Easy Egg Bites with Cottage Cheese

The first time I tasted one of Starbucks Egg Bites I was in Philadelphia for a healthy products expo (a work conference). Knowing that I’d be sampling a lot of foods that day, I wanted to make sure I grabbed something portable that I could eat while walking … and also something that contained some protein. 

The Starbucks Eggs bites were good AND convenient. But at the very first bite, I knew I could do better making these at home in my kitchen. Plus, I could make an entire batch for about the same cost of 2 egg bites, and the possibilities for mix-ins are endless! That’s what led us to create a recipe for Egg Bites that uses just a few simple real-food ingredients as a base recipe for whatever mix-ins people might want to add. 

Easy Ways To Switch It Up

As our team was testing this recipe, we played around with swapping out the cottage cheese for Greek yogurt and sour cream. Those versions actually work really great, but we prefer the taste and extra protein boost you get from the cottage cheese.  

I also played around with a couple versions of these that are SO CLOSE to copycat Starbucks egg bites. 

To make the Starbucks Bacon & Gruyere Egg Bites, use shredded Gruyere cheese or Swiss in place of the cheddar and add a dash of hot sauce to the blended egg mixture. Finally, sprinkle 3 slices of crumbled crisp-cooked bacon and ¼ cup of sliced green onions over the eggs before baking (stir it in a little with a spoon). 

For the Starbucks Roasted Red Pepper & Spinach Egg Bites, use shredded mozzarella or monterey jack cheese instead of the cheddar in the blended egg mixture. Sprinkle ¼ cup of finely diced roasted red pepper and ¼ cup of finely chopped fresh spinach over the egg bites in the muffin cups before baking (stir it in a little with a spoon). Also, you can sub 2 cups of egg whites for the 8 whole eggs.  

And here’s a variation I haven’t tried yet, but have been dreaming about … sautéed mushrooms, garlic, and Parmesan cheese – yum!

A few other variations you could try: 

• Any shredded or crumbled cheese in place of the cheddar
• Try mixing in about ⅓ cup of chopped Canadian bacon, ham, bacon, or cooked breakfast sausage
• Add soft veggies, such as finely chopped spinach, roasted bell pepper, onions, cooked mushrooms, or finely chopped sauteed zucchini 
• Flavor the egg mixture with more seasonings, such as garlic powder, chili powder, dried herbs, or even a dash of hot sauce

Let us know in the comments below if you try any must-try mix-ins for your egg bites! 

Use A Silicone Baking Pan If You Have One

I think one of my lowest moments creating recipes over the years was trying to get egg muffins to release from a standard muffin pan. In fact, one time I was so frustrated with all of the stickiness that I actually just threw my entire pan away – egg muffins and all! 

I knew there had to be a better way … and there was! That’s when I went on to Amazon to find a nonstick silicone muffin pan, which quickly became a tool our entire team adopted. They are truly the way to go to get muffins (especially protein-packed muffins like these egg bites) to release easily from the pan. 

Our entire team likes this sturdy silicone muffin pan, and we each have it in both the standard size and the mini muffin size. And this silicone muffin pan is nice, too. It’s actually the one that is shown in these recipe photos and it comes with a reinforced stainless steel frame so the pan doesn’t bend and fold when you pick it up. 

How To Store 

These egg bites will last up to 5 days in the fridge when you store them in an airtight container. Let them cool to room temperature before adding the lid to your storage container, which helps prevent them from “sweating” as they cool. 

You can either eat the egg bites chilled or warm them up in the microwave for about 15 seconds. 

---

The photos in this blog post were taken by Rachel Cook of Half Acre House.

For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above. All photos and content are copyright protected. Please do not use our photos without prior written permission. If you wish to republish a recipe, please rewrite the recipe in your own unique words. Link back to the source recipe here on The Real Food Dietitians. Thank you!