Have you been hooked on Starbucks' Bacon and Gruyère Egg Bites? Try this homemade copycat recipe instead - no sous vide machine required!
While I eat at home most of the time, one of my favorite things to grab when I'm out running errands is Starbucks' sous vide egg bites. They are savory, packed with protein, and super satisfying, so they check all the boxes for me. But there was one problem: the cost.
While they are great as occasional treat, the price can add up over time if they become a daily habit. So I began to ask myself if there was a way I could make them at home.
After experimenting with a base that I use to create my favorite breakfast casserole and reverse engineering the ingredients list, I found a way to make a great dupe in my own kitchen - no sous vide machine needed. I think you're going to love them as much as we do!
Why You'll Love Them:
- So much cheaper. Making this copycat recipe costs much less money than stopping at the drive-thru every morning!
- Great for meal prep. Since these bacon egg bites can be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, they make a great make-ahead breakfast option for busy mornings.
- Protein-packed. Made with both cottage cheese and eggs, these are a great source of satisfying protein. They are also low carb, keto, and gluten-free.
Ingredients
- Eggs: Fresh eggs work best and are packed with protein!
- Cheese: You can use just gruyere cheese, or a blend of Monterey Jack and gruyere - which is what the Starbucks version has.
- Cottage cheese: I recommend a good quality cottage cheese with a thick consistency. Good culture is a great option, but any kind will work.
- Heavy cream: This provides a creaminess and helps to create a nice texture without the use of cornstarch.
- Bacon: You'll also need about ⅔ cup of crumbled bacon - about 6 slices.
- Seasonings: Salt, pepper, and some cayenne.
Check the recipe card for a full list of ingredients and the quantities needed.
Equipment
- Muffin tin (or silicone egg bite molds)
- Baking dish
- Blender (or food processor)
How to Make Egg Bites in the Oven
- Add the eggs, cottage cheese, gruyere (and Monterey Jack cheese - if desired), heavy cream, salt, pepper, and cayenne to a blender or food processor.
- Blend on high until completely smooth.
- Pour the egg mixture into greased muffin cups, filling them about ¾ of the way through.
- Sprinkle the bacon crumbles on top of each egg bite, then use a spoon to gently stir them in.
- Garnish with chopped green onion (if using).
- Bake in an oven that has been prepared with a baking dish full of water and preheated to 325ºF (163ºC). Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the egg bites begin to pull away from the sides of the muffin pan. Cool for 5 minutes before serving.
Note: Add 3 cups of boiling water to an oven-safe baking dish (or roasting pan) and place it on the bottom oven rack. This will create a steamy environment in the oven, which helps to emulate the texture of the famous Starbucks egg bites.
Expert Tips
- Use a water bath. To create a mock sous vide effect in the oven, using a water bath is recommended. Since we are using a muffin pan, a baking dish full of hot water is added to the oven to create a moist environment.
- Whole eggs work best. I've tried egg whites before, and while they do *work* they don't taste quite as good as the Starbucks egg white bites, so I think there is some factory magic that happens there. The best results come from fresh, whole eggs.
- Blend until smooth. In order to get that silky texture you really need to blend the cottage cheese and egg mixture until completely smooth. This is easily done in a good quality blender or food processor.
Instant Pot Instructions
- Sprinkle a small amount of the chopped bacon into each well of an Instant Pot egg bite silicone mold.
- Spray the molds lightly with non-stick cooking spray, then fill them ¾ of the way with the blended egg and cheese mixture.
- Add 1 cup of water to the Instant Pot (1 ½ cups if it is an 8 quart model) and add the trivet.
- Stack the egg bite molds (covered with a lid or foil) and secure the lid in a locked position.
- Cook on manual (HIGH) pressure for 10 minutes.
- After the cooking time is up, allow the pot to naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before flipping the valve to "venting."
- Once the pin drops, indicating the pressure has completely been released, carefully open the lid away from your face.
- Remove the silicone molds from the Instant Pot and allow to cool for about 5-10 minutes. As they cool, they will deflate.
- Remove from the molds and serve immediately, or store in the refrigerator or freezer for later use.
Note: A full batch will use 2 egg bite molds. If you only have one, cut the recipe in half.
Variations
With egg whites: While the texture of whole eggs is best, you can make this recipe with just egg whites if you want to. Just substitute the 7 eggs for 1 ⅓ cups of carton egg whites (or fresh separated whites).
Roasted red pepper: Substitute the cheese for Monterey Jack, swap out the bacon for ½ cup of finely chopped roasted red pepper, and add a little hot sauce to taste.
Substitutions
- Cottage cheese. Even if you don't like cottage cheese, I promise you won't taste it in this recipe! But if you still REALLY can't stand the idea of it, you can use ricotta instead.
- Bacon. Substitute the bacon for ⅔ cup of any of your favorite egg bite mix-ins such as sausage, kale, bell peppers, etc.
- Heavy cream. This can be swapped out for milk, 2 tablespoons of melted butter, or softened cream cheese if you don't have heavy cream on hand.
- Cornstarch. The original Starbucks ingredients list cornstarch and other fillers. If desired, add 2-3 teaspoons to create a more dense texture. If swapping out the heavy cream for milk or butter, I recommend adding some.
Without a Muffin Pan
I used a muffin pan to make this recipe since that's what most people have on hand, but there is another option. For the closest experience to the famous Starbucks sous vide egg bites WITHOUT the use of a sous vide machine, I recommend using silicone egg bite molds!
These are most often used in an Instant Pot, but can be used in a water bath method in the oven if you prefer. Simply nest the filled egg bite molds in a deep baking dish full of boiling water, then bake as directed.
Storing, Freezing and Meal Prep
- Transfer any leftovers to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
- Reheat in the microwave in 30 second intervals until warmed through. Wrapping them in a paper towel first will yield the best results.
- For a crispier result, reheat them in a toaster oven for 1-2 minutes.
To Freeze:
- Place the cooked egg bites on a small baking sheet and place in the freezer.
- Once the individual bites are frozen, transfer them to a labeled freezer bag.
- Freeze for up to 3 months.
- Reheat in the microwave or toaster oven from frozen (or thawed) until completely heated through.
If you loved this recipe for Bacon and gruyère egg bites, let me know by leaving a 5-star review in the recipe card or comment below! You can also tag me on Instagram @dashfordinner.
Bacon and Gruyere Egg Bites (Starbucks Copycat)
Equipment
- Baking dish filled with hot water
Ingredients
- 7 large eggs room temperature
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- 1 cup shredded gruyère cheese (or a blend of Monterey Jack and gruyere)
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2-3 teaspoons corn starch (optional)
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ⅛ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 6 slices of bacon cooked and crumbled
- 2 tablespoons green onions thinly sliced (optional)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉ (163ºC) and place a baking dish filled with 3 cups (750ml) of water on the bottom rack of the oven.
- Spray or grease a muffin pan with oil or nonstick spray.
- Add the eggs, cottage cheese, gruyère, cream, corn starch (if using), salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper to a blender (or food processor). Blend the ingredients together until combined.
- Pour the egg mixture into the muffin pan, filling the cups about ¾ full.
- Sprinkle the crumbled bacon pieces onto the egg mixture in each of the muffin cups.
- Use a spoon to gently stir the bacon pieces into the egg mixture so they aren't all at the top.
- Top the egg and bacon mixture with the sliced green onions.
- Bake the egg bites at 325℉ for 20-25 minutes or until they are cooked through and firm. The egg bites will pull away from the sides of the pan slightly when they are done.
- Let the egg bites cool for about 5 minutes before removing them from the pan.
- Serve warm and garnish with extra bacon bits if desired.
Video
Notes
- The egg bites are good in the freezer for up to three months.
- They can be reheated in the microwave in 30 second increments until heated through.
- The heavy cream may be replaced with milk or 2 tablespoons of melted butter.
- Use more cayenne pepper or top with hot sauce for a spicy egg bite.
- You can use parmesan, Monterey Jack, or mozzarella in place of the gruyère cheese or experiment with your favorite blends of cheeses.
- Add 2-3 teaspoons of cornstarch to create a more dense texture.
- The egg bites will puff up in the oven and then deflate once they are cooling.
- The pan of water in the oven creates a steamy environment that makes the eggs super fluffy. It's not required, but it is worth the extra step as it really does improve the texture of the eggs. The recipe works just fine when skipping this step, though.
Nutrition
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Brealle says
I follows recipe exactly except I used mozzarella cheese instead because that’s what I had and no bacon but instead did probably a cup fresh packed spinach and they were great. The texture was exactly what I was looking for!! I will make again. Although I think I’d prefer a different cheese as listed above in recipe and bacon!