- Prep5 min
- Cook10 min
- Freezer friendlyyes
Breakfast at my place is a mid-morning event, once the first coffee has done its job. By then I want something I can eat with no cutlery and no fuss. These keto cheese and chive muffins are my go-to most weekdays: a jug, a bowl, about five minutes of effort, then ten minutes in the air fryer.
Bought grated cheese and dried chives mean there’s no chopping at all. Double the batch and freeze half, so there’s a muffin waiting on the days I haven’t got the spoons to bake.
Can I manage this today?
- Spoon rating: 🥄🥄 Low Spoons
- Hands-on time: about 5 minutes, plus 10 minutes in the air fryer (15 in the oven) while you do something else
- Main effort: whisking the wet mix and dividing it between six muffin cases
- Chopping: none, with bought grated cheese and dried chives
- Standing and attention: about 5 minutes at the bench (you can do it seated at a table if that’s easier), then only the timer to watch
- Washing up: a microwave-safe jug, a mixing bowl, a whisk, measuring cups and a muffin tray (or just liners)
Quick spoon check
- No-spoons version: reheat a muffin from a previous batch for 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave.
- Low-spoon version: bake as written with bought grated cheese and dried chives, and use avocado oil instead of melting the butter.
- As written: melt the butter, whisk the wet mix, stir it through the dry mix and bake.
Leigh’s notes
Breakfast is a take-it-or-leave-it meal for me. These muffins are my default because they’re very hard to get wrong. Almond flour can’t be overworked, so I don’t have to think about how hard I’m mixing, which suits a brain that hasn’t finished its first coffee.
They’re also a handy base. I’ve added chorizo, bacon and ham, and swapped the chives for chilli flakes to make chilli cheese muffins.
Protein is where I get nerdy. I’m often short on appetite, so I make a conscious effort to prioritise it when I do eat (why pain and appetite clash). A scoop of unflavoured whey protein isolate adds about 4.5 g per muffin, and it’s less mentally gruelling than eating a big steak. Greek yoghurt instead of sour cream helps less than it sounds: roughly 6 to 10 g protein per 100 g against 2 to 3 g, but shared across six muffins that’s about half a gram each, on my rough maths. If you buy high-protein yoghurts, check the carbs on the label first. That’s what works for me, not a prescription.
Why this recipe works
- The mix is forgiving. Almond flour has no gluten to toughen, so you can’t overwork it.
- Double-acting baking powder lifts the muffins in two stages, once when it meets the wet mix and again in the heat, which gives a lighter crumb.
- Butter, sour cream and cheese keep the inside moist and rich, with a golden, cheesy top.
- It’s a savoury base you can change: chorizo, bacon, ham or chilli flakes have all gone in mine.
Ingredients at a glance
- Almond flour: the base. It’s ground almonds, so there’s no wheat flour in the mix.
- Double-acting baking powder: lifts the muffins in two stages.
- Eggs: bind the mix and help it rise.
- Sour cream: moisture and a little tang.
- Butter: richness and flavour.
- Cheddar: flavour, plus the golden top.
- Dried chives: a mild onion flavour with no chopping.
No Spoon Swaps
- Bought grated cheese: skips the grating. It usually has a little cellulose or starch added to stop it clumping, and I haven’t noticed it in these. More on why convenience ingredients count.
- Dried chives: no chopping, and they last in the pantry. Fresh works too, so use whichever you’ve got.
- Avocado oil instead of butter: no microwave and no melting. The trade-off is flavour, because I prefer butter here.
- Whatever cheese is in the fridge: cheddar is the easy one, but feta, mozzarella and parmesan combinations have all worked for me.
- A double or triple batch: one lot of mess for several breakfasts. You’ll need a bigger bowl and some freezer space.
Substitutions and allergens
- Butter: avocado oil or coconut oil, same amount.
- Almond flour: almond meal works, but it adds a slight bitterness.
- Chives: fresh or dried, or leave them out. For chilli cheese muffins, use chilli flakes instead.
- Cheese: any cheese. Cheddar is the everyday option.
- Sour cream: Greek yoghurt or cottage cheese (blended smooth), 1:1. Coconut cream also swaps 1:1, with a slight coconut flavour. Buttermilk swaps 1:1 but adds carbs from the lactose. I haven’t tested silken tofu in this recipe.
- Baking powder: supermarket baking powder such as McKenzie’s does the job. I use Bob’s Red Mill Double Acting Baking Powder, which is labelled gluten free with no added aluminium. You can sometimes find it in the health food section at Woolworths and Coles. I buy it online at iHerb because it’s cheaper and always in stock. You can also shop through our iHerb wishlist.
- Protein boost: add one scoop (about 30 g) of unflavoured whey protein isolate to the dry mix for roughly 4.5 g more protein per muffin. I use California Gold Nutrition Whey Protein Isolate. The card’s nutrition is for the recipe as written, without it.
Allergen notes
- Tree nuts: almond flour. The brand linked on the card is packed on equipment that also processes lupin, egg, milk and sesame, so check your own packet.
- Egg: two eggs per batch.
- Milk: butter, cheese and sour cream. Whey protein isolate also contains milk.
- Coconut: only if you use the coconut cream or coconut oil swaps.
- Gluten: there’s no wheat flour in the recipe. Check your baking powder label if you need it gluten free.
Equipment and easier alternatives
- Air fryer or oven: the air fryer bakes at 180°C for about 10 minutes, the oven at 180°C for about 15 minutes. If bending to an oven is the hard part, the air fryer avoids it.
- Muffin tray or liners: a silicone muffin tray or paper liners both work.
- Jug and whisk: a microwave-safe jug melts the butter and holds the wet mix, and a mini whisk does the mixing.
Storage, freezing and reheating
- Fridge: let them cool, then refrigerate within 2 hours. Keep them in an airtight container at 5°C or below and eat within 3 days.
- Freezer: yes, up to 3 months. Cool completely and freeze within 2 hours of baking.
- Reheating: microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, until steaming hot all the way through. If the middle is still cool, add 10 seconds at a time. From frozen, thaw in the fridge first, use within 24 hours and don’t refreeze. Reheat once only.
Serving ideas
- Eat one warm from the microwave, no cutlery needed.
- For a bigger breakfast, add a boiled egg or a couple of rashers of bacon. For a savoury muffin with veg in it, try the Beetroot Egg Muffins.
- With coffee, naturally. In my case, usually the second one.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make keto cheese and chive muffins in the oven?
Yes. Preheat the oven to 180°C (fan-forced), put the liners in a muffin tin and bake for about 15 minutes, until golden brown. In an air fryer at 180°C it takes about 10 minutes.
Can I freeze keto cheese and chive muffins?
Yes, for up to 3 months. Cool them first, then freeze within 2 hours of baking. Thaw in the fridge, use within 24 hours and don’t refreeze.
Can I use almond meal instead of almond flour?
Yes, but it adds a slight bitterness. Almond flour is what I use.
What can I use instead of sour cream?
Greek yoghurt or cottage cheese (blended smooth) swaps 1:1. Coconut cream also works, with a slight coconut flavour.
Can I add more protein?
Yes. One scoop (about 30 g) of unflavoured whey protein isolate in the dry mix adds about 4.5 g per muffin, and I haven’t noticed a change in taste or texture. If you’re wondering how much protein you need, my macros guide covers it.
Do I need double-acting baking powder?
No. Regular supermarket baking powder such as McKenzie’s does the job. I prefer double-acting for a lighter texture.
Keto Cheese & Chive Muffins (Breakfast, Minus the Cutlery)
Equipment
- Silicone muffin tray or paper liners
- Mini Whisk
- Microwave
Ingredients
Dry ingredients
- 1 cup almond flour
- 2 tsp Bob's Red Mill Double Acting Baking Powder
- ½ cup cheddar cheese, grated
- 1 tbsp dried chives
Wet ingredients
- 3 tbsp butter
- 2 large eggs
- ¼ cup sour cream
Instructions
Get set up
- Set out 6 muffin liners or a silicone muffin tray. If you're using the oven, preheat it to 180°C (fan-forced) and put the liners in a muffin tin.
Make the wet mix
- Put the butter in the jug and microwave for 20 seconds, until melted.
- Add the sour cream and eggs to the jug.
- Whisk until the mix looks even, with no streaks of egg.
Make the dry mix
- Put the almond flour, baking powder, cheese and chives in the bowl.
- Stir to combine.
Mix and bake
- Pour the wet mix into the dry mix.
- Stir until no dry flour is left.
- Divide the mix between the 6 liners.
- Air fryer: bake at 180°C for about 10 minutes, until golden brown on top.
- Oven: bake at 180°C for about 15 minutes, until golden brown on top.
Notes
- Fridge: airtight container, up to 3 days. Freezer: up to 3 months. Reheat in the microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, until steaming hot all the way through.
- Key swap: use the same amount of avocado oil instead of butter to skip the microwave.
- Nutrition is per muffin as written, without protein powder.
Nutrition
Made this? Tap a star.
Tap a star to rate. A name and email are only needed if you add a note.
How were your spoons with this one?
Tap one. It helps us check our spoon ratings. No name or email needed.
We only use this to check our ratings.
Liked this one?
Get a low-spoon recipe in your inbox each week
Easy, energy-saving dinners and the occasional guide. No spam, unsubscribe any time.
A final spoon-saving note
Bake the double batch. Put a few in the fridge for the next three days and freeze the rest. Then on the day the spoon drawer is empty, breakfast is 20 to 30 seconds in the microwave and a coffee. Probably my second.
