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Cottage Cheese Egg Bites

Published on
October 8, 2026
Mini egg bites on a cooling rack

These protein-rich egg bites are handy to keep in the fridge for busy mornings. Blending the eggs with cottage cheese and baking them gently in a water bath keeps them soft and fluffy, and they're a good home for leftover cooked vegetables.

Makes 12 · 40 minutes

Ingredients

For the egg bites

  • Nonstick cooking spray
  • 8 large eggs
  • 1 cup (8 ounces) full-fat cottage cheese
  • 1½ cups (6 ounces) shredded Gruyère, Cheddar, mozzarella or Monterey Jack, or a mix, divided
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ¼ teaspoon black pepper

For optional mix-ins

  • Chopped raw vegetables, such as onion, scallions, bell pepper or spinach
  • Chopped cooked vegetables, such as mushrooms, broccoli, roasted red pepper, cauliflower, potato, sweet potato or butternut squash
  • Chopped cooked bacon or sausage
  • Finely chopped herbs, such as basil, parsley, chives or cilantro
  • A few dashes of hot sauce
  • Grated Parmesan, for sprinkling

Instructions

  1. Heat the oven to 325°F with a rack in the center. Bring 3 cups of water to a boil in a kettle or saucepan, then keep it at a simmer. Generously coat a 12-cup muffin pan, ideally silicone or nonstick, with cooking spray.
  2. Put the eggs, cottage cheese, 1 cup of the shredded cheese, salt and pepper in a blender. Blend on high for just 8 to 10 seconds, until smooth and frothy. Blending longer whips in too much air, which makes the bites sink as they bake.
  3. Set the muffin pan on a sheet pan and fill each cup about three-quarters full. Drop any mix-ins on top and nudge them into the egg with a chopstick or small spoon. Sprinkle the remaining ½ cup cheese over the tops.
  4. Slide the pans into the oven, then carefully pour the hot water into the sheet pan, just enough to cover the bottom of the muffin cups.
  5. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until set. Lift the muffin pan out of the water bath and let it rest for 5 minutes.
  6. Pop the bites out of a silicone pan, or run a butter knife or small offset spatula around each cup to loosen them.

Tips

  • Refrigerate in a covered container for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Warm them in the microwave or a 300°F oven.
  • You can skip the water bath. The bites will be denser and firmer, with browned bottoms, more like a frittata.

Adapted from Naz Deravian, NYT Cooking.