024 / 75 · Small-Hours Savory Bites

Cheddar, Pickle and Oat Savory Muffins

6 standard savory muffins · Active 20 min · Total 55 min

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Cheddar, dill pickle and oats make these muffins feel more like a savory break-time bite than a sweet bakery snack. The pickle is chopped small and drained well, giving little sharp pockets without making the crumb wet. Rolled oats add texture but are not asked to replace all the flour. A muffin is easy to carry, and six at a time is a manageable batch for a small household.

Jump to ingredients

Cheddar, pickle and oat savory muffins, one split open.

Measure the wet ingredients before mixing

The milk, egg and oil should be combined before they touch the flour. Once the two mixtures meet, fold only until no dry flour remains. A few small lumps are fine. Vigorous beating develops the wheat flour and can make muffins tough. Fold in cheese and pickle with the last few turns rather than repeatedly stirring to distribute every piece perfectly.

Drain the pickle properly

Pat chopped pickle on a clean towel so there is no puddle around it. Brine added unintentionally changes both salt and moisture. Grate the cheddar coarsely; larger shreds leave pleasant savory pockets. Let the muffins cool on a rack after a brief rest in the pan so steam can escape instead of wetting their bases.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour (120 g)
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats (45 g)
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 large egg
  • 3/4 cup milk (180 ml)
  • 2 tablespoons neutral oil (30 ml), plus a little for greasing if not using liners
  • 3/4 cup coarsely grated cheddar (75 g)
  • 1/3 cup finely chopped dill pickle, drained and patted dry (50 g)
  • 2 tablespoons chopped chives

Set out

Conventional oven, 6-cup standard muffin pan, Paper liners or oil for greasing, Two mixing bowls, Wire rack

Allergens

Wheat, Oats, Milk, Egg. Check labels and substitutions.

Make it

  1. Heat the oven to 375°F/190°C. Line or lightly grease six standard muffin cups.
  2. Whisk flour, oats, baking powder, salt and black pepper in one bowl. In the second, whisk egg, milk and oil.
  3. Pour wet ingredients into dry and fold gently. Add cheddar, pickle and chives and fold just until no dry flour remains.
  4. Divide among the six cups. Bake for 20–22 minutes until risen, golden and a skewer inserted into the center comes out without raw batter.
  5. Rest in the pan for 5 minutes, then move to a rack to cool. Refrigerate once cooled and within the stated safe time.

Freeze the spare muffins individually

Wrap cooled muffins separately before freezing so one can be taken out at a time. Thaw in the refrigerator and carry with the rest of a chilled meal rather than leaving a cheese-and-egg bake in a warm bag through a long shift.

A useful detail

Melted cheese can cling to a testing skewer. Look for raw floury batter rather than treating a streak of cheese as proof the muffin is underbaked.

Another way

  • Use drained chopped roasted red pepper instead of pickle for a sweeter savory muffin.
  • Replace chives with finely sliced scallion greens.

Keep it well

Refrigerate in a covered container within 2 hours, or 1 hour above 90°F/32°C, at 40°F/4°C or below for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 2 months. Carry cold with cold sources. Warm a thawed muffin until hot through if preferred.