Sous Vide Egg Bites with Hatch Chile Cheddar Cheese

Sous vide egg bites, or low-carb egg muffins, are a delicious and healthy breakfast recipe. These light and fluffy egg bites have a creamy texture and can be customized to your family’s taste. Make them on a Sunday night, and enjoy them throughout the week when you need a quick breakfast on busy mornings. They are high in protein, low-carb and gluten-free.

What are “Egg Bites”?

Egg “bites” or egg “muffins” are a great make-ahead breakfast bites. You’ve probably seen Starbucks sous vide egg bites? These are baked in a muffin tin, but do not contain flour. These egg bites are just eggs, shredded cheese, cottage cheese, and veggies, which makes them naturally gluten free and low-carb. The basic recipe makes it easy to tailor it to your family’s taste. (This post was originally posted on September 8th, 2014, and has been updated. As an Amazon Affiliate, I earn commission on qualifying purchases.)  You can eat them like a muffin if you’re on the go, or for breakfast or brunch with a fork. Since I originally published these in 2014, I’ve tweaked the recipe and method many times. I confess, I’d never tasted Starbucks sous-vide egg bites until a few summers ago in an airport. I knew I had to adapt these Hatch chile egg bites using the mock sous-vide technique.

How do you make sous vide egg bites?

For this version, I use diced Hatch chiles, which are in season in the late summer to early fall. We love to put them in our eggs either in egg bites, this Hatch Chile Casserole, omelettes or scrambled! If you don’t like chiles, substitute green bell peppers, green onions, or sauteed mushrooms. For more protein, add diced ham, prosciutto or breakfast sausage. I use cottage cheese, and shredded cheese for extra creaminess and protein.

What’s the sous vide cooking method?

Sous vide is a French term for “under vacuum”. It involves vacuum sealing food in a bag, then immersing it in a water bath. The temperature stays at a consistent and allows the food to be cooked at a controlled and even temperature.

Do I need a sous vide machine to make egg bites?

In a perfect world where we all had enough room to store an assortment of gadgets, a sous vide machine would be fun to have. However, I’m not longer on “team gadget”, so this water bath method works very well.

What kind of cheese works best for egg bites?

This version uses sharp cheddar cheese, which I think compliments the spicy chiles, but pepper jack would be delicious too. Gruyere cheese, smoked gouda or Swiss cheese, are great options too. I’ve found after making these dozens of times, to resist putting in too much cheese. The balance between cheesy, and soft and creamy, is the key to their velvety texture. I’ve found that adding extra shredded cheese doesn’t make a better egg bite.

Can you substitute canned chiles?

Not everyone has easy access to Hatch chiles. Anaheim, or poblanos can be used as well. If you don’t want to go to the trouble of roasting and peeling them, canned jalapenos canned be substituted.

How do you make Egg Bites

The water bath is key to a really creamy center. So the method is exactly the same as making cheesecake.  A game changer for me is using a silicone muffin pan. There’s no need to grease a tin, and the egg bites just pop right out. Puree the eggs, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and seasonings in a blender. You want everything nice and very smooth. I puree the egg mixture for about a minute. You can either divide the mixture into the muffin cups first and then add the diced chiles or before. It doesn’t really matter, as the chiles and onions will sink regardless. I like to add them before because I can divide the ingredients more evenly. Place the muffin pan in a larger roasting or baking pan . After adding the diced chiles and onions to the muffin tin, pour in the blended egg mixture. Pour boiling water about 1/2 way up the muffin pan. Cover the egg molds or muffin tin tightly with aluminum foil. This allows the egg bites to cook without browning. Carefully place the pan in preheated oven. Remove egg bites from oven while they’re still just a little jiggly. I’ve discovered the secret to a really creamy center is to not overcook them. I pull the pan at 22-24 minutes and then allow them to cool in the water bath about 5 minutes.

How long do Egg Bites last?

This recipe makes about 10-12 individual muffins per batch. That’s enough for about 5 or 6 servings. I wrap them well, and refrigerate them for up to 3 days. You can also freeze them and either defrost them the night before and reheat in the microwave the following morning. Frozen egg bites should last about 1 month.

Looking for more Hatch Chile recipes?

Here are some of my favorites!  Low-carb Hatch Chile Rellenos Casserole    Hatch Chile Grilled Cheese Hatch White Chicken Chile