Egg Bites with Bacon & Gruyère
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This egg bites recipe is my take on Starbucks’ bacon and Gruyère egg bites, with the same creamy, custardy texture—no sous vide equipment required.
As an avid fan of Starbucks’ bacon and Gruyère egg bites, I can confidently say that this egg bites recipe is nearly identical to the original—and you don’t need any special equipment to make it. The recipe is easy to make using just a blender, a muffin tin, and a few simple ingredients like cottage cheese, eggs, shredded cheese, cornstarch, bacon, and hot sauce.
The secret to their silky texture is baking the egg bites at a low temperature with a pan of water in the oven to create a steamy environment. They can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months, and they reheat beautifully in the microwave—a convenient, high-protein option for busy mornings on the go!
“I had Starbucks egg bites this morning and when I made these, couldn’t tell the difference. Delicious!”
What You’ll Need To Make Egg Bites with Bacon & Gruyère
- Bacon: Adds that signature salty, smoky flavor.
- Eggs and cottage cheese: The base of the egg bites. Use full-fat cottage cheese for the creamiest texture; it blends completely smooth, so you won’t notice the curds in the finished bites.
- Shredded Gruyère: Gives the egg bites their rich flavor and melty goodness. You can use all Gruyère or combine it with Cheddar or Monterey Jack.
- Cornstarch: Acts as a stabilizer to ensure a smooth, uniform texture.
- Hot Sauce: A small amount adds flavor without making the egg bites noticeably spicy.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
How To Make Egg Bites
Cook the bacon: Cook the bacon until crisp, then transfer it to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Draining off the excess fat keeps the bites from becoming greasy.
Make the egg mixture: Add the eggs, cottage cheese, shredded cheese, cornstarch, hot sauce, salt, and pepper to a blender and blend until completely smooth. Blending helps create the silky, uniform texture once cooked.
Fill the pan: Pour the egg mixture evenly into the prepared muffin cups, then sprinkle the bacon evenly over the top.
Bake: Place a pan of water in the oven to create steam, then bake the egg bites at a low temperature until just set. The gentle heat and steamy environment help give the egg bites their soft, custardy texture. Let them cool briefly before removing them from the pan, then enjoy warm.
Video Tutorial
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Ingredients
- 4 slices bacon, diced
- 6 large eggs
- 1¼ cups 4% milkfat cottage cheese
- 1¼ cups shredded Gruyère (or a blend of Gruyère and Cheddar or Monterey Jack)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Heaping ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
Instructions
- Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Set one oven rack in the middle position and another in the lowest position. Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- Place a 9 x 13-in (23 x 33-cm) metal or ceramic baking dish on the lower rack and fill it halfway with the boiling water from the kettle. This will create steam in the oven, which will help the egg bites to cook gently and attain a custardy texture.
- Spray a nonstick muffin pan generously with nonstick cooking spray (see note).
- In a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, cook the bacon, stirring frequently, until crisp, 5 to 6 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- In a blender, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, Gruyère, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Blend until completely smooth, about 30 seconds.
- Pour the egg mixture evenly into the prepared muffin pan, filling each well about three-quarters full. Divide the bacon evenly over the egg bites. Using a spoon or your finger, press some of the bacon into the batter so it is not all floating on top. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes on the middle rack, until the eggs are set. You’ll know they are done when the egg bites start pulling slightly away from the edges. Some of the egg bites may puff up and look a bit lopsided, but they will settle and deflate as they cool.
- Remove the egg bites from the oven and let rest in the pan for about 5 minutes. Use a small spoon to loosen the egg bites from the edges of the pan and carefully lift them out onto a plate. Serve warm.
Notes
- I don’t recommend using a silicone muffin tin for this recipe as readers have commented that the egg bites take longer to set and cook unevenly.
- Make-Ahead/Freezing Instructions: Once cool, the egg bites can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at 50% power for 60 to 90 seconds. The egg bites can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight and reheat using the microwave.
Nutrition Information
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you’re following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
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This recipe is far tastier than the Starbucks version! I look forward to trying different flavor combos.
Loved this! I used a silicone and a dark metal pan side by side. I doubled it and got 24 egg bites. We liked the silicone better actually as they came out easier (we hand buttered as the pan says not to use spray) and were more spongy like Starbucks’ actual egg bites. The other pans were good too though just less spongy more regular cooked egg.
These are soo spot on! Easy to make and taste great!
Many other recipes use cornstarch in the egg mixture, but yours does not. Why?
Hi Sarah, it actually does include cornstarch. I updated the recipe a year or so ago to include cornstarch, so if you printed it before that, it wouldn’t show up in the ingredient list.
what does the cornstarch do for it?
Hi James, the cornstarch helps to give the egg bites a silkier texture.
I love these and make them frequently! Question: could this be baked as a crustless quiche in a 9 inch pie plate?
Hi Jill, Glad you like them! Yes, you can make this as a crustless quiche; just keep in mind that it will be more delicate than your typical quiche and might be a little messy to slice and serve. Also, the bake time may be a bit longer. Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Hi Jenn,
Question about the cheese. I made these with sharp cheddar it wasn’t great. I did this since the Gruyere is $8 for 3 oz. It would have cost me $24-$28 just for cheese if I used 1 1/4 cup or 10 oz. I googled measuring cheese, and since Gruyere is a hard cheese this site below says 3 oz of hard cheese is equivalent to 1 cup, meaning in would only need 1 and 1/3 block. Just mentioning this because I’m not a cook, I and didn’t know. So, would it be 10 oz of Gruyere cheese or 4 oz?
Hi Ann, the 10 ounces you mentioned is if you were measuring using a liquid measuring cup. The equivalent of 1-1/4 cups in volume (what you need for the egg bites) is just over 5 ounces (by weight) so hopefully that makes it a little more affordable. Feel free to use a combination of Gruyere and Monterey Jack to bring down the price a bit more. Hope that clarifies!
HI, absolutely love this recipe! Quick question though. If I wanted to add a little bell pepper to this, do you think this would change the cook time at all? Also, I keep having it come out burned along the outside of the egg. Do you have any recommendations? Thank you so much for this recipe!
So glad you like these! It’s fine for you to add some bell pepper to this; just make sure to finely dice, season, and sauté them before incorporating. You mentioned that the egg bites are coming out burned along the outside; are you referring to just the top edges where it touches the muffin tin or the entire top?
Hi Jenn, A quick question…
When I bought my USA pans (muffin pan, loaf pans, baking sheets) the instructions said to NEVER use cooking spray on the pans. I’m wondering if I should just use some butter to grease the muffin pan when I make this recipe. Appreciate your thoughts and expertise. Looking forward to trying this recipe!
Hi Karen, you could pre-treat the pan with a little oil or butter. Hope you enjoy the egg bites!
I can’t do corn so no cornstarch for me! Would it be better to sub it with arrowroot or tapioca starch or just leave it out?
Hi Liz, I’d just leave it out – they’ll still be great!
Made this using sugar-free bacon and Keto-friendly cream cheese instead of carboliscious cottage cheese. Great technique – really helped with texture.
I never did see the oven temperature listed anywhere. I am assuming 350°? My daughter first made these for me and they were excellent!
Hi Michelle, the oven temperature is 300°F. Glad you enjoyed them!
These turned out exactly like the Starbucks!! I couldn’t believe it!! For my 1 1/4 cup of cheese I did 1 cup Gruyère and 1/4 pepper jack. And I added the smallest dash of liquid hickory smoke. These were great! Thanks for the great recipe and instructions!!