Speckled with kale and chives, these savory cottage cheese muffins are a vegetarian breakfast option that’s easy to prepare! They’re higher in protein, fiber, and healthy fats than traditional muffins, thanks to nourishing ingredients like ground flaxseed, eggs, whole wheat flour, and olive oil. Make a batch ahead of time to grab on the go in the morning or enjoy them as a veggie-packed alternative in place of rolls or biscuits.
Praised for its high protein content and affordability, cottage cheese has a lot to offer. And in case you didn’t know, it’s having a major comeback on social media! So of course, I wanted to play around with it in the Veg World kitchen.
These savory cottage cheese muffins are the result of my experimentation. They’re veggie-loaded, featuring a whole cup of chopped kale, and totally delicious. The texture is spongy and soft and delightful going down. Last not but least, they’re really filling!
If you’re looking for a new breakfast, snack, or side that also counts towards your daily vegetable needs and protein intake, you have to try this one! They’re freezer-friendly, too.
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Ingredients and Substitutions
- Cottage cheese: I used whole milk cottage cheese (I like Good Culture brand) when testing this recipe, but you can use low fat as well. If for some reason you don’t have or want cottage cheese, try subbing ricotta cheese in its place. Keep in mind it may alter the texture of the muffins though.
- Eggs: You’ll need four eggs for cottage cheese muffins, instead of the usual two. I don’t really recommend a substitution, since they are a big part of the texture and protein content. Plus, there’s already a lot of ground flaxseed in the recipe so flax “eggs” would be too much.
- Extra virgin olive oil: Sub avocado oil or even melted butter.
- Whole wheat flour: Swap in all purpose if that’s what you have. I have not tried this recipe with gluten free flours, but I suspect a 1-to-1 option would work well.
- Milled flaxseed: Also known as ground flaxseed or flaxseed meal. I like Spectrum, Bob’s Red Mill, or Trader Joe’s brands.
- Garlic powder: Feel free to use onion powder in its place or add some additional seasonings, such as Italian seasoning.
- Parmesan cheese: I love sprinkling parm on top of the muffins before baking for a salty crust on top. You can use freshly grated (from a block of parmigiano reggiano) or pre-shredded. Omit if you don’t have parm.
- Kale: I used Tuscan (aka lacinato or dinosaur) kale, but curly kale also works. Make sure you chop it really small for best results. You just want it to be speckled throughout the muffins. Sub spinach if that’s what you prefer.
- Chives: Sub other fresh herbs, such as a mix of parsley, thyme, rosemary, or basil, if you don’t have chives. I highly recommend using chives for the flavor though.
Instructions
The full recipe card for kale cottage cheese muffins is at the bottom of the post. Here’s a preview of the steps with photos to guide you.
Whisk together the wet ingredients in a large bowl. In a measuring cup, combine the dry ingredients. Pour into the bowl with the wet ones.
Use a rubber spatula to mix the wet and dry ingredients together until just combined. Fold in the chopped kale and chives.
Spoon the batter into a lined muffin pan. Sprinkle parmesan on top of the muffins.
Bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 minutes.
Equipment
When making muffins, I like to use a BPA-free silicone muffin pan or nonstick liners. I especially like If You Care unbleached baking cup liners (shown in these photographs) since they don’t require greasing.
Storage
Keep these muffins in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. Enjoy cold or slightly warmed in the oven or microwave. They also freeze really well. Let them cool completely then wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap or foil. Transfer to a freezer bag, seal tightly, and label. Freeze for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen cottage cheese muffins in the fridge overnight before enjoying. To thaw in the microwave instead, remove the plastic wrap, place the muffin on a microwave-safe plate, and heat on high in 20-second intervals until warmed through.
Serving
Enjoy plain or with butter or cream cheese. They pair well with soups and stews in place of biscuits, cornbread, or rolls.
More Veggie Muffin Recipes
Love these kale cottage cheese muffins?! Check out these other healthy recipes while you’re here:
📖 Recipe
Savory Kale Cottage Cheese Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 cup cottage cheese - I like to use whole milk/full fat
- 4 eggs
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil - can sub avocado oil
- 1.25 cups whole wheat flour
- ½ cup ground flaxseed - also called milled or flaxseed meal
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup finely chopped kale - from about 8 to 10 leaves, stems removed
- ⅓ cup sliced chives - roughly a 0.5-ounce clamshell container
- ⅓ cup shredded parmesan cheese - for topping
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉/177℃. If you aren't using a silicone muffin pan, put liners in your muffin pan or thoroughly grease the cavities if you don't have liners.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the cottage cheese, eggs, and olive oil.
- In a measuring cup, stir together the flour, ground flaxseed, garlic powder, baking powder and soda, and salt.
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ones. Use a rubber spatula to stir until just combined. The batter will have a consistency similar to biscuit batter.
- Fold in the finely chopped kale and sliced chives.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, dividing it evenly among the 12 cavities.
- Sprinkle each cavity with parmesan cheese.
- Bake for 18 to 22 minutes until lightly browned on top and cooked through. A toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin should come out clean.
- Let the muffins cool for a few minutes in the pan before carefully transferring them to a plate or wire rack to finish cooling. Enjoy!
- Leave a rating or review by tapping the stars on this recipe card (above) or in the comments section (at the end of the post)!
Notes
- Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. Enjoy cold or reheated in the microwave or oven.
- To freeze the muffins, let them cool completely. Wrap each one tightly in plastic wrap or foil. Transfer to a freezer bag, seal tightly, and label. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight or by using the microwave. Remove the plastic wrap, place on a microwave-safe plate, and heat on high for 20 seconds at a time until warmed through.
Will
These are so good. Like a biscuit/muffin/focaccia combo
Lizzie Streit, MS, RDN
I’m so glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe, Will!
Mary
These are terrible. I’d give it a zero rating if that was an option. I tossed them out.