Easy Protein-Packed Egg Muffins with Cottage Cheese

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Egg Muffins with Cottage Cheese

These egg muffins with cottage cheese taste great and have a fluffy texture. They have cheddar cheese in them in addition to cottage cheese, which gives them a richer flavor. Simple to create and great for breakfast or a filling snack. It tastes good the next day, too!

These cottage cheese egg muffins are a tasty alternative to scrambled eggs or an omelet. They are high in protein and have a moderate amount of fat (100g of cottage cheese has only 4.5g of fat!). These morning staples are best served just after they are made, but egg muffins with cottage cheese taste just as good right out of the oven and hours later.

When you bake egg muffins, the tops usually rise nicely, but they start to deflate as soon as you take them out of the oven. This can make them very dense. Egg muffins will deflate, and that’s normal. But you can stop them from deflating too much. That’s what I’ve done in my recipe for egg cottage cheese muffins.

I added a little bit of flour (and baking powder) to soak up some of the moisture from the cottage cheese. This made the muffins fluffy and tasty, even the next day. If you want to make this recipe gluten-free, see my instructions in the Notes below.

Ingredients

6-hole muffin pan

1 cup+½tbsp (240 g) cottage cheese full fat
6 large eggs
½ cup (50 g) cheddar cheese shredded
4 tablespoons scallions/spring onions finely chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose/plain flour *see Notes
½ teaspoon baking powder gluten free, if required
⅓ teaspoon fine sea salt plus pepper to taste

Use full-fat cottage cheese, not reduced-fat cottage cheese.
I used mature cheddar cheese, but you could also use gruyere or another strong semi-soft cheese. The cheese adds flavor and a little bit of fat, which makes the texture better. Don’t miss it.
Flour: Makes the muffins less dense. Use rice flour to make it gluten-free.
Baking powder helps the flour make the muffins light and fluffy and keeps them from falling too much.
Scallions, often called spring onions. You will need around 1.5 to 2 onions. I do not advocate using chives instead. They come up to the top of the muffins so the flavour is not evenly distributed.
Salt and pepper: I used fine sea salt, which is less salty than typical table salt. If using the latter add less.

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F/180C/160 fan/gas mark 4. Grease a 6-hole muffin tray using either butter (approx.1 teaspoon) or cooking spray. Set aside.
Whisk eggs: In a large mixing bowl whisk the eggs until smooth.
Add cottage cheese: Whisk in the cottage cheese, cheddar, scallions, salt and pepper until fully integrated.
Add flour: Sift the flour and baking powder and gently stir in using a whisk only to incorporate (stop swirling as soon as the flour is no longer visible).

Fill pan: Spoon the batter into the muffin pan.
Bake muffins: Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 30-33 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave aside to cool (in the pan) for 10-15 minutes before serving.

Serving Suggestions & Storage

These muffins with cottage cheese and eggs are great for breakfast or as a snack while they’re warm. They can go with other breakfast foods such homemade baked beans, bacon, and sausage. Also good in smoothies, like raspberry avocado or broccoli.

I particularly adore these muffins with a little ketchup!

These cottage cheese egg muffins are adaptable and may be made with other ingredients for a distinct flavour twist.

Protein: chopped ham or bacon.
Vegetables: chopped red pepper, broccoli or finely chopped browned mushrooms. I do not advocate adding ingredients with a lot of moisture in them, such as tomatoes, as these muffins are already pretty moist.
Spices: a pinch of hot or smoked paprika or nutmeg.

TIP: I recommend using little more than 2-3 teaspoons of additional ingredients (while still include the cheeses, as per recipe). You will probably end up producing 7, rather than 6 muffins.

Do not overstir the batter (until you’ve added the flour and baking powder).

It is vital to leave these muffins to cool in the pan for around 10-15 minutes. They will be fairly soft to start with and can come apart if you remove them too quickly. They will still be soft, fluffy and toasty after 15 minutes

Best served warm.

Leftover egg muffins with cottage cheese can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days. If feasible, microwave for a few seconds before serving.

Freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight.

*Make it gluten free: I tested this recipe using rice flour which worked extremely well, but I am sure any gluten free flour will yield good results.

**I am using a ceramic muffin pan which is somewhat bigger than most standard aluminum pans (you should get 1 additional muffin using a regular size aluminium pan).

Nutrition

*The nutritional information is made up automatically and should be seen as an estimate.

**A word on baking: If using a fan-assisted oven refer to your appliance’s instructions and adjust the temperature accordingly.