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I wasn’t sure it was possible to make Starbucks egg bites at home without a sous-vide setup, but luckily for us, it’s not only possible… but, dare I say, easy? And you don’t even need to buy any specialty equipment to get started.
It took me weeks and weeks of experimenting to figure out how to make egg muffins with the same velvety texture as Starbucks’ egg bites. Blending cottage cheese into the mixture isn’t enough; you also need to adjust the cooking method.
The key lies in how you arrange your pan before placing it in the oven. It’s such a simple fix! But, if you skip this step, don’t be surprised if your egg muffins shrivel as they cool from the oven.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Featured Review
“Literally WOW. These are so good. I mean it’s not surprising why, but the texture is unreal and tastes just like the Starbucks egg bites. Our toddler is obsessed!” -Chelsea
Ingredients for Egg Bites
- Eggs. After testing multiple batches, I’ve found that six eggs will fill 12 muffin cups when blended with these cheeses. You can substitute 1/4 cup of egg whites for each egg, if desired.
- Cottage Cheese. Use full-fat cottage cheese (which is only 4% milkfat) for the creamiest results. A low-fat cottage cheese might produce a different texture.
- Shredded cheese. This recipe calls for shredded Monterey Jack and Gruyere cheese because that’s what Starbucks uses in their famous egg bites. The jack cheese gives it a melty, soft texture, and the Gruyere adds the classic, salty flavor of Swiss cheese. But you can swap these for your favorite option.
- Salt. A little extra salt helps to boost the flavor and make them taste like the kind you’d buy.
The add-ins are up to you! I like to add crumbled bacon for a Starbucks copycat, but these are also delicious with roasted veggies, red peppers, spinach, and more.
How to Make Egg Bites with Cottage Cheese
Step 1:
Preheat the oven to 325ºF and add 12 silicone liners to a muffin pan. (You can also use cooking spray if you prefer to grease the muffin pan.)
Add the eggs, cottage cheese, shredded Gruyère, and Monterey Jack, along with salt and black pepper, to a blender and blend until completely smooth, about 30 to 60 seconds.
Step 2:
Pour the egg mixture into the pan, filling each muffin cup roughly 3/4 of the way full. Crumble the bacon into each muffin cup, adding about a tablespoon of bacon to each. (Or use any veggies you like, instead. I love using roasted red pepper and chopped green onions.)
You can fill the muffin cups to the top with any toppings you enjoy.
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Step 3:
Have you ever cooked egg muffins, only to have them puff up in the oven and shrivel as they cool? I figured out how to avoid that.
Fill a rimmed baking sheet with approximately 1/4 inch of water, and then place the muffin pan directly in the water. Carefully transfer the stacked pans to the oven. This cooking method prevents your egg bites from puffing up too much and then shrinking after they are cooked.
You will not get the same results from placing a pan of water on a lower shelf in your oven. Trust me, I tested it both ways. The muffin pan sitting directly in a pan of water will give you the most velvety egg texture.
Step 4:
Bake at 325ºF for 35 to 40 minutes, until the egg bites are golden on top. They shouldn’t rise too high above the top of the pan, which is what will prevent them from shrinking later. (If you bake these at 350ºF, they will puff up and then shrink as they cool.)
Let the egg bites cool in the pan for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Storage Tip: Store cooked eggs in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze these for up to 3 months if you want to make a larger batch. To thaw frozen egg bites, transfer them from the freezer to the fridge the night before you plan on reheating them.
Cottage Cheese Egg Bites (Starbucks Copycat)
Ingredients
Egg Bites
- 6 large eggs
- ¾ cup whole milk cottage cheese (4% milkfat)
- ½ cup shredded gruyere cheese
- ½ cup shredded monterey jack cheese
- ¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Optional Toppings
- 3 to 4 pieces crispy cooked bacon , crumbled into small pieces
- 1 roasted red bell pepper , diced
- 3 chopped green onions (white and light green parts only)
- 1 cup fresh baby spinach , chopped
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325ºF and line a muffin pan with 12 muffin liners for easy removal later. In a blender, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, gruyère, Monterey Jack, and salt. Blend until very smooth, about 60 to 90 seconds.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly into the 12 muffin cups, filling them about 3/4 of the way full. Sprinkle any toppings you love into each muffin cup, and use a spoon to stir them in. (You can mix & match the flavors you make, like adding crumbled bacon to half, and adding veggies to the other half.)
- Fill a rimmed baking sheet with 2 cups, or about a 1/4-inch, of water. Make sure this pan is large enough that the muffin tin can sit directly inside the pan. Carefully transfer the pan of water holding the muffin tin full of eggs to the center shelf of the oven, and bake at 325ºF for 40 minutes, or until the tops of the egg bites look golden. The water bath and lower temperature will prevent the eggs from puffing up, so they won't shrivel as they cool later. This gives them an unbelievably creamy texture!
- When the eggs are done cooking, carefully remove the muffin pan (and pan of water) from the oven. Be careful not to splash, since the water in the pan will be very hot! Let the egg bites cool in the pan for 15 minutes before serving. They should remove easily from the muffin liners.
- Leftover egg bites can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can reheat them in the microwave using 30-second intervals, or reheat in the oven at 350ºF for 8 to 10 minutes, until the center is hot again.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes to Try
- Healthy Breakfast Casserole
- Cottage Cheese Scrambled Eggs
- Banana Egg Pancakes
- Egg Muffins
- Pink Drink Recipe
- Chai Latte
If you try this egg bite recipe, please leave a comment and a star rating below to let me know how you like them!
These were good and I will definitely make them again. Next time I might add a little more salt (I like salt!) or add some cheddar for a slightly stronger flavor. I don’t have silicone cups so I used aluminum baking cups and brushed them with olive oil. I was glad I did. The ones where I didn’t coat well with olive oil were harder to peel away from the egg. These came together quickly and were also easy to clean up! Thanks Megan!
These came out amazing!!!!!! Probably better than the Starbucks ones. Thank you.
I’m curious if these could be made in a 9×13 or 9×9 then cut into squares, instead of muffin pan?
Ooh, I think that sounds like a great idea! I haven’t tried it yet, so I’m not sure how long it would take for the center to cook… let me know if you experiment with it!
Thank you so much for this recipe! I’ve been experimenting with egg bites using my sous-vide, my Instant Pot, and the oven and have not been able to get the texture just right until I tried your method and your ingredient ratios. Finally! Perfect!
This looks so delicious! I used to make egg muffins all the time but I’m not a huge fan of the texture. However, I don’t do well with a ton of dairy. Is there a way to substitute the cottage cheese at least? Thank you so much for this awesome recipe! I can’t wait to try it!
You could make my regular egg muffin recipe using this cooking technique (with the pan directly in a water bath) and see how you like the texture without the cheese. I think they will be creamier with this cooking technique, either way.
Ok, I mixed the recipes! I used a bit of cashew milk and tiny bit of hard cheese (Parmesan and old cheddar) and blended it with the eggs in the blender. Then I used the water in the pan and the texture is amazing! So velvety! Yay! They’re delicious!
Thank you for reporting back! I’m glad to hear the texture still turned out velvety!!
This recipe is amazing! I loved these egg bites! I started buying Starbucks egg bites in the morning before work because they’re quick and filling , but the back and forth and spending has been taking a toll. I was so excited when these came out perfect even with my finicky oven ( I used a thermometer). I’m excited for the different fillings I can put in them! Love these Megan thank you!
This recipe is AMAZING!!! I highly recommend!
Egg bites were my go to but like everything prices have risen and you can make 12 for the price of two if you do the fancy additions!
So creamy, fluffy and reheats beautifully!
The water bath really kept them from deflating. The blending gave it an amazing texture. I used silicone cups and let them sit for 30 mins and they came out easily!
Megan, you really nailed it! Thanks!!!
Made these today and they were a hit! The texture is perfect! I’m thinking this will be a great recipe to make for the school year, easy to grab and reheat on busy school mornings. I’m thinking of all the tasty combinations to make. Thank you for all the testing you did to make sure these would turn out so good!
Hi! This looks great but I’ll need to get some silicone liners for my muffin tins. Can these egg muffins be frozen? Thanks!
This is a wonderful recipe, way better than Starbucks!! Even heating them up the next day, they were delicious! Question: In the pic of ingredients, it shows gouda, but in the recipe, it says gruyere. I used gouda, and they were great. Thanks!
Hi there. This recipe screamed my name. I will be making these in the morning as meal prep for the week. Hate to ask a question but do you suspect that this method would be impacted negatively if I use my ceramic muffin pan? I planned to buy a regular pan when I read this recipe but thought I would ask.. love your recipes, site. My brother and I are both fans and swap your recipes!
I think the ceramic pan would affect the cooking time. When I’ve made brownies in a ceramic pan vs. a metal pan, the cook time is MUCH longer in the ceramic pan. So, I’m guessing eggs might be the same? Let me know if you experiment with it.