You will be hooked with one bite of these gluten-free cheddar muffins. They are incredibly light and fluffy, with lots of melty cheese pockets. You won’t believe they are gluten free! If you are looking for a fun new savory muffin recipe, try my simple recipe.
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These are the fluffiest gluten free cheese muffins. I am 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 on the blog, but this is my only savory muffin recipe.
Why I love this gluten-free cheddar muffin recipe:
- I think the main reason we make this recipe repeatedly 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!
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 🙂.”
diana, blog comment
Allergen Information:
These homemade cheese muffins are gluten-free, soy-free, nut-free, and oat-free.
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.
Flour Blends Tested:
- King Arthur Measure for Measure—This blend works really well in my recipes. I don’t have to let the flour blend rest in the batter.
- Bob’s Red Mill 1:1 Blend—This blend also works well, but this flour blend does benefit from resting the batter for 15 minutes before baking. The rest allows the rice flour in this blend to soften, so you don’t have gritty baked goods.
- Waitrose – One reader wrote to let me know this UK flour blend worked great in this recipe.
Ingredient Notes:
For the full list of ingredients and amounts, please go to the recipe card below.
- Gluten Free Flour Blend – I tested this recipe using the two blends listed above. I also listed a UK blend a reader wrote to me about. That doesn’t mean others will not work; I just have not tested other flours.
- 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. Pepper jack cheese is also fun to use.
Tips to make the perfect gluten free cheddar muffins:
- If you can, use the tested gluten-free flour blends. Flour matters; 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 use a different gluten-free flour, ensure it contains xanthan gum or another binder. If it doesn’t, add 1 teaspoon. Learn more about how to use binders in gluten-free baking.
- Do not over-mix the muffin batter. The secret to light and fluffy muffins is just to mix the wet and dry ingredients enough to blend them. Over-mixing will cause your muffins to turn out denser.
Need help with your muffins? I have a great gluten free muffin troubleshooting guide, and here are my favorite tools for making muffins.
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Step-By-Step Photos and 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. 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 barely mixed.
📢 Sandi says: Every gluten-free flour blend has a different starch-to-grain ratio. The brand of gluten-free flour you use will affect the moisture of the batter. If your cake batter is too runny, add more flour, and if it is too thick, add more liquids.
Read Why Gluten-Free Flour Blends Vary to learn more about this.
Step 5: Line your muffin tin with muffin papers and fill each about 3/4 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 must be baked longer.
Try these fun flavor variations!
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!
Frequently Asked Questions:
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 stay fresh for up to 4 days in an airtight 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.
Love This Recipe?
If you made and enjoyed this recipe, I would be incredibly grateful if you could leave a comment below. Please include which flour blend you used. This will help others know this recipe is delicious. Thank you!
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
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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, my rule of thumb is to add more flour if your dough or batter is wet and add more liquid if the dough or batter is too dry!
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.
Delicious! just made these using waitrose gluten free flour (I’m in UK) and adding xanthan gum. added mustard cayenne pepper and sundried tomatoes. they came out perfect, thank you.
Thank you so much for letting me know that flour blend works. I will add a note to the post so others in the UK know that blend works well.
It’s a very good recipe!! I have already prepared it 3 times with very good results, Thank you!!
I am so glad you loved these savory muffins. Thank you so much for writing and letting me know.
Wondering if you’ve ever tried these with a baking paper? I’m making for a church function and think they would provide a more aesthetic look in baking papers…
Hi Susan, I haven’t used those papers, but I know what you are talking about. I am thinking it should be fine to use those.
Hey Sandy, I did try with muffin papers and they stuck to them. I guess the cheese is just too much. I made these again and added breakfast sausage and ham to some of them and they were completely delicious. This is a new favorite recipe!
I am so glad you loved them, but to clarify, you used parchment paper muffin liners and they stuck?
These muffins were fabulous, thanks for a great GF recipe!
Thank you so much, Jennie. I am glad you loved the recipe.
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.
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.
Does it make 8 or 12 muffins? Video shows 8 and recipe says 12.
Hi Leanne, It probably depends on the size of the muffin tin. Mine did make 8, but they are large.
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!
The batter should be fine to sit in the fridge overnight :-).
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.
Wow, that sounds delicious Dusty. I am so glad you are enjoying my recipes. You made my day :-).
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
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?
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 🙂
I am so glad you liked these. They are still one of my very favorites :-).
May I ask which flour you used?
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.
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!
I am so glad you liked them Shay 🙂
I am a new baker and these are my first muffins. They came out flat at top but taste very good. Hubby loves it.
I am so glad you liked these muffins. I am not sure why they are flat at the top, which gluten free flour blend did you use?
Great recipe, works wonderfully.
I am so glad Gill, thank you 🙂
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe! I am thrilled with the result using my own GF flour mix……they turned out so well, light and fluffy! I now have a box of them in my deep freeze and am having a problem stopping myself from opening it!!!?
I live in Portugal, so I couldn’t find the flour you’ve used. The flour really makes a difference. The first time I’ve tried this recipe it didn’t work at all. They were far from fluffy. Today I tried a different flour blend and they were perfect! Thank you for sharing this recipe.
Hi Sara, I am so glad you found a flour to work. Gluten free flours vary so much. I find the lighter flours work beautifully in this recipe. Stay away from any gluten free blends with heavier grains, and bean flours. Thank you for stopping by 🙂
Cannot wait to try these savory gluten-free muffins for my granddaughter!! If you would like a suggestion from an old 4-H member who had to learn how to do food demonstrations, read on. If not, just delete:
1. Keep ingredients to the side so the viewer’s line of vision is not obstructed.
2. Use a glass bowl for the Kitchen Aid mixer to avoid a “tinny” sound.
3. Pre-measutre all ingredients (as you already had done so for some) and put in small glass bowls or containers. Eggs, especially, should already be cracked into a small bowl to avoid a possible snafu with egg shells when cracked directly into the mixing bowl.
4. Keep a neutral background. Since you have a beautiful patterned countertop, a large wooden cutting board or other neutral covering for your counter would make the demonstration easier to view.
5. Keep up the good work!
I only offer these tips as you had stated you were going to try to do better.
You are absolutely wonderful Virginia :-). I love your suggestions. I have been struggling with video, and finally decided to stay out of them myself and just focus on the food parts of the video. Thank you so much for taking the time to offer advice, I am very grateful.
I was looking at a savory herb and cheese muffing and It called for a gluten free flour blend. Now I’m trying to find what that is. Is that something I can just buy or is there a recipe to make it
Hi Kathy, I am so sorry. I switched recipe plugins and this one needs the brand link to be manually entered. I am still updating, but please know I used Bob’s Red Mill 1 to 1 Gluten Free Flour Blend to make these muffins.