Spinach Egg Bites
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If you’re a fan of Starbucks egg bites, you’ll love this copycat version filled with fresh spinach and scallions.
This recipe is a vegetarian spin on my popular copycat Starbucks sous vide egg bites with bacon. With just a blender, a muffin tin, and a few simple ingredients, including cottage cheese, eggs, shredded cheese, spinach and scallions, the recipe is easy to make at home. The key to achieving the luscious silky texture that sous vide egg bites are known for is baking in a low temperature oven and 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, making them a convenient and high-protein breakfast or snack. They also reheat well in the microwave, so they’re ideal for busy mornings or snacking on the go.
What You’ll Need To Make Spinach Egg Bites
Step-by-step instructions
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.
Finely chop the spinach and scallions.
Sprinkle the spinach and scallions evenly over the batter.
Use a spoon to press the greens into the batter so it’s 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 to pull away slightly from the edges.
Remove the egg bites from the oven and let rest in the pan for about 5 minutes.
Some of the egg bites may also puff up and look a bit lopsided, but they will settle and deflate as they cool. 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.
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Spinach Egg Bites
If you’re a fan of Starbucks egg bites, you’ll love this copycat version filled with fresh spinach and scallions.
Ingredients
- 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
- Scant ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 oz baby spinach leaves, or ⅔ cup (packed), finely chopped
- 2 scallions, dark green parts only, finely chopped
Instructions
- Bring a kettle of water to a boil. Preheat the oven to 300°F and set one oven rack in the middle position and another in the lowest position.
- 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.
- 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. Sprinkle the spinach and scallions evenly over the batter. Use a spoon to press the greens into the batter so they are 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 to pull away slightly from the edges. Some of the egg bites may also 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; the egg bites will take longer to set and may cook unevenly.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (12 servings)
- Serving size: 1 egg bite
- Calories: 111
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated fat: 3 g
- Carbohydrates: 2 g
- Sugar: 1 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 9 g
- Sodium: 208 mg
- Cholesterol: 109 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.
These turned out great and I have made them several times.
They freeze well too.
These are absolutely delicious! I used Gruyère cheese, doubled the spinach, and included the white part of the scallions so they dont go to waste, and they turned out great. Thank you for the recipe!
Have you tried putting this in on big baking dish instead of muffin tins?
I haven’t tried it, but I think it could work. I’d bake it in a 9-inch square pan and start checking it at 30 minutes (though it may take longer). Please LMK how it turns out if you try it!
Made these in mini muffin tins. Got 3 dozen and they’re gorgeous and delicious!
Hi Jenn. What size muffin tins are these — regular or minis? Thanks!
Regular 🙂
These egg bites turned out so well and so delicious. I have had issues getting eggs out of muffin tins but used butter instead of non-stick spray and it worked perfectly. I also put the pan of water in the oven while it was preheating (instead of using boiling water) and that worked very well also. I used 1% cottage cheese because that is what I prefer to eat plain so is what I had on hand. I think they tasted delicious. This will be a go-to recipe from now on! Thanks!
These spinach egg bites are absolutely delicious! They have become my go to recipe for an easy, portable breakfast to pack for work. They are so light and flavorful and they freeze beautifully. Thanks Jen for the time and effort you put into testing your recipes. Every recipe that I’ve made (and I’ve made a lot) of yours has turned out beautifully! You are my go to chef. 💕
💗
Best Egg bites! Love the recipe (love all your recipes!!) however…how do I get them from sticking to the muffin pan?? I tried sprays and crisco and EVERYTIME it’s a huge mess! I use a knife to get the edges before I get them loose enough to remove but the bottoms stick! The flavor and texture are perfect but I feel like i loose 1/4 of them in the muffin pan! Help!! Thx so much xoxo Jen
Hi Jen, so glad you like the egg bites but sorry that you’re having a problem with them sticking! If you are spraying the muffin pan generously with nonstick cooking spray, and still having a problem, I’m wondering if your muffin tin is really old and perhaps has lost some of its non-stick quality? If so, I’d get a new one. Please LMK if I can help in any other way. 🙂
Jenn I bought a new one with Silicone inserts Hope this will help I’ll let you know! My muffin tin was not that old but probably lost some of its original non-sticking abilities bc of all my scrubbing!! Thx for always responding and as always for the continued delish recipes!! Jen
Hi! I had the same problem with them really sticking to the pan. I started using a silicone pan (although that was not recommended) and that solved it. The bites don’t get as crispy on the edges, but I reheat them in the air fryer to make them crispier. Good luck – and I loved this recipe!!
These are really great! We love the bacon ones too.
Do you think the filling would work baked in a pie pan and a crust as a quiche?
Glad you like these! If you want this in a quiche form, I’d recommend this recipe. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Made these for a quick grab and go breakfast or snack. Family gobbled them up – they only lasted 3 days. They’re really delicious with a creamy consistency. The recipe says serve warm, but they are equally as good cold. I’ve never had the Starbucks egg bites, so I don’t know how they compare, but I’ll definitely be making these again.
Delicious!! Certainly won’t miss the Starbucks ones! Thanks Jenn
I love this recipe . Thank You . Also it turns 6 eggs into 12. Very cool and delicious. I meal prep them every Sunday so I can reheat 2 and eat them on my drive to work.
Loved this recipe from a start to finish! All of your recipes are truly amazing. One quick tip I used was rather than a traditional spoon to release the bites, I actually used a grapefruit spoon as the one side is serrated. This meant an easy release if a bit of the bite was stuck to the side of the muffin tin. Thank you for all your incredible recipes!
Awesome! I’ve been making the other egg bites from the blog and am thrilled with having another option to mix it up a bit. I love the spinach and scallions – not only do they look pretty but I feel virtuous eating them. I’ve spent a lot of money on these at Starbucks over the years — never again!! I also love making these, eating a few, and freezing the rest. It’s great to take them out of the freezer, reheat, and have breakfast in a flash — thanks Jenn for another winner!
Can I use Egg Beaters to substitute?
Hi Mel, Egg beaters may work, but I can’t say for sure without trying it. Please LMK how they turn out if you do try it!
Delicious!! Surprisingly I prefer these over the bacon ones. They have great flavor and are very easy to make.
Absolutely perfect!!!! These are delicious. Will be making these again very soon.
Delicious and So Easy!
Thank you for a great “copycat”!
Hi, we like the taste and texture but want to avoid cooking sprays- what do you recommend? Just butter?
Yep that should work!
These are absolutely delicious! Not at all difficult to make. Rather than boil the water for the steam pan, I put the water in the oven while it was preheating and while I prepared the rest of the ingredients. It seemed to work really well, as the bites were tender and fluffy. I am already thinking of other ingredients that I could use, like finely chopped sauteed mushrooms or bell peppers, herbs like dill or basil. Thanks so much for this recipe!
Perfect brunch recipe – and I so appreciate the make ahead instructions.
Spot on DELICIOUS.
These are so yummy! We’d been buying premade ones from Trader Joe’s but are trying to cook more from scratch. I was skeptical these would be as good but they exceeded expectations! Very easy to make and love the added cottage cheese for a bump in protein. What’s great about this recipe too is that you can play around with what you add in as the veggies, etc. I did not add water into my oven and these still came out fluffy and moist.
Thank you so much! Super simple and delicious. I will definitely make again.
I just made them in my steam oven. Set oven to Convection Steam, 295 degrees for 19-20 minutes. Perfect, light and fluffy. Thanks for this recipe!
Kelly, Jupiter Florida
Is it necessary to add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch? I feel that these bites are not as creamy as the bacon/gruyere ones – which I love!
Love your site and your recipes!
Hi Chantal, So glad you enjoy the recipes! You can leave it out, but the cornstarch actually makes them more creamy. (When I discovered this, I added it to the bacon version, too.)
I love your recipe for the bacon and Gruyere egg bites!! We add two diced shallots and saute’ in the bacon grease after removing cooked bacon. We use a chop stick to stir in the bacon bits and the shallots. (How would it be to use a cupcake liner: paper or aluminum?) I tried the Costco egg bites. They are not nearly as good as your recipe. They use Monterrey Jack cheese instead of Gruyere. Thank you for this delicious recipe for someone who is trying to watch carbs. Looking forward to trying the spinach version.
Hi Theresa, So glad you like the other egg bites! I wouldn’t recommend liners for either of these recipes though. Please LMK how you like this version!
You are my go to. Going to make these this week. Did you use a mini pan or regular size muffin tin? They look small to me but yummy.
Hi Ellen, they may look small in the pics, but they’re from a regular-sized muffin tin. Hope you enjoy!
Can we use frozen spinach instead of fresh spinach?
Sure, Sophia – that should work well. Enjoy!
Good morning Jenn! I should use a regular size muffin pan, not mini – is that correct?
Thanks!
Ally in New Jersey
Yep 🙂
Jenn,
I love your Cook book and ALL of your recipes .
This Spinach Egg Bite didn’t work for me and I want to know why!
First of all, I only had Monterey Jack and Cheddar. Is that what the problem was?
They were kind of greasy, slippery when they came out . Also they lacked taste. I added salt.
I loved the sound of this recipe.
I want to make it again.
Hi Karen, I’m sorry that you didn’t enjoy these. The Monterey, jack and Cheddar would not have made a difference. You mentioned that they were slippery and greasy when you removed them from the pan; they are a bit slippery as they’re almost like crustless quiches but they shouldn’t be greasy. if you make them again, I’d cut back on the amount of cooking spray you use on the muffin tin – that may help with the greasiness. Please LMK if I can help in any other way!