Cheesy Bacon Egg Muffins — Fluffy, creamy baked egg muffins that make for a speedy breakfast or afternoon snack. A close dupe of everyone’s favorite Starbucks egg bite.

We had what felt like a super-short summer “break” this year. Lana’s school year went through July and then picked up after Labor Day, leaving us with exactly the month of August to get our summer kicks. And so, in a move that seemed brilliant at the time, I front-loaded our school year with loads of long weekends, hoping it would make that summer vibe feeling last a little longer.

So during the month of September, we road-tripped –– separately — to Sacramento, Pismo Beach, Yosemite and, finally, Santa Barbara — where, if you follow me on Insta, you’ll recall Lana got to make her debut as a flower girl. I about fell over it was so precious.

Anyway.

And as we traversed the state of California, one thing remained constant: Starbucks Egg Bites.

OK, back up. I know what you’re thinking: you took your family through some of the most diverse landscapes and charming towns that California has to offer, and the best you could come up with is Starbucks? And to that I say: have you had the freaking egg bites? Yes, we made our fair share of pit stops at storied mom n’ pops, endearing greasy spoons and hip farm-to-fork eateries, but when we knew we’d be stopping no more than 15 minutes, and we were solely in search of a clean restroom, a little caffeine and a somewhat wholesome snack, that ol’ dual-tailed mermaid — well, she beckoned us forth.

The Sous Vide Egg Bites at Starbucks are truly something to behold. They’re custardy and creamy inside, with just enough structure for handheld enjoyment. They’re flavorful, too. Our fave — the ham, cheese + bell peppers — packs all the savoriness of a Denver omelet into a salty little bite that somehow doesn’t taste like ham, cheese or bell peppers. It’s just…good.

Perhaps the best testament to these egg bites yet? They’re the only thing that can persuade Lana away from the second most alluring item in the bakery case: the all-powerful cake pop.

So, once our roadtripping days were over, I hunkered down in the kitchen, intent on making our own egg bites — or truly, they’re more than a bite, so egg muffins, we’ll call them — that would rival the taste and texture of these well-engineered little buggers. After reading literally thousands of reviews (this is my job, you guys…how weird slash cool is that?), I used this recipe as a jumping off point, and then made a few modifications from there.

And lemme tell ya: it wasn’t without its issues. The first time, I accidentally turned off the oven 15 minutes into baking the eggs and didn’t realize until the timer went off 10 mins later. The second time, I was distracted by a flipping earthquake and forgot to set the timer at all. (I cannot make this shit up. California, man…) But the third time? Well, as the saying goes…

So here we are. Egg muffins that, I freely admit, are still not exactly as creamy + silky as the originals, but that are pretty dang close — and real dang tasty. 

A Few Egg Muffin FAQs

• Can these egg muffins be made dairy-free? As far as I can tell from reviews, the cheeses in this recipe are largely responsible for the finished texture. So, no. But if you find a way around it, I’ve love to hear!
• Do you truly need to blend the ingredients in a blender? Can’t I just whisk them? Ah, I wondered the same. #lessdishes The first batch of egg muffins I made, I thoroughly whisked together the ingredients and ended up with a texture much more akin to an omelet or a scramble. The egg parts were discernible from the add-ins, and the texture wasn’t silky or fluffy. In the blended version, the resulting egg muffins are much fluffier and creamier, with the added bonus that the flavor of the add-ins truly permeates the whole thing. I don’t think you’d really require a fancy, high-speed blender for this. Any good, functioning blender will do.
• Can I change up the add-ins? Yes and no. Across the thousands of comments I read, many people had success changing out the add-ins as long as certain rules are maintained. The type of cheese isn’t critical so long as there’s a melting cheese (cheddar, pepper jack, fontina, etc.) and a soft cheese component (ricotta, goat, cream cheese, etc.). And of course you could make vegetarian egg muffins by omitting the bacon and adding veggies — just be mindful if you’re adding items that will increase the water content (i.e. tomatoes). Personally, I would probably give whatever veggie you’re adding a quick saute to draw out some moisture.
• Can the recipe be doubled? You betcha! I haven’t tried freezing these egg muffins yet, but I did find that reheating them from the fridge in the toaster oven gives the outside a nice bit of color, like the Starbucks version, while the insides stay moist.
• How do I prevent them from sticking? SO GLAD YOU ASKED. I promise that I tried to make these without any special gadgets, friends. I really did. But in the end, and after two recipe tests where the muffins were thoroughly butchered in my attempt to release them from their (generously greased) muffin tins, I pulled out my trusty silicone muffin cups. These guys are economical and big multi-taskers in this house. I use them daily for packing Lana’s lunches. In fact, I have several types, but the ones I just linked are my absolute favorite — they clean up great and they hold their shape well in lunchboxes. (Note: do not wash them with a heavily fragranced dish soap as they retain the smell and it transfers into your baked goods. Learn from my mistake!)

I had visions of sending Lana to school with one of these bad boys in her lunchbox, but since we’ve since learned that lunches need to be egg-free in her class, we’ve been enjoying these for a quick breakfast or after-school snack. Still just as tasty, and a whole heck of a lot more affordable than our road trip coffee shop habit.

xo!
Em

Guys! Follow me on Instagram for more peeks into our life on the Northern California coast. And if you feel so inclined, pop over to my personal food + lifestyle blog, The Pig & Quill, where I share salty scribblings from my kitchen and home life. Byeeeeee!

Yield: 6 Muffins

Cheesy Bacon Egg Muffins

Print

Cheesy Bacon Egg Muffins -- Fluffy, creamy baked egg muffins that make for a speedy breakfast or afternoon snack. A close dupe of everyone's favorite Starbucks egg bite.

Prep Time 5 minutes

Cook Time 30 minutes

Total Time 35 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 3 oz pepper jack cheese, shredded
• 1/4 cup cottage cheese
• 2 slices cooked bacon, roughly chopped
• 2 green onions, white and green parts, roughly chopped
• 1/4 tsp salt
• black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 300F and place a baking pan or a rimmed baking sheet with 1" of water on the lower rack. Position another rack in the center of the oven.
2. Prepare a 6-cup muffin tin with silicone liners.
3. Combine all ingredients (yes, even the bacon -- in my experience you get more "bacony" bang for your buck if you add it at this stage) in a blender and blend until fully combined and frothy, about 20 seconds.
4. Divide egg mixture evenly between cups until almost full and bake on the center rack for 25-30 mins, or until just barely set in the center. (They'll set up a little more while they cool down.) Enjoy immediately, or refrigerate and reheat in a toaster oven.

Notes

Adapted from this recipe by Flav City.

Please see FAQs in the full recipe post for information regarding dairy-free options, doubling the recipe, and more.

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