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 on the days I'm running out the door or need pre-workout fuel. They also make 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.
Savory Cottage Cheese Breakfast Muffins
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 flavorful. 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 cow's 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 flavors.
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 400°F.
Remove the sausages from the casing and cook them in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until browned and no longer pink in color. 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 the best results.
To make dairy-free: Unfortunately, I have not tested a dairy-free version of 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 325°F 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 is 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 it with some yogurt for extra protein and fruit for fiber-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 these 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.
Colleen Moskalyk says
Great recipe, I made mine gluten free using Ardent Mills 1 to 1 flour and added shredded zucchini and red bell peppers, I probably should have squeezed mor out of the zucchini or cooked them about 5 minutes longer they were just a little bit mushy in the middle but still very good. I froze them so I can just heat them up quick in the microwave. Also did not add the sausage.
Crystal says
This is my favourite grab and go breakfast but no matter what I do my muffins are sticking! When I make them directly in the muffin tray, they stick so I tried making them with muffin liners and they stick to those too. Any tips would be greatly appreciated 🙂
Nicole Addison says
Hi Crystal- I recommend using a silicone muffin tray for best results!
Aster says
How would this fair without sausage meat? Is there anything you'd recommend changing?
Nicole Addison says
Hi Aster- no changes at all! You can leave out the meat with no consequences, just maybe add some extra veggies if you prefer!
Dachshundlover says
These muffins were SO delicious. Could have eaten them all in one sitting (if it wasn’t so late). Will definitely make them again.
Cristina P says
Made these three times now - I couldn't find turkey sausage but used pork sausage, they turned out great! Also I'm not a fan of maple so I used honey instead and it works perfectly. I think what I love the most about these muffins is that that bit of sweetness really balances out the whole flavor of the muffins, plus it's a very nifty way of sneaking in some veggies 😀 (I used bell peppers, broccoli, spinach, carrots, even some napa cabbage). Thanks for a great recipe!
Paige says
These are so good and easy. I swap out sausage and use either ground turkey or ground turkey breast. Works just as well. Everytime I make them it makes 24 which is great as they also freeze well.