For True Copycat Starbucks Egg Bites, You Need Cottage Cheese

Starbucks egg bites — essentially tiny, handheld frittatas made in muffin tins — are a popular breakfast option, perhaps because there's something so satisfying about having a savory treat with your coffee. Let's be real, though — treating yourself to Starbucks for breakfast each morning can get expensive. Though Trader Joe's egg bites are a good dupe, you can save even more money by making them yourself. Plus, homemade egg bites are effortlessly customizable. For these reasons, it's no wonder there's an abundance of Starbucks egg bite copycat recipes on the internet. However, some are more reminiscent of the original than others. One ingredient that will make your egg bites taste much more like their inspiration is cottage cheese.

Though this may come as a surprise, cottage cheese is actually the first ingredient listed in two of Starbucks' egg bite varieties and second only to egg whites in the other. Given its prominence as a component of this snack, it's imperative to include this dairy product if you want your egg bites to resemble the Starbucks version.

To anyone who's experienced the massively popular cottage cheese side of TikTok (the topic has over a billion views on the social media platform), it's no secret this ingredient is high in protein. According to the USDA, one cup of low-fat small curd cottage cheese contains 25 grams of protein; for reference, a large egg contains just over 6 grams. If you were to make a dozen egg bites with 1 ¼ cups of cottage cheese and six eggs, this works out to nearly 12 grams of protein for a serving of two egg bites — 23% of the recommended daily value, per the FDA.

Egg bites, whether purchased from Starbucks or homemade, are a great protein source. However, the advantage of making them yourself is that you can control the portion. If you'd like to enjoy three egg bites or to fill the muffin cups slightly more to end up with fewer, bigger bites, you can efficiently work more protein into your meal. Similarly, you could scale the portion down if you already get more than enough of this nutrient from other sources. You can also make adjustments based on any other ingredients you add to the mix.

As long as the bites contain cottage cheese and eggs, you can add any fillings you'd like while maintaining the taste and texture of a genuine Starbucks egg bite. Get creative with different combinations of meats, cheeses, and veggies; take it as an opportunity to get more nutrients into your diet, or save money by using up whatever vegetables are left in the fridge. You also can't go wrong by sticking to the classic combinations available at Starbucks, like bacon and gruyere cheese or egg whites with roasted red pepper.

Egg bites are an easy make-ahead breakfast, and with the amount of fillings and toppings at your disposal, it's easy to try a new variety week after week. Add this to your arsenal of ways to use cottage cheese, and keep it in mind the next time you get a big tub at the grocery store.