Recipe Overview
Why you’ll love it: Egg muffins are perfect for breakfast, your next brunch, or “breakfast for dinner.” Make a double batch for easy breakfasts all week long.
How long it takes: less than 45 minutes
Equipment you’ll need: muffin tins, oven
Servings: 12
Flavorful and nutritious. Egg muffins are like individual mini frittatas. They are so tasty, with hash brown potatoes, ham, and cheese and these muffins stick with you because they are packed with protein (and only 231 calories for two muffins).
Breakfast to go. Egg muffins are easy to transport. They’re not messy and can be eaten out of hand. Prep a bunch of egg muffins to last all week. You won’t have to resort to quickie drive-thru breakfasts. I often pack them in a cooler when we travel.
Fun to eat. Kids, big and small, love egg muffins because they can pick them up with their fingers. Even my teenage daughter who doesn’t love scrambled eggs loves these fun egg muffins (and they’re so easy to make, she can make a batch of them on her own).
Gluten-free breakfast. Serve egg muffins with oat flour pancakes and homemade breakfast sausage patties for a delicious breakfast that everyone will enjoy. Top your pancakes with blueberry sauce or apple compote for a special treat.
Ingredient Notes
- Eggs: You’ll need 8 large eggs. I figure two muffins per serving which would be about 1 ½ eggs per serving.
- Hash browns: Buy frozen hash brown potatoes, either diced or shredded. You don’t need to thaw them ahead of time. Frozen hash browns are so convenient. I always keep a bag in the freezer to grab for this recipe or to make air fryer hash browns (they’re the best!).
- Ham: Choose any kind of ham you like. The easiest option is sliced deli ham. I simply chop it up and add it to the muffins. We also love cooked sausage or bacon.
- Cheese: Again, choose any type of shredded cheese you like or happen to have. Sharp cheddar cheese is super flavorful but Swiss cheese or crumbled feta cheese are great choices, too.
- Milk: Although I’ve made egg muffins with lowfat and 2% milk and they turn out fine, we prefer whole milk for the best texture.
How To Make Egg Muffins
Prep. Turn the oven on to preheat. It’s important to bake the egg muffins in a preheated oven so they cook evenly. Spray a 12-well muffin tin generously with nonstick spray. Don’t skip this step; the nonstick spray is essential, otherwise the egg muffins will stick in the tins and you’ll have a challenging clean-up.
Add fillings. Divide the frozen hash brown potatoes evenly in each muffin cup. Next, add the ham and shredded cheese to each cup.
Mix eggs. In a medium-sized bowl (I like to use a bowl with a pouring spout), whisk the eggs and milk. The mixture should be completely combined. You should not be able to see distinct yellow egg yolks and clear egg whites. Add salt and pepper to season the eggs.
Pour eggs into pan. Fill each muffin cup with the egg mixture, carefully pouring it over the fillings. Each cup should be two-thirds to three-fourths full. The eggs will puff up as they cook.
Bake. Carefully transfer the muffin tin to the middle rack of the oven. Bake for 20 minutes or until the muffins are firm and the tops are golden brown. You can test for doneness by inserting a table knife into the center of one of the muffins and checking for raw egg mixture in the middle.
Serve. Let the egg muffins cool for about 5 minutes. They’ll firm up a little bit and be easier to handle. Remove them from the muffin tins and serve as desired.
Possible Recipe Variations
- Meat: Try cooked sausage or crumbled bacon. For a meat-like substitute, finely chopped mushrooms are great. Sauté them before adding them to the egg muffins so they don’t make the muffins watery.
- Add veggies: Try finely chopped bell peppers and onions. Other good choices are broccoli, chopped grape tomatoes, sliced green onions, or mushrooms. Try corn with pepper jack cheese for a southwestern vibe.
- Try different cheese: All out of cheddar? You can easily substitute any shredded cheese you like. Crumbled feta or grated parmesan are good, too.
- Mix and match: It’s easy to add different filling ingredients (or omit them) to individual muffins in the muffin pan to satisfy any picky eaters in your family.
- Rather have a casserole? Try my hash brown breakfast casserole. It’s a popular choice for a family-style breakfast or brunch.
Make ahead: I like to make a double batch of egg muffins so I have plenty to freeze for a quick breakfast, snack, lunch, etc.
Refrigerate/freeze: Allow the egg muffins to cool before storing them in a covered container in the fridge for up to 5 days. To freeze, put the muffins in a freezer-safe container or resealable bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge; they can also be reheated from frozen.
Reheat: Wrap one or two frittatas in a damp paper towel and reheat in 30 second intervals until warm. Try not to overheat them. You can eat them at room temperature.
More Egg Dishes
Egg Muffins
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, unthawed
- ½ cup finely chopped deli ham
- ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- 8 large eggs
- ⅓ cup milk (I use whole milk)
- ¼ teaspoon coarse salt
- ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F. Generously spray a 12-well muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
- Evenly divide the hash browns into each muffin cup. Sprinkle the ham on top of the hash browns. Top with shredded cheese.1 ½ cups frozen cubed hash brown potatoes, unthawed, ½ cup finely chopped deli ham, ½ cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
- In a large bowl (I like to use a bowl with a pouring spout), whisk together eggs, milk, salt and pepper. Pour the egg mixture into each well, filling each one ⅔ to ¾ full.8 large eggs, ⅓ cup milk, ¼ teaspoon coarse salt, ¼ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
- Bake for 20 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. To test for doneness, insert a knife into the center of one of the frittatas. It should come out clean, not coated with egg.
- Cool the egg muffins in the muffin tin for about 5 minutes so they firm up. Remove them from the pan and serve.
Notes
- Meat alternatives: Try cooked bacon, crumbled breakfast sausage, or leftover ham. Finely chopped mushrooms can be used instead of meat. Sauté the mushrooms briefly before adding them to the muffin cups, so they don’t make the egg muffins watery.
- Veggie egg muffin: Instead of ham, substitute ½ cup finely diced red bell pepper, ½ cup finely diced yellow onion, and 3 cups loosely packed spinach, roughly chopped (about 3 oz.). In a medium skillet, heat 1 teaspoon oil over medium high heat. When hot, add peppers and onions and sauté until softened, about five minutes, stirring occasionally. Add chopped spinach and stir gently until wilted. Remove from heat and proceed with recipe.
- Make ahead/storage: Baked frittatas can be refrigerated for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 3 months. Microwave to reheat, either frozen or thawed. I like to wrap them in a damp paper towel before microwaving them so they don’t dry out.
- Recipe retested and revised 12/24. Originally posted as Mini Frittatas with Spinach and Red Pepper (similar to the veggie egg muffin option above).
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Did You Make This?Share a comment and rating below! I love hearing what you think!
Can this be made in an air fryer?
I haven’t tested these in the air fryer. My muffin pan doesn’t fit in my air fryer and they cook quickly in the oven, so that’s how I usually make them.
Hi Rachel,
Question on the size of the muffin tins. Are you using mini or regular size muffin tin?
Regular!