Quesadilla Muffins (Salvadoran Breakfast Cake)

Oct 02, 2024 by admin

Quesadilla Muffins (Salvadoran Breakfast Cake) by A Healthy Life For Me.

These buttery breakfast muffins with parmesan and creamy cottage cheese are a comforting bite if you’re craving Salvadoran food. A sprinkle of earthy sesame seeds adds a lovely crunch!

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

If you want to explore Central American breakfast options to change things up a bit, these cheesy Salvadoran breakfast muffins are for you.

Versatile. Add diced ham, smoked paprika, or sweet corn to the batter for more flavor and texture.
Beginner-friendly. A mixer helps bring everything together with less effort in case you’re not an expert in the kitchen.
Cheesy. There’s creamy cottage cheese and savory parmesan in every single bite.
Great for freezing. Pop one out of the freezer for a last-minute treat on a lazy morning.

What Are Quesadilla Muffins?

Quesadilla muffins are a traditional Salvadoran street-food. They’re a type of cheesy pound cake made with rice flour and soft cheese. Quesadillas have a rich and buttery interior with a dense crumb. Most of them are sprinkled with crunchy sesame seeds right before baking for their signature look. Once golden, the muffins are served for breakfast with a cup of coffee or a glass of milk.

Ingredient Notes

Cottage cheese adds creamy richness to the batter while parmesan cheese adds a savory touch. Scroll to the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact amounts.

Gluten-free flour – Feel free to use rice flour.
Baking powder – If it has any large lumps, sieve it.
Salt – I prefer kosher salt.
Butter – Skip the salt in the recipe if you use salted butter.
Sugar – Granulated sugar or light brown sugar is best.
Eggs – You can use liquid eggs for this. Avoid using egg whites only because the muffins will dry out quickly.
Cottage cheese – Full-fat is best for more richness. Ricotta works too.
Parmesan cheese – Try to use freshly grated cheese instead of the bottled kind.
Sesame seeds – Go for black or white sesame seeds.

How to Make Quesadilla Muffins

They’re just like making your favorite muffins but with gluten-free flour. Scroll to the bottom of the post for the full recipe card.

Prep the oven. Preheat it to 350F. Grease a muffin tin with butter or cooking spray and set it aside.
Mix the dry ingredients. Whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl.

Adding the dry mixture into the creamed butter.

Cream the butter. Add the butter to a separate bowl and beat it with a stand-mixer or hand-mixer. Gradually add the sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy. Scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure everything’s well combined.
Add more wet ingredients. Beat in one egg at a time until smooth. Then add the cottage cheese and mix it in as well.
Fold the mixtures. Pour in the dry ingredients and beat them into the wet mixture until the batter is smooth. If you don’t want to use the mixer for this, use a wooden or silicone spatula.

Fill the tray. Pour batter into the cavities until 4/5s full. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
Bake them. Pop the tray into the oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove them from the oven, let them cool for 10 minutes, and enjoy!

Variation Ideas

I love adding bacon and ham to these breakfast muffins when I want to switch things up.

Add veggies. Mix in 1/4 cup sweet corn, diced carrots, or baby spinach into the batter for a savory breakfast muffin recipe.
Add crunch. Fold in 1/2 cup crumbled bacon or chopped pork rinds for some crunch.
Use spices. Add 3 teaspoons garlic powder, 1 teaspoon onion powder, 1 teaspoon smoked paprika, and 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or parsley for more depth.
Add protein. Stir 1/2 cup diced ham, chicken, or turkey into the batter for a heartier bite.

Baked quesadilla breakfast muffins with golden edges and crunchy sesame seeds.

Tips for Success

You don’t need to be an expert-level baker to nail these tender breakfast muffins with hints of savory parmesan.

Make them crispy. Place a pan over medium heat with 2 teaspoons oil. Add the muffins and toast them for 2-3 minutes per side or until slightly crispy on the outside for extra texture.
Stay in the middle. Never bake in the lowest or top oven rack. The bottom rack will burn the muffins because the heat is too direct, whereas the top one will leave them under-baked because it’s the coolest section in the oven.
Add liners. Use cupcake or silicone liners to line the muffin tray for easy clean-up.
Don’t open it. Once the muffins are in the oven, don’t open the oven door. Doing so decreases the internal temperature and affects the muffins’ final texture, resulting in a rubbery consistency.
Use an oven thermometer. Sometimes ovens aren’t properly calibrated, which means their real internal temperature is different to the one you set it to. Prevent this by placing an oven thermometer in the middle rack and adjust as needed so that you’re baking at the right temperature.

How to Store and Reheat

Make sure they’re fully cooled before storing to prevent spoilage.

Fridge: Place them in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Freezer: Transfer them to a freezer bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge or on the counter for 20 minutes.
To reheat them: Microwave them in 10-second increments until warm.

More Breakfast Ideas to Try

Vanilla Protein Pancakes
Egg White Bites
Green Chicken Enchiladas
Protein Pop Tarts