- Prep5 min
- Cook10 min
- Freezer friendlyyes
Most baking punishes you for overmixing. Almond flour doesn’t, so these cheesy Italian muffins are very hard to stuff up. They’re savoury, made in one bowl and one jug with bought grated cheese, and take about 5 minutes of prep and 10 in the air fryer (15 in the oven). The spice kit does the seasoning, so there’s nothing to chop.
The easier-still option is to bake a double or triple batch and freeze them. On a no-spoons day, a muffin and 20–30 seconds in the microwave is breakfast sorted.
Can I manage this today?
- Spoon rating: 🥄🥄 Low-Spoon
- Hands-on time: about 5 minutes (plus 10–15 minutes hands-off while they bake)
- Main effort: whisking the wet mix, then stirring it into the dry mix
- Chopping: none. Bought grated cheese and a spice kit cover it
- Standing and attention: about 5 minutes at the bench, then the air fryer or oven does the rest
- Washing up: one bowl, one jug, one whisk and a muffin tray (or liners)
Quick spoon check
- No-spoons version: a muffin from the freezer stash, warmed in the microwave for 20–30 seconds
- Low-spoon version: swap the butter for avocado oil, so there’s no melting and no microwave
- As written: melt the butter, whisk the wet mix, stir it into the dry mix and bake
Leigh’s notes
I double or triple this every time and freeze the lot for the days I don’t have spoons to cook. It’s a versatile base, too. I’ve added chorizo, bacon and ham, and made chilli cheese muffins by swapping the chives for chilli flakes. The Gourmet Spice Kits are my easiest way to change the flavour week to week without thinking too hard. Let’s face it, I use them for a lot of what I make.
Whey protein isolate is my other habit. One scoop (about 30 g, with 27 g of protein) stirred into the dry mix doesn’t change the texture or taste, and adds about 4.5 g of protein per muffin. I do it more often than not. Pain can switch my appetite off, and a protein-boosted muffin is far less work than a big steak. The research on why that matters is in my guide to pain and appetite.
I buy California Gold Nutrition Whey Protein Isolate (unflavoured) from iHerb. It works out better per serve than any Australian one I’ve tried, and I’ve tried dozens. That annoys me more than it should.
The nerdy bit: double-acting baking powder
Double-acting baking powder releases its gas in two stages: once when it meets the wet ingredients, and again in the heat. That’s why it gives me a fluffier muffin than ordinary baking powder. I use Bob’s Red Mill Double Acting Baking Powder because the label says gluten free with no added aluminium. I buy it at iHerb because it’s cheaper and always in stock. Woolies and Coles sometimes carry the Bob’s Red Mill range too, usually in the health food section. If you’re shopping at iHerb, our wishlist is a good place to start.
Why this recipe works
- Double-acting baking powder lifts the muffins in two stages, which gives a light, fluffy texture.
- Butter, Greek yoghurt and cheese give a rich, cheesy flavour.
- One spice kit seasons the whole batch, and a different kit gives you a different muffin.
- Any cheese works, so it doubles as a fridge clear-out.
Ingredients at a glance
- Almond flour: the base of the muffin, in place of wheat flour
- Baking powder: lifts the mix as it bakes
- Eggs: bind everything together
- Greek yoghurt: adds moisture to the batter
- Butter: adds richness. It’s melted, so it goes in with the wet mix
- Cheddar and parmesan: the cheesy flavour
- Cheesy Carbonara spice kit: seasons the whole batch in one tablespoon
No Spoon Swaps
- Bought grated cheese: saves the grating. Trade-off: it contains an anti-caking agent, which our guide to what’s in grated cheese explains.
- Avocado oil instead of butter: skips the melting, so no microwave and no jug. Trade-off: a less buttery flavour.
- Bought spice kit instead of measuring herbs: one tablespoon does the seasoning. Trade-off: one more product to buy. Dried herbs work too (see Substitutions).
- Air fryer instead of oven: about 10 minutes rather than 15, and no oven to preheat. Trade-off: your air fryer’s size decides how many muffins fit at once.
- Double or triple batch: one bigger bake now means freezer muffins later. Trade-off: more to mix and bake in one go, and you need freezer space.
More on why shortcuts count: Convenience ingredients are accessibility tools.
Substitutions and allergens
- Butter: swap it for avocado oil or coconut oil, using the same 3 tbsp.
- Almond flour: almond meal works, but it adds a slight bitterness.
- Spice kit: use another Gourmet Spice Kits blend, or 1 tbsp of your favourite dried herbs, such as chives.
- Guilt Free Ranch or French Onion: classic flavours with cheese.
- Greek Obsession or Middle Eastern Kebabs: a more Mediterranean flavour.
- Cheese: any cheese works. Cheddar gives a rich, cheesy flavour and is available everywhere. Combinations of feta, mozzarella and parmesan have been tested too.
- Greek yoghurt: sour cream or cottage cheese swaps in 1:1. Blend cottage cheese until smooth first. Silken tofu should also swap 1:1 once blended, but it hasn’t been tested in this recipe.
- Baking powder: ordinary supermarket baking powder (McKenzie’s, for example) works. Adding 1 tsp of baking soda to the dry ingredients gives a similar fluffy effect.
- Protein boost (optional): add one scoop (about 30 g) of unflavoured whey protein isolate to the dry mix. It contains milk.
Allergen notes
- Tree nuts: the almond flour. No nut-free version has been tested.
- Egg: two eggs. No egg-free version has been tested.
- Milk: butter, Greek yoghurt, cheddar and parmesan, plus whey protein isolate if you add it.
- Gluten: the ingredients we use are gluten free. Check the labels if you swap brands or products. The almond flour we link to is packed on equipment that also processes lupin, egg, milk and sesame.
Equipment and easier alternatives
- Air fryer: bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes.
- Oven: preheat to 180°C, then bake for about 15 minutes.
- Muffin tray: a silicone tray, or paper liners in a muffin tin, both work.
- Microwave: melts the butter in 20 seconds. Swap the butter for avocado oil and you can skip it.
Storage, freezing and reheating
- Fridge: cool completely within 2 hours, then keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days at 5°C or below.
- Freezer: yes, they’re freezer friendly. Cool them completely within 2 hours, then freeze for up to 3 months. More freezer friendly recipes.
- Reheating: from frozen, microwave for 20–30 seconds, until steaming hot all the way through. If it isn’t, add 10 seconds at a time. Reheat once only. If you’d rather not microwave from frozen, thaw in the fridge, eat within 24 hours and don’t refreeze.
Frequently asked questions
Can I freeze cheesy Italian muffins?
Yes. They’re freezer friendly, so doubling or tripling the batch works well. Microwave one from frozen for 20–30 seconds, until steaming hot all the way through.
Can I bake them in the oven instead of the air fryer?
Yes. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. The air fryer takes about 10 minutes at 180°C.
Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour?
Yes, but it adds a slight bitterness.
Can I make them without butter?
Yes. Swap it for avocado oil or coconut oil. Avocado oil also means you can skip the microwave.
What can I use instead of Greek yoghurt?
Sour cream or cottage cheese, 1:1. Blend cottage cheese until smooth first.
What else can I make with almond flour and cheese?
Keto Cheesy Baaps use a similar almond flour dough to make savoury, bread-style rolls.
Cheesy Italian Muffins (Future-You's Freezer Stash)
Equipment
- Air Fryer (or Oven) or Oven
- Mini Whisk
- Silicon Muffin Tray or Liners
- Microwave
Ingredients
Dry mix
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tsp baking powder Bob's Red Mill, double acting
- ½ cup grated cheddar
- ¼ cup grated parmesan
- 1 tbsp GSK Cheesy Carbonara (Gourmet Spice Kits)
Wet mix
- 3 tbsp butter melted
- ¼ cup Greek yoghurt
- 2 large eggs
Instructions
Prepare
- Oven only: preheat the oven to 180°C. Skip this step if you're using the air fryer.
- Set 6 muffin liners in a muffin tin, or have a silicone muffin tray ready.
Make the wet mix
- Add 3 tbsp butter to a microwave-safe jug.
- Microwave for 20 seconds, until melted.
- Add the Greek yoghurt and 2 eggs to the jug.
- Whisk until the mixture is one colour with no streaks of egg. Set aside.
Make the dry mix
- In a medium bowl, add the almond flour, baking powder, cheddar, parmesan and spice kit.
- Stir until the spice kit is evenly through the mix.
Combine
- Pour the wet mix into the dry mix.
- Stir until no dry flour is left.
- Divide the mix evenly between the 6 muffin liners.
Bake: air fryer
- Bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Bake: oven
- Bake at 180°C for about 15 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Notes
- Storage: fridge up to 3 days in an airtight container (5°C or below). Freezer friendly: cool completely within 2 hours, then freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat from frozen in the microwave for 20–30 seconds, until steaming hot all the way through. Reheat once only.
- Key swap: use avocado oil instead of butter (same 3 tbsp) to skip the microwave.
Nutrition
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A final spoon-saving note
Bake the second batch while the bowl’s already out. The extra effort is close to nothing, and a freezer with muffins in it removes one decision on the days when decisions are the hard part.
