Stubborn as ever, the lack of spring vegetables and 30-degree sunshine doesn’t deter me from celebrating the premature arrival of the new season. Besides, the tiny buds of crocuses are already beginning to peer up from the tender, half-frozen earth, and that’s reinforcement enough for me.
Turning to the only edible that’s is reliably and unfailingly available so early in the season, the fridge has been stocked to the brim with fresh herbs. Mint, parsley, dill, basil, and cilantro; I don’t think there have ever been so many choices of flavorful greenery on hand at one time.
Because everything is better in cute little individual portions, I fashioned my bread into muffins, while bumping up the herb content to accommodate my vast selection. A cross between a light muffin and a fluffy biscuit, even I was impressed with how well this off-the-cuff adaptation came out. Add in rich, cheesy cheddar flavor, and you’ve got yourself a winning combination.
Both hearty and light, thanks to that vibrant herbal addition, these muffins managed to strike that fine balance between seasons that I’m still struggling with myself. Any combination of herbs would likely work just as well, so don’t be afraid to switch it up if you don’t have these exact greens on hand.
Cheddar Herb Muffins
A cross between a muffin and a biscuit, both hearty and light, fresh herbs balance out rich cheesy flavor in this savory vegan treat.
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk
- 1/3 Cup Olive Oil
- 1 Teaspoon Apple Cider Vinegar
- 1 3/4 Cups All Purpose Flour
- 1 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Soda
- 1/2 Teaspoon Salt
- 1/2 Teaspoon Smoked Paprika
- 1/4 Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 4 Ounces (1 Cup) Vegan Shredded Cheddar
- 1/3 Cup Chopped Scallions
- 1/4 Cup Chopped Fresh Basil
- 3 Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Dill
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts, Toasted
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 375 degrees, and lightly grease 9 – 12 medium muffin tins.
In a large measuring pitcher, combine the non-dairy milk, oil, and vinegar. Stir well, and let sit for at least 5 minutes for the milk to curdle. - Meanwhile, in a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, paprika, and pepper, making sure that all of the ingredients are distributed evenly throughout the mixture. Add in the cheese, chopped herbs, and walnuts, and mix well.
- Pour the pitcher of wet ingredients into the bowl of dry, and use a wide spatula to bring the two together, stirring as few times as possible to create a mostly smooth batter. A few lumps are just fine, and certainly beat an over-mixed, tough dough.
- Scoop the batter into your prepared muffin tins, mounding it up in the centers. Depending on how large you want you muffins, fill the tins either just to the top, or pile the batter on well over the rim. Naturally, I like my muffins big and bountiful, so I got fewer out of the mix.
- Move your muffin tin into the oven, and bake for 16 – 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean and dry. If the muffins seem slightly pale at that point, just run them under the broiler for 1 – 3 more minutes, until nicely golden brown.
- Let rest in the tins for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely. Serve warm or toasted, along side a hearty bowl of soup, stew, or just with a faint smear of buttery spread.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
12Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 202Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 11mgSodium: 274mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 6g
All nutritional information presented within this site are intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information on BitterSweetBlog.com should only be used as a general guideline. This information is provided as a courtesy and there is no guarantee that the information will be completely accurate. Even though I try to provide accurate nutritional information to the best of my ability, these figures should still be considered estimations.
I love this kind of bread! I used to make something similar when I was a vegetarian. I hope daiya or something similar will be available herre some day, so that I can get back my favourite kind of bread.
Yum. Cheddar & “cheddar” have such a natural affinity for dill and scallions that these sound amazing.
Waouw, i like salty muffin ♥
Nice pictures, well done
Those muffins loos so good and although I haven’t tried the recipe yet, it looks like an easy enough recipe (easy recipes are my favorite).
You’ve done a beautiful job on your blog as well!
Oh man, these sound right up my alley! They look fantastic.
I have to say, I too found myself drooling constantly this weekend as I saw the FFwD posts go live. And now you’ve got me at it again. These look wonderful! Maybe the weather will get the message and bring spring around a bit sooner!
Those look great! I have yet to have Daiya … but I hear it’s really good.
These look awesome. I baked all weekend, wish i had this recipe yesterday! :)
I am a big sweet muffin girl but these look incredible. I love the taste of something cheesy and herby :)
Oh wow, those cheddah muffs look incredible! I could really use one to munch on right now :)
Daiya won me over the first time I tried it. Since then I’ve been trying to think of more recipes to use it in, aside from pizza and nacho casserole. I never would have thought to put it in muffins. I bet they’re delicious.
Daiya is the best! It has been soooo long since I have had cheddar muffins, yum yum!
Herbs and smoked paprika… yep, these must be absolutely delicious! I need to make a recipe for an “outdoors” theme and these would be perfect, but alas! I have to find a recipe from an actual cookbook. Shucks.
Yum! Savory muffins! and Cheddar no less! :-)
Hannah! I just made these, with a few tweaks and they are delicious, as I know to always expect from you. Thanks for this.
The muffins looks SO DELICIOUS! I love an herby, cheesy-ish muffin. And Daiya is definitely one of the best for sure. Oh, and your photographing of food makes me want to eat everything you make throught he computer screen!
I love savoury muffins and these look particularly good! Great idea to use up your herbs that way too. Gotta remember that!
Sounds great! I’ve been on the look for a really foodie-muffin. If there only were vegan cheese here..
Wow, those look so good Hannah. I’ve been thinking about doing more savory breads lately and love the herby additions.
This recipe makes me wish I still ate bread… :o( But I can’t wait to try it out on my husband and daughter, and I’m sure the smells alone will be intoxicating!
how lovely!
I am strill trying to enjoy the very last bit of summer in Australia… But I know you are also waiting for spring to come back :)
mmm a muffin biscuit hybrid? count me in!
Made these last night. They were great!
[…] herb muffins (from Bittersweet blog) 1 cup unsweetened nondairy […]
A cross between a muffin and a biscuit sounds like my kind of muffin! I love all the herbs you added.