by Diana Rattray
Vidalia onion muffins are a great alternative when you want a bread to go with soup, stew, or beans. They’re naturally sweet, but not too sweet for savory dishes.
Georgia’s Vidalia onions have risen in popularity over the years, from their modest beginnings on small farms more than 1/2 century ago to approximately 200 million pounds distributed across the US and Canada today.
What makes Vidalia onions so special is the soil. Vidalia onions are only grown in a 20-county region of Georgia. There are other sweet onions, but Vidalia onions have a distinct flavor because of the sandy soil and mild climate.
These muffins are a great way to enjoy sweet Vidalia onions. The natural sweetness is boosted with a little sugar and onion powder along with the addition of cheese oats for amazing texture. Add some chopped chives for color or add another chopped herb—parsley or sage would be excellent choices.
I finished the muffins off with a drizzle of melted butter. They are irresistible. If you would rather do appetizer muffins, the recipe will make about 36 mini muffins. For mini muffins, make sure the onions are finely chopped and the cheese is finely grated.
I used sweet Vidalia onions, but these muffins can be made with another variety, such as Walla Walla, Maui, or Texas Sweets
You might also use sweet onions in this onion soup. Or use them in your favorite dishes, such as this delicious Greek chicken kapama or this fabulous pulled pork.
Tips and Variations
- These muffins are very adaptable. Add different fresh herbs to the muffins or use another variety of sweet onions.
- You can vary the cheese as well. Try cheddar jack or a pepper jack variety. Or use finely shredded Gruyere cheese.
- Add 1/4 cup of chopped pecans or walnuts to the muffins for extra crunch.
- Omit the chives and, optionally, add 2 finely chopped scallions to the batter along with the chopped Vidalia onion.
Vidalia Onion Muffins
These Vidalia onion muffins are made with sweet onions, cheese, and oats, a fantastic alternative to sweet muffins. Bake them in a muffin tin or use a mini muffin tin to make irresistible little one-bite sweet onion muffins!
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 12 servings 1x
- Category: Muffins
- Method: Bake
- Cuisine: Southern
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 3/4 cup milk
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon table salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons onion powder
- 1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 2/3 cup diced or finely chopped Vidalia onion, about 1/2 large onion
- 3/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped chives, optional
- Melted butter, optional
Instructions
- Heat the oven to 400 F.
- Grease and flour a 12-cup muffin tin or line it with cupcake papers.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the egg, vegetable oil, and milk; whisk to blend thoroughly. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, salt, onion powder, oats, and sugar; stir to blend. Stir the dry ingredients into the egg and milk mixture just until blended.
- Gently fold the chopped Vidalia onion, shredded cheese, and chives (if using) into the batter.
- Spoon the Vidalia onion batter into the muffin tin, filling each one about 2/3 full.
- Bake the muffins in the preheated oven for about 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.
- Let the muffins cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto racks. If desired, drizzle with melted butter and serve warm or at room temperature.
