In addition to looking darn adorable, these pressure cooker egg bites are super delicious and easy to make! Just like Starbucks’ egg bites, but better because you made them yourself!
Make a tray of egg bites, and you’ll have a protein-packed snack to pop in your mouth whenever hunger strikes! They’re easy to cook using a silicone mold and your Instant Pot, or electric pressure cooker. (New to the Instant Pot? Check out our post How To Use an Instant Pot: A First-Timer’s Guide.)
Egg bites are just what they sound like—crustless, bite-sized, quiche-like rounds of eggs, cheese, and whatever mix-ins you want. They’re tasty, portable, and easy to eat. What’s not to like?
How do you make egg bites?
This recipe uses three large eggs to make seven egg bites, using this model of silicone mold. Searching “egg bite mold” on Amazon yields tons of results, and any of the similarly-shaped brands will work well.
I prefer to use one mold at a time, since the egg bites tend to come out more evenly cooked and more nicely shaped that way, but you can also double the recipe and stack two molds on top of each other. Just increase the cooking time from 8 to 10 minutes to ensure that the double batch cooks through.
Also, be sure to put a round of parchment over the top of both layers The parchment keeps condensation from the lid from dripping down into the bites.
What are some good fillings for egg bites?
In addition to the eggs, add some cheese and chopped up add-ins to make your egg bites fun and flavorful.
I like to blend a mixture of cottage cheese and any soft cheese (cream cheese, brie, Boursin, or even a few wedges of Laughing Cow work great) into the eggs, then stir in some shredded cheese with the other mix-ins.
For eggier, less cheesy bites, you can certainly skip or reduce the amount of cheese. If so, you may want to add extra eggs or egg whites to make up for the volume, so your bites aren’t too small.
For the egg bites pictured here, I used some (fully cooked) chopped breakfast sausage, bell pepper, and green onions. Egg bites are a great repository for any leftovers, too—think cooked meat or roasted veggies from last night’s dinner.
Here are some other ideas to try:
- Wilted spinach and cheese
- Ham and cheese
- Crumbled bacon (with Gruyère cheese if you want a copycat version of Starbucks!)
How to eat and reheat egg bites
Enjoy egg bites straight out of the pot for breakfast or brunch, or pack them as a high protein, snackable pick-me-up. They’re also great the next day, smooshed onto a piece of bread and warmed in the toaster oven. If you want to freeze them, thaw them in the fridge for a few hours or overnight before gently reheating in the toaster oven or microwave.
More Ways to Have Eggs for Breakfast!
How to Make Pressure Cooker Egg Bites Recipe
- Prep time: 10 minutes
- Cook time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 7 egg bites
You can double this recipe and cook in two silicon molds, stacked on top of each other. Place a piece of parchment on top of each mold.
Ingredients
- 3 large eggs
- 1/4 cup cottage cheese
- 1/4 cup soft cheese, like cream cheese, brie, Boursin, or Laughing Cow
- 1/2 cup chopped mix-ins, like cooked meats and/or raw or cooked vegetables
- 1/2 cup shredded cheese, such as cheddar, Monterey jack, or mozzarella
Special equipment:
- Silicone egg mold
- Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker
Method
1 Blend the eggs and cheeses: Combine the eggs, cottage cheese, and soft cheese in a blender. Blend at medium speed for about 30 seconds, until smooth.
2 Add the mix-ins: Pour the blended egg mixture into a bowl. Add the chopped mix-ins and shredded cheese and stir to combine.
3 Fill the molds: Use a small amount of oil or nonstick cooking spray to grease a silicone egg mold, then ladle 1/4 cup of the mixture into each of the impressions in the mold. Wipe off any drips.
4 Prepare the pressure cooker: Pour 1 cup of water into the Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker. Carefully transfer the egg mold to the wire steam rack, then place an 8-inch parchment round or piece of aluminum foil on top of the mold to keep condensation from dripping onto the bites as they cook.
Grasping the handles of the steam rack, lower the egg mold into the pot.
5 Cook the eggs on low pressure: Secure the lid on the pressure cooker. Make sure that the pressure regulator is set to the “Sealing” position. Select the “Pressure Cook” or “Manual” program, then adjust the time to 8 minutes at low pressure. (If making a double batch, increase the cooking time to 10 minutes.)
The pressure cooker will take about 10 minutes to come up to full pressure. Cook time begins once it has reached full pressure.
6 Release the pressure naturally for 5 minutes: When the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes, then perform a quick pressure release by moving the pressure release knob from “Sealing” to “Venting.” It will take a minute or two for the pressure to release completely.
7 Remove the egg bites from the pressure cooker: Wearing heat-proof mitts, grasp the ends of the wire rack to lift the egg bite mold out of the pot. Remove the sheet of parchment and let the bites cool for 2 minutes or so (they will deflate a bit as they cool). Use a spoon to scoop the bites out of the mold and transfer them to a serving dish.
8 Serve the egg bites: While warm, serve the bites (on their own, or with toast or a pile of mixed greens), or refrigerate for up to 3 days in a tightly lidded container. To reheat, microwave very briefly (about 25 seconds, depending on the strength of your microwave).
