Savory Cottage Cheese Breakfast Muffins

Name: Savory Cottage Cheese Breakfast Muffins
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 40 min
Ingredients: 1 lb turkey breakfast sausages (removed from the casing); 4 eggs; ¼ cup milk; 1 cup 2% cottage cheese; 1 tbsp olive oil; 1 tbsp maple syrup; 1.5 cups all purpose flour; 2 tsp baking powder; ½ tsp salt; 3 cups chopped vegetables (broccoli, spinach etc.); 3 green onions (greens and whites sliced finely); 1 cup cheddar cheese (shredded)

Published: Feb 1, 2024 · Modified: Aug 19, 2025 by Nicole Addison · This post may contain affiliate links · 235 Comments

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My Cottage Cheese Muffins are a savory breakfast that's easy to make, high in protein, and packed with veggies. Only 15 minutes of prep!

Close up of savory cottage cheese muffins with a bite.

I will forever be a muffin lover for breakfast, especially on the days I'm running out the door or need pre-workout fuel. They also make a delicious afternoon snack or wholesome sweet treat, especially when it's one of my healthy gingerbread muffins.

With that being said, if you want to switch it up from the classic banana carrot muffins or blueberry muffins, let me introduce you to the savory cottage cheese muffin.

Savory Cottage Cheese Breakfast Muffins

You might think a savory muffin, let alone a cottage cheese muffin, sounds strange. But just like pastries, I believe that baked goods can be just as delicious with savory, umami-rich components like veggies, sausage, and cheese- see my savory oatmeal bake if you need an example!

Trust me, these cottage cheese muffins are light, fluffy, and great for my friends who love a salty breakfast but are over the scrambled eggs. I can't wait for you to try them!

Why This Recipe Is Dietitian-Approved

High protein. I always recommend prioritizing a high protein breakfast, and there are 3 sources in this recipe: cottage cheese, eggs, and sausage. One of these muffins has 16g of protein to start your day.
Meal prep friendly. Muffins are amazing for batch prep and freeze well, too.
Lots of veggies. Trying to eat more veggies at breakfast? These muffins have 3 cups of veggies, and you can even use frozen to skip the prep.

Ingredients

Turkey sausage. Although we remove them from the casing, I prefer to use sausage instead of ground meat because it is more flavorful. If you do have ground meat like ground chicken or turkey, you can substitute it as well- be sure to add extra spices!

Eggs. For extra protein and to help bind everything together. Please note I have not tested this recipe using just egg whites, as the yolks of eggs are a great source of omega-3 healthy fats.

Milk. Any milk of choice will work in this recipe. I recommend cow's milk or soy milk for a high-protein option

Cottage cheese. Any fat percentage will work. I usually opt for a lower-fat option, such as 0% or 2%. If you aren’t a fan of the texture, no worries. The cottage cheese curds will melt once baked, so you won't even notice them.

Olive oil. For a little moisture and healthy fats. Any neutral oil or even butter will work.

Maple syrup. This adds a little touch of sweetness to balance our strong salty flavors.

All-purpose flour. I chose all-purpose flour because it's the most readily available in most households, and I wanted this recipe to be very accessible.

Baking powder. This allows our muffins to be tall and fluffy.

Chopped vegetables. Use any vegetables you have on hand, fresh or frozen. Just be sure to chop them up finely first (and defrost them if frozen)! I recommend broccoli, spinach, or red peppers. I also added green onions, but chives or finely sliced yellow onion will work too.

Cheddar cheese. A savory muffin is not complete without a cheesy crust! Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or any cheese of choice will be fine.

The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400°F.

Remove the sausages from the casing and cook them in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until browned and no longer pink in color. Set aside and allow the cooked sausage meat to cool.

Eggs, cottage cheese, milk and olive oil in a bowl.

To a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cottage cheese, olive oil, and maple syrup.

Whisking flour, baking powder and salt into savory muffin batter.

To the same bowl, add all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Mix well using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.

Mixing savory muffin batter after adding veggies and cooked sausage.

Add your cooked sausages, chopped vegetables, green onions, and cheese. I recommend leaving some cheese to add to the tops of your muffins.

Topping cottage cheese muffins with shredded cheese.

Divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cavities, about 4 heaping tablespoon (¼ cup) of batter per muffin. Top with additional cheese

Bake for 23-27 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Substitutions and Variations

To make gluten-free: Use a 1:1 gluten-free, all-purpose flour substitute for the base. I recommend using Queen St Bakery or Bob’s Red Mill for the best results.

To make dairy-free: Unfortunately, I have not tested a dairy-free version of this recipe.

To make vegetarian: Although I do not recommend making this recipe without the eggs, it can be easily made without the use of the sausage. Simply replace the sausage with additional veggies and cheese or use a plant-based “ground beef” alternative.

To make nut-free: This recipe is naturally nut-free.

Equipment

Silicone muffin liners
Silicone muffin tray
Cookie scooper (This ensures even distribution of batter with minimal mess)
Mixing bowl

Storage

These muffins can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days in an airtight container. For longer storage, they can be wrapped individually using plastic wrap or tin foil and stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.

To reheat, you can microwave them for about 1 minute or air fry at 325°F for about 5-7 minutes!

Top Tip

I HIGHLY recommend using either silicone muffins liners or a silicone muffin tray. This batter is quite sticky, and using regular muffin liners or just greasing the muffin tin will make it quite difficult to remove the muffins in one piece.

If you are in a pinch, slicing squares of parchment paper and using them as muffin liners will work as well, although I find this method quite messy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is white flour healthy?

As an ‘all foods fit’ dietitian, I strongly believe everything can fit into a balanced diet, and that includes white flours! Although white flour may not have as much fiber as oat flour or whole wheat flour, it still does contain 4 g of fiber per 3 tbsp. It's also a great budget-friendly option for the base of these muffins and is widely accessible for most people. However, if you prefer, you can utilize oat flour, almond flour, or whole wheat baking flour.
**Though please note almond flour will result in a slightly more moist texture

Are these muffins a balanced meal?

These muffins do contain protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables. However, for an even more satisfying and filling meal, I recommend pairing it with some yogurt for extra protein and fruit for fiber-rich carbohydrates.

Does the cottage cheese add a strange texture?

Nope! The curds actually melt, so it's not noticeable at all.

Birds eye of table with a plate of cottage cheese muffins and a plate with a muffin cut in half with berries.

More Healthy Muffin Recipes

Who else loves muffins like me?

PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these savory cottage cheese muffins, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!

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Plate of savory cottage cheese muffins for breakfast.

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4.96 from 166 votes

Savory Cottage Cheese Breakfast Muffins

My Cottage Cheese Muffins are a savory breakfast that's easy to make, high in protein, and packed with veggies. Only 15 minutes of prep!

Prep Time15

Cook Time25

Total Time40

Course: Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Breakfast, loaves and muffins, meal prep

Servings: muffins

Ingredients

1 lb turkey breakfast sausages removed from the casing
4 eggs
¼ cup milk
1 cup 2% cottage cheese
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1.5 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
3 cups chopped vegetables broccoli, spinach etc.
3 green onions greens and whites sliced finely
1 cup cheddar cheese shredded

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 400F.
Remove the sausages from the casing and cook them in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until browned and no longer pink in colour. Set aside and allow the cooked sausage meat to cool.
To a large mixing bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, cottage cheese, olive oil and maple syrup.
To the same bowl, add all purpose flour, baking powder and salt. Mix well using a wooden spoon or silicone spatula.
Add your cooked sausages, chopped vegetables, green onions and cheese (I recommend leaving some cheese to add to the tops of your muffins).
Divide batter evenly between 12 muffin cavities, about 4 heaping tablespoon (one heaping ¼ cup) of batter per muffin. Top with additional cheese and bake for 23-27 minutes.

Notes

all purpose flour can be replaced with an equal amont of oat flour, almond flour or whole wheat baking flour. However please note it will alter the texture slightly (almond flour tends to create slightly more moist- muffins that will not rise quite as much!)

** tougher veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, diced carrots etc. should be lightly steamed before being added. Softer veggies such as spinach, bell peppers and kale can be added to the batter raw!

*I have included an estimation of the nutrition information for this recipe below. However, always remember a recipe is so much more than just nutritional content and these numbers do not need to dictate your food choices. Please don't forget that both your body and soul need nourishment! The owner of this website is not liable for this estimation.

Nutrition

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Savory Cottage Cheese Breakfast Muffins