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Breakfast is the most important meal of the day!!! I know, I know, it’s a phrase that is used way too often. But, I honestly believe it to be true. This is why I am sharing these super easy, meal prep, egg cups, so that you don’t need to ever miss out on the most important meal of the day!!!
We have been making these egg cups for years. Whenever we have an extra busy week, we will either make these egg cups, or some instant pot hard boiled eggs ahead of time. That way, on that very busy morning, there is one less thing we need to do to get out the door! (or, in our case, get upstairs to our computers).
The basic idea for egg cups: you place a piece of lunch meat into a muffin pan cavity, and then crack an egg into it. The egg bakes up, and you have these delicious egg-filled pieces of meat that has a slightly soft yolk center. So good!
I love how these egg cups are so simple to make. They do take about 40 minutes in total – but, much of that time is inactive, 20 minutes in the oven, and 15 minutes to cool.
They are even “Paul’s level of easy”! In fact, he is often the one to make these in the evening before a busy week.
The other thing that’s great about these egg cups is how many ways you can make various flavors. You can make them using turkey lunch meat, ham lunch meat, and bacon!!! You can either use one flavor, or a variety of flavors in one (or two), muffin pans. You can also add chopped fresh herbs (my fave is rosemary), and a sprinkle of cheese, if desired.
We most often make the egg cups using turkey lunch meat, and sometimes some herbs sprinkled on top. I like the turkey because it adds some extra lean protein to the egg cups. But, the salty, sweet ham is always a good way to go too. And, the smoky, salty, bacon is quite the treat as well.
You can either make 12 egg cups, or 24 egg cups, using one muffin pan, or two muffin pans – both can be baked at the same time!
They store in the fridge for up to 1 week, and re-heat beautifully in the microwave. They are kind of like our fall and winter version of making a hard boiled egg. They’re easy to make, and are served warm to keep us satisfied during the colder months.
Egg cups are naturally gluten free, they are dairy free (without any cheese), and are a great way to sneak in extra protein in the morning. They can be made with a variety of flavors, so you never get bored.
A quick weekday breakfast never sounded so good!
What are egg cups?
Egg cups are a whole egg that is baked right into a “cup” of lunch meat. You can use turkey, ham, or even bacon.
They are baked in muffin pans, creating a “cup” like shape.
Ingredients for egg cups
Of course, the list of ingredients, along with their measurements are in the recipe card at the end of the post.
- avocado oil – just a little to grease the muffin pan cavities, to prevent the egg cups from sticking
- turkey and/or ham lunch meat – this makes the bowl of the egg cup. Either one makes for a great egg cup. You can also use a mix of both.
- bacon – bacon makes for an extra decadent breakfast. If using the bacon, you won’t need to grease the muffin pan cavities. You can either use all bacon, or make a few of them bacon, along with the turkey or ham. All of the meat options are interchangeable.
- large eggs – eggs, the star of the show!!!
- kosher salt – to season the eggs. Just a sprinkle on top! Don’t skip the salt. The egg cups aren’t as nicely salted if added on when cold.
- black pepper – to also season the eggs.
- optional: fresh herbs – Freshly chopped herbs such as, rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, or chives all add great flavor to the egg cups.
How to make egg cups
More detailed directions are listed at the end of the post in the recipe card. Be sure to check it out.
- Prepare – preheat the oven. Grease the muffin pans, if needed.
- Fill the muffin cups – with the turkey and/or ham slices, or the bacon. And, then add the eggs.
- Bake
- Cool – just until you can remove them from the pan.
- Serve – serve immediately, or…
- Store – store the eggs for up to 1 week!
- Re-heat – re-heat the egg cups gently in the microwave.
Why are egg cup ideal for meal prep?
- high in protein
- healthy breakfast.
- easy to make.
- you can multitask in the kitchen while the eggs are baking in the oven.
- re-heat them – they’re just as good as when they’re fresh.
- you can mix up the flavors, so you never get bored!
What are the variations for egg cups?
You can make a variety of flavors by just switching out the meat selection. You can use:
- turkey lunch meat
- ham lunch meat
- or, bacon
You can switch up the flavors even more by using various herbs:
- rosemary (my fave with this recipe)
- sage
- thyme
- oregano
- chives
You can even sprinkle a little cheese on top, if you want:
- cheddar
- monetary jack
- swiss
- Parmesan
Note: I didn’t include cheese as an option in the ingredient list, because we don’t personally add it very often. However, a little cheese is very delicious, if you want to make these egg cups even more filling.
How many servings do these egg cups make?
12 to 24 eggs (2 eggs per serving) – 6 to 12 servings.
That’s the beauty about these egg cups, you can easily bake up two muffin pans worth of eggs at the same time. Or, you can just bake one muffin pan of egg cups – it’s up to you.
I wrote the recipe for 12 egg cups (using one muffin pan), with the note that you can click the “2x” button on the recipe card to increase the measurements of the ingredients, if wanting to double the recipe. The baking time is the same!
We most often make a double batch, 24 egg cups – the perfect amount for the two of us, all week long.
How long do egg cups last in the fridge?
They last in an air tight container for up to 7 days!
Can you re-heat egg cups?
Absolutely.
We most often are making our egg cups as a make ahead breakfast, so we are always re-heating them in the microwave for a minute or two.
They are just as good as when they are fresh. That’s what I love about them!
Are these egg cups healthy?
Yes.
They are packed with protein from the egg whites, and the meat. There are healthy fats from the egg yolks, which will help keep you satisfied longer.
We like to eat our egg cups with a slice of toast, fresh fruit, or overnight oats, or freshly made oatmeal – for some complex carbs, for sustainable energy.
The egg cups are going to be extra healthy if just use the turkey meat, which is a leaner choice than ham, and especially bacon. However, all options still make for a healthy breakfast.
Equipment I used to make this recipe
- muffin pans – These will forever be my favorite muffin pans. I use them for cupcakes, muffins, these egg cups…and everything in between.
- ramekins – Using a small bowl, such as a ramekin, to crack your egg into, and then gently pour it into the muffin cavity that is lined with the turkey, or ham slice, is the easiest way to get your egg in there.
- cooling rack – A cooling rack is ideal to help the pans cool down a little bit faster once they are out of the oven.
- small offset spatula – I like to use one of these guys to help me get the egg cups out of the muffin pans.
Reasons you will love egg cups for your breakfast
- Easy to make.
- Versatile – 3 meat options: turkey, ham, or bacon.
- great for meal prep – they last in the fridge for 7 days.
- They re-heat nicely for a warm breakfast.
- They’re gluten free
- Packed with protein.
- Egg-y, meat-y, herb-y – they’re so good!
More make ahead breakfasts with eggs
- make ahead breakfast sandwiches (with pesto)
- Instant pot hard boiled eggs (easy to peel)
- heathy egg white muffin cups
- Easy asparagus frittata (one pan)
Even more make ahead breakfasts (non-eggs recipes)
- chocolate peanut butter chia seed pudding
- easy chocolate coffee granola
- Greek yogurt bagels (no yeast)
- healthy baked pumpkin oatmeal
If you made this recipe:
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Egg Cups (3 Ways)
- Prep Time: 10 to 15 mins
- Cooling time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 20 mins
- Total Time: 0 hours
- Yield: 12 eggs (6 servings) 1x
- Category: breakfast, meal prep, easy, healthy,
- Method: baking
- Cuisine: dairy free, gluten free
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
These egg cups are our go-to breakfast to make ahead when our weekdays are extra busy. You can use turkey, ham, or bacon to keep things exciting. They’re easy to make, packed with protein, and they re-heat in the microwave like a dream.
Ingredients
For Turkey/and or Ham Egg Cups
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil, or light olive oil
- 12 thin slices of turkey and/or ham lunch meat (you could choose all of one type of meat or do half and half)
- 12 large eggs
- kosher salt
- black pepper
- optional: 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (such as: rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, or chives)
For Bacon Egg Cups
- 12 strips of bacon
- 12 large eggs
- Kosher Salt
- black pepper
- optional: 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh herbs (such as: rosemary, thyme, oregano, sage, or chives)
Instructions
- Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. For the turkey/ham egg cups lightly grease each muffin cavity with olive oil or avocado oil. NOTE: skip this step with the bacon egg cups.
- Fill the muffin cups: For the turkey and/or ham egg cups: Using the greased pan place one piece of turkey or ham into each cavity of the muffin pan using your fingers – or a shot glass – to press the lunch meat into the bottom of the muffin cavity. Crack an egg into a ramekin and gently pour the egg into the turkey/ham filled cavity – repeat until all of the muffin cups have been filled. Sprinkle each egg with salt and pepper and your herbs of choice. For the bacon egg cups: wrap one piece of bacon into each muffin cavity so that one edge of the bacon is touching the bottom of the muffin cavity (remember, you don’t need to grease the pan for these). Crack an egg into a small bowl and gently pour the egg into the bacon filled cavity – repeat until all of the muffin cups have been filled. Sprinkle each egg with kosher salt and pepper, and your herbs of choice (if using).
- Bake: Bake 15 to 20 minutes. Note: if making 24 eggs, you can bake both muffin pans, on separate racks in the oven, at the same time. You will know they are done once the egg whites turn white, and the yolks are mostly solid, yet slightly jiggly.
- Cool: Allow the egg cups to cool for 10 to 15 minutes, just enough to handle – gently use a butter knife to carefully remove them from their muffin cavities.
- To Serve: Once the eggs have cooled enough to handle you can serve them. Enjoy.
- To store for later: Allow them to cool completely (after they have been removed from the pan) and store them in an air tight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.
- To reheat: If saving the muffin cups for later you can reheat them gently in the microwave once you are ready to eat them. They reheat beautifully, and are just as good leftover as when they are fresh from the oven.
Notes
Serving size – The way I wrote the recipe was for 12 eggs (one muffin pan). You can either choose all of the eggs to be one meat such as turkey, or ham, or bacon. Or, you can choose to make one muffin pan with a mix of each flavor, if you want. If you want to double the recipe, and make 24 eggs, you can click the “2x” button at the top of the recipe card. You can easily bake both muffin pans at the same time. Again, you can do all of one type of meat, or a mix – they are easily interchangeable. The only thing to note is that you don’t need to grease the muffin pans when using the bacon.
Dried herbs – If you don’t have fresh herbs then you can use dried. Although, I would stay away from rosemary because it’s hard when dried, and chives because they are pretty flavorless when dried. Dried oregano, thyme, or sage are good options.
Add cheese – these egg cups are also great with a little sprinkle of cheese on top. We don’t usually do this, but it’s nice to switch up the flavors once and a while.
To make a complete breakfast – We like to serve these egg cups with oatmeal, toast, or fresh fruit for some complex carbs to provide sustainable energy, and round out the meal.
Nutrition facts – Nutrition facts are an estimation. Since there are 3 possible variations to this recipe, I calculated the nutrition facts using 12 eggs (6 servings), that used all turkey meat – this was easiest, and how we most often make this recipe ourselves. If you decide to use ham, or bacon, or a mix, the nutrition facts will vary from the ones given here.
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