When you’re prioritizing healthy eating, breakfast can sometimes feel like the most complicated meal of the day. You have tons of different options that can help you start your day off right, but some can’t be made ahead of time, others don’t travel well, still others are just the same old stuff you’re already feeling tired of eating.

Switch things up with my savory breakfast muffins. Packed with flavor, easy to meal prep, and endlessly customizable, these high-protein muffins will be your new go-to breakfast for busy weeks.

Why You’ll Love This Savory Breakfast Muffin Recipe

Plenty of protein: Each muffin contains 10 grams of protein thanks to the eggs and cottage cheese.
Gluten-free: Made with coconut flour and almond flour, these muffins are perfect for anyone with dietary restrictions.
Packed with flavor: These muffins are cheesy, savory, garlicky, and a bit spicy. They’re so satisfying and the perfect way to start the day.
Great for meal prepping: Make a batch of muffins and stash them in the freezer for any time you need a quick breakfast.
Super versatile and easy to customize: Try different veggie and cheese combos to make the muffins your own.

Ingredients

3 large eggs
¾ cup liquid egg whites
¾ cup cottage cheese (2% or nonfat)
¾ cup almond flour
¼ cup coconut flour
½ teaspoon baking powder
¼ cup nutritional yeast
2–3 tablespoons harissa sauce (optional)
¾ cup shredded cheese (cheddar, mozzarella, or your favorite blend)
2 cups fresh spinach, finely chopped
¼ small onion, finely diced
½–1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt & black pepper to taste

Instructions

Prep the oven and pans: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F and line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper lines or squares of parchment paper.
Mix the dry ingredients: Add the almond flour, coconut flour, baking powder, nutritional yeast, garlic powder, salt, and pepper to a large bowl. Whisk to combine.
Mix the wet ingredients: Add the eggs, egg whites, and cottage cheese to a separate bowl and whisk until smooth.
Make the batter: Pour the wet mixture into the large bowl with the dry mixture. Fold them together until you have a pourable batter.
Add the extras: Add the chopped spinach, onion, shredded cheese, and harissa. Stir to distribute evenly throughout the batter.
Fill the muffin tin: Fill each muffin liner about 3/4 of the way full with batter.
Bake the muffins: Place the prepared muffin tin in the preheated oven and bake for about 20-22 minutes, or until the tops of the muffin are golden brown and a tester inserted into the middle comes out clean.
Cool the muffins: When they’re done baking, remove the muffin tray from the oven and let the muffins cool to room temperature in the muffin tin for best results. Enjoy!

Nutrition Info (Per Muffin - Makes 12 Muffins)

Calories: 110
Protein: 10g
Carbs: 5g
Fat: 6g

Storage Tips

If you’re going to make a big batch of muffins, you’ll want to make sure you store them correctly so they stay at their freshest. Here’s how to do it right:

In the fridge: Transfer the completely cooled muffins to an airtight container and store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
In the freezer: Place the cooled muffins in a zipper-top bag or freezer-safe container. Freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to eat, gently reheat the muffins in a microwave or toaster oven and enjoy.

Swaps & Substitutions

For the harissa: If you don’t have any harissa on hand, use your favorite hot sauce, spicy condiment, some red pepper flakes, or just leave it out entirely.
Swap the cheese: Use pepper jack, Swiss, or whatever you like best.
Add more veggies: Try adding diced red peppers, cherry tomatoes, sun-dried tomatoes, sautéed mushrooms, chopped artichokes, diced zucchini, or anything else you like. They'd all be a great addition!
Add extra protein: Mix in some crumbled turkey sausage, beans, sliced chicken sausage, or plant-based crumbles.
If you’re dairy-free: If you can’t tolerate dairy, use dairy-free cheese and a plant-based cottage cheese alternative.

FAQs

You can, but the flavor and texture will be a bit different than if you use the mixture of both egg whites and whole eggs. If you want to stick with egg whites, use about ¾ cup of liquid egg whites in place of the 3 whole eggs. Make the rest of the recipe as written.
If you don’t have cottage cheese, there are a few things you can use instead. Try plain Greek yogurt for a similar protein boost (but a tangier taste), ricotta cheese for a super creamy texture, or even a dairy-free cottage cheese alternative if you follow a dairy-free diet.
Use paper muffin liners, line the muffin cups with squares of parchment paper, or lightly grease the muffin pan with cooking spray. Let the muffins completely cool before you remove the muffins from the liners or they could stick.
Definitely! You can sneak some veggies and protein in for your little eaters. Skip the harissa and any spicy ingredients and make sure to use a kid-pleasing cheese like mozzarella cheese or cheddar cheese. These cottage cheese muffins are also great for lunch boxes!
No, you don’t. Make sure you finely chop fresh spinach before adding it and it’ll wilt down as the muffins bake. If you’d like to use frozen spinach, make sure to thaw it and squeeze out all of the excess moisture before adding it to the batter.

These quick and easy savory breakfast muffins are a total lifesaver. Packed with protein and flavor, without any protein powder, they’re satisfying, customizable, and hold up well in the freezer. You’re going to love this recipe!