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.
Recipe Highlights
I absolutely love this recipe for breakfast meal preps so I have something healthy and delicious to give my kids as we hustle through the morning.
- You just can’t beat an easy breakfast that is made ahead of time and all you need to do is reheat it on busy mornings
- We love finding new ways to use cottage cheese to boost the protein in recipes, which was part of the inspiration here
- A two-egg bite serving provides 12 grams of protein, which is a nice way to help meet your daily protein needs. You can boost the protein even higher by mixing in some bacon, chopped ham, or cooked breakfast sausage. Be sure to add this one to your collection of make-ahead high-protein breakfast recipes.
- With just 10 minutes of prep time, you can have a big portion of your breakfasts done for the entire week!
- This recipe is a beautiful canvas for any other toppings you want to add. Think of it as a base recipe for egg bites and then run with it from there!
- Our egg bites are naturally gluten free and vegetarian.
- This recipe also makes a nutritious snack, so pack some away in your lunch box for when that afternoon lull hits. They would also make a fun addition to a breakfast or brunch board!
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!
How To Make Them Fluffy and Moist
During testing of this recipe, I was so pleased to discover the key to having egg bites that hold together … Blending the combination of full-fat cottage cheese and shredded cheese seems to really do the trick. It adds just enough fat to help all those protein molecules bind together and stay put as one egg bite. Plus, getting the blended mixture into a fine smooth “batter” also helps.
So, long story short, don’t skip the cottage cheese, opt for full-fat cottage cheese, and blend it very well!
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.
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Egg Bites Recipe
These egg bites make a high-protein addition to your mornings. They’re great for meal prep breakfasts, pack and reheat easily, and are super quick to make a whole batch!
Ingredients
- Cooking spray
- 8 eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- ¼ teaspoon fine salt
- Pinch of black pepper
- Fresh chives, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Mist the cups of a silicone muffin pan lightly with cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- In a blender, blend together the eggs, cottage cheese, cheddar, salt, and pepper until smooth. (Note: A small blender, like a Nutribullet, works great for this).
- Divide the egg mixture into the cups of the muffin pan filling each about half full. Sprinkle with the chopped chives. You can also add any other mix-ins, such as veggies or bacon, to the cups at this stage.
- Bake for 20-22 or until muffins are slightly firm to touch in the center. Remove the muffin pan from the oven. The egg bites will be puffed up but they will settle down into the cups a bit after removing from the oven. Let the egg bites cool a few minutes before removing them out of the pan to enjoy to store for later.
- Store egg bites in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
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Notes
For the cottage cheese, we like the Good Culture 4% fat cottage cheese.
You can eat these egg bites chilled or warm them up in the microwave for about 15 seconds.
You can use 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt, sour cream, or ricotta in place of the cottage cheese.
Nutrition Information
- Serving Size: 2 egg bites
- Calories: 146
- Fat: 9 g
- (Sat Fat: 4 g)
- Sodium: 361 mg
- Carbohydrate: 3 g
- (Fiber: 0 g
- Sugar: 1 g)
- Protein: 12 g
- Cholesterol: 207 mg
Dietary
Frequently Asked Questions
You can cook “sous vide egg bites” in an Instant Pot. But it requires some special equipment … An Instant Pot, of course, and also a round silicone egg pan that fits right inside the Instant Pot.
Yes, you can use sour cream, full-fat Greek yogurt or plain yogurt, or even ricotta in place of the cottage cheese. We opted for cottage cheese because it tastes great and adds a bit more protein than those other options.
You could technically use any size of a muffin pan to make these egg bites, but we prefer a standard size silicone muffin pan. That’s because you can eat just one of two of them as an addition to a healthy breakfast
Our homemade version of Egg Bites has a much healthier nutrition profile than the Starbucks ones. Ours has half calories (146 vs 300), half the fat (9 g vs 20 g), half the sodium (361 mg vs 680 mg), and less than half the carbohydrates (3 g vs 9 g) of the Starbucks version. While our version does have a bit less protein (12 g vs 19 g), ours also contains just a few whole-food ingredients, while the Starbucks’ version is loaded with a laundry list of preservatives and starches.
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!
Thank you for this recipe! I’ve been looking for a quick grab-and-go, higher protein breakfast for my husband, since he doesn’t like to get up any earlier than he has to. I used Greek Yogurt instead of cottage cheese (just moved to a state where cottage cheese is big and I’m still trying to warm up to it) and added chopped onions, mushrooms, baby bell peppers, and quinoa. It took a bit to chop all the veggies and make the quinoa, but they’ve already met with his approval!
Great Kohrine!
I want to make these for a trip to the mountains with family. I see that they can be refrigerated for 5 days, but how about freezing them?
Many of our followers have shared they have had good luck with freezing and reheating them!
Easy and yummy!
My whole family liked them ! I added bacon and cheese !
Great Christy!
Absolutely delicious and so easy. I used Hood cottage cheese with chives and it gave the eggs a great flavor. Thank you for sharing your recipe.
Sounds delicious, Anne!