Hangry is definitely a word that describes me on mornings that I do not eat any breakfast. On the weekdays, I have to be careful because I can end up spending frivolous money and calories stopping for bagels or breakfast burritos on my way to work. Originally inspired by the Starbucks Sous Vide Egg Bites, this recipe is the perfect make ahead breakfast option to take to work each morning. I tried countless different copycat recipes online until I finally perfected my own version. Although this recipe does not sous vide the egg bites, the Instant Pot version gets extremely close to creating the same texture in the Egg Bites. I think you’ll agree that this recipe is better than all the rest.
Perfect Make Ahead Breakfast Option:
These handheld egg bites are the perfect breakfast-to-go that can be modified with a variety of ingredients. Although these taste indulgent, at about 100 calories each, they are anything but. These egg bites keep my wallet happy and prevent me from spending $3+ on breakfast alone. Each egg bite costs an average of 25¢ to 75¢. Two egg bites and a cup of coffee for breakfast is the perfect portion size, making this breakfast cost at least half the price of any other option.
How to Make Egg Bites:
This recipe is by far the best version of these egg bites that I have made so far. Steaming these in the Instant Pot makes them so creamy and airy. They are like mini soufflés (although full disclosure, I have never actually had a souffle but this is what I imagine they would taste like). They are like mini cheesy egg clouds that melt in your mouth.
The trick to making these egg bites so fluffy is to separate the eggs, and whisk the egg whites and egg yolks until light, fluffy, and almost doubled in size. I have made these without doing this step, but I definitely think that it is worth the extra effort, otherwise they are much more dense.
Instant Pot:
If you make these in the Instant Pot, it does help to purchase an additional tool. You can buy Instant Pot silicone mold inserts on Amazon for under $10. If you have ramekins, you can attempt making them in that. I have not tried that method, so I cannot guarantee its success. If you do try it, please let me know how it works out in the comments. You will want to cover your vessel tightly with foil before placing into the Instant Pot.
Oven:
The oven version of these are a good alternative for those that don’t have an Instant Pot, but they do not have the same texture and are not quite as fluffy. You can easily use muffin tins to make these oven egg bites. Be sure to spray the pan with oil so the bites do not stick.
These egg bites are very fun and versatile to make. I recommend that you experiment with your favorite breakfast flavors or whatever ingredients you have in your house. Use the basic egg bite recipe outlined below and modify by adding different ingredient combinations.
How to Store Egg Bites:
Although these do taste best when eaten fresh, right after cooking, the egg bites do reheat really well. You can keep the egg bites refrigerated in an airtight container for a couple of days, but you can freeze them for up to a month. When freezing, store the egg bites in a freezer safe baggie with parchment paper between layers to prevent them from sticking to each other.
Freeze and Reheat Easily!
On Sundays, I usually make up a batch of these for the week and freeze them. They are easily microwaved to heat back up and still taste great! From frozen, I microwave the egg bites on 50% power for 1 minute and full power for another minute until heated through. They generally take about an hour or so to defrost if you prefer to do that first.
Search on the lower shelves in the refrigerated section at the grocery store for your cottage cheese, because you can often find it deeply discounted. Although the product is still perfectly good, grocery stores will cut the price of cottage cheese in half or even further when it gets closer to its expiration date. I often find cottage cheese on sale, sometimes for as low as 10¢ at my local King Soopers.
Recipe Step-by-Step
Basic Egg Bites:
- Take 8 eggs and separate the egg whites from the egg yolks. Place egg yolks and whites each into a separate medium sized bowl.
- Whisk the egg whites until light and fluffy and about doubled in volume, but not to the point of meringue. Do the same for the egg yolks.
- In a blender, add 1 cup cottage cheese, 1/2 cup half and half, and egg yolks. Blend for 30 seconds until smooth.
- Add whipped egg whites to blender. Add any additional ingredients as outlined below, and pulse to combine.
Upgrade the Basic Egg Bite!
I have included 3 different recipes below for modifying the basic egg bite recipe – Bacon Cheddar Egg Bites, Mushroom Swiss Egg Bites, and Italian Egg Bites with salami, basil and tomato. I encourage you to try all three recipes and decide which one is your favorite. If you are feeling adventurous, try coming up with your own combination of ingredients to try.
- Add any additional ingredients when you add the egg whites to the blender.
- You do not want to blend at this stage, only pulse a few times to incorporate the other ingredients and egg whites. You do not want to eliminate the fluffiness you just added to the egg whites.
- When thinking about the ingredients you want to combine, I feel there are a couple of essential components to include. To make a delicious egg bite, you should add a cheese and/or a salty or acidic component, such as bacon or tomato.
Bacon Cheddar Egg Bites:
Bacon and cheddar are the flavors I most often use in my egg bites, due to its simplicity. However, I did find that only adding cheddar did not give the egg bites a “cheesy” enough flavor. When I starting using half cheddar and half jack cheese, I found that “cheesy” flavor that I was looking for. All of my egg bite recipes call for a combination of cheeses, which really adds to the overall flavor profile for each egg bite.
- Cook 8 oz. bacon (I prefer center cut), and crumble it when cooled.
- Shred 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese and a 1/2 cup of jack cheese.
- Follow the Basic Egg Bite Instructions above.
- Add the cheese and bacon to the blender with the egg whites.
- Pulse until combined.
- Follow instructions for the Instant Pot or Oven below.
Mushroom Swiss Egg Bites:
I love mushrooms and feel like a mushroom, onion, and Swiss combo is a classic. Although delicious, the flavor of these egg bites is much more mild than the other two.
- Dice 1 small onion. Slice 8 oz mushrooms.
- Add 1 tbsp. of olive oil to a pan over medium-high heat.
- Saute the onion and mushroom until browned, about 3-5 minutes.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste and set aside to cool.
- Follow the Basic Egg Bites recipe above.
- Add the cooled vegetables, and 6 oz. swiss cheese to the blender with the egg whites, and pulse to combine.
- Follow instructions for the Instant Pot or Oven below.
Tomato Basil Egg Bites:
(Salami, Basil, Tomato, and Italian Cheeses)
Of the three flavor combos for my egg bites, this “Italian” version is by far my favorite. The light creamy eggs paired with the fresh tomatoes and basil, combined with the salty Salami made for a delicious breakfast.
- Finely dice 3 oz. of salami.
- Chop a handful of fresh basil leaves.
- Cut 14 cherry tomatoes (about 8 oz) into quarters.
- Shred 1 cup of Italian cheeses. (I used a combination of fontina, mozzarella, and Parmesan cheeses. Feel free to do your own combination or buy the pre-shredded mix from the store.)
- Follow the Basic Egg Bites recipe above.
- Add all of the remaining ingredients, except for the tomatoes, to the blender with the egg whites. Pulse until combined.
- Follow instructions for the Instant Pot or Oven below.
- Pour the egg mixture into the chosen molds (silicone for Instant Pot or muffin tin for oven) and sprinkle 4 tomato pieces (1 cherry tomato – quartered) into each individual mold. Proceed with the remainder of the cooking instructions.
Ingredient Substitute:
Feel free to use pepperoni or some other Italian deli meat, in place of salami. I grabbed about 3 oz from the deli counter which ended up costing less than $2. If you are grabbing an ingredient that you do not use often, I recommend that you buy the specific amount of whatever you need from the deli counter or bulk section at the grocery store, because it can save you a good amount of money.
Instant Pot Instructions:
(Preferred Method)
- Pour egg mixture into two silicone egg bite molds, totaling 14 egg bites. Cover tightly with foil.
- Pour 3/4 cup water into base of Instant Pot and place the metal trivet insert into the bottom. Stack the two silicone molds on top of each other in the Instant Pot.
- Set Instant Pot to Steam function for 8 minutes, and allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes.
- Remove the silicone molds from the Instant Pot. Set aside on cooling racks for about 10 minutes before attempting to remove the egg bites from the molds.
Oven Instructions:
- Pour the egg mixture into a muffin tin pan sprayed with non-stick cooking spray.
- Preheat the oven to 350°.
- Bake for about 15 minutes until just set in the middle.
- Let cool for at least 5 minutes before attempting to remove egg bites.
Ingredient Substitute:
Don’t have the cheeses that are listed? Feel free to experiment with what you have and I’m sure you will find a great combination without having to go buy more ingredients from the store. Feel free to try these different cheese combinations, or create your own:
- Cheddar and Jack Cheese
- Fontina and Parmesan Cheese
- Mozzarella and Swiss Cheese
- Gruyere and Cheddar Cheese
- Mozzarella and Parmesan Cheese
- Mozzarella and Feta Cheese
- Gouda and Jack Cheese
- Camembert and Mozzarella
Purchasing block cheese and grating it yourself will always be the most flavorful and affordable option. Block cheese is usually at a lower price than pre-shredded and tastes so much better. Additionally, it seems to last much longer than shredded or sliced. I will often buy a few types of cheese when it is on sale in order to have a variety on hand whenever needed.
How many servings does this make?
This egg bite recipe will make 14 egg bites, or 7 servings using the silicone molds in the Instant Pot. If using the muffin tin in the oven, this will make about 12 regular size egg muffins, or 6 servings.
If you are looking for that perfectly satisfying yet healthy weekday breakfast, look no further and make these egg bites.
Egg Bites – 6 Ways (Instant Pot and Oven-Friendly)
Ingredients
Basic Egg Bites:
- 8 Eggs separated
- 1 cup Cottage Cheese
- 1/2 cup Half and Half
- pinch Salt and Pepper
- 3/4 cup Water if using Instant Pot
Bacon Cheddar Ingredients:
- 8 oz Bacon cooked, crumbled
- 1/2 cup Cheddar Cheese shredded
- 1/2 cup Jack Cheese shredded
Mushroom Swiss Ingredients:
- 8 oz Mushrooms sliced
- 6 oz Swiss Cheese shredded or diced
- 1 Onion diced
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
Tomato Basil Ingredients:
- 3 oz Salami finely diced
- 1 cup Italian Cheese Shredded
- 14 Cherry Tomatoes quartered
- 1 Handful Basil Leaves chopped
Instructions
Basic Egg Bite Instructions:
- Separate the egg whites from the egg yolks, each into a medium sized bowl.
- Whisk the egg whites until light and fluffy and about doubled in volume, but not to the point of meringue. Do the same for the egg yolks.
- In a blender, add the cottage cheese, half and half, pinch of salt and pepper and egg yolks. Blend about 30 seconds.
- Add whipped egg whites to blender and pulse until combined.
Instant Pot Version:
- Pour egg mixture into two silicone egg bite molds, totaling 14 egg bites. Cover tightly with foil.
- Pour 3/4 cup water into base of Instant Pot and place metal trivet insert in the bottom. Stack the two silicone molds on top of each other in the Instant Pot.
- Set to Steam function for 8 minutes, and allow the Instant Pot to naturally release for 10 minutes.
Oven Version:
- Pour the combined egg mixture into a muffin tin pan prepared with non-stick cooking spray.
- Preheat the oven to 350°. Bake for about 15 minutes until just set in the middle.
Bacon Cheddar Egg Bites:
- Add Bacon Cheddar Ingredients to the blender with the egg whites and pulse to combine. Proceed with the remainder of the cooking instructions.
Mushroom Swiss Egg Bites:
- Sauté onion and mushroom with olive oil in pan on medium-high heat until browned. Season to taste. Let cool. Add pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add cooled mushrooms, onion, and cheeses to the blender with the egg whites, and pulse to combine. Proceed with the remainder of the cooking instructions.
Tomato Basil Egg Bites:
- Add all of the Italian Ingredients, except for the tomatoes to the blender with the egg whites and pulse to combine.
- Pour into chosen molds and sprinkle one quartered tomato into each individual mold. Proceed with the remainder of the cooking instructions.
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