Enjoy the comforting and indulgent flavors in these Easy Garlic Bread Muffins, filled with melted cheese and pockets of garlic butter.
Little cubes of garlic butter are nestled in the batter before baking. While baking, the butter cubes melt, infusing the batter with tenderness and flavor that's truly incredible.
Baked yeast-free to a tender, bread-like texture, these muffins are filled with timeless garlic bread flavors.
The versatility of these garlic butter-filled muffins means you can enjoy them hot out of the oven or even cold, making them a convenient and tasty snack or side dish for any occasion
How to make Easy Garlic Bread Muffins
This is just the overview so you can see the process. When you are baking, you’ll want to use the full recipe at the bottom of the page.
You can make your very own homemade garlic butter using my easy recipe provided, or for a quicker route, go for the store-bought option. Then when assembling the muffins, you can place a teaspoon of store-bought garlic butter in the center of each muffin before baking.
- Prepare the garlic butter
- In a bowl, combine ½ cup (113g) softened butter, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 tablespoons of shredded (grated) cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt and chopped parsley (if using).
- Mix well until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Lay out a piece of plastic wrap and spoon the garlic butter mixture onto the plastic wrap. Spoon the garlic butter mixture onto the plastic wrap.
- Shape the butter mixture into a log shape, rolling it up tightly in the plastic wrap. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to secure the log.
Place the wrapped garlic butter log in the freezer and let it freeze for about 30 minutes or until it's firm enough to slice.
- Preheat the oven and prepare the muffin pan
Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350° F / 180° C (160° C fan)
Prepare your muffin pan by either inserting paper liners or greasing the muffin cups. (If you have a good non-stick pan, liners may not be needed)
- Prepare the muffin batter
- In a large mixing bowl add 1 cup (220ml) milk, 1 large egg, ¼ cup ( 60ml) sour cream or yogurt, ¼ cup (60ml) vegetable oil and 1 clove of crushed garlic. Whisk until well combined.
- Sift in 2 cups (250g) all purpose flour, ½ teaspoon salt, 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder and ½ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda).
- If you're adding fresh herbs or parsley you can, fold them into the batter at this stage.
- Mix lightly with a spatula.
- Add in 1 ¼ cups (150g) shredded (grated) mozzarella or cheddar cheese.
- Gently fold until the mixture is just combined. Be careful not to overmix, a few lumps are okay.
- Slice and assemble the muffins
- Once the garlic butter log is firm, remove it from the freezer and unwrap it. Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 12 equal portions.
- Fill each muffin cup about halfway with batter.
- Take a frozen cube of garlic butter and place it in the center of the batter in each cup.
- Cover with batter until the cups are about ⅔ full.
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Once the muffins are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool in the muffin tin for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- The versatility of these garlic butter-filled muffins means you can enjoy them hot out of the oven or even cold, making them a convenient and tasty snack or side dish for any occasion.
Storage
Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
Reheating: To reheat muffins, warm them for a minute in the microwave or in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 -10 minutes.
Freezer-friendly for make-ahead convenience
Freezing is great if you want to make a big batch in advance. Here's how to freeze them:
Bake then cool Completely: Allow the muffins to cool completely to room temperature.
Wrap individually: Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This helps prevent freezer burn and keeps them fresh.
Place in a freezer safe airtight container or bag: Place the individually wrapped muffins into a resealable freezer bag or an airtight container.
Label and date: Don't forget to label the bag or container with the date of freezing. This helps you keep track of how long they've been in the freezer.
Freeze: They can be kept frozen for up to 2-3 months.
Thaw and reheat: When you're ready to enjoy a muffin, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature. Once thawed, warm them for a minute in the microwave or in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 -10 minutes.
Herbs variation or substitution
If you're looking for a substitution for parsley in the muffins, there are several options depending on your taste preferences and what you have on hand. Here are a few alternatives:
Chives: Chopped fresh chives can provide a mild onion-like flavor and a hint of color to your muffins.
Cilantro: a great alternative for parsley.
Basil: Fresh basil leaves, finely chopped
Dill: Dill pairs very well with garlic. Remember to use it sparingly as it has a strong taste.
Green Onions (Scallions): Sliced green onions can bring a delicious mild onion flavor to your muffins.
Thyme: Fresh thyme leaves, with stems removed
No fresh herbs? Go with dried instead
Dried herbs can be used as an alternative to fresh herbs like parsley in these muffins. However, keep in mind that dried herbs are more concentrated in flavor than fresh ones, so you'll need to use them sparingly. Generally, you can use about one-third of the amount of dried herbs compared to fresh.
For instance, In this recipe I used 1 Tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley. So you can substitute it with approximately 1 teaspoon of dried parsley or whichever dried herbs you prefer. You can adjust the quantity to your taste, but start with a smaller amount and add more if needed.
Tips
- Don't Overmix: When combining wet and dry ingredients, avoid overmixing the batter. Overmixing can result in dense muffins. It's okay if there are a few lumps.
- Use an Ice Cream Scoop: Consider using an ice cream scoop to portion the muffin batter into the muffin cups. This helps ensure that each muffin is the same size for even baking.
- Check for Doneness: Keep an eye on the muffins as they bake. Use a toothpick or cake tester to check for doneness. It should come out clean or with a few moist crumbs, but not wet.
- Cooling Time: Allow the muffins to cool in the pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack. This prevents them from becoming soggy due to trapped steam.
Enjoy ♡
Recipe
Garlic Bread Muffins - No Yeast
Ingredients
For the garlic butter : see notes on garlic butter
- ½ cup store bought garlic butter (softened to room temperature)
If making garlic butter
- ½ cup salted butter (softened to room temperature)
- 2 Tablespoons shredded grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon salt (only if using unsalted butter)
- 2 cloves garlic, crushed
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh herbs (I used fresh parsley) (see notes for herb alternatives)
For the muffins
- 1 cup milk
- 1 large egg
- ¼ cup sour cream or plain yogurt
- ¼ cup vegetable or canola oil
- 1 clove garlic (crushed garlic)
- 2 cups all purpose flour (same as plain flour -UK OR cake flour)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ½ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)
- 2 Tablespoons fresh herbs (I used fresh parsley)
- 1 ¼ cups shredded (grated mozzarella or cheddar cheese)
Instructions
If making homemade garlic butter
- In a bowl, combine the softened salted butter, crushed garlic, shredded (grated) cheese, ¼ teaspoon salt (if using unsalted butter) and fresh chopped parsley (if using). Mix well until everything is evenly incorporated.
- Lay out a piece of plastic wrap and spoon the garlic butter mixture onto the plastic wrap.
- Shape the butter mixture into a log shape, rolling it up tightly in the plastic wrap. Twist the ends of the plastic wrap to secure the log.
- Place the wrapped garlic butter log in the freezer and let it freeze for about 30 minutes or until it's firm enough to slice.
Preheat the oven and prepare the muffin pan
- Position the oven rack in the middle of the oven. Preheat the oven to 350° F / 180° C (160° C fan)
- Prepare your muffin pan by either inserting paper liners or greasing the muffin cups. (If you have a good non-stick pan, liners may not be needed.)
Prepare the muffin batter
- In a large mixing bowl, add milk, egg, sour cream or yogurt, vegetable oil and crushed garlic. Whisk until well combined.
- Sift in the all purpose flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda (bicarbonate of soda).If you're adding fresh herbs or parsley you can, fold them into the batter at this stage. Mix lightly with a spatula.
- Add in shredded (grated) mozzarella or cheddar cheese. Gently fold until the mixture is just combined. Be careful not to overmix, a few lumps are okay.
Slice the butter and assemble the muffins
- Once the garlic butter log is firm, remove it from the freezer and unwrap it.
- Using a sharp knife, slice the log into 12 equal portions.
- Fill each muffin cup about halfway with the muffin batter.
- Take a frozen garlic butter cube and place it in the center of the batter in each cup. (For store-bought garlic butter, use approximately a teaspoonful.)
- Cover with batter until the muffin cups are about ⅔ full.
Bake the muffins
- Bake for 18-22 minutes or until the muffins are golden brown and a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Baking times can vary, but it's typically around 18-20 minutes. Keep an eye on them to avoid overbaking.
- Once the muffins are done, remove them from the oven and let them cool in the muffin pan for a few minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- The versatility of these garlic butter-filled muffins means you can enjoy them hot out of the oven or even cold, making them a convenient and tasty snack or side dish for any occasion.
Storage
- Store any leftover muffins in an airtight container at room temperature for up to two days or in the refrigerator for up to seven days.
- Reheating: To reheat muffins, warm them for a minute in the microwave or in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 -10 minutes.
Freezing
- Allow the muffins to cool completely to room temperature.
- Wrap each muffin individually in plastic wrap or aluminum foil. This helps prevent freezer burn and keeps them fresh.
- Place the individually wrapped muffins into a resealable freezer bag or an airtight container.
- Don't forget to label the bag or container with the date of freezing. This helps you keep track of how long they've been in the freezer.
- They can be kept frozen for up to 2-3 months.
- Thaw and reheat: When you're ready to enjoy a muffin, remove it from the freezer and let it thaw at room temperature. Once thawed, warm them for a minute in the microwave or in a preheated oven at 350°F (175°C) for about 5 -10 minutes.
Notes
- Chives: Chopped fresh chives can provide a mild onion-like flavor and a hint of color to your muffins.
- Cilantro: a great alternative for parsley.
- Basil: Fresh basil leaves,
- Finely chopped Dill: Dill pairs very well with garlic. Remember to use it sparingly as it has a strong taste.
- Green Onions (Scallions): Sliced green onions can bring a delicious mild onion flavor to your muffins.
- Thyme: Fresh thyme leaves, with stems removed.
- However, keep in mind that dried herbs are more concentrated in flavor than fresh ones, so you'll need to use them sparingly.
- Generally, you can use about one-third of the amount of dried herbs compared to fresh.
- For instance, In this recipe if I used 1 Tablespoon of fresh chopped parsley. So you can substitute it with approximately 1 teaspoon of dried parsley or whichever dried herbs you prefer.
- You can adjust the quantity to your taste, but start with a smaller amount and add more if needed
Nutrition
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