These Savoury Breakfast Muffins get their tender crumb from simple, but important step: melting the butter instead of creaming it, then whisking it straight into the wet ingredients. That keeps these muffins soft and moist days later while the sharp cheddar and crispy bacon brings the flavour and texture.
I love making this breakfast muffins recipe at the beginning of the week and having breakfast handled the whole week. The whole family loves them, they reheat well, and the flavour is just unbeatable. The trick is them not getting eaten too fast and to last long enough to make it to the end of the week. Want more muffin recipes? Try my Morning Glory Muffins and Bran Muffins (High Fibre).
🥓 Why You’ll Love These Savoury Breakfast Muffins
Tender, never dry: melted butter and buttermilk keep every muffin soft for days, not just the first morning.
Savoury, not sweet: just enough brown sugar to round out the bacon and cheddar without turning into a dessert muffin.
Make-ahead breakfast: bake a batch on the weekend and reheat all week for an easy grab-and-go morning.
Loaded with flavour: crisp bacon, sharp cheddar, and fresh chives in every bite.
🧈 Ingredients You’ll Need To Make These Breakfast Muffins
Neutral oil: vegetable, canola, or corn oil all work here, adding moisture without competing with the other flavours.
All-purpose flour: the base of the muffin and gives it enough structure to hold all that bacon and cheese.
Unsalted butter: this is what gives the muffins their soft, rich crumb.
Buttermilk: its acidity tenderizes the batter and gives the muffins a slightly tangy backdrop for the cheddar and bacon.
Sharp cheddar cheese: shredded and folded into the batter.
Bacon: cooked until crisp, cooled, and chopped so it stays crunchy instead of going soggy in the batter.
Eggs: they bind everything together and help the muffins rise properly.
Brown sugar: just enough to balance the salty bacon and cheese without making these taste like a dessert.
Chives: add a mild oniony bite and a pop of colour.
Baking powder: helps the muffins rise.
Baking soda: works with the buttermilk’s acidity for extra lift.
Garlic powder: rounds out the bacon and cheddar.
Salt: added carefully, since the bacon and cheddar already bring plenty of their own.
✔ How To Make These Savoury Breakfast Muffins
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Begin by cooking the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until lightly crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat. Once cooled, chop into bite-sized pieces then set aside until ready to use.
Melt the butter and set aside to cool to room temperature.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the cooled melted butter, oil, chives, bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese. Mix until well combined and set aside.
In a separate bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder and salt.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix until just incorporated. Be careful not to over mix; a few small lumps are fine.
Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before serving.
🗒 Variations
Spicy kick: swap the cheddar for pepper jack and add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the batter for some heat.
Sausage swap: use cooked, crumbled breakfast sausage instead of bacon.
Veggie boost: fold in finely diced bell pepper or a handful of spinach along with the cheese and bacon.
🗒 Substitutions
Buttermilk: no buttermilk on hand? Stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup of regular milk and let it sit for five minutes before using.
Bacon: turkey bacon works well for a lighter option, or leave it out entirely for a vegetarian version.
🍴 Leftovers? Lucky you.
Store leftover muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 to 5 days. To reheat, microwave for 20 to 30 seconds or warm in a 300°F oven for about 5 minutes. These also freeze well — wrap individually and freeze for up to 3 months, then thaw at room temperature or reheat straight from frozen.
🤔 FAQ’s
Can I make these ahead of time?
Absolutely. Bake them, let them cool completely, and store in an airtight container for an easy grab-and-go breakfast all week.
Can I freeze these breakfast muffins?
Yes. Wrap each muffin individually once fully cooled, then store in a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Reheat straight from frozen in the microwave or let them thaw at room temperature.
Can I use pre-cooked or store-bought bacon?
You can, just make sure it’s crisp before chopping and adding it in. Soft or chewy bacon tends to get lost in the batter instead of holding its texture through baking.
Why are my breakfast muffins dense instead of fluffy?
Likely over-mixing. Once you add the wet ingredients to the dry, stop as soon as everything’s just combined. A few lumps in the batter are exactly what you want to see.
Can I make these without buttermilk?
Yes. Stir a tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup of regular milk and let it sit for five minutes before using it in place of the buttermilk.
👩🍳 Hungry For More?
If you loved this breakfast muffins recipe, then make sure to check out a few of my other recipes you may also love:
- Pumpkin Muffins
- Chocolate Muffins
- Oatmeal Raisin Muffins
- Blueberry Lemon Muffins
- Morning Glory Muffins
- Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins
- Bran Muffins (High Fibre)
💌 Let’s Stay Connected
Keep in touch with me on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and Pinterest! If you do make this savoury breakfast muffins recipe (or any recipe of mine) don’t forget to leave a review.
Savoury Breakfast Muffins
Equipment
- 1 muffin tin
- 2 mixing bowls
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp neutral oil, vegetable, canola, corn oil
- 2 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
- 3/4 cup bacon, cooked, chopped
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chives, chopped
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375. °F
- Begin by cooking the bacon in a skillet over medium heat until lightly crisp. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess fat. Once cooled, chop into bite-sized pieces then set aside until ready to use.
- Melt the butter and set aside to cool to room temperature.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk. Add the cooled melted butter, oil, chives, bacon, and sharp cheddar cheese. Mix until well combined and set aside.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the all purpose flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, garlic powder and salt.
- Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently mix until just incorporated. Be careful not to over mix; a few small lumps are fine.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared muffin cups.
- Bake for 20 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean.
- Allow the muffins to cool for a few minutes before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
