You can make these savory muffins in the air fryer or oven--you choose! The muffins are full of cheese--cheddar and Parmesan--and a little spinach adds interest as well as flavor that complements the sharp cheddar and nutty-salty Parmesan. The addition of Italian herbs makes the muffins smell wonderful as they cook. The muffins are great with any meal of the day or for a simple snack, perhaps with a piece of cheese alongside. I use white whole-wheat flour in the muffins for whole-grain flavor and health benefits, but you can use all-purpose flour (or a combination), if you'd prefer. The muffins will be lighter and rise higher with the all-purpose flour.
Cheesy Spinach Muffins -- Makes 12
1/4 cup of canola oil
1 egg
3/4 cup of low-fat milk
1/4 cup of cooked chopped spinach
1 teaspoon of Italian herbs
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 tablespoon of minced dried onion
1 1/4 cup of white whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
Oven Directions: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees and coat the wells of a 12-cup muffin tin with non-stick cooking spray or line the tin with cupcake papers and spritz the papers with a little non-stick spray. In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, and milk. Stir in the spinach, herbs, garlic powder, and minced dried onion until everything is well combined. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until just moistened. Stir in the cheeses until distributed throughout the batter. Divide the batter among the muffin tins. Bake the muffins for 18-24 minutes or until golden brown. The muffins are best served warm.
Air Fryer Directions: Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees and coat 12 small ramekins with non-stick cooking spray (or coat however many you have, knowing you have to re-use them after the first batch bakes, which, from personal experience, I can tell you works just fine!). In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, egg, and milk. Stir in the spinach, herbs, garlic powder, and minced dried onion until everything is well combined. Stir in the flour, baking powder, and salt until just moistened. Stir in the cheeses until distributed throughout the batter. Fill the ramekins about half full. Put 4-6 ramekins in the air fryer basket and cook them for 12-15 minutes until golden. Let the muffins cool a few minutes and turn them out to cool completely. Repeat the cooking/cooling process with the remaining batter, reusing the ramekins as necessary (you may need to spritz them again with cooking spray between batches).
