My Cottage Cheese Egg Bites recipe makes the most tender, delicious on-the-go high-protein breakfast with amazing flavor. It’s easier than the sou vide Starbucks egg bites recipe, but just as delicious, and I include info on how to swap different mix-ins to get the flavor you love. Make these ahead to make mornings a breeze!
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Easy Cottage Cheese Egg Bites Recipe
I won’t say these are a copycat recipe because I’ve been making egg bites for years! Starbucks definitely made them famous, but now you can make them at home for family breakfast or meal prep like I do. I love how easy they are to portion and grab on the go, and the best part is that you get to add the toppings that fit your tastes. You can even make several varieties at one time.
My sister Svetlana first introduced me to adding cottage cheese, and it is the secret ingredient in these egg bites. She even mixes cottage cheese into her Scrambled Eggs! You can’t taste it, but it keeps the eggs from getting rubbery when baked. The added moisture makes the best soft and fluffy texture in the oven, so there’s no need for the fancy sous vide process, and you can make more bites at a time.
Cottage Cheese Egg Bites Video
Watch my video tutorial, and you’ll see how easy it is to make these egg bites – they literally come together in a blender. You’ll be a pro in no time!
Many of my recipes, like Lasagna, Cottage Cheese Pancakes, and Cottage Cheese Cookies use cottage cheese for moisture and added calcium and protein, but it also makes the dish more filling and satisfying. It’s just what you need to start your day!
Ingredients for Egg Bites with Cottage Cheese
The basic egg bite recipe has just 3 ingredients and salt and pepper. Then, add up to a full cup of mix-in toppings to fit your tastes. Tell me in the comments what unique flavors you’ve come up with.
- Eggs – use 8-10 large eggs, depending on how many toppings you add. If you include 1/2 cup of mix-ins, use 9 eggs, but if you add 1 cup of mix-ins, use 8 eggs to be sure the mixture doesn’t spill out of the muffin tin.
- Cottage cheese – I prefer to use full-fat cottage cheese for egg bites since it adds to the richness and moisture, and won’t be soggy or collapse since it has less water-to-fat ratio.
- Cheese – choose your favorite type of cheese, or omit it if you’d prefer. I usually opt for sharp cheddar cheese, but other options include Monterey jack, pepper jack, mozzarella, parmesan, etc
- Salt and pepper – adjust to taste. Remember to reduce the salt for saltier cheese, like parmesan.
- Add-ins – See suggestions below. Use 1/2 cup to 1 cup of toppings, and be sure to reduce the amount of eggs if using more toppings.
Mix-ins for Egg Bites
For every 1/2 cup of mix-ins that you add, reduce 1 egg from the mixture to create the perfect breakfast egg bites. For a Mexican flair, opt for chorizo, taco seasoning, and cotija cheese. For meat lovers, use sausage, ham, and bacon. See my Egg Muffins Recipe for even more ideas.
- Meat (cooked) – bacon, sausage crumbles, chopped ham, chorizo, or tofu
- Veggies – chopped mushrooms, chives, or spinach, or sautéed zucchini, pepper, potatoes, or onion
- Cheese – cheddar, pepper jack, mozzarella, feta, parmesan, gruyere cheese, or Cotija
- Spices – taco seasoning, garlic powder, parsley, or basil.
- Heat – red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, or a few pumps of hot sauce
How to Make High-Protein Egg Bites
It’s easy to make my egg bites recipe using just a muffin tin. Follow these easy steps.
- Preheat the oven to 325°F and grease a non-stick muffin tin very well or use silicone. Egg loves to stick, so be thorough! You don’t have to grease if you use a silicone muffin tin or silicone liners.
- Into a Blender, add the eggs, cottage cheese, salt and pepper and blend for 1 minute on medium speed. Don’t blend at high speed, or the mixture will be too foamy. You can also use a food processor or an immersion blender.
- Divide the cheese and toppings into the greased muffin tin. Make a variety of egg bites by adding different toppings to each muffin tin after pouring the egg mixture. Pour the egg mixture to fill each cup to 3/4 full, leaving some room for expansion.
- Bake at 325°F until the egg is set and the edges are slightly brown, about 22 minutes, and then let the egg bites cool in the muffin tin for 5 minutes, before removing. If the eggs are browning too fast, cover the pan with foil.
Can I Make Cottage Cheese Egg Bites in the Air Fryer?
You can set the silicone liners directly into the air fryer basket and air fry the egg bites in the muffin tin at 300°F for 12-14 minutes. Cover with foil if they are browning too quickly.
How to Know When Egg Bites Are Done?
This egg bite recipe cooks quickly in the oven or air fryer. Be sure the egg is lightly golden and completely set on top before removing it from the oven. You can test by sticking a toothpick into the center to see if it comes out clean. You can also cook until an instant-read thermometer reads 145°F.
Make-Ahead and Storage Tips
I love to make these cottage cheese egg bites at the beginning of the week because they reheat beautifully and are great for meal prep. Allow the egg bites to cool completely before storing.
- Make-Ahead: Double the recipe if needed, and then store cooled egg bites in the fridge or freezer.
- To Refrigerate: Store in a zip-top bag or air-tight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: once cool, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating.
- To Reheat: Place egg bites on a paper-towel-lined plate and microwave for 30 seconds, or reheat in the Air Fryer at 350°F for 5 minutes or until heated through.
What to Serve with Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins
While these can be a great grab-and-go breakfast, egg bites made with cottage cheese can be part of a complete breakfast. Try serving them paired with these delicious breakfast recipes:
- Breakfast Potatoes
- Hash Browns
- Air Fryer Bacon
- Homemade Salsa or Hot Sauce
- Cucumber Tomato Avocado Salad
- Toast or Sourdough Bread
- English Muffins
- Green Smoothie
Cottage cheese egg bites are the easier version of a Starbucks egg bite copycat recipe. The cottage cheese keeps the eggs tender and makes these a great on-the-go high-protein breakfast. You’ll love how easy and versatile they are with a wide variety of mix-ins. Make these for meal prep or as a great breakfast potluck dish.
Cottage Cheese Egg Bites
Ingredients
- 8-10 large eggs*
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 tsp fine sea salt, or added to taste
- 1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese, such as medium cheddar or mozzarella
- 1/2-1 cup optional add-ins, see notes*
Instructions
- Preheat – Preheat oven to 325˚F. Spray a non-stick muffin tin with cooking spray. If you use silicone muffin cups, you don’t need to spray.
- Blend – In a blender, combine eggs, cottage cheese, salt and pepper and blend together until well combined.
- Divide cheese or your desired toppings to each cup then divide the egg mixture evenly into each cup, filling about 3/4 full and bake until the edges and centers are fully set.
- Bake at 325˚F for 22-25 minutes or until tops are set. You can also put these in the air fryer at 300˚F for 12-14 minutes (cover lightly with foil if browning too fast). Let the egg bites rest in the muffin tin for 5 minutes before removing.
Notes
- Use 9 eggs if using 1/2 cup of add-ins.
- Use 8 eggs if using 1 cup of add-ins.
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
More Egg Breakfast Egg Recipes
- Freezer Breakfast Sandwiches
- Omelette Recipe
- Breakfast Quesadillas
- Sausage Asparagus Quiche
- Easy Frittata
- Quiche Lorraine
- Eggs Benedict
- Breakfast Burritos
Do you have to use a blender? Can I combine with a fork?
Hi Leigh, it comes together and fluffy quicker with a blender. You can try with a fork, but it will take a lot of wrist and elbow effort. I hope you love this recipe.
Yummy and easy, thank you for sharing your recipe Natasha!
You’re welcome, Cheryl! Glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for the recipe. Simple to follow and cooked them 25 min (have an older stove 😉) but they came out great. My son who is a non-breakfast person, loves them!! Can’t wait to try some different veggies from the garden.
Hi Kathy! I’m so glad you both enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha –
Thanks for the recipe, I’m excited to try it. What kind of silicone liners are you using? I would love to find smooth ones like those.
You’re welcome! Here’s the Silicon Liners (Amazon Affiliate Link) that I used.
Natasha, I love your recipes. I tried these egg bites and frozen so my daughter could have a quick breakfast. We thawed then and then microwaved it. The taste was good, but the egg bite was watery . I’m not sure why that happened, but she didn’t really like them. I’d love your feedback.
Hi Shelley, The texture won’t be as good after freezing, but should not be watery. I’m happy to help troubleshoot. Did you add any veggies or add-ins that could have caused it to release extra liquid? Also, overheating on too high of heat can cause it to release liquid. Lastly, make sure they are initially baked until fully set (without overtaking) to ensure they don’t release liquid later and make sure to cool completely before freezing so you don’t get condensation and ice crystals.
Hey Natasha
I baked them perfectly , but became watery after warming up. I put red pepper and spinach in there (the spinach was well drained) . They were cooled before freezing . I wish I could figure out why they were watery . I wonder if anyone else found that after freezing ?
It can become watery especially if you have frozen it. Make sure to cool it down to room temperature before reheating it, you can also place the egg bites on a baking sheet on a baking sheet in a single layer and freeze until solid before transferring them to airtight containers so it won’t stick together.
These are fantastic and so easy to make. I made these for a 1yr old birthday party and they were a hit! Love your recipes Natasha!!
Should probably change the cook time. I ruined 16 eggs cause I cooked according to instructions, 25 mins is WAY to long. They were completely hollow on the inside.
Hi Kassaundra, I’m sorry to hear that! I test all of my recipes with an oven thermometer to ensure accuracy so the temp and time on this is correct for a conventional oven. If using a convection oven, I would suggest reducing the temperature or timing since convection cooks faster. If your oven runs hot, I would also suggest watching for the visual cues that I listed as they are baking.
Hi Natasha. Just what I’ve been looking for. Do you have the nutritional information per muffin?
Hi Michelle, you can find the nutritional information per serving (egg bite) towards the bottom of the printable recipe card. Press the + icon to expand it. I hope that helps.
Hi Natasha! I made these…they puffed beautifully in the oven, but after I removed them from the oven they sank in the middle 🙁 Not sure why
Hi Shelley, over-baking can cause that – if they rise too much, they are more likely to sink. They will still be tasty though!
These are absolutely delish! Came out perfect & filled exactly 12 muffin tins. Will make again and adjust for add-ins so it’s not boring. Thank you Natasha!
Hi Christine, I’m so happy you loved the cottage cheese egg bites!
The texture of these egg bites are the best! I used 2% Good Culture cottage cheese (no issue with them falling), sauteed red pepper and onions, chicken sausage, and white cheddar cheese. This will be my go-to recipe for egg bites.
Excellent, quick and easy to prepare.
Wondering if I can make this recipe in a baking dish, 9×13 or a 8 or 9″ square?
Hi Diana, I haven’t tried this recipe in that size pan, but I recommend using THIS Adapt Baking Recipes to Fit Different Pan Sizes Guide.
So easy and delicious! I added in spinach (from frozen food section of store) and cut up brown and serve sausage links. I’d serve these at a brunch event, they are so tasty! Fit my keto diet perfectly. I used a cupcake pan by using non stick spray in the pan. Can’t wait to make again with different add ins. Thank you!
I’m so glad you were able to make this work for you! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Love love love! So easy to make and delicious! I really enjoy how easy they come together. Thanks Natasha!
I would like to use a muffin top pan, what do you suggest for the baking time?
Hi there! You can follow a similar approach with slight adjistments. You can preheat the Oven: Set your oven to 350°F (175°C), then slightly grease the muffin top pan with non-stick cooking spray or oil to prevent sticking.Place the pan in the oven and bake for approximately 15 to 20 minutes. You can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center.
Your instructions worked perfectly! Thank you so much.
Where can I buy the silicone containers you used?
Hi Patti! I linked them in step one. You can click on the bold words, it’s a link.
I’ve been making these on Sundays for my husband as a grab n’ go breakfast during the week. I had leftover sausage and fresh spinach from last week’s dinners, so that’s whats in this current batch, along with diced onion and shredded white & yellow American cheese. Husband loves them! And I love your recipes 😀
Really good! I added spinach to my cups. I want to try and freeze them too
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
You are a life saver. I haven’t been able to make meals for my kids that I was satisfied with. I almost gave up. Thanks to your incredibly easy to follow recipes and the outstanding outcome, I am gaining confidence in the kitchen again. I cannot express to you how grateful I am that you share your delicious easy to follow recipes! ❤️
I made these today for breakfast, but what did I miss? They all sunk in the centre as soon as they came out of the oven; looking more like pastry cases. Some had bacon bits and cheese, and others had spinach and cheese.
Hi Adele! Did you use full fat cottage cheese? I prefer to use full-fat cottage cheese for egg bites since it adds to the richness and moisture, and won’t be soggy or collapse since it has less water-to-fat ratio.