High Protein Egg Muffins – 4 Ways!
- Updated on Jul 04, 2024
If I had to pick just one ingredient that helps the most with weight loss AND muscle building, it would be egg. Talk about superfoods.
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Combine those high-protein, low-carb properties with awesome taste and the fact you can make savoury muffins from them, and you’ve got a winner.
They’re vegetarian too, of course.
We’ve recently changed our much-loved Breakfast Egg Muffins (sometimes called egg cups) page – and we now have three brand new versions – as well as the original! All four can be found further down this very page.
And if you’d like hear something weird, check out this podcast on why our protein needs change as we age.
High Protein Egg Muffins – in 4 tasty ways!
Why this Sports Nutritionist thinks eggs are fantastic
The health benefits of eggs alone are more than enough reason to try these delicious breakfast egg muffins!
Eggs are a total nutrient bomb. Look at the nutritional profile of just 1 large egg:
| Source: USDA, FoodData Central, 2019 | Calories | Protein | Fat | Carbs |
| Egg, whole, raw (1 large) | 71.5 kcal | 6.3 g | 4.8 g | 0.4 g |
You’ve got a fat wodge of protein in there and some super healthy fats like omega 3.
What’s more, that’s next to no carbs, so if you’re trying to cut down on carbohydrates for whatever reason, then our egg muffins are the food for you (they’re actually one of our favorite vegetarian low-carb breakfast ideas and by far our fave egg-based snack recipe)!
What you don’t see on that table are the plethora of other nutrients that are tucked away in every egg. We’re talking vitamins on vitamins on vitamins:
- Vitamin A
- Vitamin B
- Vitamin B12
- Vitamin D
- Folate
- Selenium
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Zinc
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Are eggs a good food for weight loss?
We would also recommend eggs for weight loss. Partly because they are just really super healthy, as you can see above, but also because they are really super filling!
That is thanks to all the protein they contain, which, as studies show, helps you to feel full and can encourage weight loss. Consuming protein literally increases production of peptide YY, a hormone which makes you feel full.
You can also listen to our podcast episode about fad diets here, it’s full of helpful weight loss things you should know!
Furthermore, your belly takes longer to digest protein, meaning that foods high in protein keep you full for longer. If you feel full for longer, you are less likely to snack, reducing your overall energy consumption.
Check out these super high protein egg recipes for more protein-packed egg-based treats!
In this breakfast egg muffin, the added vegetables up the fibre levels and the cheese adds even more protein!
And if you’re following a keto diet, then you’re also in luck! These are keto egg muffins, low in carbs and high in good fats.
If you want to learn more helpful info like this about weight loss and vegetarian foods, why not join The Vegetarian Protein Fix? It’s full of incredible meal plans, professional help and Nutritionist support.
Tips for how to make perfect healthy egg muffins every time
These eggs muffins are really easy to make. Do these tips as well and you’ll have the best muffins every single. Promise!
- Chop your veggies and other ingredients well to avoid uneven cooking and distribution.
- Make sure to wipe off any spilled mixture from between slots in your muffin tin to avoid any burning (and make the cleanup easier).
- Try not to overfill the slots in the pan as the eggs will rise slightly during cooking and can spill over. If your muffin pan is smaller you can always make more muffins and adjust cooking time accordingly.
- Using silicon muffin cups is the best way to make these, I’ve found through extensive testing. Paper muffin cups also work ok, but need a spoon get the stickiest bits of mixture out properly.
- You can also skip muffins cups completely if you don’t have them. To stop your egg muffins from sticking to the pan, we recommend using a non-stick muffin tin greased with a little oil. If they still refuse to budge, wait for a few minutes to let them cool and firm up a little before using a fork to gently loosen them out.
Breakfast muffins 4 ways!
This original breakfast egg muffin recipe calls for chopped peppers, spring onions and cherry tomatoes. You can add extras like spinach and cheese, or even a dash of hot sauce to spice it up a bit!
Due to popular demand, we developed three more flavours as well!
Italian style, Asian style, and Smokey-Dokey style. Something for everyone! There’s also 36 egg recipes for breakfast here if you need more inspiration.
1. Italian style
Sundried tomato, fresh cherry tomatoes, basil and creamy crumbly feta give a Mediterranean vibe to these savoury breakfast muffins!
2. Asian style
Shake things up a bit with this egg muffin recipe using soy sauce, spring onions and sesame oil. Serve with sweet chilli sauce, for a delicious Asian inspired snack!
3. Smokey-dokey style
Enjoy our extra high protein egg muffin, jacked up with smoked tofu and flavoured with delicious leek and cheese.
Which one appeals most to you?
What our readers are saying
As soon as I saw these I knew they would be good, but this good? OMG I made them before work this morning they were that easy, in the oven while I got ready. To have such a delicious hot brekki waiting for me was the best! So tasty I wouldn’t change the recipe at all. Now I have leftovers for tomorrow as well. Thanks guys, fantastic! 🙂
Anna ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Had these for dinner this evening, absolutely amazeballs!!
Chris ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I’m on a high protein diet and these are incredible. 2/3 muffins are plenty to fill you up, they’re cheap and easy to make, and make a great alternative to the usual chicken/rise/veggies etc… Thank you!
Waitesy ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 bell pepper, red
- 2 spring onions
- 6 eggs
- 1 handful spinach (or any green leaves)
- ½ cup cheddar cheese (grated; other cheese is fine too)
- Salt to taste
- 4-5 splashes hot sauce (or 1 tsp curry powder)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/ 390°F.
- Wash and dice the bell pepper and onions, and put them in a large mixing bowl.1 bell pepper, red, 2 spring onions
- Wash the spinach, lightly chop it and add it to the bowl as well.1 handful spinach
- Add the eggs and salt. Mix well. Pro tip – crack the eggs separately before adding. That way if you get a dodgy one, it won’t ruin the whole meal.6 eggs, Salt to taste
- Mix in the cheese to the batter.½ cup cheddar cheese
- Add some hot sauce or curry powder.4-5 splashes hot sauce
- Grease the muffin tin with oil and kitchen paper/baking brush and pour the egg mixture evenly into the muffin slots. (If you think they might still stick to the pan use some muffin cups or cut out some baking paper and to use as cups – definitely saves time on doing the washing up 😉I've found using silicon muffin cups are the best, and need no oil!
- Pop the tray into the oven for 20 minutes or until the tops are firm to the touch.
- Bon Appetit!!
NOTES
Nutrition
Breakfast Egg Muffin FAQ’s
We’ve added some frequently asked questions, but if you don’t find the answer you’re looking for here pop your question in the comments section and we’ll be happy to help!
Can you freeze egg muffins?
Yes! These muffins can be frozen and enjoyed later – making them perfect for meal prep.
To thaw we recommend taking them out of the freezer and putting them in the fridge the night before to defrost. Then, you can reheat them in the oven at 350°F (150°C) or pop them in the microwave.
How long do egg muffins last in the freezer?
Up to 3 months as long as they are wrapped well and allowed to cool before putting them in the freezer.
How long do egg muffins last in the fridge?
These tasty veggie egg muffins should last for at least 2 days in the fridge… if you can hold off from eating them for that long 😉
Can I use cupcake liners for egg muffins?
You sure can. We opted to oil our tray to stop the egg muffins from sticking, but you can also use cupcake liners or DIY baking parchment liners to stop them sticking to your pan – it also saves on the washing up too! I’ve found silicon work the best.
How long to bake eggs in a muffin pan?
We suggest baking your breakfast muffins for 20 to 25 minutes (until the tops are firm to the touch.)
Studies used in this article
Clinical Evidence and Mechanisms of High-Protein Diet-Induced Weight Loss
Evenness of Dietary Protein
Association of a Mediterranean Lifestyle With All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality
James LeBaigue MSc
James has a Masters Degree in Sport and Exercise Nutrition, as well as an Advanced Diploma in Human Nutrition.
He loves combining his scientific knowledge along with food in the real world, and these recipes are the result.
He’s on top of all the latest evidence and guidelines to make sure our nutrition advice on the website is as accurate as it can be.
By day he works as an Advanced Clinical Practitioner in a busy NHS GP Practice.
Each recipe is tested and then eaten (much to James’ delight), many times before it is deemed worthy to be published. Bon appetit!
Comments
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179 comments
Hi-Just to confirm– no need to saute the onions and bell peppers? Just throw them in fresh?
Also-I’m going to add fresh spinach– should I just cut these up and throw them in with the onion mix or cook/wilt them first? Thanks! I’m making a large batch for a party so I just want to make sure I get it right!
Hi Jas! Thanks for asking.
Yep, I know there are a couple of muffin recipes out there that ask for sauteeing the veg, but we found that the step can be skipped without a problem to save time. Same with the spinach, you can just throw them in, it’ll work and taste just fine, promised! 😀
I’m sure you know by sauteeing you reduce the liquid of the veg, which then intensifies its flavours (like dried tomatoes for example). So, if you have the time, there is definitely nothing wrong by doing that. I’m sure it’ll be super tasty too!
Enjoy the party!!
(Oh, on that note: even though I’m 100% sure this recipe will work just fine, I can only recommend to make a trial batch beforehand. I’d do that for any recipe in the world I’m taking to a party btw. 😉 )
What’s the best way to go about reheating these after the initial meal? Or if they’ve been in the freezer?
I just made these today and they are so yummy! I also added in some garlic, oregano and thyme – the best! But my muffins have turned out quite soggy, I think it might be because of the tomato in there. Do you have any suggestions on how to make these so they don’t turn out soggy?
Glad you enjoyed them Holly! They really are yummy 🙂
So, that’s a good question – and yes it could well have been the tomato in there. What type of tomato did you use? Maybe using the smallest, crunchiest type of cherry/plum tomato would do the trick? Or maybe as you cut them, try to squeeze some of the extra juice out. One other thought would be to use a little kitchen paper to draw any excess juice away from the final mixture before cooking. I hope one of those helps, I wonder if any of our readers have any great tips? Feel free to comment people 🙂
Hope I’m not being ignorant here – They look delicious! But what is ‘sambal oelek’? Have seen it written in other recipes too.
Hi Annette,
no you’re not being ignorant at all. Sambal Oelek is similar to Sriracha or that red spicy sauce you get in Asian restaurants.
Hope you like the recipe 🙂
Hi these look great how long will they keep in the fridge for please?
Hi Faye! At least 2 days. You can also freeze them 🙂
I made these for Mother’s Day brunch, and they were perfect as bite-sized options. I only used half of the salt though and added a bit of old bay seasoning. You can do these with egg whites too using twice the egg portions.
Oh wooww!! Pheww!! Glad they turned out great on such a special day 🙂
Thanks for sharing Jessica!
A healthy muffin! I will be making this tomorrow morning for sure. Thank you for sharing!