Fluffy keto egg cups from 3 ingredients in 15 minutes, at 1.1g net carbs and 11.9g protein each. I lay a half slice of deli ham into each muffin cup, sprinkle cheddar over it, crack in a whole egg, and I let them bake at 400°F for 10 to 12 minutes until both the whites and yolks are firm. Allow more time if needed.
I don't remember if I first tried one of these at Starbucks or Costco, but I do remember thinking: I can do this better at home with three ingredients. And I was right.
These keto egg cups are the breakfast I come back to when I want something high in protein and ready in 15 minutes. I make 16 at a time, keep the next few days of breakfasts in the fridge, and freeze the extra portions.
The concept is dead simple. Half a slice of deli ham goes into a greased muffin tin, shredded cheddar on top, then crack in an egg. Season with salt and pepper and bake at 400 degrees. No mixing bowls, no whisking, no cleanup beyond the muffin tin.
Start checking at 10 minutes, but let the eggs decide when the batch is done. The whites and yolks should both be firm. Larger eggs and different muffin pans can need a little longer. That fully set center also makes these easier to portion and reheat for breakfast.
For variety, I rotate through different builds depending on what's in the fridge. Crumbled bacon (cooked first), salami with feta, or a handful of spinach all work. For more batch-friendly breakfast ideas, try my sheet pan eggs, mini frittatas, or a full keto ham frittata when you're feeding a crowd.
These store well and freeze beautifully (I cover the details below). Pair them with keto hash browns for a full plate, or just grab two on the way out the door.
Why I make these every single week
Packed with protein and ready in 15 minutes, these keto egg cups are the breakfast I come back to more than anything else on my site. I started making something like this years ago, back when I was prepping egg muffins for work mornings before I even went keto.
The difference between those old muffins and this version? This is simpler. Three ingredients. No mixing bowl. No whisking. Just layer, crack, bake. I refrigerate the portions I will eat within 3-4 days and freeze the rest for later in the week. For a low-carb morning routine, it doesn’t get more hands-off than this.
Is ham low carb?
Sliced deli ham is keto-friendly, but check your labels. I avoid any ham that says honey or maple on the packaging because those almost always have added sugars.
Look for a brand with zero grams of sugar on the nutrition label. The difference can be 0 vs 3 carbs per serving, which adds up when you’re making a batch of 16. I usually grab whatever has the cleanest ingredient list at my store.
Storage
I meal prep a batch of these almost every Sunday. Refrigerate the cooked cups in shallow containers within 2 hours, or within 1 hour if the room or outdoor temperature is above 90°F. Keep them covered and use within 3-4 days. I keep a few breakfasts in the fridge and freeze the extra portions.
For the freezer: Chill the cups promptly, then wrap them individually and place them in a freezer bag. Use within about 3 months for best quality. Start microwaving one refrigerated cup for about 45 seconds, or one frozen cup for about 90 seconds, then continue in short intervals until the center reaches 165°F. Microwave power, the size of the cups and how many you heat at once affect the time. Pair them with air fryer breakfast sausage for a full breakfast.
How to make egg cups
Three ingredients and one greased muffin cavity per serving. The original batch makes 16 cups. Use enough pans for the batch, or bake in batches if needed. But here's where it gets fun: I use this recipe as a starting point and change up the fillings constantly.
Make these your own
Ideas for changing the filling:
Bacon: crumble it on top of the cheese. Make sure it's cooked first.
Prosciutto: an alternative to ham. It can be very salty, so leave out extra salt before baking and adjust after tasting a cooked cup.
Salami with feta: this combo surprised me with how well it works.
Ground sausage: brown it first, then press into each cup.
Spinach: squeeze out the moisture first or you'll end up with soggy bottoms.
Different cheeses: pepper jack for heat, gruyere for nuttiness, gouda for a smoky note.
Preheat oven to 400°F. Grease one standard muffin cavity per serving with cooking spray, including the sides. The original batch needs 16 cavities. Use enough muffin pans, or cook in batches if they will not fit in your oven.
2
Add the ham
Cut each slice of deli ham in half. Press one half slice into each prepared muffin cavity.
3
Add the cheese
Evenly sprinkle shredded cheese on top of each slice of deli ham.
4
Add the eggs
Crack an egg into each cavity. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5
Bake it
Bake at 400°F for about 10-12 minutes, until both the egg whites and yolks are firm. Check the center cups as well as the edges, and continue baking if any egg is still loose. Pan material and egg size can change the cooking time.
Nutrition
Per serving: 1 egg cup
Calories
114
Fat
6.6g
Protein
11.9g
Total carbs
1.1g
Net carbs
1.1g
Nutrition is an estimate calculated from the ingredients listed. Brands vary, so check labels if you track closely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make these in an air fryer?
For an air fryer variation, use an oven safe muffin mold rated for the cooking temperature that fits in the basket without blocking air circulation. Start with 350°F for about 10-12 minutes. Check at 10 minutes and continue until both the whites and yolks are firm. The oven method in the main recipe is the reference for the full batch of 16.
Why did mine stick to the pan?
Grease every metal muffin cavity, including the sides, before pressing in the ham. The egg and cheese can stick wherever they touch bare metal. Make sure the eggs are set, then gently loosen the edges before lifting the cups out. If you use silicone, follow the pan maker’s instructions for greasing and oven temperature.
Can I use scrambled eggs instead of whole eggs?
I've made both versions. Whisking the eggs first gives you a more uniform texture and makes them easier to eat on the go since there's no runny yolk situation. I still prefer cracking in a whole egg because I like the yolk intact, but the scrambled version is great for kids or for packing in a bag. Cook either version until the egg is fully set.
How long do these keep in the fridge and freezer?
Refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 3-4 days. For longer storage, chill promptly, wrap the cups individually and freeze for about 3 months for best quality. Start reheating one cup for about 45 seconds from the fridge or 90 seconds from frozen, then continue until the center reaches 165°F. These are starting times; microwave power and portion size vary.
Should I skip the salt when using prosciutto instead of ham?
Prosciutto can be very salty, so leave out the extra salt before baking. Taste a cooked cup before deciding whether it needs more. Ham and cheese also vary in saltiness, so adjust the seasoning to the products you use.
Can I use a silicone muffin pan instead of metal?
Yes, if the pan is rated for a 400°F oven. Set a flexible silicone pan on a baking sheet before filling so you can move it steadily. Follow the manufacturer’s greasing instructions and check that both the whites and yolks are firm. Browning and baking time can differ from a metal muffin pan.
What cheese works best besides cheddar?
I rotate cheeses constantly. Pepper jack adds a little heat, gruyere gets nuttier when it melts, and gouda has a slightly smoky flavor that pairs well with ham. Feta crumbles rather than melting like cheddar; I have also used it with salami.
How many net carbs are in each one?
Each cup lands around 1 to 1.5 net carbs with almost 12 grams of protein, depending on your ham and how much cheese you use. I stick to a deli ham with zero added sugar, which keeps mine closer to 1. Pile on extra cheese and you'll nudge it a little higher, but it stays low either way. That macro split is the main reason I lean on these for weekday breakfasts.
How can I make high-protein, low-carb egg muffins?
Line each cup of a muffin tin with half a slice of deli ham, top with shredded cheddar, crack in a whole egg, and bake at 400 degrees for about 10-12 minutes, until both the whites and yolks are firm. Each cup delivers 11.9 grams of protein at 1.1 net carbs. That is the entire method, no mixing bowl involved. Use 16 greased muffin cavities for the original batch. Refrigerate within 2 hours and use within 3-4 days, freezing any extra portions for later.
Can I eat eggs and still be in ketosis?
Yes. Eggs are one of my keto staples, and these cups are built on them. Each one comes in at 1.1 net carbs with 11.9 grams of protein, so even two or three at breakfast barely touch your daily carb count. I refrigerate the next 3-4 days of breakfasts and freeze the rest of the batch.
okay so this sounds weird but I started dropping a tiny bit of cream cheese right on the ham before cracking the egg in, and the whole center comes out custardy instead of that firm rubbery spot you sometimes get in the middle, can’t make them the original way anymore
Tried a splash of heavy cream whisked into the egg first for that rubbery center. Helps, but not enough. Dropping cream cheese directly on the ham is smarter because it stays put instead of pooling to the sides before the egg even goes in. The fat is right where you need it. Doing this on Sunday. One question: are you using it cold straight from the fridge, or does it matter? Wondering if it bubbles up differently once it softens vs. holding a solid layer under the egg.
Honey ham versus black forest, that’s what took me three batches to figure out. Honey ham sweetens the cup in a way that fights the egg. Black forest is salt-forward and gets out of the way. Been on black forest ever since. Sunday routine now: tins in at 400, 10-minute pull, four cups at breakfast and I’m covered on protein until noon. The yolk window is maybe 90 seconds. Pull at 10 and you’re in range, push to 12 and the batch goes firm. That’s the one knock.
Switched the cheddar for goat cheese two weeks ago and the tang against the salty ham works better than the original, at least for me. It goes almost creamy in the oven rather than melting flat, so you get these richer little pockets under the egg. Ten minutes at 400, pull when the yolks have just a hint of give. Holds up fine cold the next morning. Tried feta the week after out of curiosity. Worked, but a bit intense for 7am. Going back to goat cheese as my default and keeping feta on the list for lunches.
Been on a huge air fryer kick and I’m wondering if these translate. I have a silicone muffin mold that fits in my basket so I could probably do a batch of 6-7 at a time, but I have no idea how to adjust the temp and time from 400°F for 10-12 minutes. Last thing I want is a rubbery white but still-runny yolk situation when I’m trying to get my kid out the door on a Monday morning.
Drop it to 350, not 400. I’ve done these in the air fryer with a silicone mold and 10-12 minutes at that temp works. Start checking at 10. By 12 the whites are set and the yolk is just firm, no runny middle.
Pull the ham tight up the sides of each cup before you crack the egg in. My first batch I skipped that step. Whites leaked underneath and stuck to the tin. Second batch came out clean and held together in the fridge all week.
Brian, I know better than to skip that step now. I press the ham flat against the sides and fold the top edge just over the rim. That fold is the seal. First time I rushed it, same mess. Now I do the full tuck before I crack a single egg, and they hold through the whole week in the fridge.
Crack the eggs directly over the ham cup, not into a bowl first (I tried to be careful and lost two yolks to the counter before I gave up on that plan). First time making these and 11 minutes hit the sweet spot in my oven, whites fully set with no rubbery texture anywhere. 1.1 net carbs and almost 12g of protein per cup felt borderline criminal. Do you go the full 12 minutes to firm up the yolks, or is there a way to pull them just shy of that and keep a little softness in there?
Pull at 9-10 minutes if you want softness. The whites will look a tiny bit underdone when you open the oven but they finish in the pan. Once the whites fully lose that shine, the yolk is already going firm.
I started making these on Sundays three weeks ago to stay ahead of school mornings, and the thing that got me was my youngest asking where they were on the one day I forgot to prep. This kid does not notice breakfast. He grabs a granola bar and is out the door before I’ve had coffee. Him noticing the missing muffin tin said more about how filling these are than anything. I run two batches now, 32 total, and they’re gone by Thursday. The one adjustment I’ve made is letting the cheddar go a little golden, maybe a minute past when the eggs look set. Makes a difference.
That granola bar kid noticing the missing muffin tin is the best review this recipe’s ever gotten. And yeah, that extra minute on the cheddar is real – the edges get almost crispy.
I kept seeing egg cups everywhere and always assumed they’d be one of those things that sounds clever in theory but disappoints in practice, like cauliflower pizza from a bag. Made these last Sunday as a test and the ham does something I genuinely didn’t see coming. It crisps up around the edges into almost a little shell while the egg inside stays soft and custardy. I’ve tried the bell pepper ring version, the silicone mold version, paper liners, and they all had this same flat, slightly rubbery thing going on. These don’t have that problem. Reheated three of them Monday morning in 45 seconds and they held up. Going to make a double batch this week and see if the freezer situation works out.
Silicone just doesn’t get the sides hot enough. It’s the tin. For freezing, wrap each one individually in plastic wrap and into a freezer bag. I’ve had them keep 3 months that way, same 45-second reheat.
My daughter renamed these ‘ham cups’ after the first batch and that was apparently that. She is not a breakfast person, but she’s been pulling two from the fridge before school every morning this week. The ham folded around the egg is what sold her, I think.
New to meal prepping, planning to try these this weekend. Quick question: when you say bake until the egg is set, does the yolk need to be fully solid or is a soft center fine? I’m reheating from the fridge each morning and wasn’t sure if that changes things.
Made a double batch Sunday and my 8-year-old came in before school just to check if there were more in the fridge. One thing: large eggs run a little loose at 10 minutes, so I pull mine at 12.
Swapped in prosciutto (on sale) and the edges got super crispy, almost lacy. Not sure if that’s the meat or my oven but I loved it. Four stars only because mine took closer to 14 minutes.
That’s the prosciutto, not your oven. Paper thin, so it crisps like bacon at the edges. Ham holds more moisture, which is why it doesn’t do that. 14 minutes tracks too.
I haven’t tried to make them in the air fryer but you definitely can! Just get a muffin pan or silicone mold that will fit into the air fryer and try air frying at 350 for 10-12 minutes.
I cut the half ham slice in half and fit them into each cup. Added scrambled egg instead of a whole egg. Next time I’ll add salt. And I won’t forget to grease the tin – bacon grease would be nice! A keeper for me.
