Why You Can't Really Stop Your Egg Muffins From Deflating

Though it is the most important meal of the day, breakfast doesn't always get its fair shake. There never seems to be enough time in the day to devote to ourselves, let alone a solitary meal in the early morning hours. That is why you can't go wrong with a good homemade egg muffin. These little treats pack a lot of protein because of the eggs, and you can add additional vegetables and meat sources to adhere to your specific nutritional needs. However, there is one caveat regarding meal-prepping these egg bites for the week: The horrid curse of deflation.

As with many egg-based products, any egg muffin will cave in after being removed from heat. Whether you or Gordon Ramsay or Guy Fieri, this is a fact of life. (No knocking on Fieri, this is a pro-Flavortown household.) At-home chefs should align their expectations that after embarking on this recipe, deflation is imminent. But that doesn't mean your deflated muffins should be a source of defeat. In reality, there is a scientific reason why this is proven to happen.

You probably don't notice it, but when working with eggs, you're in for some deflation. Think about every time you've taken out those chocolate chip cookies to cool. Straight out of the oven, they look nice and puffy. But give them a few minutes, and they flatten out substantially. The same goes for your breakfast muffin. It is going to shrink partially because of the main ingredient.

Eggs don't automatically deflate on their own, but once you introduce air into the mix, nature takes its course. Whisking is the primary technique for this recipe, which creates air bubbles within the egg mixture. After placing the wet ingredients in the oven, the air expands due to the heat. This process causes the muffins to rise and give that generally puffed-up impression. And what goes up must eventually come down. Once the muffin cools, the air does too and there goes your structure. Some techniques may be able to counteract the result, but as the infamous Star Trek villains like to say, resistance is futile. Even the most impressive tricks of the trade will never fully fix the deflation issue. The best you can do is accept the inevitable future of the muffin. After all, it still gives you the right amount of energy for your morning rituals.

The sad reality of deflation has always affected the psyche of at-home cooks. There is nothing more disheartening — or deflating — than to take out an otherwise flawless soufflé only to see it defeated by gravity. Redditors cry out to the heavens, unsure of what they are doing wrong.

"I have been making soufflés for almost a year now at my house and I can't seem to figure out what makes them fall the way that they do. They taste amazing but I can't seem to make them look great like I've seen at so many places," posted u/Donnerkatze. A fellow poster told them that it is just the nature of the beast. The trick is serving them almost immediately before they lose their shape.

The other option is perfecting techniques such as the one used to make Japanese soufflé pancakes. The hot air will still deflate once taken out of the oven, but whipping egg whites is one of the better ways to make a professional-looking display. This trick requires whipping the white of the egg so it naturally forms a structure. Known as "stiff peaks," this can add to the sturdiness of your food. There are pitfalls to this method too, however. Over-whipping is dangerous territory and can destroy what you have so carefully cultivated. Instead, try to make peace with your breakfast muffin as it is. It will still taste delicious.