Cheddar Chive Egg Bites
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Want a high protein, low carb, on-the-go breakfast option that will keep you satisfied all morning? Cheddar Chive Egg Bites are the perfect solution for a healthy breakfast on busy weekdays.
Disclaimer: This post was created in partnership with Hy-Vee (Columbia).
Why I Love This Egg Bites Recipe
We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But, boy, it’s hard on those chaotic weekday mornings to eat a nutritious breakfast that will keep you running for hours, isn’t it?
These Cheddar Chive Egg Bites are the answer! They are:
- Made with only 5 whole food ingredients
- Take minutes to whip up
- Full of protein to keep you satisfied all morning
- Gluten-free and low carb
- An easy grab-and-go breakfast
- Freezer-friendly, too.
Ingredients Needed & Where to Get Them
Only 5 ingredients are needed to make this high-protein, grab-and-go breakfast! We suggest grabbing these at your local Hy-Vee.
If you have this store nearby, you know what a gem you have under your nose–especially if you’re a parent who knows all of these hacks!
My in-laws from a smaller town look forward to a trip to our Hy-Vee each time they visit just to look at the wide selection of:
Ingredients You’ll Need From Hy-Vee:
- Milk – Your choice!
- Cooked bacon, crumbled (try our oven method)
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Chives, minced
- Eggs
Ingredients You’ll Need From Your Pantry:
- Salt and pepper
Step by Step Instructions
With a mini muffin pan and a few simple ingredients in hand, you’re ready to get started…
Step 1: Preheat the oven and grease the mini muffin pan.
Step 2: Whisk together the eggs, milk, chives, salt, and pepper.
Step 3: Pour or ladle the egg mixture into the mini muffin pan. If using a silicone pan, we recommend setting the pan on a baking sheet.
Step 4: Evenly distribute cooked bacon bits over the top of each one.
Step 5: Sprinkle cheese over the top of each one.
Step 6: Bake the egg bites until set, then let them cool in the pan. Don’t worry, they will deflate a little bit after they cool. This is normal!
Best Mini Muffin Pan: Our Tests Show…
When making mini egg bites, you’ll want a mini muffin pan. Our tests showed that not all mini muffin pans are created equal, however! In our trials of both a metal non-stick pan and a silicone pan, we found a clear winner between the two.
Metal Pan Test Results
First, even when greased really well, we found that the egg bites (and any overflow) stuck terribly to the non-stick metal pan. That wasn’t the case with the silicone pan.
Silicone Pan Test Results
Second, in our baking tests, we found that the egg bites baked in the silicone muffin cups retained their shape after cooling. The egg bites from the metal pan lost their form quickly. Just look at the difference between the two!
Taste-wise and texture-wise, there really wasn’t a huge difference at all. However, if you want less hassle when it comes to cleaning your pan and a prettier result, opt for this silicone mini muffin pan.
Variations of This Egg Bites Recipe
I’m thinking there are all kinds of ways to change up the flavors, once you get the hang of this. What do you think about some of these ideas in place of bacon, cheddar, and chives?
Idea #1: Turkey sausage, feta, and roasted red peppers (We have a DELICIOUS crustless quiche with similar ingredients in our first cookbook that I can’t get enough of.)
Idea #2: Pancetta, crumbled goat cheese, and fresh basil
Idea #3: Ham, Swiss cheese, and baby spinach
Idea #4: Sautéed chopped onions, bell peppers, jalapeño pepper with your favorite shredded cheese
The possibilities seem endless!
Can You Freeze Egg Bites?
Yes! You can easily double or triple the batch to have extras on hand for weeks in the freezer, but for best results keep these important tips to keep in mind when freezing, thawing and rewarming them.
- Let the egg bites cool completely before freezing. If they are still warm when freezing, they will release liquid in the container and cause icicles to form on them which can adversely affect the text.
- Package tightly and reduce the air exposure to the dish as much as possible in the freezer. I would recommend packaging them in a single layer in a freezer bag and try to remove as much air as possible from the bag. Here are two ways to remove air from a bag without a vacuum sealer. Or, you can freeze them in an air-tight container, dividing layers with parchment paper. I’d recommend placing a layer of plastic wrap or foil over them inside the container.
- When thawing frozen egg bites, the best policy is to thaw in the fridge for a few hours. Slow thawing like this results in the best texture. However, if you don’t have time, you can thaw briefly using the defrost setting on the microwave.
- To rewarm, wrap egg bites in a moist paper towel and microwave is very short increments until warmed through. Don’t overcook them while reheating!
Side Dish Ideas
Keep it simple and healthy when serving these little egg muffins by adding some whole grain toast and Fruit Salad on the side. Or you can serve them with one of our 7 Smoothie Recipes for an easy on-the-go breakfast.
More Popular Egg Recipes
If you like this high protein recipe, I think you’ll enjoy these other egg recipes on our site.
Did you make this? Snap a photo and tag us on Instagram at @thrivinghome so we can see your creations and cheer you on!
Cheddar Chive Egg Bites
These low carb, high protein, kid-friendly egg bites are a great grab-and-go breakfast. Make ahead for the week and warm them in the microwave each morning.
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons milk (any type will work)
- 1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh chives (sub: fresh basil or parsley)
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 4–5 pieces of cooked uncured bacon, chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
Make It Now:
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously grease a mini muffin pan. If using a silicone pan, it’s a good idea to place it on a baking sheet.
- In a glass measuring cup with spout, whisk together the eggs, milk, chives, salt and pepper.
- Carefully fill each muffin cup about 3/4th of the way full with the egg mixture. Divide the bacon and cheese evenly among the muffin cups, sprinkling them on top.
- Bake on the center rack for about 13 minutes, or until eggs are just set in the middle. Remove to a cooling rack and let cool for a few minutes. Run a butter knife around the edges of each egg bite and gently remove each one to the cooling rack.
- Once cooled, store in an air-tight container for up to 5 days in the refrigerator. To warm up later, microwave in 10 second increments just until warmed through. Do not overcook or they will become rubbery.
Freeze For Later: Fully cook and cool the egg bites. Package them in a single layer in a freezer bag and try to remove as much air as possible from the bag. Here are two ways to remove air from a bag without a vacuum sealer. Or, you can freeze them in an air-tight container, dividing layers with parchment paper. I’d recommend placing a layer of plastic wrap or foil over them inside the container.
Prepare From Frozen: Thaw in the fridge for a few hours, preferably. However, if you don’t have time, you can thaw briefly using the defrost setting on the microwave. To rewarm, wrap egg bites in a moist paper towel and microwave is very short increments until warmed through. Don’t overcook them while reheating!
This recipe is wonderful! I love the flexibility to make a variety of kinds. I have picky kiddos so they prefer just egg and cheese but my husband and I have made so many variations of these. These are a morning life saver!! I always intend on freezing some but we never have any leftover.
★★★★★
Thanks for leaving a review Nicki. Love to hear when we hit a home run with a recipe!
Would it be ok to use Just Egg as a replacement?
Hi Tina. We have not tested that. If you do give it a try, please let us know how it turns out.
Can I freeze Cheddar Chive Egg Bites? I was thinking of using Souper Cubes, rather than a muffin tray, because I own super cubes and the food pops out easily. If I can freeze, do I freeze before cooking or after?
This recipe looks really yummy!
I definitely have frozen them. They work, but honestly not my favorite texture after rewarming. But it’s worth a try to see what you think.
These are absolutely delicious! They puffed up nicely in the oven, then when I pulled them out they fell, so they are really thin, is that normal? Or is there a way to prevent this from happening? I definitely want to make these again!
★★★★★
Glad you enjoyed them, Erin. What you experienced is normal. Without something like flour or bread or potatoes to help them hold their structure, eggs will puff up and then shrink a bit after they cool. If you’d like a few variations that hold their shape more, you could try these:
Savory Breakfast Muffins: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/a-fast-food-breakfast-to-go-savory-breakfast-muffins/
Breakfast Casserole Muffins: https://thrivinghomeblog.com/easy-breakfast-casserole-muffins/
Hope that helps!
If I wanted to make 12 regular size, what cooking temp and time would you suggest?
I love how small these are. I can never face a full-sized breakfast so I often skip it altogether. With a few of these in the fridge I’ll be more tempted to snack and, therefore, kick-start my day with breakfast. I’ll have to obtain a small cup muffin pan as I recently threw out some very rusted ones! By the way, living alone, I often need to throw out fresh ingredients (and even long-term things such as flour, mayonnaise and eggs from the fridge!) as I can’t use them before the use-by date. Thus I’ve taken to freezing what I can. This includes fresh chives. I know I could use dried chives but the fresh ones freeze really well. I don’t even have to chop them up before freezing. I keep them as long stalks and then take out two or three stems when I need them. They are super-easy to cut from frozen. If only I had a larger freezer to save everything else!
★★★★★
You’re so smart to use the freezer to save foods, Louise. I’m glad you liked these Cheddar Chive Egg Bites. I wish they worked in the freezer, but they didn’t do so well in my tests. However, they are fine in the fridge for several days. Take care!