Instant Pot Egg Bites
Published August 31, 2020 • Updated March 2, 2026
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These Instant Pot egg bites are my Starbucks copycat at a fraction of the carbs and cost. I make a batch every week, and each one comes in at just 0.4g net carbs.
I started making these at home after spending way too much on the Starbucks version. Two of theirs run 9 grams of net carbs. Mine? 0.4 grams each. And I’m not sacrificing anything on taste or texture.
The base is simple: eggs, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and Gruyere, all blended until smooth. That cottage cheese is what gives them the creamy, almost custard-like center that makes the Starbucks ones so good. I’ve tested batches with just cream cheese alone, and the texture falls flat. It’s edible, but it’s missing that soft, souffle-like bite. You need both for the right interior.
What I love is how customizable they are. My go-to is bacon and Gruyere (the original here), but I’ve done broccoli cheddar, sausage and green onion, and buffalo chicken. Whatever filling sounds good, chop it fine and fold it in. If you want more breakfast ideas with that same make-it-your-way flexibility, try my breakfast quesadillas or breakfast pizza.
The cooking process takes about 20 minutes on the steam function, though mine are usually done closer to 18. If your pressure cooker doesn’t have a dedicated steam button, low pressure for the same time works well. One of my readers, Trish, confirmed this with her Duo Gourmet and they came out great. After the timer goes off, I vent the valve, remove the mold, and let everything sit on the counter for 5 minutes. That rest time matters. They look a little puffy at first but settle into the right shape as they cool.
I double or triple the recipe every Sunday so I have breakfast ready for the entire week. They keep in the fridge for up to 7 days and reheat in 30 seconds. My kids eat them cold out of the fridge half the time, which tells me the flavor holds up either way. For a full keto meal prep rotation, I alternate these with my sausage breakfast casserole and breakfast bowls so nothing gets repetitive.
One thing I figured out after making these dozens of times: leave about a centimeter of space at the top of each mold. The mixture expands during cooking, and if you fill all the way up, it overflows into the water below. I also spray the mold with cooking spray every time, even though it’s silicone. Skip that step and you’ll tear them trying to get them out.
How to make these at home
You’ll need a silicone egg mold and a blender or food processor. That’s it for special equipment.
I blend the eggs, cream cheese, cottage cheese, and seasoning until completely smooth, then fold in whatever filling I’m using that week. Pour the mixture into the mold, cover with the silicone lid, and set everything on the trivet inside your pressure cooker with one cup of water in the liner.
The steam function does the rest. 20 minutes, then vent the valve and let the mold rest on the counter for 5 minutes before you pop them out. I’ve stacked two molds at once to double the batch, and the cook time stays the same.
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Ingredients
3 slices of crispy cooked bacon, finely chopped -
5 eggs
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1/2 teaspoon salt
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1/4 teaspoon pepper
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1/4 cup cream cheese, softened
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1 tablespoon 4% cottage cheese
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2 ounce Gruyere cheese, shredded or parmesan cheese
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silicone egg mold
Step by Step Instructions
Step by Step Instructions
Prep the mold
Spray the inside of the silicone egg mold with cooking spray and evenly sprinkle chopped bacon inside each mold.
Blend the filling
Using a food processor or blender, mix together egg, seasoning, cream cheese, cottage cheese and Gruyere cheese until smooth.
Pour into mold
Pour the egg mixture into each mold, leaving a little bit of room at the top (about 1 centimeter) to allow for expansion and to ensure the egg mixture doesn’t spill as you lower it into the Instant Pot. Cover with the lid provided.
Set up the trivet
Add the trivet to the liner of the Instant Pot. Pour in one cup of water.
Add to Instant Pot
Gently lower the egg bite mold inside the Instant Pot and onto the trivet. Close the Instant Pot lid and turn the knob to sealing.
Steam it
Hit the ‘Steam’ function on the Instant Pot and steam for 20 minutes. After 20 minutes, turn the valve to venting to release any pressure. Remove the trivet along with the silicone mold. You can double the recipe and stack two molds on top of each other. The cook time of 20 minutes under steam function remains the same.
Let cool
Let sit on the counter for 5 minutes before removing the egg bites from the mold.
Nutrition disclaimer
The nutrition information provided is an estimate and is for informational purposes only. I am a Doctor of Pharmacy (Pharm.D.); however, this content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your physician or other qualified health provider before making any lifestyle changes or beginning a new nutrition program.
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Get My Macros + Recipes →Frequently Asked Questions
Why did mine turn out watery?
I've had this happen when I use fillings with high water content, like tomatoes or fresh spinach. The fix is to put them back in for another 1-2 minutes. I also noticed that adding too much meat or cheese can slow down the cooking, so if you're loading them up, give them an extra minute or two. Patting wet ingredients dry before folding them in helps too.
What if my Instant Pot doesn't have a steam button?
Use the low pressure setting for 20 minutes. One of my readers, Trish, made these in her Duo Gourmet using low pressure and they came out great. I've also heard from others that the saute button with a glass lid can work, though I haven't tested that method myself.
Can I substitute the cottage cheese?
I've tried swapping it for extra cream cheese and the texture isn't the same. The cottage cheese is what gives these that light, fluffy center. Without it, they're denser and a little rubbery. If you're avoiding cottage cheese, a tablespoon of sour cream is the closest substitute I've found.
Can I make these without a silicone mold?
I've used a standard muffin tin with good results. Just spray it well and pour the mixture about two-thirds full. The shape won't be the same round dome, but the taste and texture are identical. Some people use small mason jars with foil on top, but I find the muffin tin easier to work with. Cook time stays the same either way.
Will the silicone lid melt?
No. The steam function doesn't get hot enough to melt silicone, which is rated for much higher temperatures. I've been using the same mold with its snap-on lid for over two years now with zero issues. If you're still nervous about it, you can cover the mold with foil instead.
Can I use just egg whites?
I've made a batch with all whites and they come out firmer and less creamy. If you're going for lower calories, I'd do 3 whole eggs and 2 whites instead of going all white. That keeps some of the richness while cutting down on the yolks. The fat from the yolks is what makes the texture so smooth, so removing all of it changes the result pretty significantly.
How many carbs are in each bite?
Each bite is 0.4 grams net carbs based on my recipe as written (bacon, Gruyere, cream cheese, cottage cheese). If you eat all seven from one batch, that's 2.8 grams total. I get asked about this a lot because the Starbucks ones are 9 grams for just two, and people assume homemade must be similar. It's not even close. Just keep in mind your fillings will shift the count, so if you're adding something like sun-dried tomatoes, check those carbs separately.
Trying to get into meal prep and these look like a good place to start. Problem is my store doesn't carry Gruyere. Can I sub sharp cheddar 1:1 and still get that creamy texture, or does Gruyere do something I'd miss? Don't want to wreck my first batch.
everything bagel seasoning on top. can't skip it.
Mine too. I shake it on right out of the mold while they're still warm so it actually sticks.
I've been making these every Sunday to get through the week without turning on the oven. Last batch, my daughter smelled the bacon while the Instant Pot was still pressurizing and just appeared at the counter. She's 11 and normally pretends she's above everything I cook. Then she asked if there were more in the fridge the next morning.
It's too hot to actually cook right now so I finally tried these and I cannot believe the silicone mold thing actually works, they came out looking EXACTLY like the Starbucks ones (do you have to spray the mold every single time or just the first use?)
Every single time. One quick spritz, but if you skip it they grip the sides and you lose that clean dome shape.
Finally made these after eyeing the recipe for months. The Gruyere was the real surprise. I've done egg bites before, but never with cottage cheese blended in, and that combo with the cream cheese gives them this almost custardy center I wasn't getting on my own. Four stars only because mine came out uneven -- some perfect, some needed another minute or two. Probably a trivet placement thing on my end. Do you find that with certain molds, or is there a trick to getting them more consistent?
Outer wells always run a minute ahead on mine. I check at 12 now instead of waiting the full time. If a few still jiggle, close the lid and give them another 60-90 seconds.
I've tried four different keto egg bite recipes and kept ending up with rubbery, bland results. This one finally closes the gap, specifically the Gruyere, that's what the other recipes are missing. Dropping one star because my first batch overflowed (fill to 3/4, not the top), but once I figured that out the texture was exactly what I was going for.
The overflow gets everyone once. 3/4 is the rule and I clearly need to bold it bigger. Glad the texture came together on the second batch.
The cream cheese has to be genuinely soft (not just out of the fridge for five minutes, like actually room temp for at least an hour) or you get little flecks in the batter instead of that silky texture. Found that out the hard way on batch two. Also, spray the mold and get into every corner because the edges are where these like to stick and it is frustrating. Four stars only because I wasted a batch figuring this out, but once you know, these come together so fast it almost feels like cheating.
The 'actually soft' thing is real. I leave mine out the night before when I remember, but an hour minimum or you get exactly what you described. Flecks in the batter are always cream cheese that never fully broke down.
My 8-year-old asked if we could skip Starbucks on Saturday mornings and just make these instead. That kid would trade almost anything for a cake pop, so we tried it. Bacon in every bite. Pretty sure that's what did it.
Bacon in every bite is basically the whole strategy. A kid choosing that over a cake pop is the highest compliment this recipe has ever gotten.
Used cheddar instead of Gruyere (it's what I had) and still really creamy inside. Spray that mold though. Quick spritz my first batch and they all stuck.
Cheddar is great in these. Sharper bite than Gruyere but the creaminess is the same. And yeah, one spritz is not enough, I go heavy on that mold every time.
If you're new to this like me, make a foil sling to lower the mold onto the trivet (I burned my fingers twice figuring that out the hard way). Also blended mine an extra 30 seconds on a whim and they came out noticeably creamier than my first batch.
That extra blend time is real. I've gone 20-25 seconds longer and the cream cheese fully incorporates. The foil sling tip belongs in the actual recipe notes.
These taste exactly like my Monday Starbucks egg bites and I genuinely teared up the first time I made them. The Gruyere is what does it.
Cried a little making the first batch myself. Gruyere is the one I won't let people skip.
I kept putting this off because I was convinced anything cooked in a silicone mold inside a pot of steam would come out rubbery. Made my first batch last Sunday with the Gruyere and bacon, and the texture stopped me. Silky and set, nothing like what I was bracing for. The cottage cheese was the ingredient I'd been most skeptical about, but I think it's what keeps them from getting dense. Already have a second batch going this week.
You cracked the code. That one tablespoon is doing more than it has any right to, and I've never found a swap that replicates what it does to the texture. Second batch in a week tracks.
Brought these to a spring brunch and half the people thought I'd bought them somewhere. Gruyere throws people off.
Ha. Gruyere reads that way. People see shredded cheddar and think homemade, see Gruyere and assume a deli counter.
I meal prep on Sundays and 7 bites doesn't last the whole week. To double the batch, do I just run two separate rounds in the Instant Pot, or can you stack two silicone molds on the trivet? Blending I can figure out. It's the cook time I'm not sure about.
Two rounds is simpler. If you stack, same cook time, add 2 minutes. Just make sure the top mold sits level.
Ran out of Gruyere mid-batch, so I finished the rest with sharp cheddar. The cheddar ones came out a little firmer with more of a bite to them, which I actually liked better. Might just swap it out every time now.
Cheddar sets firmer, yeah. Gruyere goes almost custard-soft in the middle, which I like, but cheddar holds shape way better when you're reheating a batch.