My Cottage Cheese Muffins are a savory breakfast that's easy to make, high in protein, and packed with veggies. Only 15 minutes of prep!
I will forever be a muffin lover for breakfast, especially the days I'm running out the door or need pre-workout fuel. They also bonus as a delicious afternoon snack or wholesome sweet treat, especially when it's one of my healthy gingerbread muffins.
With that being said, if you want to switch it up from the classic banana carrot muffins or blueberry muffins, let me introduce you to the savory cottage cheese muffin.
You might think a savory muffin, let alone a cottage cheese muffin, sounds strange. But just like pastries, I believe that baked goods can be just as delicious with savory, umami-rich components like veggies, sausage and cheese- see my savory oatmeal bake if you need an example!
Trust me, these cottage cheese muffins are light, fluffy, and great for my friends who love a salty breakfast but are over the scrambled eggs. I can't wait for you to try them!
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- High protein. I always recommend prioritizing a high protein breakfast, and there are 3 sources in this recipe: cottage cheese, eggs and sausage. One of these muffins has 16g of protein to start your day.
- Meal prep friendly. Muffins are amazing for batch prep and freeze well too.
- Lots of veggies. Trying to eat more veggies at breakfast? These muffins have 3 cups of veggies, and you can even use frozen to skip the prep.
Ingredients
Turkey sausage. Although we remove them from the casing, I prefer to use sausage instead of ground meat because it is more flavourful. If you do have ground meat like ground chicken or turkey, you can substitute it as well- be sure to add extra spices!
Eggs. For extra protein and to help bind everything together. Please note I have not tested this recipe using just egg whites, as the yolks of eggs are a great source of omega 3 healthy fats.
Milk. Any milk of choice will work in this recipe. I recommend cows milk or soy milk for a high protein option
Cottage cheese. Any fat percentage will work. I usually opt for a lower fat option such as 0% or 2%. If you aren’t a fan of the texture- no worries. The cottage cheese curds will melt once baked so you won't even notice them.
Olive oil. For a little moisture and healthy fats. Any neutral oil or even butter will work.
Maple syrup. This adds a little touch of sweetness to balance our strong salty flavours.
All purpose flour. I chose all purpose flour because it's the most readily available in most households and I wanted this recipe to be very accessible.
Baking powder. This allows our muffins to be tall and fluffy.
Chopped vegetables. Use any vegetables you have on hand, fresh or frozen. Just be sure to chop them up finely first (and defrost them if frozen)! I recommend broccoli, spinach or red peppers. I also added green onions, but chives or finely sliced yellow onion will work too.
Cheddar cheese. A savory muffin is not complete without a cheesy crust! Cheddar, Monterey Jack or any cheese of choice will be fine.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 400F.
Remove the sausages from the casing and cook them in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until browned and no longer pink in colour. Set aside and allow the cooked sausage meat to cool.
To a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cottage cheese, olive oil and maple syrup.
To the same bowl, add all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
Add your cooked sausages, chopped vegetables, green onions and cheese. I recommend leaving some cheese to add to the tops of your muffins.
Divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cavities, about 4 heaping tablespoon (¼ cup) of batter per muffin. Top with additional cheese
Bake for 23-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten free all purpose flour substitute for the base. I recommend using Queen St Bakery or Bob’s Red Mill for best results.
To make dairy-free: Unfortunately I have not tested a dairy-free version iof this recipe.
To make vegetarian: Although I do not recommend making this recipe without the eggs, it can be easily made without the use of the sausage. Simply replace the sausage with additional veggies and cheese or use a plant-based “ground beef” alternative.
To make nut-free: This recipe is naturally nut-free.
Equipment
- Silicone muffin liners
- Silicone muffin tray
- Cookie scooper (This ensures even distribution of batter with minimal mess)
- Mixing bowl
Storage
These muffins can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, they can be wrapped individually using plastic wrap or tin foil and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
To reheat, you can microwave them for about 1 minute or air fry at 325F for about 5-7 minutes!
Top Tip
I HIGHLY recommend using either silicone muffins liners or a silicone muffin tray. This batter is quite sticky and using regular muffin liners or just greasing the muffin tin will make it quite difficult to remove the muffins in one piece.
If you are in a pinch, slicing squares of parchment paper and using them as muffin liners will work as well, although I find this method quite messy.
Frequently Asked Questions
As an ‘all foods fit’ dietitian, I strongly believe everything can fit into a balanced diet, and that includes white flours! Although white flour may not have as much fiber as oat flour or whole wheat flour, it still does contain 4 g of fiber per 3 tbsp. It's also a great budget-friendly option for the base of these muffins and widely accessible for most people. However, if you prefer, you can utilize oat flour, almond flour or whole wheat baking flour.
**though please note almond flour will result in a slightly more moist texture
These muffins do contain protein, carbohydrates and vegetables. However, for an even more satisfying and filling meal I recommend pairing with some yogurt for extra protein and fruit for fibre-rich carbohydrates.
Nope! The curds actually melt, so it's not noticeable at all.
More Healthy Muffin Recipes
Who else loves muffins like me?
- Muffin Tin Pizza Cups (Easy)
- Quinoa Egg Muffins
- Vegan Zucchini Breakfast Muffins
- Meal Prep Spinach Feta Egg Cups
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make this savory cottage cheese muffins, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
Savory Cottage Cheese Breakfast Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 lb turkey breakfast sausages removed from the casing
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup milk
- 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup
- 1.5 cups all purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 cups chopped vegetables broccoli, spinach etc.
- 3 green onions greens and whites sliced finely
- 1 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 400F.
- Remove the sausages from the casing and cook them in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until browned and no longer pink in colour. Set aside and allow the cooked sausage meat to cool.
- To a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cottage cheese, olive oil and maple syrup.
- To the same bowl, add all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
- Add your cooked sausages, chopped vegetables, green onions and cheese (I recommend leaving some cheese to add to the tops of your muffins).
- Divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cavities, about 4 heaping tablespoon (one heaping ¼ cup) of batter per muffin. Top with additional cheese and bake for 23-27 minutes.
Debbie
I wonder since I don’t have silicon muffin ‘tins’ could I make them as egg bites in the instant pot? I do have silicon egg trays for the IP
Nicole Addison
Hmm I have not personally tried cooking them in the instant pot! I'm not exactly sure how the cook time would vary but you can always try to cook them as you normally would your egg bites! Another option is making muffin liners using parchment paper like this! as though batter is quite sticky I just recommend silicone or parchment so they don't get stuck in the muffin tin!
LINDA PHILLIPS
This recipe is a keeper! I used muffin tin liners and they worked perfectly for me. I also used finely chopped broccoli because I love broccoli.
Lori Dick
These muffins are a game changer! I had bariatric surgery 6weeks ago and I've been looking for healthy alternatives for meals.
I did substitute white flour with almond flour, (& ur right, made it a little more moist), I used 2 whole eggs & 4 Tblsp egg whites. Reduced fat shredded cheese, & didn't have turkey sausage, (but now on the hunt), so I used 1/2 strip of bacon. Skipped the milk because texture seemed right, similar to yours. I should have added veggies, but wanted to try them plain. Even my husband looooved them. Way more satiating with the added dry ing. than my cottage cheese egg bites .
Corrin
When I say these are a game changer… I mean, come on! I am a busy gal. Mental health professional who honors her hunger cues during work hours & these bad boys do the job. 10/10. You need these.
Christine S
I was so excited to try! 😁I eat cream of wheat, oatmeal or eggs everyday… 😳Needed a change! I decided to opt for 2 cups of broccoli and 1 cup spinach for the veggies and I went for wholewheat flour and sugar free maple syrup. I was worried it wouldn’t be tasty 🤮 It was so good! 🤤🤤 My batter was massive and I was worried they would leak out of the pan into the oven but they didn’t!! 😆 I used large parchment paper cups and they were wonderful! Didn’t stick at all to my ginormous muffins lol. Absolutely would make again. Such a nice grab and go and even fooled my husband who doesn’t like anything wholewheat or broccoli “aka trees” as he calls them 😂
Lisa
These are amazing! I ended up with 18 in my small silicone liners. So good any easy to throw raw veggies in. Yumm!
Charmayne
Hands down these are fantastic!! We absolutely love them!! I am so glad I decided to make them. Thank you for sharing this wonderful breakfast muffin recipe !❤️
Cassie
These are such a quick easy meal prep, high protein breakfast option! I made them with homemade breakfast sausage meat and a mixture of veggies I had on hand! Then popped them into the freezer so I could just toss in microwave for a minute or 2 before heading off to work!
Catherine
Amazing! Made them with peppers and zucchini and they were great! I didn’t have muffin tin liners or silicone but I sprayed well with cooking spray on a non stick muffin tin and had no problems with sticking to the tin, they slid right out! 10/10
Krystyna
These muffins are INCREDIBLE!!!!! Nicole, this recipe is magic!! The only thing I changed was making my own sausage since we had a 1lb of pork on hand. But I’m sure it’s still amazing with store bought sausage. This is great if you’re craving a savoury breakfast!
Nicole
These were so good! My picky non-vegetable eating teenager ate these up too!
Katie
These are amazing! I’ve been sharing this recipe with all my friends and family!
I was hesitant on how they would reheat, but to my surprise they heated up super well!
Lyn
My husband and I loved these for a delicious easy and quick breakfast! Definitely on my list to make again. We didn’t even mind the spinach!!🫣😀
Sarah
These are seriously the BEST! I batch prep them and put some in the freezer. So handy for a quick protein packed breakfast!
Allison
These are the perfect savoury breakfast meal prep! I used 0% cottage cheese and still turned out perfect. They freeze well so I can have them when I’m low on time!
Riley
So yummy! I got about 18 out of this recipe and used spinach, broccoli and breakfast sausage. Love the added protein in a grab-n-go breakfast!
Roberta
We're vegetarian (not vegan) and I wonder if I could just add more veggies and some protein powder? 1 lb. of meat is a lot of the volume in this recipe, so wondering if this would work.
Stephanie
These are the perfect high protein portable snack! Easy to make and flexible with the vegetables you add. They are on my weekly meal prep rotation!
Jill
I have just made this recipe for the third time now. They are the perfect breakfast to have before my workout. I love the savoury flavours! Yet another favourite recipe! I have my friends making this recipe too!
Michelle
Delicious! I have 2 before or after my workouts. Great way to use up some broccoli. I used my full star chopper for the veg.
Love your recipes Nic and really appreciate the nutrition info.
Susan
These are delicious, I followed the recipe but got TWICE the number of muffins. I used 1/4 C batter in each muffin as instructed. I froze most of them to reheat for a quick breakfast.
Nicole Addison
Hi Susan! Hmm that's interesting, I'm honestly not entirely sure how that could happen, the amount of mix-ins you used may have impacted the yield of the recipe... however I'm glad you were able to freeze them and still enjoyed them!
Jessica
This sounds great!
I apologize if this is a stupid question...
It looks like you're using fresh spinach. Since frozen spinach is so much more condensed, it seems like I should reduce the quantity to about 10%. So, instead of 2 cups of fresh spinach, I would us about a quarter cup of thawed, drained, frozen spinach. Is that about right? Similarly, if I were to use shredded zucchini or shredded carrots as one of my vegetable options, I probably wouldn't want a full 3 cups of vegetables since they're going to be denser than chopped broccoli or bell peppers?
Nicole Addison
Hi Jessica! There are never stupid questions!! If you are using frozen spinach you can definitely decrease the amount- it is really up to you and your personal preference for the mix-ins, I would suggest starting with about 1/2 cup thawed and drained frozen spinach! If you were going to use shredded zucchini or carrots, you can definitely keep the amount the same if you really wanted to pack in the vegetables or for a less vegetable- hevay muffin I would recommend trying about 1.5-2 cups!