Egg Bites with Bacon & Gruyère
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If you like the sous vide egg bites from Starbucks, you’ll love this copycat version — no sous vide equipment required!
This copycat recipe is a spot-on homemade version of the popular bacon and Gruyère sous vide egg bites from Starbucks. As an avid fan of the Starbucks version, I can confidently say that this recipe is nearly identical in taste and texture to the original—no fancy sous vide equipment required. 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 achieving the desired silky texture is baking the egg bites at a low temperature and also placing a pan of water in the oven to create a steamy environment. Egg bites can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 days or frozen for up to 2 months. Plus, they reheat beautifully in the microwave, making them a convenient, high-protein option for busy mornings or on-the-go snacks.
Table of Contents
“This is by far the closest I’ve ever made to the real thing, and that’s after trying many different recipes. You nailed it!!”
What You’ll Need To Make Egg Bites with Bacon & Gruyère
Step-by-Step Instructions
Add the bacon to a small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
Cook, 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, 20 to 40 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, until the eggs are just 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.
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.
Video Tutorial
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Egg Bites with Bacon & Gruyère
If you like the sous vide egg bites from Starbucks, you’ll love this copycat version — no sous vide equipment required!
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.
- Place a 9x13-inch 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.
- Make-Ahead/Freezer-Friendly 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.
- Note: 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.
Nutrition Information
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- Serving size: 1 egg bite
- Calories: 151
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 5 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Protein: 10 g
- Sodium: 270 mg
- Cholesterol: 116 mg
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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Can paneer be used instead of cottage cheese?
Hi RaRa, I haven’t cooked with paneer so I can’t say confidently whether or not it would work. Sorry!
Delicious and so easy to make. I had no problem with bites sticking to the pan. I’m going to make these on a regular basis and keep some in the fridge. Great for a nutritious breakfast on those busy mornings getting ready for work. My husband also enjoyed them. I’m going to try the spinach bites next. Thank you for another great recipe.
I’ve been looking for a recipe that replicates Starbucks egg bites. I’ve tried quite a few. This recipe is HANDS DOWN the absolute best! I used Harvarti (that’s what I had). Honestly, these are better than Starbucks. I’m holding on to this gem. Thank you for sharing!!
I like the recipe and am trying it but maybe edit it to say that you don’t recommend a silicone muffin pan up in your description of the recipe rather than at the end. Hopefully mine turn out okay in the silicone.
Hi Liz, you’ve made a good point and I’m going to update the recipe. I hope they came out okay!
Used silicone cups added a bit of spray olive oil and they came out amazing. Did turn the tray mid way
Absolutely love these for quick, easy breakfasts during the week. Thanks for a delicious recipe!
I followed the recipe and after 30 minutes they were still liquid in the centre. Super disappointing considering there’s like $10 worth of Gruyère in this…I’m going try and cook them an extra 15 minutes.” To try and salvage them.
These were delicious. I hate to be that person that made a million subs, but I’m not a big bacon or Gruyère eater and I kind of used what I had on hand- subbed Kraft shredded cheddar for Gruyère (embarrassing, I know), 2% cottage cheese, and bacon bits (the moist kind- embarrassing again, I know). Still were great!
No need to be embarrassed. You use what you have 🥰
WOW! Thank you for the tip to add a 9×13 pan of steaming water. We had to substitute cream cheese, but it still turned out fantastic. My 12 year old enjoyed them too.
Love love love this recipe! Will be using over and over (smile). Thank you.
Could you use egg whites from a carton instead of fresh egg whites in this recipe. Thank you and I love your recipes.
Yep! See this recipe for measurements.
This is probably the 5th time I’ve made these. People have asked me for the recipe and I’ve sent them the link. They are delicious! Much better than the Starbucks ones and way cheaper too! Love them!!
These are the best Starbucks copycat recipe for egg bites that I have tried! SO good and super easy. Using a ceramic coated non-stick muffin pan makes it very easy to take them out and for me they cooked very evenly.
Could these be made with egg whites?
Hi Ellen, I haven’t tried it, but a few readers have commented that they’ve made these with egg whites and had success. Hope you enjoy if you make them!
I make these often and keep them in the freezer – they are the perfect quick and nutritious breakfast when thawed and then heated in the microwave. Thanks, Jenn. Another winning recipe!
I want to double this but my cottage cheese is only 2 cups! Could I sub sour cream or yogurt or heavy cream for the remaining half cup? I love this recipe and I don’t want to mess it up!
I’ve never tried it, but being that it’s only 1/2 cup, I suspect you can get away with it. Hope they come out okay!
I used sour cream. Worked great!
Good to know — thanks for reporting back!
For Christmas, my kids got me a countertop eggbite maker that uses 9 silicone cups. First thing I do is search for recipes and I came across this one. I followed this recipe but used the eggbite maker instead of the oven. Just so happens that one of my kids worked at Starbucks for a year. He was impressed with them, thinking they tasted very similar to the Starbucks version.
Absolutely love this recipe! After making these a few times, some notes on tweaks/additions: baking time is around 24 minutes; spin the pan about halfway through baking (the center cups tend to set last). Adding 2-3 oz button mushrooms and two cloves minced garlic and sautee in the bacon grease; addd with the bacon per the published recipe. Adding chives to the egg/cheese mix makes for a yummy addition, as well. Better than Starbucks!
Turned out great, maybe even better than Starbucks because I crisped up the bacon more the way I like it. I used my Vitamix to get it super smooth, and I used family reserve Tabasco which is so much better than the regular stuff–once you try it there’s no going back! This recipe was a hit for us!
These Egg Bites are easy to make and absolutely delicious. What a scrumptious addition to brunch!
We love this recipe! We have been using it for a few years. However, when I went to reprint it for a friend I noticed you are now adding corn starch. What is the purpose of this? Is it to make it freezer friendly? Thank you so much!
So glad you like them! The cornstarch just makes the texture of the egg bites a little silkier. 😊
Just made these last night to have this morning and throughout the week. Super easy and absolutely delicious! They taste identical if not better than the Starbucks version. Excited to test out other varieties!
These are amazing. I used Jarslberg because Sam’s Club didn’t have gruyere (and I didn’t feel like driving anywhere else lol) instead and they were still amazing. Thank you for this recipe!
I don’t have a big blender, do you think an immersion stick blender would work well enough to mix everything?
Yes, that should work; just make sure the mixture is well blended. Enjoy!
Using an immersion blender worked for me, and the recipe turned out great!
I just made these for the first time and it won’t be the last! They’re fantastic! I’ve never had the Starbucks version, but we loved them.
We didn’t have cottage cheese so I used Greek yogurt instead and it seemed to work just fine.
This looks like a great recipe! I’m looking forward to trying it. Quick question though. When you list salt in your recipes are you referring to kosher salt. I took some cooking classes a few years back and they always used kosher salt, but recipes rarely specify. Thanks!
Hi Dana, When a recipe of mine says salt in the ingredient list, I am referring to regular/table salt. If it calls for something else like kosher salt, I will specify that in the recipe. Hope you enjoy the egg bites!
These are wonderful!! I freeze 2-3 dozen,micro wave 1-2 for 1 minute!❤️
Hi Jenn! I need to bring breakfast for a weekend away. I plan on making the “Sausage Biscuits” from your cookbook, and I would like to include eggs of some sort. I don’t want to be the short order cook so I was wondering if these can be made plain? Would that meant that I use the cottage cheese and just not the Gruyère? Thanks so much!
Sure, Kathy – these are delicious plain. I would omit the bacon but use both the cottage cheese and Gruyère. Have a good weekend away!
Had to say thank you for this amazing recipe! This is by far the closest I’ve ever made to the real thing, and that’s after trying many different recipes. You nailed it!!
Followed the recipe exactly, these turned out perfectly and are really delicious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I don’t leave reviews, but these deserved one!! These are the closest I’ve come to Starbucks. It’s absolutely perfect and so is the texture. This is going to help my so much on my weight loss journey (and saving money)
I tried your recipe and it is perfect. I have made so many recipes for this and they’ve all be horrible and was about to give up. I love Starbucks egg bites so much. Thank you so much for the recipe. 💕
This is the best recipe I’ve found in years! Thank you so much for creating this. They are actually much better than the ones you buy at Starbucks. Everyone I’ve made it for loves this recipe. In fact, I recently went to stay with my elderly uncle, who doesn’t have much appetite, and he wanted to eat these twice every day–for three weeks! Anyway, I’ve made them many times now and usually make a couple of small changes. I wanted to cut the fat a little bit, so I used diced ham–about 3oz–instead of bacon. Also, I love cheese, so as well as using real Gruyere, I added a 1/4 cup of grated parmesan Reggiano (Oops! There went the fat content back up again!) I sprinkle it over the top of the egg bites with the ham right before baking. Once, I didn’t have cornstarch, so I used flour and it worked fine, and last time I completely forgot to add cornstarch or flour, and it worked fine as well. The texture was a little different–more custardy–but just as delicious. I might even prefer them that way. As you know, it can be hard to get these out of the muffin pans even if the pans are non-stick and well-sprayed, so I usually line the pans with foil baking cups, which I also spray with cooking spray. Then they come out really easily. Finally, I make these and freeze them. It takes 30 seconds per egg bite in the microwave to defrost, and then I give them five or six minutes in a preheated air fryer on 400F. This makes them golden and crispy on the outside, but they’re still smooth and silky in the middle. Thanks again for such a great recipe.
How would you recommend reheating an entire batch in the oven? I made the recipe, which was delicious, as a test in preparation for an upcoming brunch. (It easily beat out several similar versions). The egg bites were perfect out of the oven once I finally got the ones in the middle of the pan to cook fully… The next day, I reheated 6 in the oven at 300 for 10 minutes on a baking sheet loosely covered with foil as I found recommended several places. They were still wonderful, but the tops seemed overcooked and they were not as creamy. I realize there might not be much I can do since I am reheating something delicate. I also have a problem with my oven running cold if it’s set at 300 or lower and running hot if it’s set above 300!
Hi Nicole, you’re right in that reheating a whole batch in the oven may change the texture a bit. If you use the oven again, I would tightly cover them with foil (instead of loosely). I also find the microwave works well to reheat them. While I haven’t done a full batch, I’ve microwaved several at the same time with good results. I’d set it to 50% power, and reheat in 60 to 90 second increments. Hope that helps!
I am curious to know why it is necessary to add cornstarch as your quiche recipe, similar, does not. Thanks!
Hi Pat, The egg bites have a unique extra silky texture that the cornstarch helps achieve. It is not necessary with quiche.
Love this recipe! I use it every week!
I double it and use lemon pepper and garlic powder and no salt. I omit bacon and add cheese to tops.
I reheat in microwave for a quick breakfast!
This is a fabulous recipe! The bites always disappear when I take them on a picnic (so easy to transport and taste delicious cold or at room temperature). I sometimes make them in mini muffin tins (I bought a tin especially) and then I add these mini egg bites to a grazing platter. They never last long. On occasions I’ve substituted chorizo for bacon and ricotta for cottage cheese with great success and one time by mistake I picked up onion and chive flavoured cottage cheese instead of regular, but this too added a great flavour dimension to the bites.
Oh my gosh….my new fave breakfast recipe! I didn’t have Gruyère cheese, so I used a combo of grated Havarti and bagged shredded marble. Also, I wanted a larger egg bite, so I used my 6 cup jumbo muffin baking pan and changed the quantities as follows. Eight eggs, one and a half cups of cottage cheese, 2 cups of the Havarti/marble cheese, and 2 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch. I don’t eat bacon, but I always have cooked ham on hand, so I substituted the bacon for cubed ham, and also had some previously-sautéed mushrooms in the fridge so chopped them up and sautéed them along with the cubed ham. Instead of Tabasco, I added smoky paprika. Yum! I didn’t feel like pulling out my blender from downstairs, so I used a large whisk and vigourously whisked everything together. Because of the increased quantities of ingredients, I baked the bites for 30 minutes instead of the suggested 20 to 25 minutes. And I watched for the egg bites pulling away from the edges as my cue that they were done. The result was nothing short of FABULOUS! They were moist, cheesy, flavourful and delicious! Jenn, thank you for continuing to share with us your wonderful recipes. I have a recipe stand on my counter, and I have to say, probably about 80% of the printed recipes are from Once Upon a Chef. I am definitely a super fan!
I will need to reheat several at the same time so that I can take to meeting. Can I reheat in the oven?
Hi Mary Ellen, I haven’t tried it, but it should work. I’d reheat them, covered, in a 350 degree oven and check them at 10 to 15 minutes to see if they are heated through.
Worked perfectly! Thank you for answering in only a few hours!
Mary Ellen
I made the bacon and Gruyere cheese just as the recipe stated because I love the Starbucks’ ones. They came out absolutely perfect! Plus, I had to use liners for my pans so I found the parchment paper kind on amazon and used those. No sticking at all. Once I froze the egg bites, I pulled them out and let them thaw for about an hour and then microwaved them for 1 minute. Again they came out perfect! Next time I’ll try adding peppers and onions maybe. They were so good.
I made your recipe step by step
I substituted the cottage cheese with Ricotta left over I had in the fridge handy and the gruyere for provolone.
I love tomatoes so I added chopped tomatoes and they are delicious. I can eat these all day long.
Thank you so much for this recipe!
Is it possible to use muffin liners (paper)? I am hesitant to use a non-stick spray on my USA PAN non-stick muffin pans. If this is possible, would the cooking time be altered?
Hi John, I wouldn’t recommend paper liners here – I’m concerned they’d stick.
Thanks Jenn.
I have the same pan . How about using olive or another oil to lightly coat the pan?? I’m going to do that when I make them this week.
Hi! Have you tried this recipe in a casserole dish?
No, I’ve only made it in a muffin tin.
Can whole milk ricotta cheese be substituted for the cottage cheese?
Yep I’ve tried it and it works well.
Jenn, would you know if that would change the calorie count? Thank you
Hi Nadia, I just plugged it into the nutritional calculator I use and it would increase the calories per egg bite slightly (to 164).
I used ham and because there is so much water in ham these days I could not get them cooked through. Just to avoid waste I stirred each one and continued cooking 30 minutes longer. Basically was scrambled eggs. But tasty!
these have been my breakfast most days for over a year. I often sub whatever cheese I have and they’ve all been good. I also like the ease of cooking cubed pancetta (Wegman’s offers the perfect 4 oz package) and using it instead of the bacon. You do need to spray the muffin tin well, then spray it some more, for them to come out cleanly
I am going to try these. However, what size is the baking tin/cups. I have three different sizes and can’t decide which to use
Marjory🇨🇦
Hi Marjory, Muffin tins come in three sizes — mini, standard, and jumbo. Use the standard one for these. This is the one I use.
I’ve never had this but am looking for more protein (and fiber) recipes. What else do you eat with these?
Hi Virginia, If you’re eating them for breakfast, you can pair them with some fruit and/or whole wheat toast.
Can the cottage cheese be substituted?, and if so, with what? Cottage cheese is low on my food list!
Hi Peggy, I promise you can’t taste the cottage cheese, but heavy cream will work too.
I used turkey bacon and siracha which is what I had on hand and they came out great! I’ll definitely be making these again soon, thank you.
Fantastic!! I made a vegetarian and a ham and cheese version. Easy to make ans the end result was so good. Will definitely make again. Thanks for the recipe!!!
Great recipe and good jumping off point for freestyling.
Oh. My. Goodness! These are amazing! (even with my modifications.)
1. I only have a half-sized oven so I put the water into a roll pan and put the muffin cups (silicon) right on top.
2. I used pre-shredded marble cheddar.
3. I didn’t have cottage cheese (it had been waiting too long for me to make these) so I used greek yogurt. I would probably only go with one cup next time.
4. I put the bacon bits on the bottom of the cup and added the egg mix.
I will try them with the cottage cheese next time, but I like the bit of zip from the yogurt too.
I’ve made these several times, my wife loves them. I always double the recipe, flash freeze them and then vacuum pack them for meal prep. I made them with bacon, sausage, sautéed peppers, and onions. I found the recipe to a T and I’ve substituted some cheeses Our favorite is bacon, fresh peppers and onions and mixing habanero cheddar with the Gruyere cheese!
How do you reheat?
Reheat in the microwave at 50% power for 60 to 90 seconds. 🙂
Oh my gosh, these are soooo good. I didn’t have enough cornstarch so I subbed flour (4 tbsp) and it worked great.
Thank you, these taste great.
You got the proportions just right!
Could you please do a Copycat recipe for “Three BridgesEgg Bites with Red Peppers and Spinach.” I love these so very much.
Glad you like them! I will add the ones you’ve requested to my list of recipes to potentially develop. 🙂
Love these! Make these every weekend!
Taste and texture is exactly like Starbucks! I used 8 eggs instead of 6 and it was the perfect amount to fill the muffin tin all the way to the top.
Can this be reheated in an oven? If so, what temp/time would you recommend?
Hi Sadie, I haven’t tried it, but it should work. I’d reheat them, covered, in a 350 degree oven and check them at 10 to 15 minutes to see if they are heated through.
Can you use 2% cottage cheese?
Hi Ginger, I always recommend full-fat dairy, but 2% will work in a pinch.