Baking

Egg White Bites with Roasted Red Pepper (Starbucks, But Better)

3 min

Blend the egg whites with the cottage cheese until the mixture goes frothy and pale, and you've already done the one thing that keeps these from turning into rubbery little hockey pucks. The cottage cheese melts into the whites and gives you that soft, custardy set Starbucks charges five dollars for. I bake mine in a water bath at a low 325F, which sounds fussy but takes two minutes and means the edges never overcook before the centers set. Roasted red peppers and Parmesan go in by hand at the end so they stay in distinct pockets instead of disappearing into the blender.

By Nora Calloway

A little backstory

These are a direct copy of the sous-vide egg bites Starbucks rolled out around 2017, which the chain makes in immersion circulators it obviously isn't going to put in your kitchen. The home version swaps the precise water bath of a sous-vide machine for a roasting pan with an inch of hot water in it, and honestly the texture gets close enough that I stopped buying the originals.

Starbucks egg bites are delicious. And expensive. Make them at home for a fraction of the cost. Fluffy, protein-packed, with sweet roasted red peppers and creamy cottage cheese. No fancy sous vide machine. Just a muffin tin and a water bath. Make a batch on Sunday. Eat all week. Let’s bake.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Preheat and Prep

Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease a muffin tin (silicone works best).

Blend the Base

In a blender, combine egg whites, cottage cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Blend until smooth and frothy.

Add Mix-Ins

Stir in roasted red peppers, Parmesan, and chives by hand.

Fill and Bake (Water Bath)

Pour mixture into muffin cups, filling ¾ full.

Place muffin tin in a larger baking pan. Fill outer pan with hot water (1 inch deep).

Bake 20-25 minutes until set and slightly golden.

Cool and Store

Let cool 5 minutes. Remove from tin.

Eat warm or refrigerate. Reheat 30 seconds in microwave.

Summary

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 25 minutes | Total Time: 35 minutes

Yield: 8-10 bites

Difficulty: Easy

Storage Notes

Store in an airtight container in the fridge for 5 days.
Freeze for 2 months.
Reheat in microwave for 30 seconds or toaster oven.
Swap roasted red peppers for spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, or broccoli.
Add cooked turkey sausage for extra protein.
Water bath = creamy texture. Don’t skip it.
These beat Starbucks every time. Make a double batch.

The Ingredients

Everything you need.

Prep

10 minutes

Cook

25 minutes

Total

35 minutes

Yield

8-10 bites

Ingredients

Makes 8-10 bites.

8 large egg whites (or 1 cup liquid egg whites)
½ cup cottage cheese
½ cup roasted red peppers, finely chopped
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons fresh chives or parsley, chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder (optional)

Instructions

1
Preheat and Prep. Preheat and Prep. Preheat oven to 325°F (165°C). Grease a muffin tin (silicone works best). 2 2
2
Blend the Base. Blend the Base. In a blender, combine egg whites, cottage cheese, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Blend until smooth and frothy. 3 3
3
Add Mix-Ins. Add Mix-Ins. Stir in roasted red peppers, Parmesan, and chives by hand. 4 4
4
Fill and Bake (Water Bath). Fill and Bake (Water Bath). Pour mixture into muffin cups, filling ¾ full. Place muffin tin in a larger baking pan. Fill outer pan with hot water (1 inch deep). Bake 20-25 minutes until set and slightly golden. 5 5
5
Cool and Store. Cool and Store. Let cool 5 minutes. Remove from tin. Eat warm or refrigerate. Reheat 30 seconds in microwave

Swaps & Substitutions

Cottage cheese → use whole-milk ricotta for a similar creamy set, or full-fat plain Greek yogurt in a pinch, though yogurt makes them a touch tangier
Whole eggs → swap the 8 egg whites for 4 whole eggs if you want richer, yellower bites; they'll be a little denser and less Starbucks-like
Parmesan → Pecorino, aged Gruyere, or sharp cheddar all work; cheddar makes them taste more like a diner omelet than the original
Roasted red peppers → chop fresh red bell pepper and saute it soft first, or sub sun-dried tomatoes (drain the oil well) for a deeper flavor
Dairy-free → a firm silken tofu blended in place of cottage cheese plus a dairy-free Parmesan gets you most of the way, but the set is softer
Fresh chives or parsley → 1 teaspoon dried herbs, or skip them; they're for color and freshness, not structure

Questions & Answers

Why did mine come out rubbery?

Almost always too much heat or no water bath. Keep the oven at 325F and set the muffin tin in a pan with an inch of hot water so the eggs cook gently and stay custardy.

Can I skip the water bath?

You can, but the bites will be denser and more likely to overcook at the edges. If you skip it, watch them closely and pull the tin a couple minutes early.

How do I know they're done?

They should be set with a slight jiggle in the center at 20 to 25 minutes and just barely golden on top. They firm up more as they cool, so don't wait for them to look solid in the oven.

How long do they keep, and how do I reheat?

Refrigerate up to 5 days or freeze up to 2 months. Microwave a refrigerated bite about 30 seconds; from frozen, give it closer to a minute.

Why are my bites sticking to the tin?

Metal tins grab onto these. Grease well, or use a silicone muffin tin, which pops them out cleanly every time. Letting them cool 5 minutes before unmolding also helps them release.

Egg White Bites with Roasted Red Pepper (Starbucks, But Better)