These Savoury Muffins are the easiest lunchbox win you'll make all week.
Just one bowl, five minutes of prep and 20 minutes in the oven - if lunchbox baking is your thing, my Healthy Ham, Cheese & Zucchini Muffins and Feta & Spinach Muffins are just as easy.
A Quick Look At The Recipe
🧁 Recipe: Savoury Muffins (Cheesy Ham & Corn)
⏰ Ready In: 20 minutes
🍽️ Serves: 12 muffins
🔥 Calories: 304 per serve
🧀 Main Ingredients: self-raising flour, ham, corn, cheese, chives
🌱 Dietary Info: Freezer-friendly • Thermomix or conventional method
💛 Why You'll Love It: one bowl, no mixer needed, and a proper lunchbox staple the kids actually eat
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"Delicious! The kids devoured these so I had to make another batch."
Mel
These have saved me on so many rushed school mornings - one bowl, no mixer, and they're in the oven before the kettle's even boiled.
Great warm with butter, or pair them with a bowl of soup - my Cheese Scones and Bacon and Cheese Cob Loaf work just as well on the side.
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Why You're Going To Love This Recipe
- Just 5 minutes of prep and one bowl - no mixer needed
- Ready in 20 minutes, start to finish
- Freezer-friendly, so there's always a lunchbox backup on hand
- Easy to change up with whatever's in the fridge
Savoury Muffins Ingredients
Simple pantry and fridge ingredients, with a couple of notes worth knowing:
- Corn - tinned or frozen (thawed) both work well. Drain tinned corn really well first, or the extra liquid can make the muffins dense.
- Chives - fresh gives the best flavour, but 1 teaspoon of dried chives works as a swap if that's what you've got.
Variations
- Sun-dried tomato, spinach and feta: swap the ham and corn for chopped sun-dried tomatoes, baby spinach and crumbled feta.
- Mediterranean: sliced black olives, capsicum and sun-dried tomatoes instead of ham and corn.
- Zucchini and ham: grate in a zucchini and squeeze out the excess liquid well before adding - it's a sneaky way to get extra veggies in, and my Healthy Ham, Cheese & Zucchini Muffins has the full version if you want to go all-in on the veg.
- Cheese and bacon: swap the ham for chopped bacon and add extra cheese on top before baking.
How To Make Savoury Muffins
- Step 1: Sift the flour. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced) and line a 12-hole muffin tin with paper cases. Sift the self-raising flour into a large bowl.
- Step 2: Add everything else. Add the melted butter, cheese, milk, egg, ham, corn and chives. Mix gently until just combined - a few lumps are fine, don't overmix.
- Step 3: Fill and bake. Spoon the mixture into the paper cases, filling each two-thirds full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until golden and cooked through.
- Step 4: Cool. Cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely (or eat warm, which is honestly the best way).
Team Thermomix? Melt the butter in the Thermomix bowl for 3 minutes, 100°C, Speed 2. Add all the remaining ingredients and mix for 10 seconds on Reverse, Speed 3, then scrape down the sides and mix for a further 5 seconds until just combined. Spoon into cases and bake as above.
Recipe Tips
- Don't overmix - a lumpy batter gives you a lighter, fluffier muffin. Overmixing makes them tough.
- Savoury muffins can stick to paper cases more than sweet ones do - if that's been an issue for you, try silicone muffin cases instead.
- Check with a skewer from the 15 minute mark - if it comes out clean, they're done.
- Lunchbox trick: pop a frozen muffin straight into the lunchbox in the morning - it'll be perfectly thawed by morning tea.
- Storage: best eaten the day they're baked, but will keep in an airtight container at room temperature (not the fridge) for 2-3 days.
- Freezing: cool completely, wrap individually, and freeze for up to 3 months.
Savoury Muffins FAQs
Don't overmix the batter - a few lumps are totally fine. Ovens vary too, so start checking from the 15 minute mark rather than baking the full time regardless.
Savoury muffins have less sugar and fat than sweet ones, which makes them more prone to sticking. Silicone muffin cases hold up much better than paper for this recipe if it's been an issue for you.
From the 15 minute mark, check with a skewer inserted into the centre of a muffin. If it comes out clean, they're ready - if not, give them a few more minutes.
Yes - pop a frozen muffin straight into the lunchbox in the morning and it'll be perfectly thawed by morning tea, no extra planning needed.
Let them thaw first (it doesn't take long), then reheat in the microwave for a few seconds, or warm gently in the oven at a low temperature for about 5 minutes.
More Savoury Baking Recipes
If you loved these, here are a few more savoury bakes worth trying next.
Savoury Muffins
Ingredients
- 300 g (2 cups) self-raising flour
- 40 g (½ cup) cheese grated
- 1 tbs chives chopped, fresh or dried
- 125 g butter melted
- 250 g (1cup) milk full fat
- 1 egg lightly beaten
- 100 g ham chopped
- 125 g corn kernels drained, or thawed
- salt and pepper, to season
Instructions
Conventional Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Place paper cases into a 12 hole muffin tin and set aside.
- Sift the self-raising flour into a large bowl.
- Add all remaining ingredients and gently fold through with a metal spoon until just combined.
- Divide the mixture between the muffin holes, filling cases ⅔rd's full, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
- Allow to cool in the baking tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Thermomix Method
- Preheat oven to 180 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Place paper cases into a 12 hole muffin tin and set aside.
- Place the butter into the Thermomix bowl and melt for 3 minutes, 100 degrees, Speed 2.
- Add all remaining ingredients and mix for 10 seconds, Reverse, Speed 3. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix for a further 5 seconds or until combined.
- Divide the mixture between the muffin holes, filling cases ⅔rd's full, and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden.
- Allow to cool in the baking tin for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
Notes
- It's important not to overmix the ingredients for light and fluffy muffins - the mixture should still be a little lumpy.
- All ovens differ - so it's important to keep an eye on your muffins whilst baking. Towards the 15 minute mark, check your muffins with a skewer. If the skewer comes out clean the muffins are ready, otherwise give them a few more minutes. If you take them out too soon, the mixture will still be 'wet' inside, it you leave them too long, they will be dry.
- To reheat - allow the muffins to thaw (they don't take long), and then either pop in the microwave to reheat for a few seconds, or warm gently in the oven at a low temperature for 5 minutes or so.
- Storing - ideally I find muffins are best eaten on the day, but they will store well in an airtight container at room temperature for 2-3 days (rather than refrigerated).
- Freezing - firstly, let your savoury muffins cool completely on a cooling rack. Then wrap savoury muffins individually in plastic wrap (or in individual sealable bags), and then place them in a freezer container for up to 3 months. that way they're easy to grab one at a time.
Mel says
Delicious! The kids devoured these so I had to make another batch.
Bernadette says
Delicious
Elyneda Jo says
Absolutely amazing! I used soy milk, Nuttelex and plant based mozzarella (and last minute nearly forgot to add salt and pepper…)
Nuttelex melted and mixture made in Thermomix - opted to make Texas size - made 6 large muffins and they were *Chef’s Kiss* I rotated at around the 10 minute mark and let them cook for a total of about 25 minutes all up. 10/10! Highly highly recommend. I will be making this as my lunch treats for now and forever hahaha
Lucy says
Fantastic!!!