Starbucks egg bites are a tasty and convenient option, but making them at home allows for customization and cost savings. This article provides a comprehensive guide to creating your own keto-friendly Starbucks egg bites, complete with ingredient information, step-by-step instructions, and helpful tips.
Why Make Keto Egg Bites at Home?
The first time I tried Starbucks Egg Bites was during a work trip to Philadelphia for a healthy products expo (aka a work conference). I knew I’d be sampling a lot of food that day, so I wanted to grab something portable and high in protein that I could eat while walking around. While the Starbucks egg bites were tasty and convenient, from the first bite, I knew I could make something better at home. For the cost of 2 bites, I found that I could prep an entire batch for the week - and I could customize the mix-ins however I wanted! My homemade version of Egg Bites has a much healthier nutrition profile than the ones at Starbucks. Mine has half the calories (146 vs 300), half the fat (9 g vs 20 g), half the sodium (361 mg vs 680 mg), and less than half the carbohydrates (3 g vs 9 g) compared to the Starbucks version. While my version does have a bit less protein (12 g vs 19 g), mine also contains just a few whole-food ingredients, while the Starbucks version is loaded with a laundry list of preservatives and starches.
Key Ingredients for Keto Egg Bites
The beauty of egg bites lies in their simplicity and versatility. Here's a breakdown of the core ingredients and potential substitutions:
- Eggs: The foundation of any egg bite recipe. In this copycat recipe the combination of egg whites and whole eggs helps to keep the texture fluffy. Replace one whole egg with two egg whites.
- Cheese: Cheese is essential for flavor and texture. Gruyere cheese adds such great flavor! Try mixing it up by adding half pepper Jack or sharp cheddar. For a mild yet tangy taste, Colby Jack cheese is a great option; Monterey Jack cheese will also work. Any soft or semi-soft cheese like parmesan cheese, cheddar cheese or pepper jack can replace the cheeses mentioned.
- Cottage Cheese: This is the key ingredient for achieving a creamy texture. For the cottage cheese, I like the Good Culture 4% fat cottage cheese.
- Bacon: Cooked and crumbled bacon adds a smoky flavor. Instead of bacon, try using cooked ground sausage or Canadian bacon. You can swap out the traditional bacon with turkey bacon.
- Vegetables: Add low carb veggies to these keto egg muffins. Just make sure to cook them first so they don’t release too much water in the egg bites. Green peppers, a little onions, and zucchini would all be low carb veggies. Just make sure to season and cook them a few minutes in a hot pan.
- Seasonings: Salt and pepper are essential, but feel free to experiment with other herbs and spices.
Essential Equipment
- Blender: A blender is essential for achieving a smooth and creamy egg mixture. To make the egg bites, just add everything to a blender and mix on high for 20 seconds.
- Muffin Pan: I knew there had to be a better way - and there was! That’s when I went to Amazon to find a nonstick silicone muffin pan, which quickly became a tool the entire RFD team adopted. These pans are truly the way to go for muffins that release easily from the pan. I love this sturdy silicone muffin pan, and I have it in both the standard size and the mini muffin size. This silicone muffin pan is a great option, too.
- Instant Pot (Optional): For those seeking a sous vide-style egg bite, an Instant Pot can be used with a round silicone egg pan that fits inside.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here are two methods for cooking your keto egg bites:
Oven Method
- Preheat oven to 350F/180C.
- Prepare a water bath: Place a 13 x 18" / 46 x 33cm half baking sheet in oven. Fill with 1 inch hot water.
- Grease a muffin pan: Mist the cups of a silicone muffin pan lightly with cooking spray.
- Blend the ingredients: In a blender, blend together the eggs, cottage cheese, cheddar, salt, and pepper until smooth.
- Add bacon and vegetables: Evenly distribute the bacon, onion and cheese throughout 6 muffin cups and then evenly distribute the whisked eggs mixture over top.
- Bake: Bake on top of water-filled half baking sheet for 30-40 minutes until the center is just set and starts to pull away from the pan. Keep an eye on it in the last 10-15 minutes since oven times can vary.
- Cool: Remove the muffin pan from the oven. The egg bites will be puffed up, but they will settle down into the cups a bit after removing from the oven.
Instant Pot Method
- Blend the ingredients: Add the eggs and Gruyere in your blender and blend until smooth. Add in the cottage cheese, half & half, and salt and pepper, blending again until smooth.
- Prepare the molds: Grease the Egg bite molds with coconut oil cooking spray, then sprinkle a few of the bacon crumbles in the bottom of each mold.
- Fill the molds: Pour the egg mixture from the blender into each mold, and place the lid on top.
- Cook: Place 1 cup of water in the bottom of your InstantPot, and add in the Trivet. Carefully place the filled egg bite mold on top of the trivet, then lock the InstantPot lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook for 8 minutes on High Steam, then allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes.
- Cool and release: Remove the InstantPot lid and let the egg bites sit for another 5-10 minutes and cool before flipping the mold over to release the bites.
Recipe Variations
- Bacon Gruyere Egg Bites: Cook up some bacon till it is crispy. Cut into small bits and sprinkle into each muffin cup. Swap out 1 cup of the cheese with Gruyere cheese and add 1/4 tsp hot sauce for an authentic copycat Starbucks Bacon Egg Bite!
- Coconut Curry Egg Bites: Use coconut milk instead of cottage cheese and decrease to 3/4 cup.
- Country Style: Stick with salt and pepper for seasonings and sprinkle on some browned and crumbled breakfast sausage.
- Hawaiian Style: Add in 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger plus 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder to the batter along with 1/4 teaspoon pineapple extract.
- Italian version: Add more texture when you add in cut up pieces of bread. This goes great in an Italian version along with adding in 1/4 teaspoon of Italian Seasoning.
Tips for Success
- Don't overcook: Overcooked egg bites will be dry and rubbery.
- Use a silicone muffin pan: One of my lowest moments creating recipes over the years was trying to get egg muffins to release from a standard muffin pan. In fact, one time, I was so frustrated with the stickiness that I actually just threw my entire pan away - egg muffins and all! Silicone muffin pans ensure easy release.
- Cook veggies beforehand: When veggies are not cooked before you add them to the recipe, they give off so much liquid that the egg bites will be very soggy.
- Adjust cooking time as needed: Oven times can vary, so keep an eye on the egg bites and adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Get creative with flavors: This recipe is a beautiful canvas for any other toppings you want to add.
Serving and Storage
- Serving: These are one of my favorite go-tos for breakfast meal prep for busy mornings. A 2-egg bite serving provides 12 grams of protein, which is a nice way to help me meet my daily protein needs. I can boost the protein even higher by mixing in some bacon, chopped ham, or cooked breakfast sausage. These egg bites are also a nutritious snack, so I always pack some in my lunch box for when that afternoon lull hits.
- Storage: When I store these egg bites in an airtight container in the fridge, they will last up to 5 days. I let them cool to room temperature before adding the lid, which helps prevent them from “sweating” as they cool.
- Freezing: Allow the egg bites to cool completely then arrange on a single layer on a baking sheet and freeze for an hour or two or until frozen solid. At that point you can transfer the frozen egg bites to a freezer-safe plastic storage bag and freeze for up to 1 to 2 months. Thaw as many as you need safely in the refrigerate overnight.
Reheating
- Refrigerated: Simply wrap in a paper towel then microwave for about 30 seconds to a minute, until they're heated through.
- Frozen: Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator or use the microwave’s defrost setting before heating them. Warm them up easily in the oven at 350F for 5 minutes. When you warm them up, they must be eaten.
Dairy-Free Option
Make it dairy free by skipping the shredded cheese and opting for more additions like sautéed vegetables, or more meat. And using coconut milk instead of the cottage cheese.
Read also: Healthy Starbucks Drinks
Additional Tips
- Think of egg bites beyond breakfast time. The size of the egg bites is perfect to fit into a wide mouth mason jar. Mason jars are a healthy way to store your portable breakfast and have them ready for travel.
- For ultimate success, we highly recommend reading the tips in the full blog post above.
Read also: Starbucks Keto Drinks & Snacks
Read also: Refreshing Keto Pink Drink
tags: #starbucks #egg #bites #keto #ingredients