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
Sooo good, and I’m not even a fan of eggs! This recipe is a sure win for the non egg fan! Delicious. Flavorful. Fluffy. My husband said he could eat about 8 in one sitting.
Hi and thank you!!! Made these this morning and was a little nervous about the cottage cheese. OMG, deliciousness…so flavorful and moist better than some of the upscale restaurants selling quiche. I added a little soft cheese and they explode with flavor.
Thank you again…
Recently had bariatric surgery and was looking for high protein, soft foods and stumbled upon your recipe. Bravo!!!!! Makes adherence to medical requirements easier…
You’re very welcome, Jeannette! I’m so happy this was a hit! I hope you’re recovering well.
Hi Natasha
I’m wondering if I can make theses cheese bites with egg whites? Would I have to do anything differently? Let me know as I am anxious to try them. ThanksJoanne
Hi Joanne! I’ve only tested whole eggs so I’m not sure if any changes are needed. I imagine it would work with egg whites too but the texture would be different.
I fallowed your instructions. They were nice and puffy in oven but when I took them out they deflated! What went wrong?
Hi Darlene! 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.
Easy and delicious..thank you!🙏🏻🙏🏻
I had 3 cups of cottage cheese that I needed to use and fast 💨!!! I received your email with the cottage cheese egg bites recipe and I was set. I always love ❤️ your recipes and I knew this would be a huge hit! 3 cups cottage cheese, 24 eggs and 3 cups of add ins. I opted for spinach, green onions, red pepper and feta cheese. Being Greek, I was thinking along the lines of Spanakopita!!😋🤤. I sautéed the green onions, added the spinach till it wilted, then added the red pepper and it tasted so delicious 😋! Put it aside and sautéed a bit of honey ham on its own. This recipe is out of this world!!A definite winner 🏆. I will be making these babies on a regular basis. Thank you 🙏 Natasha!!!!!
Delicious, and directions were very straightforward and clear. Thanks for the tip on how to balance number of eggs and added fillings. I made mine with a little bit of red pepper, onion, and finely chopped deli ham. Very tasty.
So so good! Any recipe I’ve tried from you is always a hit! Thanks
I’m so happy to hear that, Lucia!
This recipe looks amazing! Could I make these egg bites as a crustless quiche?
Hi Alexandra. I think it could work, but I honestly haven’t tested it myself to provide instructions or feedback. Let us know if you try it.
This recipe is so MUCH better than the Starbucks egg bites. I love starbucks but i don’t get it how two tiny egg bites can contain 11 g of carbs. Natasha’s recipe has no carbs.
Hi Olesya! I’m so glad you loved the recipe. Thank you for sharing.
I have a question, can I use egg whites? If so, how much?
Love your recipes, excited to try these!
Hi Juanita, I have only tried it with whole egg, I imagine it may work with a few adjustments. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Looked perfect, tasted like an omelette, risen but it’s a no from me and the kids
Delicious. I like the eggs and cottage cheese mixture very much. Determining the cook time was confusing. The tops seemed set, but they weren’t done inside. I wound up cooking at 325° for 32 minutes in my accurate temperature oven. I enjoyed mine with gruyere cheese and will add some chives next time. Thank you.
Fantastic recipe due to ease and versatility! I added ham, cheddar & green onion. The flavour and texture were excellent, but I was disappointed that they fell a little and I’m not sure why. I even hunted around town until I found a 4% cottage cheese. I don’t believe I overcooked them. I cooked them 22 minutes then checked them at +1 +1. Do you have any ideas about what I can try different next time?
Regardless they are delicious, as are every other recipe of yours that I’ve tried.
Thanks!
Hi Kim, usually if they are over-baked, they are more likely to fall. Extra moisture can also make them fall – if your cottage cheese has alot of liquid in it. Also, if your oven runs hot, maybe reduce the oven to 325˚F so it has a steadier rise and is less likely to fall.
Thank you for your suggestions! I made them again today to take camping. They will travel well and be a great snack to grab!