One bite of these gluten free cheddar muffins and you will be hooked. They are so incredibly light and fluffy, you won't believe they are gluten free! If you are looking for a fun new savory muffin recipe, you need to try this!
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These are the fluffiest gluten free cheese muffins. I am really proud of this recipe and I am really excited to hear what you think of them! Not only are these delicious on their own, but they are perfect for dipping into soup and stew! You can even add fresh herbs for extra flavor!
People will NEVER know these cheddar muffins are gluten free from just tasting them. And, each bite is full of cheesy herby goodness. I have several gluten free muffin recipes up on the blog, but this is my only savory muffin recipe.
Why This Recipe Is Great:
- I think the main reason we make this recipe over and over is that they are so light and fluffy. I am so proud of this recipe, you can avoid dense muffins by using my tips and tricks to get the fluffiest muffins!
- You can vary the flavor by switching the type of cheese and herbs that you use.
- They are perfect for dipping into soups and stews.
- These gluten free savory muffins freeze really well!
Absolutely the best. No one believes it’s gluten free no also so light. Added onion and garlic powder and chopped sun dried tomato. 😋
Jaco V., Pinterest User
If you LOVE light and fluffy muffins you MUST try these Gluten Free Strawberry Muffins and my Gluten Free Blueberry Muffins.
If you are new to gluten free baking, be sure to read my Gluten Free Baking Tips.
This is one of my favorite gluten-free flour blends for cookies, cakes, pie crust, biscuits, and muffins! (Do not use this flour blend for yeast recipes.)
Ingredient Notes:
- Gluten Free Flour Blend - I tested this recipe using Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend and King Arthur's Measure for Measure Gluten Free Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours. I also like Cup4Cup and Better Batter Artisinal Blend gluten free flour blends.
- Xanthan Gum - If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- Baking Powder - Use aluminum free.
- Salt - Sea salt or kosher salt are both fine in this recipe.
- Eggs - Use size large.
- Milk - Use regular milk or non-dairy plant-based milk.
- Cheese - I used shredded cheddar cheese, but you can use any flavor you like. Pepper jack cheese is also fun to use.
Variations and Substitutions:
Everyone has their own herb/cheese favorites. Feel free to customize this gluten free savory muffin recipe to make it something you love! Here are a few ideas:
- Substitute mozzarella and basil for the cheddar and rosemary
- Try a sharper cheese like gorgonzola or blue cheese
- Give these a Mexican flavor with Cheddar and Jalapeño
- Something different like smoked gouda and thyme
Now that this excitement is over, let's move to make the gluten free savory muffins that have rocked my world!
Tips For Sucess:
- Use the tested gluten free flour blends if you can. Flour matters and not all flours contain gluten free grains that bake up light and fluffy. A bean flour based gluten free flour will not work.
- If you do use a different gluten free flour, make sure it contains xanthan gum. If it doesn't, add 1 teaspoon.
- Do not over-mix the muffin batter. The secret to light and fluffy muffins is to just mix the wet and dry ingredients enough to blend them. Over-mixing will cause your muffins to be denser.
🔑 Sandi says: You want to be careful your melted butter doesn't cook your eggs. If your butter gets hot, you can temper the eggs to protect them. How to temper eggs: Put the eggs in a small bowl. Add some of the hot butter and quickly whisk it in. Repeat and then you can add the rest of the butter to the eggs safely.
Need help with your muffins? I have a great gluten free muffin troubleshooting guide, and here are my favorite tools for making muffins.
Recipe Step-By-Step Directions:
Step 1: Preheat your oven to 425º F (or 350º F if you don't want a dome top.) Add your dry ingredients to a bowl and whisk to blend.
Step 2: Add the shredded cheese and herbs/seasonings. Whisk to blend it all together. This will help prevent the shredded cheese from clumping when the wet ingredients are added.
Step 3: In a smaller bowl, add the wet ingredients and whisk to blend.
Step 4: Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until it is just barely mixed.
Check out my Amazon shop where I share my favorite tools that I use to make my recipes.
Step 5: Line your muffin tin with muffin papers and fill each about ¾ full of batter.
Step 6: Bake at 425º F for 5 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 350º F and bake for 20 minutes until done.
To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the muffins. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the muffins need to be baked longer.
Recipe FAQ:
The short answer is yes, shredded cheese should be gluten free...But, you ALWAYS want to read the labels. Highly processed cheeses (think Cheeze Whiz and Velveeta types of cheese) may contain gluten. Also, double-check all shredded cheeses to ensure they do not contain gluten.
You can make these muffins with dairy-free cheese. I recommend using either VioLife or Daiya brands of dairy-free cheese. Also, use cold vegan butter!
These muffins will keep for up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or for up to 4 months in the freezer.
More Gluten Free Muffin Recipes:
- My kids love these Gluten Free Banana Oat Muffins. They are perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast.
- My Gluten Free Mochi Muffins are popular in Japan. They are easy to make with sweet rice flour, Mochiko.
- This homemade Gluten Free Muffin Mix is perfect to have on hand. It is a great muffin base to add your favorite fruits.
📖 Recipe
Gluten Free Cheddar Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cup gluten free flour blend (*Note, my flour blend has xanthan gum included. If yours doesn't, add 1 teaspoon.)
- 2 large eggs
- ⅔ cup water
- 2 teaspoons baking powder aluminum free
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
- 1 teaspoon chopped rosemary
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350º F.
- Spray olive oil into each cup of a muffin tin.
- In a mixer, add eggs, water and melted butter.
- Mix on low until blended.
- Increase speed to medium for 30 seconds.
- Turn off mixer.
- Add baking powder, salt, flour, cheese and herbs.
- Mix on low speed until blended.
- Scoop batter into each muffin tin so it is filled half way full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes until done.
- Remove and put each muffin on a cooling rack.
Video
Notes
- I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure GF, Bob's Red Mill 1 to 1 GF blend, and Authentic Foods Multi Blend. That doesn't mean others will not work, I just have not tested other flours.
- If your gluten free flour blend doesn’t contain xanthan gum or guar gum, please add 1 teaspoon.
- To test for doneness, insert a toothpick into the center of the muffins. If the toothpick comes out clean, it is done baking. If you see batter or crumbs, the muffins need to bake longer.
- These muffins will keep up to 4 days in an air-tight container, or up to 4 months in the freezer.
SPECIAL NOTE
Please know that every gluten free flour blend has a different starch to grain ratio. If you use a blend I didn't test, you may need to adjust your moisture levels in your baked goods.
Nutrition
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the actual nutritional information with the products and brands you are using with your preferred nutritional calculator.
This post was updated from an older March 2017 post with more recipe details.
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Christy Dotson
I gotta say - I absolutely detest most GF "breads" but this one was good, so good my kids even ate them with no questions. I used 1/2 almond flour and 1/2 oat flour for my grains.
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you enjoyed my cheese muffins. They are one of my favorites. It is good to know almond flour and oat flour worked. I haven't tried that combo yet.
Leanne
Does it make 8 or 12 muffins? Video shows 8 and recipe says 12.
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Leanne, It probably depends on the size of the muffin tin. Mine did make 8, but they are large.
Leanne Carmona
Hi! I make these all the time! I am wondering if I can make the batter, refrigerate it, and bake them in the morning? Have you tried this? Thank you!
Sandi Gaertner
The batter should be fine to sit in the fridge overnight :-).
Dusty Reid
Hi Sandi, these were fabulous- I sautéed some fresh spinach I had to use up and added about a quarter tsp dry mustard (good with cheese). Ate 3 out of the pan and burned myself but worth it. I subscribed to your weekly emails a while ago as I’ve gone GF and your recipes are really good. Wanted to say thank you, I sure appreciate you sharing.
Sandi Gaertner
Wow, that sounds delicious Dusty. I am so glad you are enjoying my recipes. You made my day :-).
Nora
Great recipe! Works very well. The only thing I would say is it took me quite a while to prep the muffins. About 20-30 min
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Nora, I am glad you liked the recipe. I am not sure why prep took so long as you are just adding ingredients to a bowl and mixing. Did you let them sit before baking?
DIana
Even better than expected (and I had high expectations!) Delicious on their own, and equally delicious as a base for scrumptious breakfast sliders! Thank you so much for posting this 🙂
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked these. They are still one of my very favorites :-).
Colleen
May I ask which flour you used?
Sandi Gaertner
Hi Colleen, I have tested this recipe with King Arthur Measure for Measure and Bob's 1 to 1 GF in the light blue bag.
SMJ
These turned out great! I used a really good quality, sharp cheddar, and threw in a little parsley with the rosemary. They are tender and light and flavorful!
Sandi Gaertner
I am so glad you liked them Shay 🙂