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
Can you add egg whites without impacting the taste – I wanted a bit more protien. Let me know if anyone tried:)
Hi Heather! I’ve only tested whole eggs, but I imagine it would work to add some more egg whites too. The texture would be different and you’ll need to add more salt as needed.
I just made these and they are baking as I type this. I made mine with colorful bell peppers, onion, cheddar and diced ham. I cannot wait til they’re done.
So yummy! I’d love to have the cute little silicone cups like yours but the link does not have the purple/pink as a choice. Anyway, great recipe to make ahead and heat as needed.
Great! Love having a quick, healthy bite to take with me in the morning. I added ham and onion and cheese.
The best thing ever! Ive been making these over and over again in many different ways. Someone told us Costco sous vide egg bites were good, but they are nothing compared to these. And I’d much rather have homemade.
I made these, six with just cheddar cheese and six with spinach and cheddar. They looked beautiful when I pulled them out of the oven, but collapsed moments after. What happened?
Hi Judith! Did you use low 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.
Can you make 1 large one in a pie plate?
Hi Gail. It should work fine to bake it in a larger dish too, but you’ll have to experiment with the size and baking time.
Would it be ok to blend in pork sausage crumbles with the eggs and cottage cheese in the blender?
Hi Mark, I haven’t tried adding the meat in the blender, I worry it will make the texture different/ more mushy, but if you happen to try it, I’d love to know how you like it.
👀 soo good
They are delish!
Thought they were great love the fact you could add what you like turkey bacon, onions, spinach ect……
Great
I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I use silicone mini muffin pans to make one-bite egg bites weekly for 50 people. So far I’ve made (all with shredded cheese): sausage, ham, bacon, and sweet peppers with onion (sautéed first). They are a huge hit! I fill the little muffin bowls (what’s the right word?) to the brim and bake 18-20 minutes the night before and refrigerate overnight. In the morning at the event, I put them on parchment- lined pans to reheat at 350°F for 15-20 minutes. We all loved these so that much that I purchased 5 silicone mini muffin pans and a mega-blender just to be able to produce a large amount.
I so appreciate your cooking expertise and always check your page first when I need a recipe!
Wow, that’s so great, Lonnie! Thank you for sharing that with all of us!
Perfect 10.
Aww, I’m glad you think so.
You are a lovely human being Natasha. Love your videos and recipes.
E.A. from Canada
Thank you for that wonderful compliment! I’m so happy you’re enjoying my videos and recipes!
Send me your recipes to my e-mail.
Thanks!
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Do the mushrooms or the spinach have to be sautéed before adding them to the egg mixture?
Hi Marie! No, they do not need to be sautéed.
Love this recipe! Great to make ahead for a quick healthy bite. I use regular size muffins with the silicone cups and they pop right out.
Do u use mini muffin pans or regular size?
Hi Kathy! It’s a standard muffin/cupcake pan.
These are delicious! Put your muffin tin on top of a cookie sheet with enough water to cover the bottom of the muffin pan wells to keep a more velvety texture.
Great recipe! They taste fabulous and are light and fluffy! I added cottage cheese, feta cheese, real bacon bits, and topped them off with sharp cheddar cheese!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Carolanne!