Starbucks Egg Bites
Starbucks charges $5.45 for two egg bites. Two. That is a pair of golf-ball-sized eggs for the price of a dozen at the grocery store. And the thing is, they are genuinely good — creamy, fluffy, packed with cheese and bacon. But the markup is criminal when you realize how simple they are to make at home.
The secret to the Starbucks version is that they cook them sous vide, which means sealed in a bag and cooked in a precisely controlled water bath. You do not need a sous vide machine to get the same result. A regular oven with a water bath does the exact same thing — it surrounds the egg bites with gentle, even heat so they cook slowly and come out smooth and custardy instead of rubbery.
One batch makes about 12 egg bites for roughly $6 total. That is $0.50 each, or about $1 for a Starbucks-sized pair. They reheat perfectly and last all week in the fridge, making them one of the best meal prep breakfasts out there.
The Cottage Cheese Secret
This is the ingredient that makes people skeptical, and then they try it and never question it again. Cottage cheese blended into the egg mixture is what gives these bites their signature creamy texture. It adds moisture and fat without making them heavy, and when blended, you cannot taste or see the cottage cheese at all. It just disappears into the eggs.
Use full-fat, small-curd cottage cheese. Good Culture or Daisy brand both work well. Do not use low-fat — you need the fat content for the right texture. The cottage cheese also bumps up the protein count, which is nice if you are tracking macros.
Why Gruyere and Not Cheddar
Starbucks uses gruyere specifically, and there is a reason. Gruyere melts into a smooth, creamy layer without getting oily or stringy the way cheddar can. It has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor that is more subtle than sharp cheddar, so it does not overpower the eggs. If you absolutely cannot find gruyere, Swiss cheese is the closest substitute. Do not use pre-shredded bags with anti-caking agents — they do not melt as smoothly. Buy a block and shred it yourself.
Meal Prep and Reheating
These are built for meal prep. Once cooled, store them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To reheat, microwave 2 egg bites for 30-45 seconds. They come out just as creamy as they were fresh.
You can also freeze them. Place cooled egg bites on a parchment-lined baking sheet and freeze for 2 hours until solid, then transfer to a freezer bag. They keep for up to 2 months. Reheat from frozen in the microwave for 60-90 seconds, or thaw overnight in the fridge and microwave for 30 seconds.
Variations
Roasted red pepper and spinach (vegetarian): Skip the bacon. Add 1/3 cup chopped roasted red peppers (jarred, drained) and 1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach to the egg mixture. Keep the gruyere.
Ham and cheddar: Replace the bacon with 1/2 cup diced ham and swap the gruyere for sharp white cheddar. Add a pinch of dry mustard powder to the egg blend.
Everything bagel: Skip the bacon. After filling the molds, sprinkle Everything But The Bagel seasoning (Trader Joe’s) on top of each egg bite before baking. Serve with cream cheese on the side.
Pro Tips
- Blend until completely smooth. If you can still see cottage cheese curds, keep blending. The texture of the finished egg bites depends entirely on how smooth the batter is before baking.
- Do not skip the water bath. Baking without the water bath will give you mini frittatas — drier, firmer, and rubbery around the edges. The water bath keeps the temperature gentle and produces that custardy center.
- Fill cups only 3/4 full. The egg mixture puffs up during baking and will overflow if you fill the cups to the top. They settle back down as they cool.
- Silicone molds are worth the $8. Egg bites pop out of silicone effortlessly. With a metal muffin tin, you have to grease thoroughly and still sometimes sacrifice one or two that stick.
The Michelin Twist
Here are some ways to dress it up:
- Truffle and fontina: Replace the gruyere with Italian fontina cheese and add 1/2 teaspoon of truffle oil to the blender with the eggs. Top each egg bite with a tiny drizzle of truffle oil and a few flakes of Maldon sea salt right after they come out of the oven.
- Smoked salmon and creme fraiche: Skip the bacon. Fold in 2 ounces of finely diced cold-smoked salmon and 2 tablespoons of creme fraiche into the egg mixture. Top each finished egg bite with a small spoonful of creme fraiche and a few snips of fresh chives.
- Duck confit and comte: Shred leftover duck confit and fold it into the egg mixture instead of bacon. Use Comte cheese (aged 12+ months) instead of gruyere. The richness of the duck fat combined with the nutty, crystalline Comte turns these into something absurdly good.
Cost Breakdown
| Ingredient | Amount | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Eggs | 8 large | $2.00 |
| Cottage cheese | 1/2 cup | $0.75 |
| Gruyere cheese | 4 oz | $2.00 |
| Bacon | 6 slices | $2.00 |
| Salt, pepper, nutmeg | pinches | $0.10 |
| Total | $6.85 |
Makes 12 egg bites at about $0.57 each — compare to $2.73 each at Starbucks, saving you 79%
Nutrition (Per Serving — 2 egg bites)
- Calories: 245
- Protein: 18g
- Fat: 17g
- Carbs: 2g
More Starbucks Food Recipes to Make at Home
The egg bites pair well with Starbucks’ other grab-and-go food items — all far cheaper to make at home:
- Copycat Starbucks Bacon and Gouda Sandwich — the most ordered Starbucks breakfast sandwich, crispy bacon and smoked gouda on a soft roll.
- Starbucks Banana Bread — moist, walnut-studded banana bread that matches the café slice in flavor at a fraction of the cost.
- Starbucks Chocolate Chip Cookie — thick, soft, bakery-style cookies with half-melted chocolate chips.
See all Starbucks copycat recipes →
