These feta spinach muffins are suitable for those who love a savoury breakfast, or even just a delicious snack recipe. The spinach and feta provide flavours like those filo pastries, but in a meal prep friendly way (with tips on how to store, reheat and freeze) so you can enjoy them all week.
TL;DR
- Prep time: 5 minutes Cook time: 29 minutes (large muffins)
- Makes: 11 large muffins
- Store for up to 3-4 days (fridge) or 2-3 months (freezer
- Customise with different cheeses, herbs or veggies (try sundried tomatoes!!)
- Top Tip: Always squeeze out spinach moisture - it makes or breaks the muffin texture.
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Why you'll love this recipe
Muffins. These muffins are cheesy and a great snack recipe like my eggless blueberry muffins with yogurt and protein zucchini chocolate muffins.
Savoury breakfast meal prep. Bake a batch on Sunday and you've got breakfast or lunch sorted. They're as breakfast prep-friendly as our chorizo egg burritos or protein bagels.
Salvage leftover spinach. I recommend frozen spinach (because it doesn't have to be fresh), but if you have some wilted spinach that needs using, sauté and use in these muffins.
Ingredients and substitutions
Self-raising flour. Gives muffins their lift without needing baking powder. You can swap with plain flour + baking powder.
Frozen spinach. I have a bag in my freezer at all times for recipes like this and my sheet pan egg English muffins. But, make sure you squeeze out the excess liquid so your muffins aren't soggy!
You can swap with fresh spinach, but either chop it up or sauté so they fit nicely in the muffin mixture.
Parmesan and feta. You can use any parmesan (although I recommend fresh) and feta you want for these.
Milk. I've used dairy-milk as well as soy and both have worked well.
You could also use oat, but I would recommend avoiding almond as it could change the flavour and it's a lot more watery so could change the texture.
Greek yogurt. Substitute with another plain yogurt of your choice. For dairy-free, I would recommend a lactose-free Greek yogurt, or a plain oat or soy.
Spring onion and dried oregano. These are my choices to really enhance the flavour. But you could use any type of onion and any dried herb (Italian herbs or rosemary would also work well!)
Please check the recipe card for full list of ingredients and quantity.
How to make feta spinach muffins
Step 1: Preheat oven to 220°C (440°F). Line or grease a muffin tin.
Step 2: Thaw frozen spinach, squeeze out water (you can do this in the microwave for a couple of minutes).
If using fresh spinach, chop finely or sauté in a pan. Then, squeeze out excess liquid.
Step 3: Whisk together wet ingredients (milk, yogurt, egg). Add in flour, oregano, parmesan, salt and pepper until mixed.
Gently fold in spinach, spring onion, and feta.
Step 4: Divide batter into muffin tin filling ¾ of the way up (it'll make 11 large). Bake at 220°C (440°F) for 7 minutes, then lower to 180°C (360°F) for 22 minutes until golden.
Step 5: Cool for 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
Top Tip
High-heat start. The initial high heat gives muffins a quick lift like bakery muffins and then reducing heat avoids burning.
Line the tin. Cheese makes muffins stick, so silicone liners or greased tins are best.
When I used paper, half of them stuck and half of them didn't. But I just ate straight off the paper hahaha.
Meal prepping snacks
When meal prepping snacks I love a bit of variety (as you can see from this lunchbox). Pair with your favourite store-bought snacks and fruit, or you can make more of your own like my carrot cake protein balls or chocolate baked oatmeal.
Storing and reheating muffins
Allow the muffins to cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Add a paper towel at the bottom to absorb excess moisture.
Because of the cheese and Greek yogurt in the muffins, you don't want to store these at room temperature as it could create a bacteria risk.
You can reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds to give off that freshly baked vibe.
Freezing spinach feta muffins
Wrap individual muffins in cling wrap or aluminium to prevent frost burn. You can put them all in a large ziplock bag, but make sure there's no air left.
They'll last 2-3 months frozen.
They might defrost slightly soggy, but I found if I reheated them they perked back up.
Thaw in the fridge overnight or reheat when you want to eat.
If you want more meal prep information, check out my Meal Prep for Beginners post and my Meal Prep Basics E-Book.
FAQs
The most common culprit is excess water from spinach. Frozen spinach especially holds a lot of liquid, so it's crucial to thaw completely and squeeze it dry in a clean tea towel or paper towel before mixing in.
Overmixing the batter can also make muffins dense and wet in the centre.
Finally, under-baking (not giving them enough time at the reduced 180 °C stage) can leave the insides raw while the outside looks done. A toothpick should come out clean when they're ready.
These muffins are versatile. Try sun-dried tomatoes for a Mediterranean vibe, roasted red peppers for sweetness, or cooked bacon or ham for extra protein. You can also toss in herbs like basil or dill, or seeds (pumpkin, sesame) sprinkled on top for crunch. The key is not to overload the batter - ½ to ¾ cup of extras total is plenty.
Other savoury breakfast recipes you'll love
Or, you can have a browse through my savoury breakfast recipes for more delicious eats.
Recipe
Feta Spinach Muffins
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Ingredients
- 375 g (3 cups) self-raising flour, subs note 1
- 250 g (9 oz) frozen spinach, thawed, subs and info note 2
- 200 g (7 oz) feta
- 40 g (½ cups) parmesan
- 330 g (1 ⅓ cups) milk, of choice
- 60 g (¼ cups) Greek yogurt, or dairy-free option
- 1 egg
- 10 g (2 tablespoon) spring onion
- 10 g (2 tablespoon) dried oregano
- salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 220°C (440°F). Line or grease a muffin tin.I recommend silicone liners as the cheese can stick to the paper (but it's not horrible if they're all you have).
- Thaw 250 g (9 oz) frozen spinach in the microwave (approx. 1-2 minutes), squeeze out water. If using fresh spinach, chop finely or sauté on the stove. Then, squeeze out excess liquid.
- Grate: 40 g (½ cups) parmesanCrumble: 200 g (7 oz) fetaThinly slice: 10 g (2 tablespoon) spring onion
Make muffins
- In a large bowl, whisk together 330 g (1 ⅓ cups) milk, 60 g (¼ cups) Greek yogurt, 1 egg. Add in 375 g (3 cups) self-raising flour, 40 g (½ cups) parmesan, 10 g (2 tablespoon) dried oregano, salt and pepper until combined.
- Gently fold in 250 g (9 oz) frozen spinach, 10 g (2 tablespoon) spring onion and 200 g (7 oz) feta.
- Divide batter into muffin tin filling ¾ of the way up (it'll make 11 large).
Bake
- Bake at 220°C (440°F) for 7 minutes, then lower to 180°C (360°F) for 22 minutes until golden.The change in temperature helps it rise at the beginning and then cook throughout during the rest of the time.
- Cool for 5 minutes in pan, then transfer to a wire rack.
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