30-Minute Cottage Cheese Egg Bites with Spinach and Feta

posted by Alex Aldeborgh, RD on Aug 28, 2023 2 comments »

You’re going to love these moist and flavorful egg bites with cottage cheese for a healthy breakfast or snack. Baked in the oven with a DIY steam bath, they have a soft, custardy texture (similar to the popular sous vide Starbucks egg bites)! Cottage cheese egg bites are simply seasoned with salt, pepper, and oregano and flavored with spinach and feta cheese.

Ready to enjoy in 30 minutes or less and perfect for meal prepping, these egg bites are similar to my mini frittatas in a muffin tin.

plate of spinach feta cottage cheese egg bites

As a Registered Dietitian, I know how important it is to eat protein with your morning meal. A high-protein breakfast helps stabilize blood sugar levels and keeps you full for longer.

This egg bites recipe with cottage cheese features two of my favorite high protein breakfast foods – eggs and cottage cheese!

Both foods are affordable, widely available, and provide plenty of high-quality protein.

Cottage cheese egg bites are the perfect quick and easy make-ahead breakfast, as they keep well in the fridge and reheat easily.

You’re going to love the combination of custardy eggs, salty feta cheese, and nutritious spinach!

Ingredients in cottage cheese egg bites

You need just seven ingredients to make this recipe:

Eggs: You’ll need six large whole eggs to make egg bites.
Cottage cheese: I recommend using 4% full fat or 2% low-fat cottage cheese because they taste richer than non-fat. Feel free to use whatever variety you prefer.
Feta cheese: Crumbled feta cheese is tangy and salty, a delicious contrast to the creamy eggs.
Baby spinach: Chopped spinach pairs perfectly with the feta cheese! No cooking required.
Dried oregano: This dried herb has a pleasant, mildly sweet and peppery flavor. Since feta cheese and oregano are used in many Mediterranean dishes, they compliment each other nicely in this recipe.
Salt
Pepper
Cooking spray or butter to grease the muffin pan

Kitchen equipment needed

Blender
Nonstick muffin baking pan
Measuring cups
Measuring spoons
9×13 glass or ceramic baking dish

Step-by-step instructions

The key to egg bites with a soft, custardy texture without a sous vide is to create a DIY steam bath in your oven. Fill a glass or ceramic baking dish about halfway with water. Put the dish on the bottom rack of your oven.

Preheat the oven to 325°F with the water dish inside.
Spray or butter muffin baking pan.

hand spraying cooking spray onto a muffin pan

Blend together eggs, cottage cheese, salt, and pepper, until completely smooth.

eggs and cottage cheese blended in a blender

Add chopped spinach, feta cheese, and oregano.
Close the blender and shake it up to combine the fillings.

Pour the egg mixture into the greased muffin tin, filling each tin about halfway full.

egg bites in a muffin tin before being baked

Place the muffin pan in the preheated oven on the middle rack, directly above the water dish.
Bake for about 20 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean, and the egg bite edges have begun to pull away from the baking pan.

Egg Bite Variations

Feel free to get creative with your fillings next time you make cottage cheese egg bites! Instead of spinach and feta cheese, try different combinations of vegetables and cheese:

Vegetables: Use 1 cup of cooked vegetables such as bell pepper, onion, mushrooms, tomatoes, or broccoli.
Cheese: Try half a cup of shredded cheddar cheese, goat cheese, low moisture mozzarella cheese, or gruyere cheese.
Fresh herbs: You can add chopped fresh basil, dill, parsley, cilantro, or sage.
Additional add ins: Olives, sun-dried tomatoes, roasted red peppers, or banana peppers would all add tons of flavor!

Can I prepare egg bites ahead of time?

Absolutely! These egg bites keep very well when stored in the fridge, and can even be frozen if you want to make a double batch and save them for later.

Fridge: Store in an airtight container or tightly sealed baggie in the fridge for up to five days. Eat them cold or pop them in the microwave for 30 seconds or so, until heated through.

Freezer: Let egg bites cool completely. Tightly wrap them individually in plastic wrap. Store them in an airtight container or baggie in the freezer for up to 3 months. Reheat them in the microwave from frozen for about 1 minute, until completely warmed through.

platter with cottage cheese egg bites next to plate with 2 egg bites

Eggs nutrition benefits

Eggs are an incredibly nutrient-dense food. One large egg provides 72 calories, 0.6 grams of carbohydrate, 6 grams of high-quality protein, and 5 grams of fat.

In addition, eggs provide several beneficial micronutrients.

One large egg provides:

0.229 mg riboflavin (18% of your daily needs)
0.45 mcg Vitamin B12 (19% of your daily needs)
23.5 mcg folate (6% of your daily needs)
1.00 mcg Vitamin D (5% of your daily needs)
146.9 mg choline (27% of your daily needs)
15.35 mcg selenium (28% of your daily needs)

Are eggs bad for cholesterol?

While eggs do contain dietary cholesterol in the yolk, it’s actually saturated fats in the diet that have a significant effect on our blood cholesterol levels.

Eggs have a small amount of saturated fat, but they also provide heart-healthy monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Recommendation

For a majority of people, eating 1-2 eggs per day will not cause a significant change in cholesterol levels, especially if you eat a well-balanced diet.

However, if you have a history of heart disease, high total or LDL cholesterol, or other metabolic disorders you may benefit from limiting whole egg intake and opting for recipes with egg whites (such as my egg white frittata).

Cottage cheese nutrition benefits

Cottage cheese is known for its high protein content, but it also provides several other beneficial nutrients! One half cup of 4% milkfat cottage cheese provides 13 grams of protein, as well as:

80 mg calcium (6% of your daily needs)
0.71 mcg vitamin B12 (30% of your daily needs)
0.186 mg riboflavin (14% of your daily needs)
10.17 mcg selenium (18% of your daily needs)
151.42 mg phosphorus (12% of your daily needs)

Nutrition tip: Cottage cheese is high in sodium – one half cup has about 450 mg, or 20% of your daily needs. Enjoy cottage cheese with low sodium foods, including fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to avoid over consuming sodium.

Let me know if you love this post by leaving a comment or star rating below, and check out Instagram and Pinterest for more healthy lifestyle inspiration. Thanks for stopping by!