Savory Breakfast Muffins

Name: Savory Breakfast Muffins
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: Cooking spray; 2 tablespoons olive oil or avocado oil, divided; 1/2 lb cooked, drained, and crumbled breakfast sausage (sub: 1 cup diced ham); 1 medium-sized green or red pepper, finely chopped; 1/2 medium-sized onion, finely chopped; Salt and pepper; 2 cups all-purpose baking mix like Biscuit (see homemade and gluten-free options in Cooking Notes); 1 cup yellow cornmeal; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 3 large eggs; 1 1/2 cups buttermilk (see Cooking Notes); 5 tablespoons melted salted butter; 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

4.8 /5

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By: Rachel TiemeyerPosted: 6/5/24Updated: 7/29/24

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Our hearty Savory Breakfast Muffins, also known as “Bisquick Sausage Muffins” to some, are the perfect grab-and-go morning meal for a wholesome start to your day. They are a cornbread-type muffin with meat, eggs, cheese, and vegetables in them.

“Great flavor and perfect to fill the freezer so your kiddo can grab and go with a hearty option to catch the early bus! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️” -KViall

Cornmeal muffins in a muffin pan, fresh from the oven.

Table of Contents

Why We Love This Recipe

They are a great make-ahead breakfast recipe.
Savory muffins are satiating. The recipe is full of protein and some fiber which will keep you full longer, while being low in sugar.
They are freezer-friendly. I make a big batch and freeze these in freezer bags.
Savory muffins pair perfectly with a smoothie. Try one of our 7 smoothie freezer pack recipes.

Ingredient Notes

Here are the ingredients you’ll need for these breakfast muffins…

Savory breakfast muffin ingredients measured out and labeled.

Ingredient Notes:

Cooking spray – Whether I’m making these Savory Muffins, our Pumpkin Spice Muffins, or our Breakfast Egg Muffins, I prefer to use avocado oil as my spray. It’s healthier than vegetable oil.
All-purpose baking mix – I’ve tested this the most of with the name brand Bisquick baking mix, so that is what will give you the most consistent results with our recipe. But we have homemade and gluten-free options in the cooking notes at the bottom of the recipe!
Buttermilk – If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own! Put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, then add enough milk to equal 1 cup. Stir well and let sit until it curdles, about 5-10 minutes. I use this for our Whole Wheat Buttermilk Biscuits all the time.
Breakfast sausage – You can substitute this with chopped ham or cooked, crumbled bacon. You can also double the amount of meat in the recipe for a heartier muffin, but it will likely take longer to bake.

Variations and Substitutions

You can easily double the amount of meat in these if you want a heartier muffin! They might just take a little longer to bake, though.
Substitute the cooked sausage with diced ham or cooked, crumbled bacon.
Use any color of bell pepper.
Make them gluten-free (instructions for this in the recipe card).

How to Make Savory Breakfast Muffins

Here’s an overview of how these sausage muffins come together, but you can find the full printable recipe at the bottom of this post.

Prep

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray one or two regular muffin tins (this recipe makes 17 muffins) with cooking spray and set aside.

Cook Sausage, Onion, and Pepper

Heat the oil in a medium-sized saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmery. Saute the onion and peppers for 4-5 minutes, until softened. Set aside.

Ground breakfast sausage being browned in a cast iron skillet.

Chopped onions and green peppers sauteing in a cast iron skillet.

Prepare Dry Ingredients

Whisk together the baking mix, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and garlic powder in a large bowl.

Someone whisking dry ingredients together in a white bowl.

Prepare Wet Ingredients

In another bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and butter. Stir in the sausage or ham, bell pepper, onion, and cheese to this wet mixture until combined.

Eggs, melted butter, and buttermilk in a bowl with a whisk next to it.

A mixing bowl with all the ingredients for savory breakfast muffins dumped in ready to be mixed together.

Mix Wet & Dry Ingredients

Make a well in the middle of the dry ingredients. Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and stir just until combined (do not over-mix).

Sauteed onions, peppers, and breakfast sausage being mixed into cheddar cheese, eggs, and buttermilk with a spoon.

Fill Muffin Tin

Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin tins, filling three-fourths of the way up.

A hand using an ice cream scoop to place muffin batter in a greased muffin tin.

Bake

Bake for 15-20 minutes. Muffins are done when an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow to cool in pans for a couple minutes and then turn out onto a cooling rack.

Cornmeal muffins on a cooling rack with bowls of cheddar cheese and chopped green pepper next to them.

Muffin Pan Tip

I highly recommend using a non-toxic, non-stick pan like this Caraway Muffin Pan. The muffins fall right out and clean up is a cinch! Note: This pan does bake a little faster than other pans, so check it on the early end of the baking time.

Caraway Non-Stick Muffin Pan

Freezing Instructions

Freeze For Later: Bake and let the muffins cool completely. Then place in a single layer in a gallon-sized freezer bag. Squeeze out excess air and seal. Freeze for up to 3 months.

Prepare From Frozen: Wrap an individual frozen muffin in a moist paper towel. Microwave on high for 30-second increments until warmed through (usually about 1 1/2 minutes total).

Cornmeal muffins in a freezer bag labeled Savory Breakfast Muffins.

FAQs

What meat options can I use in savory breakfast muffins?

Crumbled and browned breakfast sausage (pork or turkey), cooked and crumbled bacon, or chopped deli ham would all work.

What can I use in place of the all purpose baking mix?

To avoid sugar, trans fats, and additives in a store-bought baking mix like Bisquick, try making your own with pantry ingredients. Here’s how:

To a food processor, add 2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 tablespoon baking powder, 1 teaspoon salt, and 2 tablespoons cold butter. Pulse until combined and course crumbs form.

What if I don’t have buttermilk on hand?

If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own! Put 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or white vinegar in a measuring cup, then add enough milk to equal 1 cup. Stir well and let sit until it curdles, about 5 minutes.

Can I use a different cheese?

Sure, use what you like! These are great with shredded pepper jack cheese.

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Three savory breakfast muffins stacked together on plates with chopped green onion sprinkled on them.

Savory breakfast muffins in a muffin pan with most of them turned sideways to cool.

Rachel Tiemeyer

As co-founder of Thriving Home, Rachel dreams about creating recipes (literally) and uses her husband, her 3 kids, and even the neighbors as guinea pigs several nights a week. She believes that good food has the power to bring families and friends closer together and continues to wake up excited about her job each day, even after 10+ years!