Savoury vegetable muffins

These irresistible savoury vegetable muffins are packed with flavour thanks to Cheddar cheese, sage, garlic, cumin and plenty of vegetables.

They're perfect to make at the weekend and then enjoy in packed lunches, or as part of your lunches at home!

The really brilliant thing about this simply savoury baking recipe is that it's made entirely from ingredients you probably already have in stock.

From the fridge, you'll need eggs, whole milk and cheese. From the freezer, you'll grab frozen chopped vegetables. And from the cupboard, you'll just need oil, flour and a pinch of herbs and spices.

It takes just minutes to make the muffin batter in a single bowl without any special equipment. Then you simply spoon the batter into a muffin tray - with or without cases - and bake for 20 minutes. Easy, fun and tasty!

This recipe is from my debut cookbook Get Your Kids to Eat Anything, which contains 70 recipes and a 5-phase programme to help you and your kids become more adventurous with food.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 200C (400F), 180C fan, Gas Mark 6.

Put the eggs in a large bowl.

Beat.

Add the milk and olive oil.

Beat again.

Add the garlic granules, sage and cumin.

Whisk.

Fold in the flour and some salt and pepper.

The mixture will become increasingly stodgy from this point on, but don’t worry!

Add the vegetables.

Mix.

Add the cheese.

Mix!

Line a 12-hole nonstick muffin tray with muffin cases (or lightly spray each muffin hole with oil).

Spoon the batter evenly into the muffin cases, making sure each one is level.

Bake for 20–25 minutes, until golden on top.

Cool for a few minutes in the tray, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Store the muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Enjoyed these savoury vegetable muffins? This basic muffin batter works well with almost any vegetables, fresh or frozen, as well as with chopped ham.

Pointers, tricks and troubleshooting tips for the perfect savoury vegetable muffins

Are savoury vegetable muffins easy to make?

These savoury muffins are super easy to make! You only need a single mixing bowl for the prep, and the frozen veg are super convenient as they come pre-chopped so require practically zero prep time.

Will I need any special equipment for this recipe?

You won't need any special equipment for this recipe outside of a muffin pan and some muffin cases, but even the cases are optional as long as your muffin pan has been well cleaned and lightly oiled.

Are savoury vegetable muffins suitable for vegetarians?

This recipe is great for vegetarians! Just remember to use vegetarian cheese. Cheddar is usually suitable for vegetarians, but it's best to always check.

Are these savoury vegetable muffins suitable for vegans?

I haven't tried making a vegan version of these muffins, but it should be possible!

The first step is to replace the milk with a plant milk and the cheese with an appropriate vegan alternative.

The eggs are an important part of this recipe too, as they add moisture, colour, aid in binding everything together and help the muffins to rise.

You can try one of the following as a replacement but expect varying textures depending on what alternative can you use:

Egg alternatives (each = 1 egg so multiply as needed for the recipe)

• 1 tablespoon of crushed chia or flax seeds mixed with 2 tablespoons of water and left for 10 minutes in the fridge.
• 3 tablespoons of aquafaba.
• 3 tablespoons of applesauce (bear in mind this will add sweetness).

Note: I have not tested all of these replacements yet, so let me know how you get on.

Are savoury vegetable muffins gluten-free?

This recipe is not gluten-free due to the self-raising flour, but you could easily replace the wheat flour with gluten-free self-raising flour in the same quantity, or use a plain gluten-free flour, plus 2.5 tsp of gluten-free baking powder to make your own.

I'd recommend looking for a gluten-free flour blend that contains xanthan gum.

As is usual with gluten-free flour it will impact the texture somewhat and you may not get quite the same rise.

Are savoury vegetable muffins keto-friendly?

As the batter is made with flour, these savoury muffins are not suitable for a keto diet.

It should be possible to substitute the flour for a keto-friendly alternative such as coconut flour, but this is not something I have tested and I would expect it to change both the taste and texture.

You could also forgo using flour entirely, half the amount of milk and triple the amount of eggs. They won't be muffins anymore, though - you will end up with sort of individual frittatas.

Are savoury vegetable muffins healthy?

As they contain a generous handful of cheese, these muffins are relatively high in fat, but that also contain plenty of protein are of course also packed with lots of veg, so they're relatively nutritionally dense.

As with most things, moderation is the key, so I'd recommend enjoying one of these muffins as part of a balanced lunch, with plenty of fresh salad.

If you would like to increase the fibre content further, you could substitute the self-raising flour for wholemeal self-raising flour.

Are savoury vegetable muffins safe to eat while pregnant?

According to the latest NHS guidelines on food to avoid during pregnancy at the time of writing, the ingredients and method in this savoury muffin recipe should mean that it is perfectly safe to eat while pregnant.

Make sure that you handle the ingredients using good hygiene practices and that the muffins are fully cooked through.

Seek advice from a medical professional for any concerns regarding your health and safety.

What goes well with savoury vegetable muffins?

This recipe is very tasty on its own and great for a midday snack, or as part of balanced lunch with lots of salad.

Here are some recipes to give you some inspiration.

They're also incredible tasty when served with soup. Use them in place of dinner rolls for an extra boost of veg at your next meal. You can even dip them into the soup. Trust me, they're amazing!

Try them with one of these:

Where can I buy frozen chopped vegetables?

You should be able to buy frozen chopped veg at most shops with a freezer section. Look for the type that are chopped quite small - usually beans, sweetcorn, small carrot baton and peas - rather than the mixes containing large florets.

Can I make this recipe with fresh vegetables? Can I use any vegetables I like?

This batter is very forgiving so will work fine with fresh or frozen veg, and exactly what you pick is totally up to you!

I like using frozen chopped veg because it's so convenient, but this is also a great recipe for using up any fresh veg you have in your refrigerator.

Just chop it up into small pieces (1cm / 1/2 inch) and add to your batter in the correct quantity.

One thing to look out for is if you're using leafy greens that release a lot of moisture during cooking, such as spinach. In that case, I would suggest wilting, draining and removing excess moisture before adding it to the mix.

I generally put the wilted spinach in an empty pan and use a potato masher to press out the water, or put it in a sieve and press with the back of a spoon, but do whatever works for you!

If you'd like to save some veg for later for use in this recipe, you can spread your fresh chopped veg in a single layer on a baking sheet, freeze for about 4 hours until solid and then transfer to a freezer-safe, airtight bag or box. (Freezing on a tray first will stop the pieces sticking together).

Can I add extra veg to this recipe? Can I add extra cheese to this recipe? What else can I add?

You can add a little more veg to the muffin mix than recommended, but don't go too far or the muffins will fall apart as there won't be enough batter to bind everything together and the moisture content will also be too high.

You can add more cheese, but the muffins may not hold together as well when they become too greasy. Instead, I recommend sticking to the quantities given in the recipe and adding extra grated cheese to the top of the muffins before baking, if you wish.

You could also throw in a little ham or cooked bacon for an extra kick of flavour.

How should I store these savoury vegetable muffins? How long does this recipe keep?

Cool the muffins down to room temperature as soon as they have been baked then store in an airtight container in the fridge. They are best eaten within a day or so of being made but will last for up to 3 days.

Can I make these savoury vegetable muffins ahead?

While I find these muffins are very tasty fresh out of the oven they are also delicious when cold, so you could make them a day in advance and store them in the fridge overnight ready to eat or to be warmed up in the oven.

Can I freeze these muffins?

Yes! These muffins should freeze well.

Make sure to cool them down to room temperature as quickly as possible, put them in an airtight container, then put them in the freezer. They should last for up to 3 months.

You can defrost them in the fridge overnight or pop one in a lunch box in the morning straight from the freezer. It should be defrosted come lunchtime.

What is the best way to reheat these muffins?

If you would prefer your muffins warm then you can pop them on a baking sheet and into a 160C oven for a couple of minutes from chilled or about 10 minutes from frozen.

Alternatively, you can wrap them in a piece of kitchen towel and give them short 10 second bursts on medium in the microwave.

Can I make these savoury vegetable muffins in a different quantity?

You can easily scale this recipe up or down - just use the handy slider found in the recipe card on this page to automatically adjust ingredient quantities.

Note, if you're scaling up, and need to cook the muffins in batches, make sure to keep the spare batter in the fridge.

The self-raising flour will begin to activate as soon as it gets wet, so if you wait too long, it may slightly affect the rise. Chilling the batter may also add a minute or two to the cooking time.

Can I make these savoury vegetable muffins in a different tin/tray?

It should theoretically be possible to cook this muffin batter in a medium roasting tin lined with baking paper, and then cut it into squares, although you may find the middle rises slightly.

Let me know in the comments if you give it a go, and I will aim to test it myself asap.

Can I make this recipe in a stand mixer such as a KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer?

It really doesn't take long at all to mix the ingredients by hand in a bowl, but if you prefer, you can definitely use a stand mixer instead.

Note! Electric mixers can beat very hard, which could break up the vegetables, so it's best to use the lowest setting and only mix briefly when you reach that stage.

How can I make sure this recipe is perfectly cooked?

To check if the muffins are done, push a metal skewer or metal fork into the centre of one of the muffins towards the centre of the pan and pull out.

If the skewer comes out clean then they are ready, if you notice anything has stuck to it then they need a little longer.

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Cooked muffin images by Tom Regester, step-by-step images by Emily Leary

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