Air Fryer Egg Bites (or egg muffins) are made with crumbled bacon, Swiss cheese and green onion. They have a fluffy and creamy texture thanks to the addition of whole eggs and cottage cheese. Perfect for meal prepping and breakfast on-the-go!
Egg bites are simply mini frittatas or crustless quiche that are made in muffin cups or egg bite molds.
While they’re normally baked in the oven, this recipe is made using the air fryer, which means you can cook them a little quicker and there’s no need to turn on your oven.
If you’ve never had egg bites with cottage cheese, you’ll want to try this recipe! The cottage cheese adds a smooth, creamy and fluffy texture to the eggs.
While these egg bites are crustless, if you prefer a crust, you can try these mini air fryer quiche. They have a flaky, buttery crust that’s filled with creamy egg, broccoli and ham.
For a full size frittata, you’ll want to check out this air fryer frittata, made with bacon, spinach and cheese!
Table of contents
Why you’ll love these air fryer egg bites
- You only need 5 ingredients plus salt and pepper.
- They’re quick and easy to make with just 10 minutes prep time.
- They store and reheat well, so they’re great for meal prepping.
- You can easily customize these egg muffins with different veggies, proteins and cheese (suggestions included below).
Details on the ingredients
Below is a brief overview of the ingredients and recommended substitutions. The recipe card at the end of this post includes the exact ingredients and quantities used.
- Eggs – You’ll need 3 large eggs to make 8 bites. It might not seem like enough, but they’ll be bulked up with cottage cheese.
- Cottage cheese – A half cup of cottage cheese is blended together with the eggs which makes them extra creamy and fluffy. I used reduced fat cottage cheese (2 percent), but you can use full fat (4 percent) if you prefer. I don’t recommend using fat free or 1 percent as they may make the egg bites a bit watery.
- Bacon – Just 1/4 cup of cooked, crumbled bacon adds salty, umami goodness to these egg bites. You can buy fully cooked crumbled bacon or you can cook your own and crumble it. Crumbled sausage or diced ham would work well too.
- Swiss cheese – You’ll need 1/4 cup of finely grated Swiss cheese for these egg bites. Make sure it is finely grated so it fits nicely in the muffin cups. If you don’t have Swiss, you can also use Gruyere or mozzarella cheese.
- Green onion – I think chopped green onions are the perfect addition to eggs. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons. You can substitute with chives or shallots if you prefer.
- Salt and pepper – Just a little for added seasoning. The bacon (even if you use reduced sodium) will make these egg bites a little salty. That’s why this recipe only calls for 1/8 teaspoon of salt.
How to make cottage cheese egg bites in the air fryer
Add the eggs, cottage cheese, salt and pepper to a blender. Blend on high for 20 seconds or until smooth.
Divide the bacon, green onion and cheese into 8 standard size silicone baking cups (muffin cups).
Pour the egg mixture into the cups, filling 3/4 full.
Carefully transfer the filled muffin cups to the air fryer basket.
Air fry on 280F for 13-15 minutes or until the eggs are set.
Remove the basket from the air fryer and let the egg bites cool just enough to handle.
Carefully transfer to a plate and remove the egg bites from the silicone cups.
Serve with your choice of sides or store in the fridge or freezer for later.
Storage and reheating
Storage: You can store egg bites in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Reheating: Just microwave them for 30-45 seconds, or until heated through. If your egg bites are frozen, they will take a little longer to reheat in the microwave.
Recipe FAQs
I tested a few different temperature settings and found that 280F degrees produced the best results. Higher temperatures caused the egg bites to expand too quickly, which resulted in them cooking unevenly. They were also misshaped and browned too much on the tops.
Yes, you can use egg whites to make air fryer egg bites. Just increase the eggs to about 6 to get enough egg whites to make 8 egg bites. I’ve also made them using cartoned egg whites.
Absolutely! Let them cool in the fridge first, then transfer the egg bites to a freezer safe container. Arrange them in a single layer or in between sheets of parchment or wax paper. Freeze for up to 3 months.
I haven’t test these egg bites with anything other than silicone molds. If you have a metal muffin pan that fits your air fryer, you can give it a try. Just keep in mind that you may need to adjust the air frying temperature and time for the egg bites.
Key recipe tips
- Blend or whisk. You can whisk the eggs and cottage cheese together, but for the creamiest and smoothest texture, I like to blend them.
- Be careful not to over fill the muffin cups. The eggs will expand and puff up as they air fry, so just fill them to a maximum of 3/4 full.
- Let egg bites rest. Once air fried, let the egg bites rest for a few minutes to allow them to firm up before removing them from the molds.
- Air fry in batches. This recipe was made in a 5.8 quart air fryer basket. If you have a smaller air fryer, you can half the recipe or air fry the egg bites in two batches.
- Substituting add ins. If you change up your add ins, use pre-cooked proteins and avoid veggies that will make the egg bites watery (such as mushrooms and spinach – unless you sauté them first).
- Don’t overcook. This may result in tough and rubbery egg bites.
- Air frying time. As air fryers can differ, you may need to adjust the temperature and air frying time slightly for your brand or model.
More air fryer breakfast recipes
- Air Fryer Turkey Bacon with 3 flavor options
- Air Fryer Home Fries with peppers and onions
- Air Fryer Muffins with oats and chocolate chips
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below!
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Print
Air Fryer Egg Bites with Cottage Cheese
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 8 egg bites
- Category: Breakfast
- Method: Air Fry
- Cuisine: American, Canadian
Description
Air Fryer Egg Bites are creamy and fluffy made with cottage cheese, crumbled bacon, Swiss cheese and green onion. They’re perfect for meal prepping and breakfast-on-the-go!
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1/2 cup 2% cottage cheese
- 1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup cooked, crumbled bacon
- 1/4 cup finely shredded Swiss cheese
- 2 tablespoons chopped green onion
Instructions
- Add the eggs, cottage cheese, salt and pepper to a blender. Blend on high for 20 seconds or until smooth.
- Divide the bacon, green onion and cheese into 8 standard size silicone muffin cups.
- Pour the egg mixture into the cups, filling 3/4 full.
- Carefully transfer the filled muffin cups to the air fryer basket.
- Air fry on 280F for 13-15 minutes or until the eggs are set.
- Remove the basket from the air fryer and let the egg bites cool just enough to handle.
- Carefully transfer to a plate and remove the egg bites from the silicone cups.
- Serve with your choice of sides or store in the fridge or freezer for later.
Notes
- You can whisk the eggs and cottage cheese together, but for the creamiest and smoothest texture, I like to blend them together.
- Be careful not to over fill the muffin cups. The eggs will expand and puff up as they air fry, so just fill them to a maximum of 3/4 full.
- Don’t overcook the egg bites in the air fryer as they will get tough and rubbery.
- This recipe was made in a 5.8 quart air fryer basket. If you have a smaller air fryer, you can half the recipe or air fry the egg bites in two batches.
- Air fryers differ so you may need to adjust the temperature and air frying time slightly for your brand or model.
- Be sure to check out the other sections above the recipe card for more detailed advice and suggestions for making this recipe.
I’ve made these twice now and I love them. Im not the biggest fan of cottage cheese but I can’t even taste it in there!!!
So glad you’re enjoying the egg bites! Thanks for letting me know!