If you have ever had the bacon gruyere egg bites at Starbucks, then you will know what I mean when I say this cottage cheese egg bake is just as fluffy and creamy as those! But! This fluffy egg casserole with cottage cheese is a heck of a lot cheaper and so so simple to make at home!
Our reader Monique had this to say: "This is an incredible recipe!! SOOOO much better than Starbucks! I have been trying everything to make egg bites like Starbucks and even bought a sous vide! This is 🔥🔥🔥🔥" ★★★★★
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I'm a sucker for those darn Starbucks egg bites. I mean they seem like the healthiest option to grab on busy mornings along with my matcha latte and they sure are tasty! Unfortunately, they're packed with fat and aren't cheap.
Anyways, for the longest time, I thought you needed to somehow steam eggs to get them that fluffy and still hold their shape. However, what I learned is you just need my arch nemesis - cottage cheese. I truly am not a fan of cottage cheese on its own, but my gosh does it make the best egg bake!
Fast forward to some recipe tweaks with a few simple ingredients and this egg casserole with cottage cheese has all the flavor of the bacon gruyere egg bites with half the work and is way cheaper! So even though I still struggle to even open a can of cottage cheese, I'm going to walk you through how to make this budget breakfast casserole with cottage cheese because the world needs to know about this great recipe!
And for some breakfast pairings and other main dishes to go with your egg bake - try these!
Orange Cranberry Bread and Butter Pudding
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Ingredients and Substitutions for Egg Bake
All substitutions are a 1:1 substitute unless otherwise noted.
Eggs: I know eggs are expensive these days, but I promise it's still cheaper to make this than going through the Starbucks drive-through.
Substitutions: Sorry, no substitution for this in an egg bake.
Cottage Cheese: I used 2% cottage cheese for this recipe, but any type of cottage cheese will work just fine!
Substitutions: Ricotta can probably be used but it'll be higher in fat. You can also try using a flavored kind to mix it up!
Gruyere: Gruyere is my new favorite cheese! It's like parmesan meets mozzarella. It's a swiss cheese with a nutty flavor that tastes amazing with salty bacon! You can find it in the deli section of the grocery store by other aged cheese.
Substitutions: Parmesan, an Italian blend, pepper jack cheese, cheddar cheese, Monterey jack cheese, or mozzarella cheese will all work in this egg bake. I do recommend using freshly shredded cheese for the best melting results.
Flour: The flour here is needed to stabilize the whipped eggs. Because we blend everything together, we are generating a lot of air bubbles that can collapse while being baked if not stabilized with flour.
Substitutions: Any type of white flour can be used. I have a feeling a 1:1 gluten-free flour will also work just fine but it hasn't been tested. I don't recommend wheat flour, coconut flour, or almond flour because they absorb too much liquid.
White Onion: The onions in here end up slightly caramelized during the baking process and add a wonderful sweet note to the egg bake.
Substitutions: A yellow onion or shallots will work in place of the white onion.
Bacon: Of course we need bacon for a bacon gruyere egg bake with cottage cheese!
Substitutions: I like to use standard bacon for this so it gets nice and crispy while being baked. However, you can use turkey bacon or thick cut if needed. You can also use breakfast sausage for a different flavor profile.
Spices: Keeping it simple here, we just use salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes.
Substitutions: Sorry, no substitutions for these. You can omit the red pepper in a pinch.
Add Ins: You can try mixing the egg bake recipe up with green onions, green chilies, red bell pepper, garlic powder, or chili powder.
How to Make The Best Egg Bake
Step one: Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Step two: Make the bacon by placing it in a single layer on a sheet tray lined with foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle the diced onions on top of the bacon. Bake the bacon for 15 minutes or until crispy. Once the bacon is done, reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees.
Step three: While the bacon cooks, Add the eggs, cottage cheese, flour, half of the Gruyere cheese (the not shredded half), salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to a blender.
Blend for 45-60 seconds, until the mixture is fully combined and no chunks of gruyere or cottage cheese remain. You can also do this in a medium bowl and whisk eggs with the cottage cheese and everything else, but the texture will not be nearly as fluffy and smooth. And if using this method, you will need to shred all the gruyere to fully incorporate it.
Step four: Once the bacon is done and cooled enough to handle, dice or crumble it into bite-sized bits.
Step five: Pour the egg mixture into a casserole dish or other 8x10 or similar size oven-safe dish (pie pan, cake tin, cast iron skillet, etc). Sprinkle the bacon and onions over top of the egg mixture. Use a spoon or other utensil to mix everything together so the bacon and onions are evenly distributed.
Step six: Top the egg mixture with the shredded gruyere cheese. Bake for 45 minutes or until the center is just set.
Note: You can test this by gently touching the center. It should feel firm, but if you gently shake the pan, the egg bake should still move like jello. If the center is still too soft or liquidy, continue to cook, checking every 2-3 minutes.
Watch How to Make This - Step by Step
Different Sized Pans & Egg Bites
Need to bake this easy breakfast casserole in a different size baking dish? No worries! Baking time will only vary if the thickness is different.
- If your dish is less than 2” or you are using muffin tins, reduce the cooking time to 35 minutes to start and work your way up until the bake is set.
- If your dish is thicker than 2”, then increase the cooking time to 50 minutes and continue to add time as needed.
- For egg bites, bake them for 20-30 minutes in a non-stick or silicon muffin tin. For the same sous vide texture as Starbucks egg bites, place two racks in the oven. On the bottom one, add a large dish and carefully pour boiling water into it. Place the muffins on the rack above and bake. The steam creates that airy texture! When done, remove the egg bites, but leave the water-filled dish to cool with the oven off.
Facts and Common Questions
While very similar, egg bakes and frittatas do have some slight differences. An egg bake uses eggs as a binding agent with fixings mixed into it. On the other hand, a frittata is the result of pouring an egg custard over filling ingredients and then baking.
Probably because you didn’t use cottage cheese! Joking! Rubbery egg casseroles are usually a result of including too many high-moisture mix-ins like bell peppers.
To avoid this, be sure to saute or bake any high-moisture vegetables before mixing them into the eggs. This will dry them out and reduce the rubbery texture.
I like to compare egg bakes to jello. When they're done, they should barely jiggle when the pan is moved and be mostly solid or spring-like when touched.
You can also use a thermometer to check that the center is 160 degrees. Just remember that it will continue to bake slightly after being removed from the oven. An egg bake will continue to rise up to 5 more degrees after being removed from the oven so keep that in mind when checking the temperature with a thermometer.
Want to Save it for Later? Here’s how!
This cheesy egg bake is great for saving in the fridge or freezer as one of your make-ahead breakfast casseroles. It can be made to enjoy throughout the week for breakfast meal prep or stored in the freezer for a rainy day or a friend in need.
Fridge: To store in the fridge, let the bake come to room temperature and then cover with foil, plastic wrap, or a lid. Keep in the fridge for up to 7 days.
When ready to eat, reheat in the microwave for 1 minute per slice, in the oven at 350 degrees for 20 minutes as a whole tray, or in the air fryer for 1-2 minutes per slice.
Freezer: Let the bake cool completely, then cover with plastic wrap and either a well-fitted lid or aluminum foil. Store in the freezer for up to 1 month.
When ready to eat, cover only in foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour. Then, remove the foil and continue to bake for 30 minutes until it is completely heated through.
Or, let thaw overnight in the fridge before you want to serve it. Then, bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until heated through.
Fun Fact
Cottage cheese is a low-calorie, high-protein source of essential nutrients. It comes in a variety of fat contents and makes a great snack (when you can’t taste it and mix it into a healthy egg bake with cottage cheese…). It also contains less lactose than milk or yogurt making it a little easier for dairy-sensitive folks to handle. (source)
More Joyful Recipes!
Try these other egg recipes!
Turkey Sausage & Kale Breakfast Casserole
Chicken Sausage Breakfast Sandwich
Did you try this and love it? Leave us a review, we would love to hear from you!
Recipe
Bacon Cottage Cheese Egg Bake (High Protein Starbucks Copycat)
Ingredients
- 9 eggs
- 16 oz Cottage cheese (2%)
- 8 oz Gruyere Cheese (**See notes for substitution options)
- 6 tablespoon all purpose flour
- ½ white onion
- 5 slices bacon
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Before you start!
If you make this recipe, please take a moment to leave us a review. We love to hear from you!
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Make the bacon by placing it in a single layer on a sheet tray lined with foil or parchment paper. Sprinkle the diced onions on top of the bacon. Bake the bacon for 15 minutes or until crispy. Once the bacon is done, reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees.
- While the bacon cooks, Add the eggs, cottage cheese, flour, half of the gruyere cheese (the not shredded half), salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes to a blender. Blend for 45-60 seconds, until the mixture is fully combined and no chunks of gruyere or cottage cheese remain.
- Once the bacon is done and cooled enough to handle, dice or crumble it into bite sized bits.
- Pour the egg mixture into a casserole dish or other 8x10 or similar size oven-safe dish (pie pan, cake tin, cast iron skillet, etc). Sprinkle the bacon and onions over top of the egg mixture. Use a spoon or other utensil to mix everything together so the bacon and onions are evenly distributed. *For pans of different sizes, see the notes below for cooking time.See my notes for baking this in different pan sizes and tips for muffins/egg bites.
- Top the egg mixture with the shredded gruyere cheese. Bake for 45 minutes or until the center is just set. You can test this by gently touching the center. It should feel firm, but if you gently shake the pan, the egg bake should still move like jello. If the center is still too soft or liquidy, continue to cook, checking every 2-3 minutes. You can also broil the bake for the last 5 minutes to get the cheese nice and golden brown.
Video
Notes
Tip for muffins: To make these just like Starbucks egg bites, add a pan underneath the muffin tin (on the rack below) and carefully fill it with boiled water. Bake normally. The steam helps to sous-vide them in the oven!
9x13 pan - 20-25 minutes To know if your bake is done, it should be just set in the center. You can test this by gently jiggling the dish. The center should have a slight wobble to it, like Jello, but look and feel mostly solid when touched. ** If you cannot find gruyere cheese, you can use white cheddar, parmesan, an Italian blend, pepper jack or mozzarella in place of it. Additional substitution information and notes can be found in the post above. Nutritional information is for informational purposes only.
Looking for more information?
Additional substitution information can be found above in the substitution section of this post.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutritional information is an estimate and for informational purposes only.
I love those Starbucks eggbites too so I can't wait to try this!!
Fantastic!
My new favorite! Thank you!
Excellent!!
This is really good! Fluffy and flavorful. Better than Starbucks egg bites!
Glad you enjoyed it!
I can’t wait to make this, love Gruyère cheese and it sounds so good!
Have you tried making this with almond flour?
No we have not tried almond flour. My hunch is that it would absorb too much liquid thus resulting in not as fluffy of eggs. A 1:1 gluten free substitute would certainly work or you could try it with almond flour but decrease the amount to only 3 tablespoons and see how it does. Keep us posted!
I just read the Bacon Cottage Cheese Egg Bake and printed the recipe. I'm going to make it after I get the bacon. It sound so good and I know my hubby will like it a lot too!
Great!!
Has anyone tried this without the flour? We don’t eat any type of flour. I’ve made this recipe with cottage cheese, eggs and cheese every week now and each week it turns out a little different. Looking for the perfect wha to get the eggs the perfect consistency. This is the first time I’ve seen flour in any similar recipe. I’m betting it would be good without. Maybe I just give it a go!
Hi Bethany! So in our testing, it will work without flour but with a caveat. The egg mixture is blended with the cottage cheese and this does 2 things. 1. It really combines everything for a smooth, creamy consistency (like Starbucks egg bites), and 2. It whips the eggs to generate air pockets. And once those air pockets are created and mixed with flour, the flour fills in those gaps thus helping the egg bake to hold its shape and stay light and fluffy. Without the flour it will still be very tasty but it will likely be a bit flatter and more dense.
Please do try it and let us know how it goes!
This was my first attempt at cooking eggs in anything other than a frying pan - and the only thing I did wrong was not read all the way down to the adjusted temps for different size pans, so mine was a little overcooked - but everyone loved it. Some cut it into squares and carried it on a paper towel and ate it, some put it on an English muffin, and some ate it with a fork - but everyone loved it! I may try it with sausage next time, since I'm not a huge bacon fan. This is def going in my recipe box! Thank you.
Thank you so much for the kind words! We're so glad you all enjoyed it!
I rarely leave reviews, but this one was too impressive not to! Absolutely delicious from start to finish. I used parmesan because it was all we had on hand, and baked in a 9" cast iron round. It only needed 30 minutes so I'm glad I caught it before it got too done. The flavor and texture of this were *chef's kiss*.
Wow, that's high praise!! Thanks so much for making it!
The consistency of this was not right. it didn't even taste like eggs.
I'm sorry it didn't work out for you. Did you use any substitutes and did you use a blender to blend everything together or mix with a whisk? Just trying to determine if there is anything I can clarify in the recipe because we always want readers to have the same great experience.
We've had many readers try and love this recipe, as well as friends and family. We've also made it ourselves numerous times with no texture issues and I actually just used the base to make another egg bake because the cottage cheese, egg, and flour combination creates the most creamy texture, in my opinion.
Can you clarify how much cottage cheese to use? The recipe says 16oz but the Pinterest list says 2x 16 oz.
Hi there, the recipe uses 1- 16oz container of cottage cheese. Pinterest pulls ingredient quantities in automatically and they are often incorrect. We have no way to change those values so please always use the recipe on the website.
Thanks for making it!
Love this recipe! I did switch out for ham cubes just because I’m lazy. I brown it with onions in a skillet to keep it dry. And I keep it as the base layer. Love it!
thanks for making it and love hearing your swaps. Sounds delicious!!
I did some modifications based on what I had but this was delish! As someone who dislikes cottage cheese but is trying to pack a lot of protein in to meals this was a winner! You can’t taste it at all! We didn’t have bacon but had some day old burgers which I crumbled and added to the mixture. Instead of Gruyere I only had marble so freshly grated it and added it to the blended mixture. I also added diced red and yellow peppers and garlic powder. I upped the salt, pepper and red chilli flake quantities (aka eyeballed it!) as I love a bold flavour and this was awesome. I’m looking forward to eating it this week and happy to add to my weekly meal prep!
Yum! So glad you enjoyed it. Those modifications sound tasty!
This is an incredible recipe!! SOOOO much better than starbucks! i have been trying everything to make egg bites like starbucks and even bought a sous vide! This is 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Ya, so glad you enjoyed it. It's one of our favorites!!
What's the serving size?
The serving size is one slice that’s about 2”x2” square when using the pan size recommended.
I love a good breakfast bake. this one is perfect. I didn't have bacon so I subbed out for veggies. Still tasted wonderful. my new go to!
So glad you enjoyed it!! Thanks for the 5 star review!!
This recipe was so easy to make and super good! I swapped some ingredients out for what I had at home, I did chorizo instead of bacon. And swapped for pepper jack cheese. Highly recommend, and its make quite a bit so nice for meal prep or to feed a crowd.
That sounds delicious!
Awesome!
Made this with mozzarella and Colby jack. Delicious!!
is flour necessary? any healthy substitutes?
You can just leave it out. The texture won't be as fluffy and stable however.