Looking for a healthy, sugar-free snack? Or a savory bun to serve beside a bowl of soup for dinner? These buttermilk cheese muffins are just what you have been looking for! Made with a hint of mustard and onion, they are super cheesy and delicious.
A Muffin For Everyone
I love recipes that can be adapted to suit all different flavors and diets. This muffin works with all sorts of flour combinations.
- Use gluten-free oat flour for a GF option.
- Wholewheat and other whole-grain flours are full of fiber.
- For a bread-like muffin, use white bread flour.
Regardless of what flour you use, this recipe makes a deliciously cheesy bun-like muffin that is perfect for a picnic.
Other flavor options
These cheese muffins are perfect for other flavor additions.
Here are a few delicious options. Feel free to mix and match for your own favorite combination.
- 1/4 cup finely diced red pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 cup cooked corn kernels
Soaked and Fermented Flour
I usually soak and preferment all my baked goods. It really improves the texture of gluten-free baked goods. And adds a sourdough-like flavor, without actually using a sourdough starter.
Here is how to add a preferment to this recipe:
- Only soak and preferment with whole-grain gluten-free flours. Regular flour will develop a strong gluten structure which will make this recipe difficult. Check out my cookbook for a wheat-based sourdough version of this recipe.
- Don’t use a flour mix that contains starches or binders, or you will find the mixture to be too dry. This was designed and tested with oat flour and buckwheat flour.
- Soak with your favorite type of cultured dairy. Use 1 cup of homemade buttermilk or kefir. Mix a 1/2 cup of yogurt or homemade sour cream with 1/2 cup of milk, or the mixture will be too thick.
- Mix the flour and cultured dairy in a glass bowl or measuring cup.
- Let the flour soak for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
- When ready to bake, start by preheating the oven, then mix in the remaining ingredients as described in the recipe.
Savory Buttermilk Cheese Muffins
Buttermilk cheese muffins are a deliciously snack. Try starting with a quick soak and ferment of the flour to add a sourdough-like flavor. See the section above for details
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 12 muffins 1x
- Category: Snacks
- Method: Fermented
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups oat flour (see notes for alternatives)
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp finely diced onion or green onion
- 1/2 tsp mustard powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 2 cups grated cheddar cheese (stronger cheese will add more flavor)
- Optional additional flavors (see section above for suggestions)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400 F (210 C).
- Mix the oat flour and buttermilk in a large bowl. See the section above if you want to soak and preferment the flour.
- When ready to bake, beat in the eggs. Then mix in the onion, mustard, salt, and baking soda.
- Stir in the grated cheese and any other additional flavors. Scoop into a prepared muffin tin. It will make 12 small muffins or 8 large muffins. (The photographs are of small muffins, which fit nicely into my children’s school lunch containers).
- Bake for 20 to 30 minutes, or until a muffin tester comes out clean.
Notes
- These muffins really stick to muffin wrappers. I recommend non-stick baking cups.
- Cheese muffins can really be made with any type of flour. I recommend oat flour because it’s high fiber, gluten-free and delicious. But you can use all-purpose flour or your favorite gluten-free blend. Just don’t presoak for more than 30 minutes unless you’re using whole-grain gluten-free flour.
- Feel free to milk kefir instead of buttermilk.
Keywords: sugar free, healthy, corn kernels, onion, garlic, gluten free, muffin, bun, bread, school, picnic
What a great recipe. I made a few changes, but love the fermenting the flour. I added bacon, diced sweet onion, and diced apple. The whole house smells wonderful. I used sharp cheddar cheese and added in a bit of sour cream to the buttermilk. I will be using this base recipe again with different combos.
Delicious! I must try diced apple or bacon next time.
These are great. The bacon was a nice touch!
★★★★★
Thanks!
H! Would acid whey be okay as a substitute for the buttermilk?
Yes! However, it will be a bit more liquidy than buttermilk, so reduce the liquid to 3/4 cup. Enjoy!