$6 for two underwhelming egg bites? No Thanks. We're saving money and eating better with these meal-prep, high-protein egg bites, made with cottage cheese and chia seeds, that pack 20 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber into every serving.
Last month, I bought egg bites twice in a week at a coffee shop while traveling, because they were really the only protein-rich, lower-sugar option on the menu. They were okay, but expensive, not as high in protein as I would have liked, and completely void of fiber.
So what's a registered dietitian and recipe creator to do? Go home and get to work making the most flavorful, fluffy, high-protein, and high-fiber egg bites I could! Using cottage cheese and chia seeds as the main protein and fiber sources, each serving of two egg bites contains 20 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber.
Chia seeds are apparently my favorite way to eat more fiber! They're rich in soluble fiber, which helps you feel full and lowers cholesterol and blood sugar. My chia pudding and a lot of my overnight oat recipes are other tasty ways to eat more chia seeds!
You can have a week's worth of fluffy, flavorful, budget-friendly, and perfectly meal-preppable egg bites with just 10 minutes of prep. Paired with a serving of fruit, these egg bites make a filling and complete, balanced breakfast!
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Ingredients
- Cottage cheese - Use full fat or 2% for the best texture. It blends completely smoothly, so even cottage cheese skeptics won't notice it's in there. It's also what gives these bites their protein boost and creamy consistency.
- Egg whites - These add extra protein without adding more fat or calories. If you don't have egg whites on hand, just use 2 extra whole eggs instead to keep the volume right.
- Chia seeds - This might surprise you! They blend right into the egg mixture, and you won't taste or notice them at all. They add fiber, omega-'s, and a little extra staying power to each bite.
- Chicken sausage - I like Amylu chicken sausage links, diced small. They're flavorful, lower in fat than pork sausage, and cook through perfectly in the oven. Any precooked chicken sausage works here and can be added straight from the package. If you use an uncooked chicken sausage, you'll have to cook them before dicing and adding it to the muffins.
- Shredded cheese - I blend the cheese right up with the egg mixture so each bite has cheese melted right in it. I like the mild flavor of mozzarella, but you can use any variety you like.
Substitutions
- Egg whites: If you don't have egg whites on hand or don't want to waste your yolks, just use two whole eggs.
- Chicken sausage: You can use regular sausage links or ground sausage, or swap in bacon. If you use uncooked meat, make sure you cook it before adding it to the muffins. For vegetarian egg bites, use a meatless breakfast sausage, or leave the meat out altogether, noting that the protein per serving will be 16 grams instead of 20.
Vegetable Options For Egg Bites
You can use any combination of vegetables you'd like as long as they equal 1 cup in volume. Some vegetables will work better than others, though, as we want the veggies to soften and cook fully in the egg bites. Here are a few options that will work, and some I would avoid:
Veggies that will work:
- Spinach (fresh, chopped small - wilts right in)
- Sun-dried tomatoes (packed in oil, diced)
- Roasted red peppers (from a jar, patted dry and diced)
- Mushrooms (pre-sautéed to remove moisture first)
- Diced onion (raw, finely diced)
- Green onion/scallions (raw, sliced thin)
- Asparagus (finely chopped)
- Artichoke hearts (canned, drained well, and chopped)
- Jalapeño (raw, finely diced)
- Kale (finely chopped, stems removed)
- Sun-dried tomatoes
- Frozen spinach (thawed and squeezed very dry first)
Veggies to avoid:
- Fresh tomatoes (too watery)
- Zucchini (releases a lot of water unless pre-salted and drained)
- Cucumber (way too watery)
- Raw beets (too dense, won't cook through)
- Corn (fresh off the cob adds too much moisture - canned works if drained very well)
- Large chunks of any hard vegetable like carrots or sweet potato (won't soften enough in the bake time)
Testing notes
While I like to save on dishes as much as the next person, blending the egg and cottage cheese mixture together is essential. Everything fits in the pitcher for my Ninja blender, so it ends up being one bowl anyway.
While the cottage cheese curds will melt when you cook the eggs, they tend to make everything really watery if you just whisk everything together. Picture a big puddle of water surrounding the egg bites on your plate. Yuck. Blending really helps everything emulsify, leaving you with fluffy eggs and no watery residue.
Instructions
- Step 1: Combine eggs, egg whites, cheese, cottage cheese, chia seeds, and pepper in a blender.
- Step 2: Blend until well combined.
- Step 3: Add diced veggies and sausage.
- Step 4: Pour mixture into a muffin pan and bake at 325℉ for 30 to 35 minutes or until set.
Quick Recipe Video
Top Tip
Use a silicone muffin pan for your egg bites. Not only are they easy to get out as a single egg bite, but cleanup is much easier. Any baked-on egg slides right off, and it washes up beautifully with one round in the dishwasher. This is the exact muffin pan I have and a similar one on Amazon!
Meal Prep Storage + Reheating
These egg bites make it EASY to get a high-protein breakfast all week. Let the bites cool completely and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
These protein egg bites freeze really well, so feel free to make a double batch and freeze half for another week. Once cool, place them in a freezer bag, with space between them, and freeze for up to 2 months. Just take them out the night before, and then thaw them overnight in the refrigerator.
I find the texture and flavor of egg bites pretty spot-on when reheated in the microwave. Just put them on a plate and microwave in 30-second intervals until warm enough to eat.
FAQ
This usually means they baked a little too long. Check them at the 30-minute mark. They should be mostly set on top but still have a little softness to them when they cool.
Yes! In one of my first testing rounds, I used an immersion blender, and it worked perfectly (just took a bit more time).
You can, but I've only tested them with a standard 12-cup pan. Mini muffins will require less time (check around the 15 to 18 minute mark), and jumbo muffins will need more. The yield and nutrition per muffin will also change, so just keep that in mind if you try a different pan.
Make It a Complete Meal
While these egg bites have 20 grams of protein and 3 grams of fiber, they're only 226 calories and very low in carbohydrates, which won't be filling enough or last most people through the morning. For a complete breakfast that's nutrient-rich and flavorful, try pairing these egg bites with:
- Greek yogurt with dark chocolate granola and sliced strawberries
- A slice of sourdough or whole wheat toast with ricotta and berries
- A pumpkin banana bread muffin
- Strawberry baked oatmeal
- A cup of any fruit!
More Breakfast Recipes You'll Love
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
Did you try this recipe?
Once you've made it, let me know! You can:
- Leave a 5-star rating and review! (If you made any substitutions, let us know in the comments!)
- Share a picture of the recipe on Instagram and tag me @graciouslynourished - I'd love to see how it turns out!
Until Next Time...
All my best,
Kelsey
High Protein Cottage Cheese Egg Bites (with Fiber!)
Equipment
- muffin pan
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup cottage cheese
- ½ cup egg whites
- ½ cup mozzarella cheese shredded
- 3 tablespoons chia seeds
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup diced red peppers
- ½ cup chopped broccoli diced small
- ¾ cup diced chicken sausage, precooked I used 6 links of Amylu breakfast chicken sausage
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 325℉. If using a metal muffin tin, spray well with cooking spray. If using a silicone muffin tin, no need to grease or spray.
- Combine eggs, cottage cheese, egg whites*, shredded cheese, chia seeds, and a pinch of black pepper in a blender or large bowl. Blend in a blender or use an immersion blender in a bowl until the mixture is smooth.
- Add the red pepper, broccoli, and diced sausage to the mixture and stir to combine.
- Pour egg mixture into the muffin wells, filling each about ¾ of the way full.
- Bake egg bites for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the tops are fully set. Let them sit in the muffin tin for a few minutes before removing and serving, or let them cool and store for a meal-prep breakfast.
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