
When most people think of Madeleines they immediately think of a sweet cake, such as the Madeleine’s au Chocolat I’ve made previously, not something savoury. So when I saw savoury madeleine’s on Donna Hay’s website I had to try them.
These Madeleine’s are the perfect finger food to serve at a party, for your guests to munch on while they sip on wine or a cocktail (such as the French Martini I featured last Friday), and would be wonderful at a picnic. They are light, but substantial at the same time, and can easily be eaten with one hand without making a mess everywhere, which is something I think is important for party finger food. They are also deliciously addictive!
For my version of these madeleine’s I went with a mix of polenta, parmesan, chives and garlic. They were such a hit I also made a rosemary version too, but you can mix in your own flavours and make them your own.
Have you had savoury Madeleine’s before?

- ⅓ cup (55g) instant polenta
- 2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour, sifted
- ¼ teaspoon bicarbonate of (baking) soda, sifted
- ½ cup (40g) finely grated parmesan
- sea salt and cracked black pepper, to taste
- 20g olive oil
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup (80 ml) buttermilk
- 2 tablespoons of chopped chives
- 1 clove of garlic, grated
Method:
- Preheat oven to 180 Celsius (355 Farenheit) and lightly grease a Madeleine tray.
- Place the polenta, flour, bicarbonate of soda, parmesan, garlic, chives, salt and pepper in a bowl and mix well to combine.
- Add the olive oil, egg and buttermilk and stir until smooth.
- Spoon the mixture into the Madeleine tray and bake for 8–10 minutes or until cooked when tested with a skewer.
- Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
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{ 29 comments… read them below or add one }
How delicious, what a grand idea! I’ll have to seriously look for a Madeline tin
These look great and I think they are just the thing to munch on with friends over wine! yum! I had never thought of them as savoury but am loving it!
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Thanks for your comments TheFoodMentalist
I'd never thought of savoury madeleine's before either, but I think it's a fantastic idea. Definitely wonderful to munch on over a wine or three!
I've never even heard of savory madeleins, let alone had them! They look delicious, and I love the fact that they're not messy! (I'm one of those people that can never seem to eat finger food in any kind of tidy fashion).
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I'm one of those people too Dzenana so delicious unmessy finger food is a winner for me!
I would never have thought to make them for a dinner party but what a great idea!
I've never had savory Madeleines before! These sound really interesting and I like the color. Very cool!
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They look gorgeous! I would LOVE to try these!
Wow this definitely exciting! I came over from Foodgawker after seeing these savoury Madeleines
Wonderful treat!
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Thanks for visiting Min
OMG what a great idea!!!!!
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They look wonderful, I like the idea of making a rosemary version of these too.
This recipe makes me wish I hadn't gotten rid of my madeline pans. Love the savory spin.
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They are definitely worth trying Wendi as they are so addictive. These will definitely be a staple in my repertoire.
You're right. When I read the title of the post. I was intrigued…..never heard of savoury madeleines…but they do sound gorgeous!
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Thanks Sukaina
These would be such great finger food at parties! Wow, the possibilities for flavors are endless now!
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Great idea, thanks! Will be making these regularly.
Wow never heard of savory or polenta madeleines. Sound yummy!
My daughter gave me a mini-madeleine pan for Christmas and I haven’t yet used it. This weekend, I’ll be trying these! Thanks!
Let me know how you go with the recipe Mary
Enjoy your new madeleine pan!
What a fabulous rendition on madeleines! Pretty and delicious, I'm sure!
What a great idea, particularly as they provide a wheat-free option to have with soup. Like many of the other commentators say, I've never thought of madeleines as being savoury. Will definitely give them a try.
sounds yummy, do you think they would work in a mini muffin pan if a madeleine pan isn't easy to come by?
Hi James, I think these would work in a mini muffin pan as well. Let me know how you go
I just made these and the flavour is delicious but I found the texture to be quite grainy with the polenta…. Am I doing something wrong? Are they supposed to have an almost crunchy texture?
Did you use instant polenta? I use instant polenta, but they do still have a little crunch too them, although not too much.
Hi…is it possible to make these WITHOUT using Polenta ?
I’m allergic.
Thanks!
FMW
Hi,
You could try replacing the polenta with flour. The recipe will probably need some tweaking though in terms of the amount of liquid.