Starbucks took the world by storm when they introduced their sous vide egg bites in early 2017. After a slew of questionable breakfast items, Starbucks struck gold with their egg bite.
Loyal customers everywhere rejoiced when they first bit into a Starbucks sous vide egg bite. These breakfast bites became a widespread phenomena, and the people desperately wanted to know how to make it at home.
After trying the Starbucks sous vide egg bites for the first time back in mid-March 2017, I set out on a quest to perfect this recipe. After months of messing around with this recipe, this is the final product.
And oh boy… you better step aside Starbucks. We’ve cracked your secrets and figured out how to make the perfect sous vide egg bite at home.
This Starbucks egg bites recipe is quick and easy, and will change your morning routine forever.
Time and Temperature
Through lots of R&D, we’ve found that cooking the egg bites at 77.5C/172F for an hour is the perfect combo. This time and temperature gives the egg bite that delicious, velvety texture that you are seeking. Just make sure you have a reliable sous vide that accurately regulates the temperature of the bath or your results may vary (check out the Anova or Joule). Although we recommend these specific time and temperature for the Starbucks eggs bites, feel free to check out our cooking guide for other options here.
Special Equipment
Sous Vide Machine – To cook sous vide, you’re going to need a device to precisely regulate the temperature of the bath water. The two best sous vide machines in the game right now are the Anova Precision Cooker and the Breville Joule. The main difference between the two is that with the Anova you can control the device both manually and with a mobile device, and with the Joule you can only control the device by using your mobile device. Either way, both sous vide machines are top class and you can’t go wrong with either choice.
12-quart Container – Although you can use a basic stockpot for your sous vide cooking needs, I highly recommend buying a large plastic container. They are inexpensive and spacious, so you won’t have to worry about cooking a big roast in a small pot. I recommend a 12 quart Rubbermaid container, as it is BPA free, sturdy, and large enough for just about anything you will be cooking.
Container Lid – If you are going to buy a plastic container, I highly suggest buying a compatible lid for it. When you sous vide for a long duration, the heat of the water causes evaporation. With a lid, it eliminates a majority of the evaporation so you can cook for 72 hours care-free.
Mason Jars – For this recipe, the only additional equipment you need (besides a sous vide, of course) are 4 oz. canning jars. We prefer using the king of mason jars, Ball, for the job. Ball mason jars are reliable, so you can rest easy knowing the lid will remain sealed while submerged.
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Check out our full list of recommended gear here.
The Perfect Homemade Sous Vide Egg Bite
Ingredients
- 6 large eggs
- ¾ cup grated gruyere
- ¼ cup half and half
- 3 strips thick cut bacon
- Salt to taste
- 6 4 oz. canning jar with lid
Instructions
Set sous vide machine at 77.5C/172F.
Cook 3 strips of bacon in pan until crispy, or in the oven at 400F for 16-20 minutes.
Blend together the eggs, gruyere, half and half, and salt.
Put half a strip of bacon at the bottom of each 4oz canning jar. Pour an equal amount of egg-blend in each canning jar, and screw on the lid of each jar. Gently submerge the entire jars in the bath, and set a timer for 1 hour.
Remove from bath and let rest for 10 minutes. Once rested, enjoy the egg bites straight from the jar, or gently slide a butter knife around the edges to remove from jar. Store in refrigerator for up to 5 days, and enjoy!
Recipe Notes
The lid should not be put on too tight or the air pressure will not be able to release, causing the jars to shatter in the water. Try only using your fingertips when attaching the lid.
This is so much awesome. I made this minus the bacon and with tomato and green onion. Very very good.
Thanks so much Justin. Adding tomato and green onion sounds like it would be delicious in there, I’ll have to try that.
Any tips on helping the egg not stick to the jars? Also if you do a batch, how do you prefer to reheat? Have reheated in Sous vide too, just not fastest during the weekday morning rush! Thanks!
Hi John, if you gently slide a butter knife around the edges of the jar the egg bite should pop out with minimal egg sticking to the jar. Also, you can reheat the egg bites in the microwave for 30-60 seconds. Hope this helps!
John, I spray the jars with cooking oil. Also, it seems to stick worst where the metal lid touches the glass, so I don’t fill them so full.
Great recipe! Made a big batch of these and had them for breakfast all week.
Could you replace the half and half with cottage cheese? If so, what is the conversion? Thanks!
Hi Shara, yes you can. I would still use a 1/4 cup of cottage cheese. Enjoy!
can you use bigger jars 8oz just fill half way?
Yes you can!
will this recipe work with an instant pot? How long and at what temp? I will play around with it.
The sous vide time and temperature is 172F for 1 hour. I have never done this in an instant pot before, but I think it’s possible. Good luck and let me know how it turns out!
How do you salt raw eggs to taste?
I make sous vide egg bites all the time, last week they were green chilies with Monterey Jack cheese and cilantro, along with some Frank’s red hot sauce. This week they’re just avocado, smoked Gouda cheese of course, paprika, and a bit of garlic salt. And, of course, salt, but I do tend to under salt them because I don’t know how much salt to add to six or 12 raw eggs? It does make it a lot easier to oil the egg jars, they are a lot easier to clean that way. You can use spray oil but I prefer olive oil put in jars using a paper towel.
The reason I say salt to taste is because the amount of cheese in the recipe provides enough salt for the average palate. If you try the recipe and think it needs a touch more, I’d recommend about 1/4 tsp of salt per 6 eggs.
And those all sound like fantastic egg bites! I’ll have to try some of those.
Has anyone tried freezing these? I’d love to make a big batch and then pop them out when I need them.
Hi MJ, here are my freezing tips!
1. First you want to put all the egg bite you want to freeze in the refrigerator to completely cool down.
2. Remote the eggbite from the jar by gently using a butter knife, then wrap each bite in plastic wrap. Place all wrapped bites in a freezer bag.
3. When you’re ready to eat them, you can reheat them from frozen. Simply remove the plastic wrap, wrap in a paper towl and heat for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes, or until heated through. Alternatively you can place them in the fridge and let them thaw, then microwave them for about a minute to heat up.
You’re the best, thanks!!
Just tried these with 1/4 cup of creme freshe substituted for the cheese and half n half. Excellent ratios.
Creme fraiche sounds like an delicious alternative. I’ll have to give this a try
Thank you Jason. These are delicious. One problem though. The top of my egg bites are a bit mealy and the bottom are creamy and custard like. I have read to remove the bubbles from the top before cooking but even when I pour the mixture through a strainer and skim off the top, I still have little bubbles. Any suggestions to make egg bites that are creamy and custard like all the way through?
Karen
Hi Karen, unfortunately it’s extremely hard to completely get rid of those bubbles. On top of straining and skimming it, I would try waiting a little longer for the bubbles to go down after blending. You could also try slowly pulsing the blender rather than continuously blending to try to create less bubbles during that process. Hope this helps!
Do you need to use a new sealing lid on the jars each time or can you re-use lids?
You can definitely re-use the lid. Just make sure to properly clean/sanitize and dry the lids between batches.
I’ve tried a few egg bite recipes on the internet and this one is my favorite so far. Using half and half seems to be the key!
These are wonderful! The only problem is the jars are a bear to clean afterward, even when I oiled them a little. Maybe cooking spray would be better. Any advice?
Hi Tami, thank you very much! And I definitely understand the pain, it can be a big effort to clean the mason jars after. I recently used a non-stick spray on the mason jars and it definitely made the cleaning process easier. Give it a try next time and let me know how it worked for you!
Do they make air tight containers that aren’t glass for the egg bites?
Try Egglettes. They’re silicone cups with lids.
Can I stack the 4 oz mason jars while sous vide cooking?
Certainly can!
I find that taking them out and covering with cheese and bRoiling them for a minute make some really incredible. Thanks for this version of the recipe. I’m still trying to figure out how to use the sous vide wand for this recipe without the jars rolling around.
I do that with an airfryer. I like the outer shell crispy with a soft center too! Try taking a baked potatoe and creating a crust in bottom and sides then add egg cheese etc.
Now when you airfry it has a potatoe shell that if you spray oil nice crispy!
Can i make these in my pressure cooker under the sole vide option?
Sorry sous vide
Yes, you should be able to as long as you can set the precise temperature on your pressure cooking and it can maintain that temperature accurately and reliably.
Can these be made with those silicon egg bite molds vs the ball hats?
I mean ball jars
Hi Deborah, if the silicone egg bite molds are air-tight and no water will leak in then you can definitely use them!
Do the mason jars need two parts to th lid? I have some Ball 4oz mason jars but the lid is one piece, not the typical two pieces
That should be fine! I would do a test to make sure that the jar is airtight by dropping an empty jar into water, and if it is then it should work.
Love this recipe! Have made it several times now.
If I used 8 oz wide mouth jars and filled them 3/4 full, do you think 1 hr at 172° would still work or would I need to cook longer?
Thanks for this recipe, the 4oz is awesome, love the taste and texture. My family is just asking if I could make them a little bigger.
Thanks
Hi Pam, so glad you are enjoying the recipe! The same time and temperature should work in an 8 oz jar. If you run into any issues tho let me know!