I have this aversion to savory baked goods.
A completely unfounded, I’m-not-sure-where-it-came-from aversion.
Which is why I don’t know what possessed me to make spinach-, chive- and Parmesan-filled muffins to go with dinner last night.
Whatever it was, it will happily be welcomed back. Because not only was this my first venture into the realm of savory baking, but these are probably the best muffins I’ve ever made. They are incredibly fluffy and buttery, despite the fact that they contain zero butter.
Parmesan Spinach Muffins
These muffins are chock-full of salty, melty cheese, slightly-sharp chives and savory spinach. They are the perfect accompaniment for a vegetable-packed salad or a hearty bowl of stew or soup.
Makes 12 muffins
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Bake Time: 20 minutes
3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 packed cup spinach
2 cups unbleached, unenriched all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup low-fat milk
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
Preheat the oven to 375F. Either grease a muffin pan or line one with paper.
Chop the spinach into slightly-smaller-than-bite-sized pieces. Mix with the chives and cheese and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Create a well in the middle of the dry ingredients.
Add the lemon juice, milk and olive oil. Stir until a soft dough forms.
Fold in the cheese, chives and spinach.
Evenly divide the batter between the 12 impressions in the muffin pan.
Bake for 18-20 minutes at 375F, or until the tops are somewhat firm and beginning to brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack.
Best served warm.
Am I the only one who was (or is) afraid of savory baking? Any recipes I should try next?
Genius! I love this idea. My dad makes some great cheddar cheese muffins that I think I will have to post about soon so you can see them. I reckon your muffins would be good as a whole wheat recipe, too, which would be how I would try them. I also think broccoli cornbread muffins are pretty wonderful.
Great idea! I have been wanted to try a savory muffin forever! Excellent recipe
Hi again, I emailed my dad and he said, “Where’s the egg?” So I thought I would stop over again and ask. Perhaps there is no egg? The milk and oil hold it all together? I am even more intrigued now.
Nope, no egg! Mostly because we were out of them… but the milk and oil held it together just fine!
Cool! Thanks for your reply.
OMG Jules! These look fabulous! Definitely shooting this over to the sis… or maybe you can make them when I come…
Muffins are my favorite breakfast, comfort food
i always think of savory baked goods to make, but then I never do! sweet always wins out
These look amazing, J! I may try to make a whole wheat version!
Oh my, these look delicious!!!
They DO look nice and fluffy. And veggie packed! Thanks for posting this for my birthday
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Maybe next you can try cheesy cornbread. With whole corn kernels. And perhaps jalapenos?
I can never decide if I like cornbread or not… I will have to make my own to make the final decision!
Wow Julie these looks AWESOME!!!
Thank you!
Those look insanely delicious and I love that last picture! I don’t really have an aversion to them but, I would always rather a sweet baked good than a savory one.
These look so good Julie! You come up with such good recipes!
Thank you so much, Carly!
I think the neatest thing about savory baked goods is that most of the time, no one saw them coming. You tell someone you made muffins or scones or bread and they think sweet. Then bam, you captivate them with something savory! Gosh, I need to go to sleep. And these muffins sound awesome, BTW.
I love this comment. Bam!
I love, love, love savory baked goods. My theory is that it all comes down to the corn bread you were fed as a child: sweet or unsweet. I think unsweet cornbread eaters developed a taste for savory baked good early on.
I like your theory! The cornbread we had when I was a kid was the Jiffy kind… definitely on the sweeter end. Maybe that’s why it has taken me so long to get on board with savory baking!
Thank you for sharing this recipe. Looks delicious, I will try this out.
I was just looking for a savory spinach muffin recipe and found yours–I’ll try it tonight to go with our chili that’s simmering in the slow cooker. Will let you know how we like them–think I’ll use whole-wheat flour.
Other savory baked goods I like? Nigella Lawson’s Welsh rarebit muffins. We LOVE those. They’re nice and cheesy with some Worcestershire sauce sprinkled on top, too.
I hope you enjoyed!