I’ve always loved a good muffin, but sometimes my sweet tooth needs a break!
That’s when I turn to savory muffins, and these 24 recipes are my absolute favorites. They’re quick, easy, and perfect for any meal of the day, so let’s get baking!
1. Leftover Ham and Cheese Breakfast Muffins
If you have a knack for whipping up a ham for holiday meals, you’re likely staring down a mountain of leftovers. What if you transformed those surplus slices into a batch of these savory ham and cheese muffins to tame your salt cravings?
They come together like mini breakfast casseroles, bursting with delightful ingredients. Peppers, cheese, ham, eggs, and potatoes intermingle beautifully, gifting them with both a hearty texture and plenty of satisfying flavors. I enjoy tossing in diced tomatoes, too, alongside ample handfuls of verdant green onions.
2. Baked Spaghetti and Meatball Cups
In the savory muffin game, this recipe tiptoes right on the edge, as they might resemble muffins, but what you really have is spaghetti and meatballs baked in a muffin tin.
All the same, they earn a spot on my list purely for their irresistibly adorable appearance. Setting aside a little extra time to prep the spaghetti nests proves its worth when the finished product emerges from the oven.
3. Salmon and Chive Muffins
Although they might pose a tough sell for the kiddos, I’m confident the grown-ups in your household will thoroughly enjoy them! I believe people often hesitate when it comes to salmon due to uncertainty about preparation.
But incorporating it into these cheese and chive muffins creates something so wonderfully unique. Additionally, the recipe uses canned salmon, ensuring a lightning-fast prep time. Still, if you happen to have leftover salmon handy, feel free to toss it in.
4. Savory Oatmeal Muffins
Savory oatmeal is gradually gaining traction across social media, and I’ve come across some genuinely tempting creations. It might raise eyebrows, considering we’re accustomed to loading ours with sugar and fruits! However, embracing it presents a great way to set the tone for a day of healthy choices.
These resemble hearty, savory oatmeal cookies, packed with aromatic onion, garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, olives, and Parmesan. Moreover, they offer a delightful chewiness, akin to a cookie!
5. Sun-dried Tomato and Pesto Savory Muffins
For years, I have whipped up pesto and cheddar scones, which presents such a brilliant method for infusing sensational flavor with minimal effort, unless you’re dedicated to crafting your own pesto.
It follows that these sun-dried tomato and pesto muffins would prove absolutely incredible. You’ll also introduce balsamic vinegar for an extra punch of flavor and crown them with Parmesan cheese, though feel free to substitute cheddar if that suits your fancy.
6. Easy Cheddar Cheese Muffins
If cornbread doesn’t appeal to you, then you simply must sample these unbelievable cheese muffins, as they pair well with an array of dishes, from a steaming bowl of chili to a vibrant BBQ spread. How effortless are they?
With a mere eight ingredients and about five minutes dedicated to prep, you’ll achieve savory perfection. To make the most of this recipe, I suggest selecting a robust cheddar or perhaps a smoky variety, and remember, freshly grated is always best!
7. Mediterranean Savory Muffins
Loaded with captivating olives, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted peppers, and salty feta, these treats simply explode with savory flavor, and they also call for sour cream, guaranteeing their satisfyingly moist crumb.
When I decided to make them, I traded mozzarella for the cheddar, yielding a somewhat lighter result.
8. Vegan Savory Muffins with Kale and Chives
Have you noticed that a huge proportion of the recipes gracing this list overflow with cheese and/or eggs? Now feels like the perfect moment for a vegan savory muffin recipe!
Ground flax seeds blended with a splash of water make the ultimate hack for achieving the gelatinous consistency that eggs deliver. It binds your batter impeccably just as an egg would, all while remaining completely vegan. In the event you can’t get your hands on flax seeds or you dislike the mouthfeel they impart, test out silken tofu as a substitute.
9. Savory Sun-Dried Tomato & Olive Muffins
I have to spill the beans: olives rank pretty low on my list of favorite foods, but I can appreciate the draw of these muffins! Both the tomatoes and olives will bring a pop of saltiness and a touch of acidity that plays beautifully with a buttery muffin. If chickpea flour proves elusive, you can confidently sub in almond flour, which will impart a whisper of nutty flavor beneath the warmth of the spices.
10. Jalapeño Cornbread Muffins
Jalapeños and cornbread are simply meant to be, and while the heat remains subtle, you’ll definitely pick up on the peppers’ taste, and although I cherish a good recipe for cornbread, I often believe it lacks excitement without additions. I advocate for infusing chilies, cheese, and sometimes even bacon to the mix.
For families that include children, set aside however many you require without the jalapeños. Mix those into the second half of the batter just for the grown-ups!
11. Savory Vegan Polenta Muffins
For folks seeking out a vegan muffin, here’s another fantastic recipe to calm your savory cravings! I’m accustomed to seeing my polenta bursting with cream and cheese and showcased like porridge alongside braised short ribs. Naturally, that veers far from vegan and muffin territory!
Polenta earns my devotion due to its sunny hue and delicate corn flavor. It stops short of outright sweetness, but isn’t entirely savory, either. This recipe calls for merely seven ingredients and invites improvisation with extra corn or jalapeños.
12. Spinach, Bacon, and Cheddar Muffins
Similar to the zucchini highlighted earlier, you’ll hardly notice any spinach when biting into these muffins, though you’ll still reap all the added benefits, not to mention their superb color.
Of course, they reach supreme deliciousness thanks to the bacon, which you have the option of omitting. If bacon remains out of reach, ham or sausage morph into stellar alternatives.
13. Shepherd’s Pie ‘Muffins’
If you appreciate the concept behind those meatloaf muffins, you have to put these shepherd’s pie muffins on your to-do list!
In essence, they mimic savory cupcakes, featuring a ‘cake’ of seasoned meat and veggies and a ‘frosting’ of fluffy mashed potatoes. They’re their best served fresh from the oven, as they tend to lose their shape when frozen, so for a proper ‘frosted’ aesthetic, make your potatoes impeccably smooth and pipe them high on top.
14. Pepperoni Pizza Muffins
Pressed for time or lack the bandwidth to craft pizza dough from scratch? These pizza muffins make it simple to enjoy all those classic pepperoni pizza flavors, but in half the time. If you’re drawn to deep-dish pizzas, these will spark joy.
Consider adding a thick tomato slice on the top before baking, as it will blister and soften in the oven, gifting you with a jolt of fresh flavor in unison with the pepperoni and cheese.
15. Savory Carrot Muffins
They might bear a resemblance to carrot cake cupcakes, but resist any assumptions! They stand strictly in savory territory, featuring wholesome spelt flour, bright garlic, and earthy coriander.
Having said that, you could certainly smear on some savory cream cheese ‘frosting’ to transform them into lighthearted faux cupcakes. Just contemplate the fun your next April Fool’s Day would hold!
16. Mac and Cheese Cups
These quick, cheesy mac and cheese bites emerge as the ideal nibble for your next football-centric gathering, and they’re well-suited for both your kids’ lunchboxes and your midday work cravings.
Because they’re baked in cupcake liners, expect them to be somewhat less saucy than what you might expect, but they still promise plenty of tender, moist flavor from the cheese and other yummy ingredients.
17. Spicy Bacon Cheddar Zucchini Breakfast Muffins
While these muffins offer a denser crumb than some, they prove incredibly tender and loaded with flavorful additions. The satisfying trio of bacon, cheese, and jalapeños crafts the perfect companion for a steaming bowl of chili.
Beyond the finely minced peppers woven throughout, think about scattering a few slices on top. As the cheese melts, the peppers will tenderize and crisp up slightly. You can even try broiling these for a short spell once they finish baking to help crisp the cheese up more.
18. Mini-Meatloaf Muffins
When tasked with feeding a crowd, I like to have various dishes on the table, which doesn’t always lend itself well to serving or preserving leftovers. With these muffins, you can conveniently preserve any extras in the freezer, and they’re already portioned. Rather than awkwardly slicing into a large meatloaf, your guests can simply seize a mini muffin instead.
19. Mini-Egg Strata Recipe in a Muffin Tin
Strata comes across as a familiar brunch dish, falling somewhere between a savory bread pudding. You’ll prepare a flavorful egg custard that you’ll then ladle over cubed bread, and after scattering with your favorite toppings, it bakes until tender. If you’ve tackled bread pudding, expect this to be a total cinch.
Here’s a tip: let the bread and egg mix mellow together for a spell, as the stale bread will soak up the custard, growing gorgeously tender as it bakes. To streamline things, you can even tackle this step the night before and let it chill in the fridge.
20. Vegetable Savory Muffins
We all know that kids tend to devour nearly anything resembling a cupcake, so to ensure your children eat more veggies, consider whipping up a batch of these, as the sweet carrot and mild zucchini promise to make the vibrant colors and nutritious ingredients irresistible.
Corn makes another winning addition that will appeal to kids, but the sky is the limit with these. I’ve even folded in surplus sweet potatoes, which were a big hit!
21. Savory Cheesy Zucchini Muffins
Have you enjoyed zucchini bread? Isn’t it just wonderfully tender? Even better, you’ll hardly notice the veggies.
And just because you don’t taste the zucchini doesn’t imply that these don’t count toward your daily vegetable consumption! If you ask me, these are practically healthy.
Between the skim milk (or almond milk) and part-skim mozzarella, expect these to clock in as lighter than your run-of-the-mill savory muffin. Just be sure to thoroughly squeeze out the zucchini, or they’ll be a soggy disaster.
22. Broccoli Cheddar Muffins
What sounds better as a side dish for a hearty bowl of broccoli and cheddar soup than fluffy, warm broccoli and cheddar muffins?
This recipe suggests freshly chopped broccoli, but I’ve reached for frozen broccoli in the past with perfectly delicious results. Just be sure to thaw it out first and drain it completely, and I like to press mine with paper towels to eliminate the extra liquid.
23. Spinach & Cheese Savory Lunchbox Muffins
Despite this recipe neglecting to mention any pre-cooking for your veggies before folding them into the batter, I emphatically suggest granting everything a quick once-over in a blazing-hot pan. This will help the onions tenderize and wilt the spinach, and add a little garlic, too, while you’re at it.
Ultimately, you’ll avoid any unwelcome chunks of raw onion or rogue spinach leaves in the finished muffin. Of course, in the event you dice everything quite small, you probably won’t run into any issues anyway, though I prefer the taste of sautéed vegetables.
24. Cheesy Leftover Mashed Potato Muffins
What pairs better with meatloaf muffins than mashed potato muffins? These will make an excellent camping side dish, and the crusty golden exterior promises unmatched texture alongside those creamy potatoes.
Also, if you happen to find yourself saddled with leftover mashed potatoes from a festive gathering, why not use them in a batch of muffins you can freeze for future feasts? The opportunity to pull out a quick dinner in the middle of a hectic week is something you will thank yourself for later.