Za'atar Halloumi Yogurt Muffins
Tender, tangy savory muffins scented with za'atar and olive oil, studded with salty halloumi cubes and scallions. The cheese browns on top and stays pleasantly chewy inside. Serve them warm with breakfast eggs, alongside soup, or tucked into a lunchbox.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 22 min
- Wait
- 15 min
- Total
- 1 hr 2 min
- Makes
- 12 standard muffins
Steps
Before you start
- Take the eggs, yogurt and milk out of the fridge about 30 minutes ahead so they mix smoothly into the batter.
- Halloumi is very salty, so this recipe uses only a little added salt. Taste your za'atar: if it is already salty, keep the salt at the lower end.
- Pat the halloumi very dry before cubing. Surface moisture makes the muffins gummy around the cheese.
- Preheat the oven fully before filling the tin so the muffins get an immediate rise.
Preheat and line tinOven 375°F / 190°C
- Position an oven rack in the center and preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C).
- Line all 12 cups of a standard muffin tin with paper or silicone liners.
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Ready when: Oven reaches 375°F (190°C) and the tin is fully lined.
Tip: Use an oven thermometer if your oven runs hot; savory muffins with cheese brown quickly.
Mix dry ingredients
- In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, black pepper and 3 tablespoons za'atar for about 30 seconds, until the za'atar is evenly speckled through the flour.
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Ready when: No clumps of baking soda or za'atar remain and the mixture looks evenly flecked green-brown.
Prep the halloumi
- Blot both pieces of halloumi thoroughly with paper towels.
- Cut 170 g (6 oz) into ¼-inch (6 mm) cubes and coarsely grate the remaining 55 g (2 oz).
- Slice the scallions.
- Add the cubed halloumi and scallions to the dry mixture and toss with your fingers so every piece is coated in flour.
- Keep the grated cheese separate for topping.
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Ready when: Cheese cubes and scallions are coated in flour and separated, not stuck in clumps.
Tip: Coating the cubes in flour keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the muffins.
Whisk wet ingredients
- In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs until streaky.
- Add the yogurt, milk, olive oil and lemon zest and whisk for about 1 minute until completely smooth and uniform.
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Ready when: The liquid is smooth with no visible streaks of egg or yogurt, and the oil doesn't float in a separate layer.
Tip: Cold ingredients make the olive oil seize into little droplets, so make sure they have lost their chill.
Fold batter together
- Pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture.
- With a rubber spatula, fold gently, scraping the bottom of the bowl, for about 12 to 15 strokes, just until no dry flour remains.
- The batter will be thick and slightly lumpy.
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Ready when: No dry flour streaks are visible; a few small lumps are fine.
Tip: Stop mixing as soon as the flour disappears. Overmixing develops gluten and gives tough, tunneled muffins.
Fill and top
- Divide the batter among the 12 liners using a large scoop or spoon, about 90 g (a heaping ⅓ cup) each, filling them nearly to the top.
- Sprinkle the grated halloumi evenly over the tops, then dust with the 2 teaspoons za'atar and the sesame seeds, if using.
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Ready when: Each liner is about nine-tenths full with an even, domed layer of batter and topping.
Tip: Press the topping very lightly into the batter so it doesn't slide off when the muffins rise.
Bake until goldenOven 375°F / 190°C
- Bake on the center rack at 375°F (190°C) for 20 to 24 minutes.
- Rotate the tin front to back after 12 minutes if your oven browns unevenly.
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Ready when: Tops are deep golden with browned cheese, the centers spring back when pressed, and a toothpick inserted into the batter (avoiding a cheese cube) comes out clean.
Tip: A toothpick that hits melted halloumi will look smeary; test a spot between the cheese pieces.
Cool and serve
- Let the muffins sit in the tin for 10 minutes so they firm up, then lift them out onto a wire rack.
- Cool at least 5 more minutes before eating; they are best warm, when the halloumi is soft and chewy.
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Ready when: Muffins lift out easily without crumbling and are warm rather than steaming hot.
Tip: Don't leave them in the tin longer than 10 minutes or steam will make the liners soggy.
Good to know
Tips
- Don't skip patting the halloumi dry; wet cheese leaves gray, gummy pockets in the crumb.
- Fill the liners nearly to the top for tall, bakery-style domes; the thick yogurt batter holds its shape.
- Warm the muffins briefly before serving and drizzle with a little extra olive oil, or split and serve with labneh and sliced tomato or cucumber.
- Add a pinch of Aleppo pepper or chili flakes to the dry ingredients for gentle heat.
Make ahead
Bake the muffins up to 1 day ahead and reheat before serving. You can also whisk the dry ingredients (flour through za'atar) and the wet ingredients separately, cover, and refrigerate the wet mix up to 12 hours; bring to cool room temperature, then combine and bake.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature in an airtight container: up to 1 day. Refrigerator: up to 4 days. Freezer: up to 2 months, wrapped individually in plastic then placed in a freezer bag. Reheat refrigerated muffins in a 325°F (160°C) oven for 8 to 10 minutes, or from frozen for 15 to 18 minutes, until warm throughout. A microwave works in a pinch (20 to 30 seconds) but softens the top.
Substitutions
- halloumi → Feta (crumbled) or firm mozzarella cubes. Feta gives a tangier, softer pocket of cheese and is saltier, so reduce the added salt to ¼ teaspoon. Mozzarella melts completely rather than staying chewy.
- plain whole-milk yogurt → Buttermilk or labneh thinned with milk. Use 1 cup (240 ml) buttermilk, or 1 cup labneh thinned with 2 tablespoons milk; the muffins will be similarly tender.
- za'atar → 1 tablespoon dried thyme, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds and 1 teaspoon ground sumac per 3 tablespoons. A quick homemade stand-in if you have no ready-made blend.
- all-purpose flour → Half whole-wheat flour. Replace up to 140 g (1 cup + 1 tbsp) with whole-wheat flour for a nuttier muffin; add 1 tablespoon extra milk if the batter seems stiff.