These Low Carb Baked Ham and Egg Cups are the perfect on-the-go breakfast. Breakfast is the hardest meal to manage everyday in my house. But really, it’s the most important meal. I mean, you just don’t function right on an empty stomach. And your brain isn’t firing on all cylinders either, you know what I mean?
Why You'll Love These Keto Egg Cups
These keto egg cups are an inexpensive keto breakfast that I like to meal prep for my kids and family. You can make up a big batch of these baked ham and cheese egg cups and store them in the refrigerator to each throughout the week. You can also freeze these keto egg cups. These little egg cups are perfect for on-the-go breakfasts or snacks.
Packed with protein, these keto egg cups are an easy recipe to meal prep and enjoy on-the-go. Let’s face it, mornings can be crazy. If you’re looking for a fast and easy breakfast that you can grab and go, these Keto Ham and Cheese Egg Muffin Cups are perfect. Eggs are a staple of keto, and for good reason. They’re packed with protein and nutrients, and they’re incredibly versatile. So it’s no surprise that this low-carb, high-fat diet includes plenty of egg recipes.
Generally I can only get my boys to eat scrambled eggs, so this was a great way to change it up and still give them something they enjoy. This was a huge hit!! They really tasted amazing. The eggs bake up so nice and fluffy and the ham gets just a little crispy around the edges.
What are Keto Egg Cups?
Keto egg muffin cups are a breakfast food made with eggs, ham, and cheese. They’re similar to quiche but without the crust. These easy and cheesy cups are the perfect keto breakfast recipe and an all-around favorite! For an energy-filled keto breakfast on the go, make it ham and spinach egg cups.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
TBH, I don’t remember if the first time I encountered an egg cup was at Starbucks or at Costco. It reminded me of many years back preparing breakfast egg muffins ahead of time, freezing them and just microwaving them in the mornings before work.
Ingredients
Just 8 simple ingredients for this easy breakfast for busy mornings! The key to these Ham & Cheese Egg Muffins is GOOD quality ham and cheese. If all you’ve got is some crummy sliced ham and marble cheese, go for it, but for real flavor, get a nice piece of smoked ham and some old, or even extra old, cheddar.
- 10 eggs
- 12 ham slices (without added sugar)
- 1 cup baby spinach
- ½ cup bell pepper, diced
- ½ cup cherry tomatoes, diced
- ¼ cup full-fat coconut milk
- 2 tbsp. Melted coconut oil
Step-by-Step Instructions
Forget about lining your muffin tin with paper - that's so old school, plus it is a waste that quickly gets thrown away. Have you tried lining it with ham instead?
- Preheat oven to 375°F (190C°). Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Spray 6 cups of a muffin pan with nonstick spray. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray. Spray muffin tin with nonstick spray. Lightly spray a jumbo 6-cup muffin tin with cooking spray. Grease a 12 capacity muffin pan with avocado oil or olive oil cooking spray or if you prefer use a silicone muffin pan or parchment paper liners for easier removal.
- Place a slice of ham into each sprayed muffin cup, pressing the bottom and sides, and slightly overlapping if necessary to form a cup. Place individual ham slices over each muffin cup and gently press down in the middle until a cup shape forms. Cut each slice of deli ham in half to create 16 ham slices and lay each half into the cavities of the muffin pans. Press a slice of ham into each cup of the muffin tin, arranging the edges to form a cup. Choosing cured meats can be tricky, and you will have to read the ingredients to be sure there is nothing in there; think added sugar, which you will want to avoid to reach a state of ketosis.
- In a small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the bell pepper, zucchini, and one third of the salt. Cook and stir until mostly softened, about 4 minutes. Melt coconut oil in a skillet over medium heat, add the bell pepper and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Transfer the vegetables to a medium bowl. Add the eggs, parsley, onion powder, water, and the remaining salt. and the pepper; whisk to combine. In a medium bowl, whisk eggs together. In a large bowl, mix the eggs, cream, and salt and pepper well. Add the ham, green onions, and cheddar, and mix to combine. In a large bowl, place the eggs, cottage cheese, heavy cream, mozzarella and salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Whisk together the eggs, garlic, salt, and pepper. Whisk the eggs completely.
- Evenly distribute half of the cheese among the ham cups, top with the egg mixture, then top with remaining cheese. In the bottom of each ham cup, add in about a tablespoon of shredded cheddar cheese. Evenly sprinkle shredded cheese on top of each slice of deli ham. Crack an egg into each cavity. Use a ¼ cup measuring cup to fill the prepared muffin tin with the egg mixture. The cavities will be full, but they will bake up just fine. Fill the sprayed muffin cups almost to the rim with the egg/ham mixture. Pour egg mixture into each muffin liners cup or silicone mold. Add the rest of the diced ham into each cup. Sprinkle in chopped scallions into each cup. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top of the egg mixture. Add a little shredded cheese to each cup.
- Bake until puffed and set with only the slightest jiggle in their centers, 15 to 18 minutes. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes or until egg is set. Bake for 20 minutes. Bake for 23-25 minutes until puffed up and golden brown around the edges. Bake at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes until eggs are set.
- Let rest for 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the oven and cool for 2 minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of the egg muffin cups to loosen them from the pan. Run a butter knife around the edge of the eggs and gently lift them out. Cool slightly then enjoy.
- Serve immediately. Serve or store for later.
Tips for Success
The next tip to success to keep the cheese in small cubes, about 1/4-inch cubes. The next little tip is one you can certainly do without, but it adds SO much flavor. There’s a natural flavor party happening when ham, cheese, and green onions get together. So, a hearty 1/4 cup of chopped green onion goes into this recipe. Green onions are herbaceous and not overpowering, and their freshness adds a pop of flavor to these tasty hand-helds.
I tried to get a shot of these lovelies right from the oven, as they were so puffed up and pretty, but they deflate SO fast!
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
Variations and Customizations
You can customize these muffin tin eggs any way that you like. This is an easy recipe that the whole family will enjoy even the picky eaters! I am using ham for these keto egg cups, but you can easily swap it out for something else. That is the beauty in this recipe. You can make breakfast exactly what you are looking for. Just swap out veggies based on which add-ins you prefer and customize with ingredients your family loves.
Some additional add-ins could be diced tomatoes, green peppers or crumbled bacon. Just be sure to adjust the amount of egg mixture to account for any additional ingredients added. Some additional add-ins - diced tomatoes, green peppers or crumbled bacon. Want to raise the heat? If you don’t like ham, try using turkey for the cup. Feel free to add any toppings you like!
- Meat: Absolutely! You can substitute the ham with cooked bacon, sausage, or even turkey. Just make sure whatever meat you choose is cooked and cut into small pieces. Swap out the ham for bacon or sausage. You can use leftover ground beef or steak that you have from dinner the night before. You can even use shredded chicken. Chorizo sausage tastes fantastic and so does hot Italian sausage. Whatever meat you add to the muffin cups, make sure that you have precooked it. Change up the meat. I like using ham but you can change up the meat if you want to and use bacon, steak, sausage. Just be sure to cook the meat before putting it in the egg cups as it will not cook all the way in the oven. Yes if you don’t like ham or don’t have any to use, pork sausage, ground chicken or even turkey sausage would be great options.
- Cheese: You can use any cheese that melts well, such as mozzarella, gouda, or pepper jack, depending on your taste preferences. Change up the cheese. I like using cheddar cheese but you can use any type of cheese that you want. You can swap the mozzarella cheese I used in this savory breakfast with sharp cheddar cheese, pepper jack or gruyere if you prefer. I also suggest that you shred the cheese yourself instead of buying preshredded cheese. The pre-shredded cheese has an addictive in it so the cheese doesn’t stick together. Add a little shredded cheese to each cup.
- Veggies: Change up the veggies. 10 eggs12 ham slices½ cup bell pepper diced½ cup cherry tomatoes diced1 cup baby spinach2 tbsp.
Serving and Storage
These tasty morning eats can be kept in the fridge for about a week (I generally don’t like keeping fresh food longer than a week anyhow), and they’ll freeze but you’ll lose some of the texture when reheating. This low carb breakfast recipe is perfect for meal prepping. Make a large batch of this egg muffin recipe and then store them in an airtight container in the fridge or freeze the cheese egg cups for a quick breakfast on busy mornings.
How to Store
Place any leftover egg muffins into an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days or cover with plastic wrap.
How to Reheat
Your egg ham and cheese cups can be reheated in the microwave for a quick and filling breakfast. Just grab and go! Reheat them in the microwave for about 15-20 seconds or until heated through.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto
Can you freeze egg muffins for later?
Yes, you can freeze these easy baked egg cups. Place them on a parchment lined tray and freeze for one hour. Remove and place the frozen eggs in a freezer safe container or bag. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let the baked egg cups cool completely. Then wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and place in a freezer safe bag and freeze.
Heat each frozen egg muffin for 30-40 seconds in the microwave. When you’re ready to eat, just reheat in the microwave for a quick and easy breakfast. I like to microwave them at 15 second intervals. Depending on the strength of the microwave, it can take up to 45 seconds to reheat these healthy egg muffins.
Nutritional Information
Nutritional information for this recipe is provided as a courtesy and is calculated based on available online ingredient information. It is only an approximate value. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site cannot be guaranteed. Erythritol carbs (sugar substitutes) are not included in the carbohydrate counts as they have been shown not to impact blood sugar, and they have zero calories and zero carbs.
Our Ham Cottage Cheese Egg Muffins have 1 gram of total carbs and 12 grams of protein in one egg muffin. This recipe is very low in carbs. There is no crust to the egg muffins and the other ingredients are ultra low in carbs. While the carb count will vary depending on the type of ham that you use, generally, there is about 1 carb per muffin. Usually these deli hams have added sugars to them and will increase your carb count per egg cup.