These savory muffins feature surprising ingredients that make them a good choice for breakfast or dinner. When you need a breakfast meal that’s easy to grab and go, muffins are a good bet. But some people dislike sweets in the morning. These kale muffins give you the ease of muffins without the sweetness. And for dinner? Serve them alongside a hearty bowl of soup or chili and you’ve got a complete meal.
Originally contributed by Shannon Stonger in April 2018; this post has been updated.
Growing leafy greens like kale is fairly simple, doesn’t take too much space to fill all of your leafy green needs, and is a simple way to buy less and save on food packaging. It can also give you more of those nutritious powerhouse leaves than you know what to do with.
Once you’ve exhausted the stir-fries and soups and salads and chips, it’s time to think outside of the box.
Savory Kale Muffins
For a spring meal, a simple soup, fresh salad, and savory muffins filled with garden kale and chives is just the ticket. With basic pantry ingredients, this vegan recipe comes together in a jiffy (with no boxed mix needed).
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Ingredients
Flour — When I bake with all-purpose flour I opt for the unbleached version. Bleached flour is very white, but it’s also treated with bleaching agents that I don’t really need in my food. For whole wheat savory muffins, use whole wheat flour in place of all purpose flour. For a gluten free option, use a 1:1 flour.
Milk — For a vegan muffin opt for a plant-based milk. If you’re not opposed to dairy, your favorite milk will work.
Olive oil — Use a good quality extra virgin olive oil. Avocado oil and vegetable oil will work, too.
Greens — Fresh kale and chives add a savory flavor and help pack some vegetables into your daily fare. Choose full size or baby kale; either works. Of course, any seasonal leafy green works in place of the kale.
Ground flax — This ingredient ups the fiber content of the muffins and acts as an egg replacer, helping to bind the ingredients.
Seasonings — Round out the flavor of these savory muffins with the addition of garlic powder, dry mustard, and salt.
These savory muffins are dairy-free and vegan. If you are not averse to dairy, consider stirring in 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese for extra flavor and protein.
Related: Make These Gluten-Free Apple Cinnamon Muffins for Breakfast
Making these Savory Muffins
Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.
In a separate bowl, combine the milk, olive oil, and ground flax. Allow this mixture to sit while you prepare the kale and chives. Wash and dry the greens well and chop into bite-sized pieces.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, stirring just until combined, then add the kale and chives.
Bake these savory muffins in a regular muffin tin. Or use a mini-muffin tin for fun-sized muffins.
★ Did you make this savory muffin recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below! ★
Savory Vegan Kale and Chive Muffins
These savory muffins feature surprising ingredients that make them a good choice for breakfast or dinner. They're vegan, but adding cheese is an option for those who aren't!
Ingredients
- 2 cups unbleached organic all-purpose flour
- 2-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon each mustard and garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground
- 1-1/4 cups plant-based milk
- 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 Tablespoon ground flax
- 1 cup packed finely chopped kale
- 1/4 cup minced chives
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees and grease a 12-cup muffin tin.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, and seasonings.
- In a separate, smaller bowl, combine the milk, olive oil, and ground flax. Let the flax sit with the wet ingredients for several minutes while you finely chop the kale and mince the chives.
- Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients and mix until nearly combined.
- Stir in the kale and chives and combine all ingredients just until a homogenous stiff batter forms.
- Spoon the batter into the greased twelve muffin cups and place the muffin pan into the preheated oven.
- Bake for 20-23 minutes or until golden brown on top and cooked through. Allow to cool before serving.
Notes
These savory muffins could be made with 2 cups whole wheat flour in place of all purpose and any seasonal leafy green can be used in place of the kale.
Plant based milk options like almond milk, oat milk, or soy milk all work; opt for the plain flavor.
If you are not averse to dairy, consider stirring in 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese for extra flavor and protein.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 12 Serving Size: 1 gramsAmount Per Serving: Calories: 164Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 7mgSodium: 301mgCarbohydrates: 21gFiber: 1gSugar: 4gProtein: 5g
So yummy!! I added more kale, mustard and garlic powders and a cup and a half of extra old cheddar, green onion instead of chives! My favourite Savory muffin so far.
What can be used instead of the oil?
I haven’t tried this with an alternate, sorry!
What temp should I bake at for mini muffins? 425 degrees seems high to me for mini’s. – when I have used other vegan mini muffin recipes with similar ingredients I baked at 350 for 16-18 mins. I welcome your guidance – I only have a mini muffin tin and it is perfect for my child and appetizers for all.
I haven’t made the minis, so can’t give you specifics. Experiment and let us know!
Hi
Recipe calls for: 1 T ground flax is this 1 teaspoon, not tablespoon?
Cheers
Tablespoon
I am about to try this. Would it work if I added a bit of nutritional yeast, for a cheesy taste? Thank you!!
I don’t think adding a bit of nutritional yeast would hurt!
Does the recipe require whole or ground flax?
Ground flax. I’ve clarified that in the recipe – thanks!
I’ve made these muffins several times. So delicious. After first batch I added extra kale-about 3 cups total–really! And I make oatmeal flour in my blender and put about 3/4 c and the rest the flour. Extra kale cause we wanted it 🙂 Added the oatmeal flour just for health a little. Thank you for the recipe. It’s a keeper!
Extra kale for the win!
Tried this after Unnatural Vegan on YouTube recommended it. Really nice, and so easy to make. Will definitely make them again.
Thank you, Shannon! These are beautiful and delicious muffins! I’m going to use this as a base and add a little shredded zucchini or carrot next time. Maybe both! More veggie, more happy!
Hi!
Did you just add more veggies, along with the kale and chives to the recipe as is, or did you have to adjust any other ingredients?