Savoury, nutritious and perfectly tender breakfast corn chia muffins made with pre-cooked white cornmeal, chia seeds & cheddar cheese.
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Much like the gluten free bacon and cheese breakfast muffins that I posted a while back, these cheddar, cornย and chia muffins turned out absolutely perfect! Same kind of light, bouncy texture with a yummy, cheesy, savoury flavour. But without bacon this time and made more nutritious with the addition of chia seeds and cornmeal.
Each muffin is about 245 calories, a great source of proteins as well as many vitamins and minerals (including calcium, B12 and vitamin D) which makes them a great way to kick start the day.ย It’s one of my favourite things to have in the morning alongside other bits and bobs like fruits.
Even though baking can be a little time consuming, I love making these. A big batch can last a while and yields several quick, ready-to-grab breakfasts or snacks so in the long run the convenience makes up for it.
Oh and I knowย chia seeds can be quite expensive (at least they are here in the UK), but I think they’re really worth it. Not just because of how nutritious they are, but their gelatinous texture (when soaked) can really helps in gluten free baking. And since they expand so muchย when soaked in liquid, you don’t have to use a lot. A few tablespoons are usually all it takes so in the end a bag can last a long time.
Having said that, I was really surprised to find some relatively cheap chia seeds in Morrisons the other day so I recommend having a look there first if you have one nearby.
Now on to the recipe. ๐
Cooking time:ย 30-40 minutes
Temperature:ย 180C (356F)
Yields 12 muffins.
Ingredients
- 1 cup cornmeal (I used P.A.N. pre-cooked white cornmeal)
- 1 cup self-raising flour (I used Doves Farm gluten free)
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 Tbsp garlic powder
- 1 Tbsp oregano
- 1 tsp sugar
- 4 Tbsp chia seeds
- 2 cups whole milk (+ maybe a bit more depending on what flour blend you use)
- 4 eggs
- 3 Tbsp salted butter
- 3 Tbsp olive oil
- 1 cup grated mature cheddar cheese
- 1 inch cheddar cheese cubes (optional – to stuff in the middle of each muffin)
Directions
- Pre-heat the oven.
- In a small bowl, mix the chia seeds with 1 cup of milk and let them soak for at least 10 minutes while you get on with the next few steps. This will allow the seeds to absorb some of the liquid, expand and become gelatinous.
- In a mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients (flours, baking powder, sugar, garlic powder and oregano).
- Make a hole in the flour and crack the eggs in. Beat the eggs, add the other cup of milk, olive oil, butter (melted in the microwave first), chia mixture and gradually combine with the dry ingredients. Mix well, either using a spoon, whisk of electric hand mixer on low/medium speed. The amount of liquid required may vary depending on the flour blend you use so at this point feel free to add a bit more milk if necessary. The batter consistency should be relatively thick, but slightly runny.
- Mix in the cup of grated cheese.
- Lay muffin cups in a muffin baking tray and add a spoonful of batter, just enough to fill each cup half way. Add a cheese cube in each and thenย add more batter to fill the rest of the cups. As they are made with cornmeal, these muffins don’t rise very high and therefore need to be filled nearly all the way to the top.
- Bake for 30 to 40 minutes on the middle shelf.
Enjoy!
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