These cheesy Spinach Bacon Egg Cups are the perfect low-carb, high-protein way to start your morning. Great for breakfast or brunch, and freeze beautifully!
Grab-and-go breakfasts are more often the rule rather than the exception in my house. Everyone is grabbing gym clothes or packing lunches or rolling out of bed late before heading out the door to catch the bus. And while my girls love to grab a pain au chocolate or a croissant at the bakery next to the bus stop, I would sure prefer they grab one of these Spinach Bacon Egg Cups instead.
These egg cups are a bit on the decadent side, with bacon, gruyère cheese, and a bit of crème fraîche, but they’re small and perfect for a quick punch of protein for breakfast or a mid-morning snack. They’ll keep for a few days in the refrigerator, but are also freezable. Make a batch (or two), freeze them, and you’ll have them on hand for when you’re running late. They’re also a great dish for when you’re hosting visitors—add a plate of croissants and some fresh fruit, and your guests can grab what they like. No silverware required!
How do you make Spinach Bacon Egg Cups?
First, preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius. Butter or oil a 12-cup muffin tin. Next, you'll cook 100g of lardons or bacon slices. If you are using bacon slices, stack them on top of each other and cut into ⅓-inch slices. Then, in a medium skillet, sauté bacon or lardons over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally, about 5-7 minutes, until crispy.
Stir in spinach.
Whisk eggs, milk, creme fraiche, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.
Stir in bacon, spinach, and shredded cheese. Pour into muffin tin, filling each about ¾ full. (Try to distribute filling evenly. A ladle can help with this.)
Bake for 15 minutes, until the egg mixture is just set. They will continue to cook a little more after you remove them from the oven. Place muffin tin on cooling rack, and let cool until you can remove the egg cups from their molds. Serve warm, sprinkled with additional gruyère, if desired.
These egg cups are fairly small in size, which I like because I can eat 2 for breakfast or just 1 for a little midday snack. Also, they’re perfectly kid-sized. But if you prefer to make larger egg cups, you can fill 9 muffin cups instead of 12. Just add a few minutes of cooking time to the recipe.
What ingredients can I substitute in this breakfast egg cup recipe?
This is a very forgiving recipe. You can easily make these vegetarian by not using bacon or lardons. You can replace the crème fraîche with sour cream, and replace the shredded gruyère with whatever cheese you prefer. Sharp cheddar is excellent, as is gouda or an aged Conté. Spinach is optional as well, if greens are not your thing.
Are these make-ahead Bacon Egg Cups?
Yes! This egg cup recipe is perfect for making in advance. Egg cups can be refrigerated for 3-4 days after being baked. Or, you can freeze them for up to 3 months. For best results, put egg cups on a plate or small sheet pan so they aren’t touching each other and freeze before putting into a ziptop freezer bag together. That way, they won’t freeze together, and you can grab one at a time to defrost and reheat.
Other Great Breakfast Recipes
If you like this recipe, don’t miss these other recipes perfect for breakfast or brunch, or check out my Breakfast archive:
- French Crepes with Eggs and Cheddar
- Cherry Chia Seed Smoothie
- Apple Cinnamon Granola
- Spinach Mushroom Quiche with Tomatoes
- Cheesy Crustless Quiche Lorraine
- Spinach Frittata with Mushrooms and Feta
- Bacon, Broccoli, and Cheddar Frittata
- Almond, Pecan, and Pumpkin Seed Granola
- Croissant Breakfast Sandwich with Spinach
- Spinach Apple Smoothie
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📖 Recipe
Spinach Bacon Egg Cups
These cheesy Spinach Bacon Egg Cups are the perfect low-carb, high-protein way to start your morning. Great for breakfast or brunch, and freeze beautifully!
Ingredients
- 1 T. butter or oil, for preparing muffin tin
- 100g (3.5 oz) lardons or bacon slices (see instructions below)
- 100g (3.5 oz) chopped frozen spinach, defrosted and squeezed dry
- 6 large eggs
- ¼ c. (60ml) milk
- 1 T. crème fraîche
- ¼ t. kosher salt
- ¼ t. freshly ground black pepper
- ½ c. (2 oz/60g) shredded gruyère cheese, plus more to serve
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 175 degrees Celsius.
- Butter or oil a 12-cup muffin tin.
- If you are working with bacon slices instead of pre-cut lardons, stack them on top of each other and cut into ⅓-inch slices.
- In a medium skillet, sauté bacon slices or lardons over medium-high heat. Stir occasionally, about 5-7 minutes, until crispy.
- Stir in spinach.
- Whisk eggs, milk, creme fraiche, salt, and pepper in a large bowl until well-combined.
- Stir in bacon, spinach, and shredded cheese.
- Pour into muffin tin, filling each about ¾ full. (Try to distribute mixture evenly—a ladle can help with this.)
- Bake for 15 minutes, until the egg mixture is just set. The egg cups will continue to cook a bit more after you remove them from the oven.
- Place muffin tin on cooling rack, and let cool until you can remove the egg cups from their molds.
- Serve warm, sprinkled with additional gruyère, if desired.
Notes
If you would like larger egg cups, fill 9 instead of 12 molds in your muffin tin, and add a couple of minutes to the cook time.
Egg cups will last in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, and can be frozen for up to 3 months.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 6 Serving Size: 2Amount Per Serving: Calories: 241Total Fat: 17gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 212mgSodium: 362mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 1gSugar: 6gProtein: 11g
Nutrition information is provided as a general reference for users courtesy of the online nutrition calculator Nutritionix.
Instagram Users: Now that you've made this recipe, tag me @vanillabeancuisine or #vanillabeancuisine because I'd love to see your results!
Jeff the Chef says
What a perfect, on-the-go breakfast. I would have these any day of the week.
Chef Molly says
Thanks! Me too! (And I have.) 🙂