Earlier this year, Starbucks announced a new menu offering: Sous Vide Egg Bites. They are one of their only gluten free food options and I’ve seen several people raving about them on social media. I tried them while traveling when there were no other decent breakfast options and I’ll give it to Starbucks on the taste… they are good.
Unfortunately, they contain carrageenan and maltodextrin: ingredients I try to avoid. They also cost about $5 (or more in airports), which makes them much pricer than our normal breakfast options. In fact, for our whole family to eat them, we’d have to spend almost $40.00 Instead, I figured out how to make them at home with real food ingredients and a whole batch costs about what one order costs in a coffee shop!
Why Sous Vide Rocks
I’ve been experimenting with Sous Vide cooking for about six months and it has become one of my go-to kitchen gadgets. If you aren’t familiar with it- Sous Vide cooking uses circulating water at a carefully controlled temperature to achieve incredible results. The best steaks, chicken and eggs I’ve ever cooked were cooked in a sous vide.
In the past, this method required a big machine and was most often used in restaurants. Most methods also use plastic bags to submerge the food in water (so I’d never tried it because we avoid plastic if at all possible).
Sous Vide at Home!
Now, thanks to smaller and much less expensive home sous vide immersion machines (like this one that I have), Sous Vide is possible at home! It is still a pretty expensive kitchen gadget, but I asked for it for a gift for a big-ish birthday (me=getting old!) and have used it a lot!
After much experimentation I’ve also found that this recipe is possible (but not quite as good) without a Sous Vide machine and in fact you can do it three ways:
- Mason Jars in Sous Vide– The traditional way with a sous vide machine in a pot of water and small mason jars. This yields the best texture and result. I’ve found that 4 ounce mason jars and 8 ounce mason jars both work.
- Silicone Bags in Sous Vide– With silicone bags (like these) using a sous vide machine and a pot of water. The texture is amazing but the presentation isn’t as pretty. This is the method I use to sous vide most other foods without using plastic. Since Sous Vide is low-temperature cooking, I don’t worry about using the silicone.
- Egg Poaching Cups– By poaching the eggs using egg poaching cups in a skillet of water. This is the fastest method and also the least expensive if you don’t already have a sous vide machine.
Sous Vide Egg Bites
Once you’ve secured one of the three cooking methods above, you’ll also need the ingredients and some patience! Starbucks lists their ingredients online so the recipe was relatively easy to duplicate. I was surprised that the first ingredient was cottage cheese! I tried making these without it, but cottage cheese definitely gave the best flavor and texture. Other ingredients include eggs (obviously), cheese, cream and optional ingredients like bacon, vegetables or other add-ins.
Time Saving Tips:
- Make these with just eggs and cheese and add other flavors as toppings when you re-heat.
- Make a double or tripe batch of these while the Sous Vide is running and keep in the fridge until ready to use. I often make 16-24 to keep in the fridge for several days of breakfasts.
- Use 4 ounce size mason jars for a small breakfast or 8-ounce jars and double the recipe for bigger kids or adults.
Sous Vide Egg Bites Recipe (Low-Carb, Keto, THM-S)
Make the popular Sous Vide Egg Bites at home with higher quality ingredients and save money over the expensive restaurant options. There are endless ways to mix up this recipe and it is a great one to make ahead for breakfasts.
Ingredients
- 12 eggs
- 1/2 cup cottage cheese
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup Gruyere or cheese of choice, grated
- 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika (or any other spices you like)
- 1/2 teaspoon of hot sauce of choice (optional)
- 2 Tablespoons butter
- 10 slices of bacon, cooked (optional)
- any cooked vegetables you like (optional)
Instructions
Set the Sous Vide machine to 172 degrees. This is the common temperature for eggs and you can cook almost any egg recipe this way.
Crack the eggs into a blender or food processor and add the cottage cheese, heavy cream, hot sauce and spices.
Blend on medium speed until just blended and smooth. You don't want to add extra air by blending on high.
Use the butter to lightly grease 10 4-ounce mason jars (or five 8-ounce jars). You can also easily double or triple this recipe, just use more jars!
If using bacon and vegetables, place these in the bottoms of the jars. Add the grated cheese to the jars.
Pour the egg mixture into the jars and hand-tighten the lids (do not over-tighten!).
Cook for 50 minutes (If you are planning to re-heat) or one hour if you are planning to eat right away.
Remove from heat and refrigerate right away if not consuming immediately. In theory, these should last at least a week in the fridge because they were cooked at over 140 for over half an hour, but we've never had them last that long without being eaten!
Notes
If making in egg-poaching cups without a sous vide machine, follow the steps to mix the ingredients and assemble in egg poaching cups instead of mason jars. Add these to a skillet of boiling water until eggs are cooked. Do not attempt this method with mason jars, as they will crack!
This recipe is incredibly adaptable and can be made without cheese for those with dairy allergies or who are strict paleo. It is naturally low-carb and keto-friendly. Also, since I've had several readers ask about various recipes, this would be an "S" meal on the Trim Healthy Mama plan.
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Ever tried Sous Vide? Ready to give it a try? Share below!
I’d love to hear more about how you cook meat sous vide without plastic! I have been hesitant to try this method for that very reason, but I may now pick up that machine! What sort of container do you submerse it in?
I just use a large stockpot.
I’ve never tried Sous Vide, but now I want to try! I don’t have a Sous Vide machine so I’ll have to try one of the other methods you mentioned.
I love poached eggs. Is the texture similar? It looks a little custardy in the picture.
Thanks for another great post, Katie!
They are so good. I’ve only had the Starbucks ones but agree I don’t like the ingredient list. It is a smooth texture. It’s delicious.
Looks great, can’t wait to try it! Hubby is obsessed with the Starbucks version, and we need to find a cheaper (and healthier!) substitute.
I plan on attempting cooking method #3, as I don’t own a Sous Vide. Do you think this would work with a silicone muffin pan set in a large skillet, instead of the silicone egg poachers?
Thanks for the great looking recipe! Two questions. The instructions call for cream cheese but there is no cream cheese in the ingredients list. Should this be cottage cheese? Also, there’s no mention of how to plate this. Does it just slide out of the jar upside down onto the plate? The picture does not look like those toppings were cooked in the jar with the eggs, as the instructions would suggest. For plating, did you add the bacon and veggies and cheese, omitting them from the egg mixture, or did you do both? And the picture sure makes it look like there is a crust on the bottom.
It should say cottage cheese… fixed now 🙂 they do slide out of the jars pretty easy, but I added extra crumbled bacon and cheese for visual appeal when taking the picture. When not trying to photograph and make it look pretty, I’d actually recommend putting under the broiler with some extra cheese for a crispy outer shell.
You should be able to do the mason jars safely in the regular stockpot without the sous vide if you put the jars on a metal trivet or canning rack. Even with the sous vide, it’s a good idea to use the trivet to let water circulate completely around and under the egg cups. I use the trivet from the Instant Pot, but an ad hoc trivet can be created using just canning lid bands. Can’t wait to try this, thanks!
How do you reheat these… I am guessing microwave but I’m no fan of those. Is there another reheat option?
In a pan or under the broiler in the oven 🙂
Could you bake this in the oven like an egg custard? Blend all the ingredients and then bake in ramikins??
Absolutely!
I have some double egg coddlers. I bet they would work well for this too. I expect they are probably about the size of the 4 oz. jars.
Sounds amazing! This may be the thing that breaks me down and gets me to buy an instant pot! 🙂
In the blender step, do you mean add cottage cheese rather than cream cheese? I don’t see cream cheese on your ingredients list.
Yes! both should say cottage cheese. Fixed now
Hey Katie! Is it cream cheese or cottage cheese? Cottage cheese is listed in the ingredients, but the instructions say cream cheese.. I would gamble and do both but it doesn’t always work out in sous vide! I’m excited to try this recipe, I got a sous video supreme 6 years ago and it gets lots of use!
Should both say cottage cheese… fixed now 🙂
Starbucks has that great crispy cheese flavor, have you managed to replicate this? Would you broil or pan fry then to finish them?
Broiling would probably get the closest to their flavor.
Cottage cheese or cream cheese? (List says cottage, blender part says cream…) Thanks! These look good 🙂
I haven’t splurged on a machine, but am a food network fan, so I’ve drooled over them for awhile. Somehow, it never occurred to me to try to rig one up! I like the comment about using my canner/extra bands.
Do you think I have to have the circulator, or is it worth bringing to a boil, then reduce the heat & cook on low? Or do I have to maintain a boil for safety?
It should all say cottage cheese. And I don’t think it is possible to replicate the results with just boiling water. For one thing, with sous vide, it is never getting close to boiling temp (212) but is usually staying at 150 or below. It would be very difficult to maintain this temperature consistently for hours on the stove or with other methods.
These sound delish! They would make wonderful breakfasts for guests! (Or just my hubby and me…!) I will be trying the egg poaching cups and the recipe says to “add to a skillet of boiling water until the eggs are cooked”. Approximately how long is that? Thank you!
Hi, I too wonder how long in the skillet.
Do you add the cottage cheese with the eggs before they are blended? I didn’t see where it was added.
In the ingredients it says Cottage cheese, and in the directions it says cream cheese. Does it matter? Or is it just whatever your preference?
Either will work, but it should say cottage cheese in both places.
could you put theses in a crock pot of hot water, if you don’t have the Sous Vide machine – as it doesn’t boil but is a slow heat?
Maybe on low? I haven’t tried it, and there won’t be circulation of water, but you may be able to get similar results.
I just discovered the completely addictive Starbucks egg bites and am delighted to learn I can now make them at home!!! Do you think I could sub a pretty firm ricotta for the cottage cheese? Thanks!
I can’t wait to try this! What are the two different texture layers from in the egg bites in the photograph? Is it just the eggs doing a little something different on the bottom or did the grated cheese sink to the bottom and make it look different?
The eggs were frothy when I put them in and it is just a less dense layer that tastes the same 🙂
I thought you were against eggs according to a trailer tease I saw a while ago for your program. Explain?
No, I’ve never been against eggs. Some people can’t handle them due to allergies, but there’s nothing objectively wrong with eating them…
Is there a reason you don’t put the bacon and cheese on top? So that you can broil and still eat from the jars?
You can absolutely do that!
Hi! I’m using the Anova to try this recipe. Should the mason jars be completely submerged with the lid covered or the water is up to the rim of the lid? Also, will it still work without the heavy cream (I assume the texture will not be as creamy, but trying to lower the fat..) Thanks for this!
It will work without the cream. I do fully submerge them for this recipe, bas you will need the liquid to reach the minimum level on the sous vide.
These are absolutely amazing! I bought the Anova sous vide just to make these. Some things that I did a bit different: I put the cream, cottage cheese, and gruyere in my blender with three of the eggs and blended until creamy. I did this to achieve the smoothest texture without getting the eggs too frothy. I then added the remaining ingredients and blended until combined. I let it sit for about 30 min to let the foam go down and to let the eggs come to more of a room temp. (The glass jars can break if the glass is too cold going into the sous vide at 172 degrees) Cooked for 50 min and reheated in a convection toaster oven for ten min in the jars the next morning. Perfection!!! Thank you for saving me many trips to Starbucks!!