Cheddar, Bacon, and Potato Muffins are a terrific afternoon snack, but they’re also perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast. This vegan muffin recipe is easy to make and comes together in just a few steps. Savory muffins are a great companion to soups and stews, too, and they are a terrific treat for St. Patrick's Day.

Vegan Cheddar, Bacon, and Potato Muffins

I don’t like to watch people cook meat, so I rarely watch The Food Network, but I do subscribe to their magazine. It helps me keep up with food trends, and I can skip over any recipes that I don’t like. I often find inspiration in its recipes, and many times I find myself veganizing some of the dishes I find in it. That’s how this vegan Cheddar, Bacon, and Potato Muffins recipe came about.

The January 2018 issue contained a year’s worth of muffin recipes – one for each month. Each recipe had a festive feel to match the month. February’s was Double-Chocolate Salted Caramel, June’s was S’mores, and November’s was Corn-Chestnut. It was March’s recipe for Irish Cheddar, Bacon and Potato Muffins that caught my eye. While most people like sweet muffins, I tend to favor the savory variety. I knew that with a few swaps, the recipe could be veganized.

muffins in baking tin fresh from the oven

I’ve held on to that recipe from the magazine for over a year. With St. Patrick’s Day on the horizon, I thought it was time to veganize it. Almond milk mixed with apple cider vinegar takes the place of buttermilk, apple sauce stands in for butter (yes, it works!), tempeh bacon is used instead of meaty bacon, and non-dairy cheddar is an easy swap for dairy cheese. I omitted the egg, because it wasn’t necessary, and I left out the sugar, because savory muffins don’t need it. I also changed up the way the potato is cooked, used whole wheat flour instead of white, and added some scallions. So now, my vegan Cheddar, Bacon, and Potato Muffins recipe only vaguely resembles the one that inspired it.

How to Make Vegan Cheddar, Bacon, and Potato Muffins

This easy recipe can be made in just a few steps!

First, you preheat your oven and prepare a muffin pan.
Then, you dice and boil the potatoes.
While the potatoes are cooking, you add mix together the almond or soy milk with the apple cider vinegar.
Next, you mix together the dry ingredients and then add the wet ingredients to the mixture.
Then, you fold the cooked potatoes, tempeh bacon, non-dairy cheddar, chives, and scallions to the mixture.
Finally, you scoop the mixture into the wells of your muffin pan and bake!

Recipe Notes

This recipe does require a little more effort than your usual muffin recipe does, but not much. The potato needs to be cut into small dice, about ½-inch in size, and then it needs to be boiled to soften it. The tempeh bacon needs to be cooked, too. I like to use my homemade tempeh bacon, but store-bought will work well. If you prefer seitan bacon to the tempeh variety, the muffins will be just as tasty.

I’ve used So Delicious Cheddar Dairy-Free Shreds to make these muffins, but you can use whatever type of cheddar you prefer. Follow Your Heart and Daiya are just as good. If you like to make your own cheese, go for it!

Make sure you use either almond or soy milk in this recipe. Other types of non-dairy milk don’t clabber – or curdle – the same way they do when apple cider vinegar is added to them. The clabbered milk mimics buttermilk, which adds a lightness to the muffins.

Serving your muffins

Loaded with my favorite fixin’s, these vegan Cheddar, Bacon, and Potato Muffins are reminiscent of baked potato soup, They taste best when they’re served warm. They’re delicious on their own for a snack or even for breakfast, but they’re also an excellent companion to soup, stew, or chili.

Cheddar, Bacon, and Potato Muffins

Dianne

Savory vegan Cheddar, Bacon, and Potato Muffins are a terrific afternoon snack, but they’re also perfect for a grab-and-go breakfast. They’re a great companion to soups and stews, too!

3 from 1 vote

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 20

Total Time 35

Course Breakfast, Snack

Cuisine American

Servings muffins

Calories 173 kcal

Ingredients

1 large or two small Yukon Gold potato, about 8 ounces, cut into ½-inch dice
1 cup almond or soy milk
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1½ cups whole-wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ cup applesauce
½ cup crumbled, cooked tempeh bacon
½ cup shredded non-dairy cheese
2 scallions chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

Instructions

Position a rack in the upper third of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F. Lightly oil the cups of a muffin pan or line it with paper liners.
Add the diced potatoes to a medium-sized pot with enough water to cover them plus an inch. Add a pinch of salt to the water. Bring to a rolling boil and cook the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes.
Mix the almond or soy milk and apple cider vinegar together and set aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
Pour the non-dairy milk and apple sauce into the dry mixture and mix until there are no visible lumps of flour. Do not overmix. The batter will be thick.
Carefully fold in the potato, tempeh bacon, non-dairy cheese, scallions and chives.
Divide the batter among the muffin cups, filling them ¾ of the way full.
Bake until the muffins are golden brown around the edges and toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 17 to 20 minutes.
Place the muffin tin on a wire rack and allow the muffins to cool for 10 minutes before carefully removing them. Serve warm.

Calories: 173kcal

Tried this recipe?Tag @diannewenz on Instagram!

Vegan Cheddar, Bacon, and Potato Muffins