These Egg Muffins a.k.a frittata muffins are high protein, nutrient-dense, easy to prepare, and ridiculously versatile. They’re perfect as freezer friendly meal prep, healthful breakfast or a snack.
Need more healthy egg recipes? We also love to meal prep healthy breakfast sandwich, egg bites with cottage cheese and egg white bites.
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If you want a breakfast or healthy snack, that takes just minutes of hands-on prep, and is super versatile, then look no further. These egg muffins are all of the above and more – I’m so obsessed, I’ve even made Instant pot egg bites and broccoli cheese egg muffins versions too.
For these Italian-inspired versions, I’ve combined the delicious flavors of leftover quinoa with sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, and feta cheese. The combination is flavor-packed but also high-protein, hearty, and healthy too.
More than that, these mini frittatas are low effort, and can be cooked ahead and refrigerated (or frozen) to grab on the go. You can also enjoy them hot or cold, as a light snack, or as part of a larger meal. They are all the best bits about a vegetable frittata baked into a handy, portion sized muffin cup!
Best of all, this egg muffin recipe is ridiculously versatile. You can make a large batch and experiment with multiple fillings. That way, you can cater to picky eaters, AND you’ll never get bored.
90% of the time, there isn’t even any need to pre-cook any of the fillings. Just chop them up and chuck them in the muffin tin with the egg, and in no time at all, you’ll be struggling not to eat five of the baked egg muffins in one go (I won’t judge).
Egg Muffins Ingredients
- Eggs: Use 9 whole large eggs or 1.5 cups egg whites + 3 large eggs. You could also try the recipe with all egg whites (1 egg = ¼ cup whites), but I find that they tend to be a little sponge-y.
- Quinoa: I love using leftover Instant Pot quinoa or how to cook quinoa on the stove in these egg muffin cups to add carbs, fiber and keep you full for longer.
- Vegetables: In these Italian frittata muffins, I used a combination of spinach and sun-dried tomatoes for a combination of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Olives (black or green) could also be an excellent addition to this flavor combination. Kids call this hashbrown breakfast casserole “pizza” thanks to olives!
- Flaxseed: Flaxseed or chia seeds add healthy fats and help absorb liquid from the spinach – it’s a win-win!
- Cheese: Everything tastes better with cheese, and these egg frittata muffins are no different. For these, I used feta cheese. Check below for more options.
- Seasonings: I use a combination of salt, pepper, and onion or garlic powder (or both).
Optional Other Ingredients
Like I’ve already said, this recipe is the best for anyone wanting a versatile breakfast or snack. There are tons of optional fillings you could add to these frittata muffins, including:
- Protein (I’ll usually add pre-cooked/par-cooked): Bacon, shredded chicken, ground turkey or beef, breakfast sausage, etc.
- Vegetables: Tomatoes (remove juicy seedy flesh)/, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, broccoli, or cauliflower (riced), carrot, leek, potato, etc. Try to avoid vegetables that are too wet or take too long to cook.
- Grains (pre-cooked): Couscous, barley, orzo, millet, amaranth, etc.
- Aromatics: Garlic, onion, chilies, jalapeños, basil leaves, scallions, red pepper flakes, parsley, dill, etc.
- Seasonings: Garlic powder, onion powder, and smoked paprika are favorites of mine for these egg frittata muffins. Chili/cayenne powder, Italian herbs, etc. would also work.
- Cheese: Mozzarella, cheddar, Monterey Jack, pepper jack, feta, goat cheese, etc.
I think you get my point – the options for these breakfast egg cups are practically endless!
How to Make Egg Muffins
For the full ingredient quantities and recipe, there is a full recipe card below.
- First, whisk the eggs: But try not to over whisk, otherwise the additional air can cause worse “deflating” of the baked egg muffins.
- Chop veggies and prepare the other fillings: I finely chopped the sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped the raw spinach, and crumbled the feta cheese.
- Mix everything into the egg bowl: Add the chopped vegetables, cheese, quinoa, and seasonings and mix well. Alternatively, you could divide the filling between the muffin liners/tin and then pour over the egg mixture.
- Divide mixture evenly: Between 12 muffin tin openings until they’re ¾ full (lined with parchment paper liners – or use a silicone muffin pan) and bake for around 20 minutes at 350F/180C.
Keep an eye on the egg frittata muffins after 15 minutes as different ovens vary. While 20 minutes works perfectly for me, you may need a little less/more.
How to Serve the Frittata Muffins?
You can enjoy these healthy egg muffins cold or warm, alone as a healthy snack, with toppings, or as part of a larger meal.
Toppings could include: Avocado slices, green onions, salsa, hot sauce, etc.
Serve alongside: Green salads – like this lemon kale salad with garlic and parmesan, other healthy side dishes – like healthy coleslaw.
These egg bake muffins will also work well as part of a brunch spread including healthy morning glory muffins or almond flour banana muffins.
You may also love these healthy muffin recipes!
Storing and Freezing
Storing: Allow the muffins to cool completely, then transfer to an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for 5 days.
Freezing: Allow the muffins to cool completely, then place in a gallon-sized resealable bag (squeezing out the extra air) and freeze for 3 months. Allow it to thaw in the fridge before eating cold or reheating.
How Do You Reheat Egg Muffins?
- From fridge: Pop the breakfast egg muffins cups in the microwave in 20-second intervals, until warmed. You could also use a toaster oven (the time will vary based on model/specs).
- From freezer: Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat as in the step above. Alternatively, wrap in a damp paper towel and microwave at 15-20 second spurts until warmed through.
In both cases, there’s no need to remove the muffin liner (if using them). They help with holding egg muffins while hot. Also, avoid overheating them as the egg can become rubbery/tough.
Why Do My Egg Muffins Deflate?
The truth is – that’s normal for them to deflate (although not completely concave). Though they’re called muffins, these are basically bite-sized mini frittatas. The whisked eggs will have air bubbles that expand, due to heat, while cooking. As the frittata muffins cool, they’ll deflate again, as the eggs themselves have no structure to hold them up.
Without any starch/flour, there’s nothing to help the egg cups hold their shape. Honestly, though, if they taste great then I have no issue with them slightly deflating.
I’ve seen all sorts of advice on how to try to stop this happening; adding flour, starches, allowing them to cool in the oven (rather than rapidly), etc. I’ll leave it up to you if you’d like to experiment.
More Tips and FAQs
- To prevent the egg muffins from sticking: You should use non-stick (parchment-style) muffin liners with a light spray of oil or even a silicone muffin/cupcake tray (no oil needed!). AVOID using regular muffin liners or pouring the egg directly into the muffin tin, even if it’s ‘non-stick,’ as the mini frittata muffins WILL stick! Believe me, I know from experience.
- For a crispier top: Sprinkle the frittata muffins with a little extra cheese at the end of their baking time and broil for a few minutes.
- To adapt into a large egg bake: I suggest using a parchment-lined 8×8-inch (or 9×9-inch) pan. Increase the cooking time slightly (check on it at 20 minutes and then every few minutes, until it’s set in the middle and lightly browned on top), and then slice into 9-12 pieces.
- To make mini egg muffins: Use a mini cupcake tin and chop the fillings even finer. Also, reduce the baking time – check at 10 minutes, then every couple of minutes until cooked through.
More Healthy Breakfast Recipes
- Sweet potato egg bake
- Instant Pot poached eggs
- Healthy breakfast casserole
- Zucchini quiche
- Instant Pot hard boiled eggs
- Hard boiled eggs recipe
- Healthy deviled eggs
- Quinoa breakfast bowl
You may also love browsing through my favorite healthy egg recipes!
Egg Muffins
Ingredients
- 9 eggs large
- 1 cup cooked quinoa
- 2 handfuls spinach coarsely chopped
- 1/2 cup sun dried tomatoes packed in oil/water drained & chopped
- 1/4 cup feta cheese crumbled
- 3 tbsp ground flaxseed or chia seeds
- 1 tbsp onion or garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Ground black pepper to taste
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and place unbleached muffin liners into a 12 muffin tin.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs. Add cooked quinoa, spinach, sun dried tomatoes, feta cheese, ground flaxseed, onion powder, salt and pepper; stir to combine.
- Divide mixture evenly between 12 muffin tin openings and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave in 20-second intervals, until warmed.
- Freeze: Allow the muffins to cool completely, then place in a gallon-sized resealable bag (squeezing out the extra air) and freeze for 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and then reheat as in the step above.
- Eggs: Use 9 whole large eggs or 1.5 cups egg whites + 3 large eggs. You could also try the recipe with all egg whites (1 egg = ¼ cup whites), but I find that they tend to be a little spongey.
- Protein (I’ll usually add pre-cooked/par-cooked): Bacon, shredded chicken, ground turkey or beef, breakfast sausage, etc.
- Vegetables: Tomatoes (remove juicy seedy flesh)/, mushrooms, peppers, zucchini, broccoli, or cauliflower (riced), carrot, leek, potato, etc. Try to avoid vegetables that are too wet or take too long to cook. Olives (black or green) could also be an excellent addition to this flavor combination.
- To prevent the egg muffins from sticking: You should use non-stick (parchment-style) muffin liners with a light spray of oil or even a silicone muffin/cupcake tray (no oil needed!). AVOID using regular muffin liners or pouring the egg directly into the muffin tin, even if it’s ‘non-stick,’ as the mini frittata muffins WILL stick! Believe me, I know from experience.
This recipe is so tasty, not to mention healthy. My husband and I love it. I made it in a parchment-lined 8 x 8 pan, and it was perfect. Thank you, Olena, for another great recipe!
Fantastic! Glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I love your ideas for making these egg muffins. Thank you so much for all the great tips/ideas!
You are very welcome.
Absolutely eggscellent! So quick, so easy, so delicious. This helped me use up extra quinoa too. I’m going to batch cook a couple dozen to freeze for a healthy breakfast. Thank you!
Love the use of eggscellent! Glad you enjoyed them!
This is a great recipe! Make these when we travel. I shop at Aldi grocery store. They have a Mediterranean Quinoa that contains quinoa, spinach, red peppers, onions and chick peas. Perfect for this recipe.
Mmmm that sounds super yummy Vickie!
Made these yesterday and they are very tasty and delicious! The sundried tomatoes gives them a quick a flavour. Will be back for sure.
Pleased to hear this Marie! Thanks for sharing!
So if making this in a silicone tin , do not need liner?
No