/3 cup coarsely grated)
Instructions
- Set oven rack to middle position and pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease a 12-cup muffin tin with butter or oil and set aside. Bring milk, sour cream and eggs to room temp.
- Whisk together flour, baking powder, garlic powder, salt, basil, and pepper in a large mixing bowl.
- Stir in cheddar and scallions and mix well until fully coated.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together milk, sour cream, cooled melted butter, and egg until smooth and creamy.
- Make a well in the middle of the flour mixture and pour wet ingredients into the center. Gently fold until just combined and very sticky. Batter will be thick almost like you’re making drop biscuits.
- Use a pair of large spoons to evenly divide batter among muffin cups and sprinkle each muffin with parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 16-18 minutes rotating the muffin tray after the 8 minute mark for even browning. When you rotate, feel free to brush muffin tops with melted butter for an extra golden top. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean from the center and muffins are golden brown. Allow to cool in the tray for 5 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to continue cooling. They’re pretty darn amazing hot from the oven so if you’re anything like us, you’ll be stealing muffins off that cooling rack and faceplanting into them in record time!
Notes
Nutrition
Recipe adapted from The American Test Kitchen’s Family Cookbook <— one of my favorite cookbooks for baking inspiration!
The house will smell so flipping good once these bad boys are ready that your crew won’t be able to keep their hands off them for long!
march muffin madness
- Double Chocolate Banana Muffins
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Coconut-Lime Avocado Muffins
- Carrot Butternut Whole Grain Muffins
behind the scenes
- currently listening to… everything Modest Mouse
- currently reading… The Girl on the Train (better late than never!)
- currently watching… This is Us (again, better late than never! lol)
If you get a chance to try these savory cheddar muffins, let me know! You can leave me a comment here (LOVE checking those daily!) or tag @PEASandCRAYONS on Instagram so I can happy dance over your creations. I can’t wait to see what you whip up!
Questions & Reviews
Can you make these ahead of time and freeze them?
Hi Caitlin! I haven’t froze this particular muffin recipe yet but often freeze our breakfast/dessert muffins. Let me know if you end up trying it!
Can you use buttermilk instead of milk?
Absolutely!
These muffins were delish!- I used cheddar instead of parm, and they were so good. Thank you!
So glad you enjoyed them, Alicia! Thanks!
I have a ton of fresh basil right now. Could I use that instead of dried basil? About how much?
Yes totally! Dried is more concentrated so you can usually use double the amount of fresh basil. Start with 1 tsp chopped fresh basil and then you can add a little extra to taste if you want extra basil flavor.
I’m making the recipe right now and my wet mix never got smooth. When my buffet touched the cold milk and sour cream, it turned back into little bits of solid butter… I’m hoping it won’t be a problem
Hi Anna! Unless otherwise stated (like with scones for instance) you want to bring all chilled ingredients like dairy and eggs to room temperature first. This is typically the rule for muffins, cookies, cakes, etc… and helps with the rise and structure of baked goods. I can add a reminder to the recipe card if that helps! xo
The muffins were FANTASTIC. I can’t believe I forgot to put in the salt 😭. I added two teaspoons of sugar to make them a little more biscuity.
Has anyone tried swapping g regular flour for measure for measure gluten free powder?
Hi Heather! I haven’t tried it yet but I have a box of King Arthur all purpose flour blend in my pantry so if I get a chance to test them out with that I’ll keep you posted. This week is bonkers so if you get a chance to experiment before I do LMK! xoxo
These turned out great!! They were moist and super cheesy. My kids loved them!
Could you make this into a loaf?
Ooooh I totally want to now! My thought is yes absolutely, but it might require some tinkering with bake times and whether or not it needs to be tented with foil halfway through to prevent over browning based on that time. I’m in the middle of a big move and won’t be able to experiment yet but let me know if you get a chance to! xoxo
These looks so good! Is there any substitute for sour cream? Can I use thick cream?
Oh totally! You should be able to use thick cream or thick greek yogurt as a swap.
How would you bake these differently if using the mini muffin tins?
Hey Jan! To prevent over-browning I would reduce the bake temperature to 350 F and then check them at the 10 minute mark. For mini muffins it should take approx. 10-13 minutes and you can test them with a toothpick (or swipe one to taste test) after 10 minutes to help gauge the exact cook time you’ll need. Hope this helps and LMK how it goes!
Could I make the dough, chill it in the fridge overnight, and bake in the morning?
Hi Heather! The baking powder activates upon the wet and dry ingredients combining so the trick is to mix the batter and bake the muffins right away. Making the dough ahead of time could prevent them from rising the next day when you baking, which I would hate for that to happen to ya! You could make them and then warm them up the next day in the oven, wrapped in foil so they don’t over-brown.
These are a perfect accompaniment to almost any meal! Love these delightfully cheesy muffins with a hint of basil!
Yay! Thanks Liz!
These muffins look so good!!
yum!!!! this def looks great
These look super tasty. I love savoury muffins – and anything cheesy as well!