These easy gluten free savory muffins have plenty of bold cheese flavor, and no refined sugar—but they're still soft and tender inside, with a thin, crispy crust.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
We'll send the recipe to your inbox, so you can come back to it later!
What's special about this muffin recipe?
These muffins are in a totally separate category from any of our other muffins. They're free of the refined sugar that you'll find in all classic sweet muffins, and only have a little kiss 😗 of honey.
I don't mean to suggest that I think all sugar is bad, because I really don't think it is. But these muffins don't have much of it at all, and you can even leave out the honey if you insist (the muffins won't rise quite as much or be as tender).
Unfortunately, you can't just take a classic, basic recipe like our easy gluten free muffins recipe, take out the sugar, add some cheese, and bake up some moist and tender savory muffins.
Sugar isn't just a sweetener. It's also a major source of the tenderness of all the sweetened baked goods we eat and enjoy.
For the right tenderness inside, and the thin crispy layer outside these muffins, we have to go another way.
How do I make my savory muffins moist?
When you remove the sugar, your muffins can easily turn out very dense and almost chewy if you're not careful. So we add some starch to lighten the flour blend, a touch of honey, and plenty of buttermilk.
The crumb is super soft and tender, but it's the cake-like texture you'll find in sugar-sweetened muffins. Be sure not to replace the buttermilk with plain milk of any kind, since it's doing a lot of good work in this recipe.
(Please scroll down to the Ingredients and substitutions section above the recipe below. You'll find ways to replace the buttermilk effectively, whether you can have dairy or not.)
Can I freeze these gf savory muffins?
Yes! These muffins freeze amazingly well. They do take a bit longer to defrost than their sweet cousins, though.
I recommend cooling the muffins completely to room temperature, then lining them up on a small baking sheet. Place the baking sheet in the freezer until the muffins are firm.
Then, place the frozen muffins in a round freezer-safe container with a lid, and stack them on their sides. I find that a back-to-front-to-back-to-front lineup works well for maximizing space in the container.
To defrost, you can leave a couple frozen muffins out on the kitchen counter overnight (covered with a dome or cloth, so they don't dry out). You can also defrost at 50% power in your microwave. Guess which option my teenagers choose?
Can I make these muffins without cheese at all?
No, you can't just leave out the cheese. You can try replacing it with dairy-free cheese if you can't have dairy (please see the Ingredients and Substitutions section below for details).
I prefer this recipe with freshly shredded cheeses, instead of pre-shredded. The pre-shredded kind has added ingredients to prevent clumping, and those will dry out the muffins a bit.
If you'd like a muffin without any cheese, I recommend our whole grain superfood muffins. They're so hearty, packed with vegetables, and very easy to customize—and they don't even use an all purpose gluten free flour at all.
Ingredients and substitutions
Dairy
There's butter, buttermilk, and cheese in this recipe. As is usually the case, cheese is the hardest thing to replace with a dairy-free substitution.
For the butter, I recommend using vegan butter. Miyoko's Kitchen and Melt brands are my favorite. I don't recommend using more oil, since the muffins won't brown very well.
For the buttermilk, you can always substitute half plain dairy-free yogurt and half unsweetened almond milk, by volume. If you can have dairy but don't have buttermilk, try that using dairy ingredients.
For the cheese, dairy-free cheese has come a long way. I would try Violife brand, but Daiya is also quite good these days. If you use pre-shredded cheese, you may need a bit more liquid to mimic the proper texture of the raw dough.
Eggs
There are two eggs in this recipe. You can try replacing each of them with a “chia egg” (1 tablespoon ground white chia seeds + 1 tablespoon lukewarm water, mixed and allowed to gel).
Honey
If you can't have honey, you can try using 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup. I would also reduce the buttermilk by 1 tablespoon.
This is the one rare instance where you can leave out an ingredient, but your muffins will be less tender. They'll also rise a bit less, but the tenderness is the real issue.
Cornstarch
If you can't have cornstarch, try replacing it with arrowroot powder. You can also try using potato starch.
Gluten Free Savory Muffins
Ingredients
- 2 cups (280 g) all purpose gluten free flour blend (I used Better Batter; click through for details)
- 1 teaspoon xanthan gum omit if your blend contains it
- ¼ cup (36 g) cornstarch
- 2 ¼ teaspoons baking powder
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced dried onion optional
- 2 ¼ ounces Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese finely grated
- 4 ounces sharp cheddar cheese grated (plus more for sprinkling)
- 1 ¼ cups (10 fl. oz.) buttermilk at room temperature
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled
- 2 tablespoons (28 g) neutral oil (like canola, vegetable or grapeseed)
- 2 tablespoons (42 g) honey
- 2 (100 g (weighed out of shell)) eggs at room temperature, beaten
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease the wells of a standard 12-cup muffin tin and set it aside.
- In a large bowl, place the flour blend, xanthan gum, cornstarch, baking powder, salt, and optional dried onion. Whisk to combine well.
- Add the grated cheeses, and mix to coat them in the dry ingredients and evenly distribute them in the mixture. Set the bowl aside.
- In a medium-size bowl, place the buttermilk, melted butter, oil, honey, and eggs, and whisk vigorously to combine well.
- Create a well in the center of the large bowl of dry ingredients and add the wet ingredients. Mix until just combined. The muffin batter will be thick but soft.
- Using a spring-loaded ice cream scoop or two spoons, fill the prepared wells of the muffin tin almost to the top with the batter. Smooth the tops with moist fingers. Sprinkle the tops lightly with a few more shreds of cheddar cheese.
- Place the muffin tin in the center of the preheated oven and bake for about 22 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the middle muffin comes out with no more than a few moist crumbs attached.
- Remove the tin from the oven and allow the muffins to cool for about 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool until no longer hot to the touch. Serve warm.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
We'll send the recipe to your inbox, so you can come back to it later!
Thanks for stopping by!
Hi, I’m Nicole. I create gluten free recipes that really work and taste as good as you remember. No more making separate meals when someone is GF, or buying packaged foods that aren’t good enough to justify the price. At Gluten Free on a Shoestring, “good, for gluten free” just isn’t good enough! Come visit my bio!
Carmen says
Perfect instructions and recommendations. Thank you for sharing.
Nicole says
Delicious. This page is my go-to for all things gluten free. I added feta, fresh cooked spinach and sundried tomatoes, they came out perfect.
Nicole Hunn says
That sounds delicious, Nicole! Thank you so much for the kind words.
Krisztina says
These muffins are absolutely amazing! The proportions are on the spot, I had 12 perfectly uniform muffins that came out of the tin in one piece! I didn’t have onion powder, so added minced garlic and some chives, and next time I might use a hint of smoked paprika.
I’ve been using your recipes for years and they are always really good, and this one’s no different. Thank you very much!
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you so much for taking the time to share such a kind note, Krisztina. I love your spice substitutions, and smoked paprika is almost never a mistake. Other than salt and pepper, it’s my most-used spice!
Shelly says
Hi! What scooper are you using?
Nicole Hunn says
It’s just an OXO spring-loaded ice cream scooper, Shelly. Here’s a link (it’s the medium), but it’s available in lots of places.
Megan Claycamp says
Got the recipe in my inbox this morning and made them with dinner tonight. I think I’ll add a bit more salt next time but they were delicious! You’d never know they were GF either. The texture was amazing! Thank you so much for sharing!
Nicole Hunn says
So glad you enjoyed the muffins, Megan!
Jo Jenkins says
There is a problem with your print recipe plug-in. Instead of showing the recipe in a new tab, the one at the top shows the entire post, ads and all. Using the one at the recipe just opens this page in another tab (I have it open four times now). So, the required rating with this comment isn’t true, as I haven’t tried the recipe yet. It looks yummy, though, and it’s on my list to try–when I can print the recipe.
I love your variety of recipes, helpful hints, and commentary that lets us get to know your personality.
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Jo, Please use the print function in the recipe card itself. I’m in the process of transitioning to a different recipe function, and the old print button no longer works as intended. Thanks for your patience.
Diane M Roeder says
Thank you for this recipe. Over the years since giving up wheat (wheat sensitivity, not so much gluten issue) I’m liking sweet stuff less and less. Thank you for explaining why some sweetener is needed. Will definitely try this recipe!
Nicole Hunn says
Thank you for reading the explanation, Diane! I think you’ll really enjoy these muffins.
Ann R says
This recipe looks delicious, Nicole! I can’t digest dairy, so I’ll have to figure out some work-arounds, but there are some interesting dairy free options now. This dairy intolerance thing isn’t just me trying some kind of diet. I’ve loved dairy and especially cheese for as long as I can remember, but now it Does Not agree with me. There are some people (hello, beloved brother!) who think I’m being silly. I wish! I keep on hoping that my digestive system will come to its senses soon. 🥴 So I’m going to make these savoury muffins (likely with some chopped jalapeño included) and the bacon bits idea was great, too. Thanks sooo much!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Ann, I’ve made suggestions for how to replace dairy in the “Ingredients and substitutions” section. It’s totally possible in this recipe. If it’s really not possible, I’ll always be honest about that. And yes, I love the chopped jalapeño idea. And anyone who has a personal opinion on how you, yourself, eat should keep it to themselves! Take care of you.
Judy Henry says
Thank you for working in the sugar problem! I know I’ll work around a little on butter, but this is great! Thanks.
Nicole Hunn says
I have suggestions for the butter, too, Judy. Glad the sugar advice helps!
Shelley says
No weight measurements in this recipe? I love your recipes for their weight measurements. Well, and for the delicious recipes themselves and their never-fail results!
Nicole Hunn says
Hi, Shelley, I’m so glad you asked about weights, since I’m struggling with how to make this new recipe card clear. Right now, the default is “customary” measurements, which is definitely not the style of measurement I prefer. But just click “metric” and you’ll see all the weight measurements. I will continue to look for a way to highlight that feature, but I’m grateful you asked—and for the opportunity to answer publicly!
Joni says
This recipe is exactly what I was searching for. I grew up making savory muffins to serve with soup , I just made these with a couple of tbsp bacon bits leftover from breakfast, a bit of lemon thyme leaves and sprinkled with stilton cheese. OMG so yummy! Perfect recipe, Nicole!
Nicole Hunn says
Your additions sound perfect, Joni. It’s a recipe I’d worked on for longer than you’d think, so I’m especially glad you loved the muffins! Thank you for letting me know. :)
Bobbie Moore says
Was wondering if Bob’s Red Mill egg replacement would work as well as chia.
Nicole Hunn says
Funny you should ask, Bobbie, since I was wondering the same thing when I was writing the Ingredients and Substitutions section. I honestly don’t know. I haven’t had great luck with that, but sometimes readers will tell me that they used it and were happy with the results. If you try, please let us know how it goes!