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Savory Breakfast Muffins

Name: Savory Muffins
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 2 cups all-purpose flour; 2 teaspoons baking powder; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1/2 teaspoon salt; 1/4 teaspoon black pepper; 1 egg; 1 1/2 cups milk; 1/4 cup plain yogurt*; 1/3 cup olive oil; 1 cup cheddar cheese, grated; 6 slices bacon, sliced or diced; 4 cups spinach, roughly chopped; 2 tablespoons chives, minced

Published on January 9, 2021 by Stephanie Kay

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If you are looking for a healthy grab-and-go breakfast, these savory muffins are a great way to do it. Filled with spinach, bacon, and cheddar cheese, these savory breakfast muffins are light, fluffy, and full of flavor. Enjoy them on their own or pair them with a boiled egg and some fruit for a quick, filling, and well-balanced, on-the-go breakfast!

Are Savory Muffins Healthy?

Yes! While muffins have a reputation for being high in calories, fat, and sugar (in the case of sweet muffins), they are a recipe and can, therefore, be adapted to suit your diet and nutrition plan. In fact, these savory breakfast muffins are refined sugar-free, and packed full of protein, healthy fats, and carbohydrates to make a healthy breakfast to start your day.

What You’ll Need

These savory muffins are filled with everything you love about a savory breakfast but done in a handheld and more well-balanced way. Here are the ingredients you’ll need:

Bacon: Nothing says savory like bacon! I recommended using traditional pork bacon however, you could use turkey bacon if you prefer. Each muffin contains a 1/2 slice of bacon, which is definitely nothing to worry about.
Cheese: I used cheddar cheese in the recipe, as I think it pairs best with the bacon, but you could use any grated cheese if you like, Swiss cheese or gouda cheese would also work well.
Spinach: To add a punch of leafy greens and fiber. If using frozen spinach, be sure to remove as much liquid as possible before adding it to the muffin batter.
Chives: For a little onion-y bite. Feel free to add additional fresh herbs if you like, basil, parsley, or fresh thyme would all work well.
Milk and Yogurt: To add an extra boost of protein and make the muffins extra fluffy. This recipe calls for plain yogurt (whole milk, 2% or 0%), however, you could use Greek yogurt if you prefer, you may simply need to add an extra splash of milk if your batter is too thick.
Egg: To bind the batter and provide a bit more protein.
All-Purpose Flour: I used plain white flour, as I think it provides the most neutral taste, which allows the bacon, cheddar, and chives to shine, however, you could use whole wheat flour if you like. To make them gluten-free, use a 1-to-1 gluten-free flour.
Olive Oil: To ensure the muffins are ultra-moist and add some flavor and healthy fats at the same time.

Along with the above, you’ll also need some baking essentials, including baking powder, baking soda, salt, and black pepper, to ensure the muffins are perfectly seasoned, light, and fluffy.

Other Add-Ins for Savory Muffins

Although I opted to include bacon, spinach, and cheddar cheese, however, there are plenty of different savory meats and vegetable ingredients you could add to your muffins. Here are some ideas:

Ham, cooked
Sausage, cooked
Garlic, grated
Kale, sauteed
Tomatoes, dice
Zucchini, grated
Carrots, grated
Olives, diced

Regardless of what flavor combination you choose, these savory muffins make a great handheld breakfast and work equally well for a simple lunch or snack.

How to Make Savory Muffins

Making savory muffins is as easy as making sweet muffins, you just use savory ingredients! Here’s to make them:

Prep the add-ins. Be sure to cook the bacon, or any other meat you’re using, and chop and/or sautée all of the veggies.

Mix the wet and dry ingredients. Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl, and all of the wet ingredients in a separate large mixing bowl.

Mix the batter. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix them together, be careful to not over-work the batter.

Add the add-ins. Once the batter is ready, gently fold in the cooked bacon, spinach, cheese, and chives until evenly distributed and well combined.

Bake the muffins. When the batter is ready, divide it evenly across a muffin tin and bake until fluffy and golden brown on top.

Serve and enjoy! Once baked, allow the muffins to cool slightly in the muffin tin and then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely. The muffins can be served immediately or stored in the pantry, fridge, or freezer.

Storage and Reheating

To Store: The muffins can be stored in an airtight container or plastic bag in the refrigerator for up to 7 days. The muffins can be eaten cold or reheated.

To Freeze: The muffins can be stored in an airtight container or plastic bag in the freezer for up to 3 months. Allow them to thaw before eating or reheating.

To Reheat: To eat warm, thawed muffins can be reheated in an oven at 300°F for 7 to 10 minutes or in the microwave for 30 seconds to 1 minute.

What to Serve with Savory Muffins

You can enjoy a savory muffin on its own, but if you’d like to include a muffin as part of a larger meal, I recommend serving it with a source of fiber and a bit more protein. Here are some examples of what you can eat with a savory muffin:

Boiled Eggs + Apple
Cottage Cheese + Grapes
Yogurt + Berries

If you’ve yet to try a savory muffin I highly recommend that you do! Not only is it a fun way to mix up your everyday sweet muffin baking, but savory muffins are super versatile and can easily be enjoyed for own as a balanced breakfast, lunch, or lunch. Not to mention, they are family-friendly baked goods that even the kids will enjoy.

More Breakfast Muffin Recipes:

Savory Muffins

Author: Stephanie Kay

Loaded with bacon, spinach and cheese, these savory breakfast muffins are a healthy handheld breakfast to help get you out the door on busy mornings.

Author: Stephanie Kay
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 12 muffins 1x
Category: Breakfast
Method: Baked
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt*
1/3 cup olive oil
1 cup cheddar cheese, grated
6 slices bacon, sliced or diced
4 cups spinach, roughly chopped
2 tablespoons chives, minced

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375°F and grease a muffin tin with butter or oil.
In a cast-iron skillet or frying pan on medium-high heat, add bacon and cook for 8-10 minutes or until crisp. Once cooked, transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel to drain.
Remove any excess bacon grease from the pan, leaving just a touch, add the chopped spinach and cook for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Transfer the spinach to the plate with the cooked bacon and set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and black pepper and stir until well incorporated.
In a separate large bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients; egg, milk, yogurt and olive oil and whisk to combine.
Transfer the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk well until the batter is smooth and there are no lumps.
Add cooked bacon, spinach, cheddar cheese and chives and gently fold into the batter until well incorporated.
Divide all of the batter evenly across the muffins tin wells.
Transfer the muffin tin to the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes until a toothpick inserted into a muffin comes out clean and muffins are slightly golden on top.
Once baked, allow to cool slightly, run a knife around each muffin to loosen, then transfer them to a rack and allow to cool slightly.
The muffins can be served immediately, stored in the fridge for up to 7 days, or frozen for up to 3 months.

Notes

YOGURT: This recipe calls for plain yogurt (whole milk, 2% or 0% yogurt), however, you could certainly use Greek yogurt if you prefer, you may simply need to add an extra splash of milk if your batter is too thick.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 muffin
Calories: 249 calories
Sugar: 2 grams
Fat: 16 grams
Carbohydrates: 19 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Protein: 8 grams

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