These deliciously light and fluffy egg bites are the equivalent of mini restaurant style frittatas that you can heat and eat throughout the week. Not only are they much cheaper than the sous vide egg bites at Starbucks, they're also endlessly versatile. Whip up a bunch this weekend with your Instant Pot and enjoy protein packed breakfasts all week long.
If you, like me, are not a natural morning person, these Instant Pot egg bites are a lifesaver. A batch of 28 takes only 15 minutes worth of prep, and the reheating process takes only 30 seconds from the fridge. Between these and a programmable coffee maker, mornings seem almost easy. So what are you waiting for?
The base of this recipe requires just two ingredients: eggs and cottage cheese. From there, you can easily customize these egg bites with the fillings of your choosing. This week, I made a batch of my three current favorites - the Mediterranean, the Denver and the Cowboy.
Table of Contents
The Beauty of the Instant Pot
First things first. If you haven't yet purchased an Instant Pot, I highly recommend you put this baby on your holiday wish list. It can not only make these perfectly soufflé like egg bites, but can also do things like cook meat from frozen when you forget to defrost your dinner and whip out a cozy chowder in under 30 minutes. Just trust me. It's an investment in your sanity.
There are several versions of the Instant Pot out there nowadays, and even a few competitors. While I'm perfectly happy with my 3 year old 6 Quart Instant Pot Ultra, there are now far more options on the market. Check out the product comparison guide here to see which model will best fit your needs.
Please note that you will need at least the 6 Quart model of any of the Instant Pots (or competitors) for the egg bite mold to fit.
How to Make Egg Bites in the Instant Pot
Ok, now that you're on the bandwagon, let's get down to business. First up, you're going to want to buy yourself a silicone egg bite mold.
I like this version on Amazon, which comes with two molds (meaning I can double up my cooking for the same time), a superior trivet that actually has handles, and a tiny spatula and baby spoon to boot. If you're in the habit of buying your egg bites, these puppies will pay for themselves in a single 14 egg bite batch.
Next up, pull out your trusty blender. I'd also recommend pulling out a sauté pan for any meats or veggies that would do better being cooked. If you're wondering what those items are, think of an omelette. You'd cook your mushrooms and bacon before adding them to an omelette, right? Same idea here.
The base of the "sous vide" egg bites are super simple. Just 4 eggs (preferably humane certified) and ½ cup of cottage cheese is all you need to create the fluffiest egg bites around. Thank you Erin from Platings and Pairings for figuring out the base proportions!
Next up, you'll want to figure out your fillings. I'd recommend no more than about ½ cup of soft cheese per 4 eggs, and no more than ¾ cup of additional fillings. In terms of what you can add, the sky is basically the limit.
For the purposes of this post, I've included Joe and my current favorite go-to egg bite additions. In no particular order, they are the Mediterranean (sun dried tomatoes, sautéed spinach and feta), the Denver (ham, sautéed bell pepper and onion, and cheddar cheese), and the Cowboy (smoked gouda, crumbled black forest bacon and sliced green onions).
Prep Your Ingredients
To make this a smooth process, even if you're making multiple flavors of egg bites at once, you'll want to set up your mis en place. That's fancy French talk for getting all your ingredient ducks in a row.
If you didn't buy pre-shredded cheese, shred it now. (Or if you have deli slices, "shred" it by making very thin slices both vertically and horizontally.)
For any veggies that have a lot of water - think mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, zucchini, summer squash, leafy greens, etc. - give them a quick sauté with a touch of oil and a bit of salt. This will keep your egg bites from separating.
Also be sure to cook any meats that you're planning on adding to the mix. Sausage, bacon, chicken, steak, or even vegan "meats" should be cooked according to directions before adding to the mix.
If you're making multiple versions of these Instant Pot egg bites, I recommend corralling your ingredients into your preferred flavor combos, as illustrated below.
Now Whip Up Your Egg Bite Base
In the blender, toss in as many increments of 4 eggs and ½ cups of cottage cheese as you need for your first flavor pairing. Remember that each base of these increments will yield a full silicone egg bite mold for 7 bites.
Blend the eggs and cottage cheese until uniform, about 15-20 seconds. Next up, add in your soft cheese and blend for another 10-15 seconds to combine. Finally, tip in the remaining items for your mix and blend for 5-10 seconds to help distribute them easily.
Pour your mixture out into the egg molds, leaving a little room at the top. Fit the molds with the silicone tops, then wrap them tightly with foil.
TIP: While the foil isn't necessary to making the egg bites, it will keep them from popping the lids off the molds and making them into wonky shapes.
Pour about a cup of water into the base of the Instant Pot. Place up to two filled silicone egg bite molds on the trivet, then lower it into the Instant Pot. Lock the lid in place, then set the Instant Pot to Steam for 10 minutes.
Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10 minutes, then remove the lid and carefully remove the trivet. Invert your yummy egg bites onto a plate when they're cool enough to handle.
Eat straight from the mold, or allow to cool about 10 minutes before popping into deli-tainers for the fridge or a relatively airtight bag for the freezer. If you made several versions, I recommend labeling each container so you can get the variety you want when the morning is a blur.
TIP: If you don't have a vacuum sealer, try this hack. Simply seal the bag most of the way using the zipper, leaving just enough space for a straw. Place the straw in the hole, lay the bag flat on the counter, and use your inhales (and your hands) to remove as much air as possible. Quickly pull out the straw as you zip the bag shut, and voila!
How to Quickly Reheat Egg Bites
If you're eating these straight from the refrigerator, just pop however many you'd like to eat on a microwave safe plate. It'll reheat in just 30 seconds. If you're operating from the freezer, allow about a minute and a half to reheat. Amazing, right??
So even if you're the kind of person that wakes up just in time to throw on your clothes and get out the door, these Instant Pot egg bites mean that you can still have a hot breakfast at the drop of a hat. Seriously, make these this weekend and enjoy the easiest mornings possible all week long.
Frequently Asked Questions
How should I serve the "sous vide" egg bites?
If you're like me, mornings are a serious struggle. About all I can handle before the work day begins is microwaving 1-2 of these puppies and pouring myself an enormous cup of coffee. I literally eat them straight from the plate with my fingers like a caveperson.
If you're a bit more sophisticated, or at least more bright eyed and bushy tailed than I am at o-dark-thirty, they'd go great with a side salad and a homemade (dare I say Pumpkin Spice?) latte. Also, can you please tell me how you do that whole morning thing? I have much to learn.
Why is "sous vide" in parentheses?
Technically, these are not made using the sous vide method of vacuum sealing a food and immersing it in warm water to cook. In fact, I'm not even sure how you could vacuum seal an egg bite for sous vide cooking.
But since Starbucks calls their egg bites "sous vide," and since this is a copycat recipe, I used the parentheses to indicate the style of the food rather than the method of the cooking.
What kind of mix-ins should I use?
Y'all, I'm not even joking here. The sky, or your imagination, is the limit. These egg bites are infinitely adaptable to whatever you have on hand.
As stated above, the base should always consist of 4 eggs and ½ C cottage cheese. Then add in up to ½ C of soft cheese. Fillings should not exceed ¾ C after cooking.
The following list is in no way comprehensive, rather is just a launchpad for your imagination!
- Cheese ideas:
- Cheddar, Gouda, Havarti, Goat, Feta, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, You get the idea...
- Filling ideas:
- Cooked crumbled sausage, chorizo or vegan sausage
- Deli Meats
- Leftover chicken, steak or pork cut into bits
- Cooked mushrooms, spinach, arugula, hash browns, home fries, onions, sweet potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, roasted veggies, etc.
- Fresh herbs: parsley, cilantro, thyme, basil
- Canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
- Frozen (briefly sauté if frozen) or canned corn (drained)
I have a big family. Can I make a bigger batch?
Absolutely! The beauty of these Instant Pot egg bites is how little time they take to prep. Increasing the number of batches you want to make shouldn't impact your prep schedule much at all, unless you're making a bunch of different flavors.
Once you have the method down, you can cook up to two silicone molds worth at a time. While I only listed three filling ideas below, cooking 4 trays takes the same as cooking 3. And don't feel like you have to wash out the molds if you're just going to pop them back in the pot!
Each cook time takes about 5 minutes to warm up, then 10 minutes to cook and 10 minutes to release. But remember, once the egg bite molds are in the Instant Pot, you can go about your business until it's time to take them out.
What if I'm single and don't want a ton of egg bites all at once?
No worries at all. Just make a single batch of 7 if you prefer, using just 4 eggs and ½ cup of cottage cheese and whatever mix-ins you want. But remember, these will freeze, so maybe do future you a favor and freeze the second 7?
How long can I store these egg bites?
These Instant Pot egg bites will last you up to a whole week in the fridge if you keep them in a sealed container, and up to three months in the freezer in a relatively air tight bag.
Want more breakfast inspiration? Check out these other easy to make recipes:
- Pumpkin Pie Baked Oatmeal (Make Ahead!)
- Easy Blender Banana Protein Pancakes
- 5 Minute Breakfast Parfait (Make Ahead option!)
If you tried this recipe, please be sure to rate and review it below so I know how it turned out for you. And if you came up with genius add-in ideas, put them in the comments! I'd love to give them a whirl.
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Instant Pot "Sous Vide" Egg Bites
Ingredients
- 12 large Eggs preferably Humane Certified
- 1 ½ C Cottage Cheese preferably 4% milkfat
Mediterranean Bites
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- ¼ C Sun Dried Tomatoes chopped fine
- 3 handfuls Fresh Spinach
- ¼ C Feta crumbled
Denver Bites
- 1 teaspoon Olive Oil
- 2 slices Thick Cut Ham chopped fine
- ¼ C Green Bell Peppers chopped fine
- ¼ C Yellow Onion chopped fine
- ½ C Cheddar Cheese shredded
Cowboy Bites
- 2-3 Scallions sliced thinly
- 2 slices Bacon preferably Black Forest, cooked, drained and crumbled. Keep sauté pan out for other bite mixes.
- ½ C Smoked Gouda shredded
Instructions
- Prepare each bite mix. For Mediterranean Bites, heat oil in sauté pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add 3 large handfuls spinach, chopped sun dried tomatoes and a three finger pinch of kosher salt. Cook until spinach is just wilted, then remove from pan and toss with feta.
- Using same sauté pan, heat another teaspoon of olive oil for the Denver Bites mix. Once shimmering, add ham, bell peppers and onions. Cook until veggies are getting a bit soft. Remove from heat. Keep cheese separate.
- Stir together bacon and green onions for Cowboy Mix. Keep cheese separate.
- In the pitcher of your blender, add 4 eggs and ½ C of cottage cheese. Blend until uniformly combined. Tip in Mediterranean Bite mix. Blend for 5-10 seconds to evenly disperse the additions, then pour evenly into an egg bite mold. It should nearly fill all 7 wells of a single mold. Cover mold with silicone top, then wrap top tightly with foil.
- In the pitcher of your blender, add 4 eggs and ½ C of cottage cheese. Blend until uniformly combined. Tip in cheddar cheese for Denver Bites and blend until uniformly combined, 10-15 seconds. Tip in Denver Bite mix, then blend for 5-10 seconds. Pour evenly into an egg bite mold. It should nearly fill all 7 wells of a single mold. Cover mold with silicone top, then wrap top tightly with foil.
- If you have the 6qt Instant Pot like me, only two egg bite molds will fit in at a time. Fill the bottom well of the Instant Pot with 1 C water. Using the trivet handles, lower in the first two egg bite containers. Set instant pot to steam on high for 10 minutes, then naturally release for 10 minutes. Remove lid and invert egg bites onto a plate.
- Add remaining 4 eggs and cottage cheese to the pitcher blender. Blend until uniformly combined. Add cheese and blend until combined, 10-15 seconds. Tip in Cowboy Bite Mix, then blend for 5-10 seconds to combine. Pour evenly into an egg bite mold. It should nearly fill all 7 wells of a single mold. Cover mold with silicone top, then wrap top tightly with foil.
- Using the trivet handles, lower in the last egg bite mold. Set instant pot to steam on high for 10 minutes, then naturally release for 10 minutes. Remove lid and invert egg bites onto a plate.
- To reheat from refrigerated, microwave for 30-40 seconds. To reheat from frozen, reheat for 1:15-1:45 minutes. Enjoy!
Notes
- These egg bites are infinitely adaptable to whatever you have on hand. The base should always consist of 4 eggs and ½ C cottage cheese. Then add in up to ½ C of soft cheese. Fillings should not exceed ¾ C after cooking. The following list is just a launchpad for your imagination!
- Cheese ideas:
- Cheddar, Gouda, Havarti, Goat, Feta, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, You get the idea...
- Filling ideas:
- Cooked crumbled sausage, chorizo or vegan sausage
- Deli Meats
- Cooked mushrooms, spinach, arugula, hash browns, home fries, onions, sweet potatoes, zucchini, summer squash, roasted veggies, etc.
- Fresh herbs: parsley, cilantro, thyme, basil
- Canned black beans (drained and rinsed)
- Frozen (briefly sauté if frozen) or canned corn (drained)
- Cheese ideas:
- It will take the same amount of time to make 4 trays of egg bites as 3. If you have a big family or just want to knock out even more meal prep, follow the same instructions for a 4th recipe!
- Wrapping with foil after the silicone lid will keep the egg bites contained and ensure a more even shape. If you don't have foil on hand, don't worry, they just might end up looking a little wonky
- Egg bites will keep in the fridge for up to 7 days. They should last in a relatively airtight bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.
