Egg muffin cups are a baked egg breakfast you make once and eat all week: whisk a dozen eggs with a carton of egg whites, pour the mix over chopped peppers, spinach and cheddar in a muffin tin, and bake for about 22 minutes. The batch makes 12 cups. Three of them are roughly 325 calories and 30 grams of protein, and they reheat in under a minute, which is the whole point on a Tuesday at 6:45 a.m.
Ingredients for 12 cups
| Ingredient | Metric | Imperial |
|---|---|---|
| Large eggs | 12 | 12 (one dozen) |
| Liquid egg whites | 250 ml | 1 cup |
| Old cheddar, grated | 60 g | ½ cup packed |
| Red bell pepper, finely diced | 150 g | 1 pepper |
| Baby spinach, chopped | 60 g | 2 packed cups |
| Green onions, sliced | 30 g | 3 onions |
| Salt, pepper, garlic powder | ½ tsp each | ½ tsp each |
| Oil or cooking spray for the tin | a little | a little |
Equipment: a 12-cup muffin tin, silicone if you have one. Prep: 10 minutes. Bake: 20 to 24 minutes.
Method
- Heat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Grease the tin well or use silicone.
- Divide the pepper, spinach and green onion between the cups; they should be about a third full.
- Whisk the eggs, egg whites and seasonings in a large measuring jug until no streaks of white remain. A jug makes pouring clean.
- Pour the egg mix over the vegetables, filling each cup about three-quarters full. Sprinkle the cheddar on top.
- Bake 20 to 24 minutes, until the centres are set and spring back when pressed. Egg dishes should reach 74°C (165°F), according to Health Canada’s cooking temperature chart.
- Rest 5 minutes, then run a knife around each cup and lift them out to cool on a rack.
Macros for three cups (approximate)
The figures are calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for whole egg, liquid egg white, cheddar and the vegetables, then divided into four servings of three cups.
| Calories | Protein | Carbs | Fat |
|---|---|---|---|
| about 325 | about 30 g | about 5 g | about 20 g |
Per single cup: about 110 calories and 10 g protein, handy if you eat one as a snack. Using egg whites for part of the batch is what keeps the fat moderate; with 16 whole eggs and no whites, three cups would carry roughly 5 g more fat for about the same protein.
Make, cool, store, reheat
- Cool completely on a rack before packing them, or condensation makes the bottoms soggy.
- Fridge: a container lined with paper towel, up to 3 days. Health Canada’s leftovers advice puts refrigerated leftovers at 2 to 3 days, so freeze anything past Wednesday.
- Freezer: freeze on a tray, then bag them. They keep well for about a month.
- Reheat: 40 to 60 seconds in the microwave from the fridge, or 90 seconds from frozen with a damp paper towel over them, until hot in the middle.
Fillings that change the whole thing
Each of these replaces the pepper, spinach and cheddar combination:
| Version | Filling for 12 cups | Effect on 3 cups |
|---|---|---|
| Western | Diced lean ham (100 g), green pepper, onion, cheddar | About 5 g more protein |
| Mediterranean | Sun-dried tomato, kalamata olives, feta, oregano | Similar protein, slightly saltier |
| Mushroom and Swiss | Mushrooms sautéed first, Swiss cheese, thyme | Similar |
| Tex-Mex | Black beans (½ can), corn, jalapeño, Monterey Jack, salsa on top | About 3 g more carbs and fibre |
| Broccoli cheddar | Steamed chopped broccoli, extra old cheddar | About 30 more calories |
Pair three cups with a piece of fruit or a slice of toast for a complete breakfast. For other ways to clear 30 grams before work, the 30 gram protein breakfasts page lists six options with exact amounts, and the cottage cheese recipes include a pancake that uses eggs differently.
A breakfast you don’t have to think about
Most weekday breakfasts fail because the decision is made when you’re tired and late. A bag of these in the freezer makes the decision for you. If you’d like the rest of your day planned with the same logic, with protein and calorie targets set for you, monthly coaching is built for that.
Questions people also ask
Why do my egg muffins stick to the pan?
Eggs bond to bare metal. Use a silicone muffin pan, paper-and-foil liners, or grease a metal tin thoroughly with oil and let the cups rest 5 minutes after baking before you lift them out with a butter knife.
How long do egg muffin cups last?
Three days in the fridge in a sealed container is a sensible limit. For a longer stretch, freeze them; they keep their texture well for about a month.
Why did my egg muffins deflate and turn spongy?
Usually overbaking or too much liquid from wet vegetables. Pull them when the centres are just set, and cook watery vegetables like mushrooms or zucchini first to drive off moisture.