Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Muffins
Tender, tangy buttermilk muffins packed with chewy sun-dried tomatoes, briny Kalamata olives, fresh basil, and nutty Parmesan, with a crisp cheesy top. Serve them warm with soup or salad, or tuck them into a lunchbox.
- Prep
- 22 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 59 min
- Makes
- 12 standard muffins
Steps
Before you start
- Take the eggs and buttermilk out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead so they mix smoothly and the batter stays light.
- Use oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained. If you only have dry-packed ones, soak them in boiling water for 10 minutes, drain, and squeeze dry.
- Use pitted Kalamata olives, and check the jar for stray pits. Olives and Parmesan are salty, so the recipe uses less salt than a typical muffin.
- Finely grate the Parmesan from a block if you can. It melts into the batter better than pre-shredded cheese.
Heat oven, prep tinOven 375°F / 190°C
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375°F (190°C).
- Line a 12-cup muffin tin with paper liners, or brush each cup with olive oil.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 375°F (190°C) and the tin is ready.
Tip: Greased cups without liners give crispier edges, but the muffins release more easily from liners.
Dry the add-ins
- Spread the drained sun-dried tomatoes and olives on a double layer of paper towels and pat firmly.
- Chop the tomatoes into ¼-inch (6 mm) pieces, roughly chop the olives, and thinly slice the basil.
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Ready when: Tomatoes and olives feel tacky, not oily or wet, when pressed.
Tip: Wet add-ins bleed oil and brine into the batter and sink to the bottom of the muffins.
Whisk dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and the ¾ cup (60 g) Parmesan for the batter for 30 seconds, breaking up any cheese clumps.
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Ready when: Mixture looks evenly speckled with no clumps of cheese or leavener.
Whisk wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until smooth, then whisk in the buttermilk and olive oil until fully combined and slightly frothy, about 30 seconds.
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Ready when: Mixture is uniform with no streaks of egg or separated oil.
Tip: Cold buttermilk can make the oil clump into small beads. Room temperature prevents this.
Combine gently
- Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour in the wet mixture.
- Fold with a rubber spatula just until the flour disappears, about 12 to 15 strokes.
- The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
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Ready when: No dry flour streaks remain, and a few small lumps are fine.
Tip: Overmixing develops gluten and makes tough, tunneled muffins. Stop as soon as the flour is incorporated.
Fold in flavor
- Add the tomatoes, olives, and basil.
- Fold 4 to 6 times, just until evenly distributed through the batter.
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Ready when: Tomato and olive pieces are scattered evenly with no clusters.
Fill and top
- Divide the batter among the 12 cups, using about ⅓ cup (80 ml) each so the cups are filled nearly to the top.
- Sprinkle the ¼ cup (20 g) topping Parmesan evenly over the muffins, about 1 level teaspoon each.
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Ready when: Each cup is filled to just below the rim with a mounded top.
Tip: An ice cream scoop gives uniform muffins that bake at the same rate.
Bake the muffinsOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake at 375°F (190°C) on the center rack for 20 to 24 minutes.
- Rotate the tin front to back after 12 minutes for even browning.
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Ready when: Tops are deep golden with browned cheese, spring back when lightly pressed, and a toothpick in the center comes out clean (an olive or tomato smear is fine).
Tip: Don't open the oven in the first 12 minutes, or the muffins may not dome properly.
Cool and release
- Let the muffins cool in the tin for 5 minutes, then lift them onto a wire rack.
- Cool for at least 10 more minutes before serving so the crumb sets and the cheese crisps.
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Ready when: Muffins release cleanly and feel warm, not hot, in the hand.
Tip: Leaving muffins in the hot tin longer than 5 minutes traps steam and softens the bottoms.
Good to know
Tips
- Pat the tomatoes and olives dry. This stops oil and brine from streaking the batter and keeps the pieces evenly suspended.
- For bakery-style domed tops, fill the cups nearly full and bake on the center rack without opening the oven early.
- A thick batter is normal. If it looks wet like cake batter, the flour was probably under-measured, so spoon and level it next time.
- Serve warm with butter, whipped feta, or cream cheese. They also pair well with tomato soup or a green salad.
Make ahead
Bake the muffins up to 1 day ahead and store as directed below. You can also measure the dry ingredients and mix the wet ingredients separately the night before. Cover the wet mixture and refrigerate it, then combine, fold in the add-ins, and bake the next day.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: airtight container up to 2 days. Refrigerator: up to 5 days. Freezer: wrap individually and freeze up to 3 months. Reheat from room temperature at 350°F (175°C) for 8 to 10 minutes, from frozen for 15 to 18 minutes, or microwave a thawed muffin for 15 to 20 seconds.
Substitutions
- buttermilk → plain whole-milk yogurt thinned with milk, or milk with lemon juice. Use ¾ cup (180 g) plain yogurt plus ¼ cup (60 ml) milk. Or stir 1 tablespoon lemon juice into 1 cup (240 ml) milk and let it sit for 5 minutes.
- Parmesan cheese → Pecorino Romano or aged Asiago. Pecorino is saltier, so reduce the salt to ½ teaspoon.
- fresh basil leaves → 1 tablespoon dried basil or oregano, or 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley. Add dried herbs to the dry ingredients so they distribute evenly.
- all-purpose flour → 1:1 gluten-free all-purpose baking blend. Let the batter rest for 10 minutes before filling the tin. The muffins will be slightly more delicate.