062 / 75 · Smaller Meals and Sweet Finishes

Savory Pea, Cheddar and Egg Muffins

12 standard egg muffins; 3 muffins per serving · Active 20 min · Cook 24 min · Total 50 min

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These flourless savory muffins are little baked egg cups with peas, cheddar and spring onion. Three make one portion in this recipe, and the whole batch fits a standard twelve-cup muffin pan. Fully cooking and drying the peas prevents icy pockets from delaying the center while the edges overcook. They are handy for a smaller meal when cooking a fresh omelet is less appealing than warming something already portioned.

Jump to ingredients

Three pea, cheddar and egg muffins, one split to reveal the green peas inside.

Measure the wells, not just the pan

Use a metal twelve-well muffin pan with wells holding roughly one-third cup, or 80–100 ml. Mini muffin pans and large bakery-style pans need different quantities and baking times. A dark metal pan may brown the edges faster than a pale one, so begin checking at the earlier end of the stated range. Silicone can make removal easier, but it often gives softer sides; set a flexible silicone pan on a solid baking sheet before filling it.

Keep the filling evenly shared

Peas and cheese settle quickly in whisked egg. Put the solids into the wells first, then pour the egg and milk mixture over them. That extra moment avoids a first muffin full of peas and a last one made almost entirely of plain egg. Do not mound grated cheese above the rim: exposed strands can catch before the centers set. Thoroughly dry the fully cooked cooled peas on a clean towel and slice the onion finely, including the tender green parts.

Warm one portion, leave the rest cold

A dozen small cups can be useful after an evening session, but they do not all need reheating together. Store them as four groups of three and warm only the group you intend to eat. The centers should be set when first baked, with no wet egg visible, and a thermometer supplies the final check. Expect a modest puff in the oven followed by a little settling; that is normal for an egg mixture without flour. Let them stand briefly before loosening the edges so the cups do not tear. Check the pan capacity with water before starting if its size is uncertain.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup frozen green peas (150 g frozen starting weight), fully cooked according to the packet, cooled and dried
  • 1 teaspoon olive oil (5 ml/4.5 g), for the pan
  • 8 large eggs, without shells (400 g)
  • 1/2 cup 2% milk (120 ml/120 g)
  • 3.5 oz sharp cheddar, finely grated (100 g)
  • 3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced (30 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt (1.5 g)
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper (0.5 g)

Set out

12-well standard metal muffin pan, 80–100 ml per well, Large mixing jug, Whisk, Clean kitchen towel, Fine grater, Instant-read food thermometer, Small saucepan or vented microwave-safe bowl as required by pea packet, Sieve for draining peas

Allergens

Egg, Milk. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C with a rack in the middle. Rub the oil across the bases and sides of all 12 muffin wells.
  2. Cook the measured frozen peas according to their full packet instructions. Drain, spread on a clean towel, let visible steam escape and pat thoroughly dry before mixing with the egg.
  3. Whisk eggs, milk, salt and pepper in the jug until the whites and yolks are fully combined. Divide peas, cheddar and spring onions equally among the 12 wells.
  4. Pour the egg mixture evenly into the wells, leaving a little room at the top. If solids sit above the liquid, press them down gently with a spoon.
  5. Bake for 20–24 minutes, until the centers are set and reach at least 160°F/71°C. Check a central muffin without touching the pan with the probe.
  6. Rest in the pan for 6 minutes, then loosen with a thin spatula. Serve 3 muffins per portion, or transfer to a shallow container and refrigerate promptly for later.

A repeatable portion without special products

Three muffins are the base serving. Pack bread or fruit separately if that suits the rest of your meal; those additions are outside this recipe’s nutrition estimate. Leave the other portions refrigerated while you are out training.

A useful detail

These are baked egg cups rather than bread muffins. Do not add flour to compensate for the expected slight settling after baking.

Another way

  • Use 100 g grated mature Gouda in place of cheddar.
  • Replace the 150 g peas with 150 g cooked chopped broccoli, cooled and squeezed dry; keep the pieces smaller than a pea for even portions.

Keep it well

Refrigerate promptly in a shallow covered container and use within 3 days. Reheat only the needed portion, covered loosely, until every muffin reaches 165°F/74°C. Freeze separated cooled muffins for up to 1 month; thaw in the refrigerator. Keep chilled during transport.