Breakfast Muffins – a big, fat, fluffy, cheesy, bacon studded muffin with a whole egg baked inside. THIS is the breakfast of champions!!
Breakfast Muffins
This is a great grab ‘n go breakfast, but also has that wow factor to impress family and friends! It’s one of those “what if I did this….?” recipes when I was making some cheese muffins one day.
The first attempt had me scraping muffin and egg off the floor of the oven.
The second attempt had me grinning like a fool when I cut open a warm, golden domed muffin to be greeted with the sight of a perfectly cooked egg yolk.🙌🏻
I love how these Breakfast Muffins look just like ordinary muffins! No clue of the hidden goodness inside….
How to make Breakfast Muffins – with a whole egg inside!
Let’s get straight into how to make these! Not hard, but I have a few tips:
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use Texas muffins tins ie the giant muffins not normal cupcake size muffin tins. The normal size muffins tins are too small – unless you use quail or duck eggs;
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make a well with the muffin batter to crack the egg into; and
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dollop bits of batter around the yolk first, then dollop in the middle and smooth over – I’ve found this to be the easiest way to cover the egg with batter.
What you need
Here’s what you need for these Breakfast Muffins. Just a note on a few of the items:
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Vinegar – this activates the baking soda, giving it a kick start to make the muffin fluffy;
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Sour cream or yogurt – the acidity in these also helps give the baking soda a kick start, as well as making the muffin nice and moist;
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Baking soda & baking powder – baking soda is simply baking powder on steroids, it’s approximately 3 times stronger. I like to use both in this recipe for the best and most even rise BUT you can use just one of them (quantities in the recipe); and
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Cheese – use anything you like!
How to freeze Breakfast Muffins
I’d love to say these Breakfast Muffins are great for the freezer, but unfortunately it isn’t because the egg whites become rubbery (cooked yolks freeze fine, whites don’t). However, I have made batches of these with beaten eggs (instead of cracking them in whole) and they freeze very well!
What about using a boiled egg instead?
I have made these Breakfast Muffins using boiled eggs and pushing them into the batter. Doing it that way, the eggs look fabulous when you cut into it because they hold their shape.
But the medium and hard boiled eggs are overcook once the muffin is baked. For perfectly cooked yolks, the boiled eggs need to be extremely soft boiled which calls for delicate handling to peel the shell – it’s a pain!
That’s why I just crack raw eggs in – best result for least effort. Even though the egg ends up kinda wonky.😂
Plus, you know what they say…. the beauty is often in the flaw of things.
Oh, wait. That’s not a real saying. That’s what I say when I serve up wonky “rustic” food!! – Nagi x
MORE BREAKFAST EGG RECIPES
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Healthy Egg Muffins – low carb, healthy!
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Omelette – soft and fluffy, just as it should be. Or, this Fluffy Egg White Omelette!
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Frittata the classic way – or the easy BAKED Frittata (terrific fridge clean out recipe)
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Shakshouka – baked eggs in a fragrant spice infused tomato broth, so good! (and very on trend 😂)
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No Washing Up Ham Egg Cheese Pockets and Ham Egg Cheese Bowls – seriously no washing up at ALL!
Watch how to make it
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Bacon and Egg Breakfast Muffins
Ingredients
Flavourings
- 150g / 5oz bacon , chopped (I use lean)
- 1 cup green onion , finely sliced (2 stems)
- 1 cup (100g) cheddar cheese , shredded (or other of choice)
Dry Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups (225g) flour , plain / all purpose
- 1 1/4 tsp baking powder (Note 1)
- 1/4 tsp baking soda (aka bicarbonate soda, Note 1)
Wet Ingredients
- 2/3 cup (165 ml) milk , full or low fat
- 1/2 tsp white vinegar (Note 2)
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 2/3 cup sour cream or plain yoghurt , preferably full fat
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil (or other neutral flavoured oil)
- 1 egg
Muffin
- 4 eggs
- 2 tbsp melted butter
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180C/350F. Brush 4 Texas muffin tin holes with with butter. (Note 3)
- Heat a non stick pan over high heat. Add bacon and fry until lightly browned. Remove onto a paper towel to drain the fat, then set aside.
Muffin Batter:
- Place Dry Ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine.
- Whisk Wet Ingredients in a separate bowl.
- Pour the Wet Ingredients into the Dry Ingredients until flour is almost incorporated (limit to 8 stirs!) - don't overmix (makes muffins hard).
- Add green onion, bacon and cheese, stir 5 times.
Assemble
- Place 1/4 cup batter into each of the 4 muffin tin holes.
- Use spoon to make a well in the batter, crack egg into each well.
- Divide the remaining batter between each hole to cover the egg - best way is to dollop batter around the yolk, then on top of the yolk, then spread to cover (see video).
- Brush the muffins with melted butter, then bake for 25 minutes or until golden brown.
- Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack.
- Best served warm!
Recipe Notes:
- Baking soda - use extra 3/4 tsp baking powder instead
- Baking powder - use extra 1/2 tsp baking soda instead
Nutrition Information:
Originally published May 2015, updated August 2019 with new photos, brand new video, step photos, slight tweaks to improve the writing of the recipe and most importantly, Life of Dozer added!
Life of Dozer
Dozer on the job – taste testing these Breakfast Muffins!
Romeo says
I did these just now in the toaster oven… they came out a little doughie… I put them in an extra 5 minutes and still? Any advice?
Thanks
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Romeo! Unfortunately a toaster oven is not suitable for this 🙁 It needs to be made in a proper oven because a toaster oven doesn’t get hot enough. 🙂
sonya wallace says
I am vegaterian and do not eat bacon but eggs. Any suggestions on substitutions for the bacon? Will the recipe be okay with out the bacon? Should I add additional seasonings?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Sonya! This will be fine without bacon. The bacon salt doesn’t add extra flavours throughout the muffin, you just get pops of bacon flavour and salt so you won’t lose it. You could just substitute with extra chopped scallions/shallots or even chopped up sundried tomatoes or feta!
Cheryl Z. says
Nagi… Check this out!!! http://www.followmefoodie.com/2013/08/the-rebel-within-egg-baked-inside-a-bacon-cheese-muffin-recipe/
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Checking it out right now!!!
Heather E Wells says
Just made these this morning. Wonderful! Going to try Chorizo instead of bacon next time.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Oooh! Chorizo will be fabulous! I’m so glad you loved it Heather! Thank you so much for coming back to tell me, makes me so happy! N x
Chicory App says
This is such a brilliant idea! No more worrying about breakfast every single morning!
We love your blog and recipes. Are you interested in becoming Chicory’s recipe partner?
Joleen says
Wait…I love your blog. These pictures are so amazing and you have so many recipes!!! Eggs inside a muffin!? SO COOL
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks so much Joleen!! Thought maybe this was a bit too wacky and weird for most people! N x
Maggie says
Stuffing bacons and egg into a muffin is like combing all my favorite item together! This is absolutely perfect for breakfast. You need to slow down here girl. I have a long list from your site that is waiting to be cooked and you just kept adding awesome new ones all the time 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Ha!! Right back at you!! 🙂 N x
Carolina says
I agree! Everything you make looks amazingly delicious! Every time! Haha
Thank you for sharing. 🙂
Warm regards from Portugal!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Carolina, you’re so sweet!! Thank you for your message. You made my morning. 🙂 – Nagi x (from a cold but sunny Sydney!!)
Cindy Skinner says
I’ve made these muffins twice, and here’s what I learned. The dough is very thick, so there’s no way I could tap the tin to make the dough flat in the bottom of the muffin pan. Not to worry, but just saying. 🙂 Also, I put a “divot” in the bottom dough, so when the egg goes in, the yolk settles in the middle. Then I put a tiny amount of dough on all four sides to keep the yolk in the middle, then I cover the top with dough. Another thing, I have a professional oven and find that the muffins must bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees; with regular muffins containing baking powder I bake at 375 for a faster rise; think I’ll try that next time. OVERALL: My husband and his crew LOVE these! 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Cindy! Thanks so much for your tips! My batter must be slightly thinner than yours, possibly because I use large eggs because I can bang the tip to flatten the bottom. Your tip to create a divot is GOLD!!! HOW have I never thought of that?? GAH!
The baking time confuses me though! The amount of dough that ends up in each muffin is around the same as what I use for regular muffin tins so I found that 20 minutes is perfect. 30 minutes would overcook my egg. My oven is new so the temperature is bang on, I even keep a thermometer in there so I can be confident that my cooking times are right for recipes. OH but I do have a fan forced one, though if you have a professional one, then I assume yours is too.
Anyway! I’m glad that yours worked out and your husband enjoyed it! And THANK YOU for your tips and your comments, they are so helpful! 🙂 N x
Cheryl Z. says
That should have said Nagi… Sorry! 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
No worries! – N 😉
Cheryl Z. says
Magi… I wonder how overcooked the eggs would get if you used quail eggs (the cooked ones that come in in Asian markets) and pushed them into the batter. OR… could you use raw quail eggs and make them in the regular sized muffin tin?
Thanks! Cheryl 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Cheryl! You know, that’s EXACTLY what my mum said when she read this! She said most people won’t have texas muffin tins so I should make this with quail eggs in a regular muffin tin 🙂 I haven’t been to the asian store since she suggested that but in theory, it should work perfectly! I don’t think they would be very overcooked because they are in the centre of the batter which heats up last, and muffins in regular muffin tins usually cook in around 15 minutes, but because there is less batter if you push a quail egg in, then it should cook in around 12 minutes.
I’ll try it soon and updated the recipe. But if you do try it, I’d love to hear what you think! – Nagi x
Cheryl Z. says
OK… so I just looked back at what I wrote, and because I was at work, I didn’t ask the question right. Within the parentheses should have said, “…the cooked ones that come in a can in the Asian markets. So, I’m guessing that since you think the regular-sized eggs would become overcooked, I’m assuming the smaller eggs would become overcooked faster. I will try and let you know.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Ah. Yes, I did think you meant raw quail eggs. But I would be concerned about any cooked eggs overcooking…having said that though, I am not sure if the preserving ingredients for canned eggs slows down the cooking process? Also cooking this in a regular muffin tin will cut down on the cook time therefore reducing likelihood of the eggs overcooking.
Keen to hear how it goes!! N x
Jen Lim says
Excellent idea, Nagi! This is one good prep ahead breakfast recipe that I can make for my kids. A feel good ‘I have got them a balanced healthy breakfast’ in the midst of the morning ‘get to school, get to work’ chaos. Thanks a lot for sharing.
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks Jen!! I have to agree, I can’t think of a plain muffin (even a savoury one) as a proper breakfast. It just doesn’t keep me full! However, THIS is really satisfying – amazing how one egg can make such a difference! 🙂
Sarah says
Hi Nagi! Sort of a dumb question, but where did you get lean bacon? I really like bacon (especially in all things breakfast) but the bacon at my local grocery store seems to have a lot of fat on it. Do you ask the butcher to cut the bacon for you fresh instead of buying the pre-packaged kind? Or is turkey bacon usually pretty lean? (haven’t tried turkey bacon yet, I’ve only tried pork bacon).
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Hi Sarah! In Australia, our bacon typically comes with the streaky bacon attached to what we call “the eye” which is an oval piece of bacon. All pink, just a bit of fat on the edges. 🙂 It is SO much leaner than the streaky bacon but you get all the yummy bacon flavour. Otherwise I use turkey bacon which is super lean! Honestly, this works with ham too. Thick cut works best! 🙂 N x
Sarah says
Thanks for the suggestion Nagi! I will look for the lean bacon you described, and turkey bacon next time I’m at the grocery store!
Sarah says
Yum! These look absolutely amazing (egg stuffed in the middle!!!!!!!!) and look like the perfect weekend make-ahead for some breakfasts early in the week! Can’t wait to try this, pinned!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Aww, thank you so much Sarah!! N x
Kristen @ The Endless Meal says
How cute is that egg in the middle? LOVE it!!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks Kristen! 🙂
Jessica @ Sweetest Menu says
Get out! What an AWESOME idea! Your a genius Nagi !
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks so much Jessica!! 🙂
Tania @My Kitchen Stories says
Ha my godness, fabulous idea Nagi!
Tania @My Kitchen Stories says
oops I didnt mean godness…..of course I meant goodness. I just should have sworn then I would have spelt it correctly,,,,,,,,,
Teena @ feedyourtemptations says
I always like to add a twist to the classic and traditional recipes. You never know what you might come up with. Love your take on breakfast muffins 🙂
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks so much Teena! it’s fun, putting your own touch on traditional recipes, isn’t it! 🙂
Shinee says
Oh my gosh, I need this in my life, like right now! I’m savory breakfast person all the way, and this would be an amazing addition to my breakfast menu! But what is Texas muffin pan? Are these jumbo muffins?
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Yes! They are jumbo muffin tins 🙂 Thanks for asking, it reminded me to update the recipe with a note about the muffin tin! 🙂
Gourmet Getaways says
Wow, Nagi this is a great piece of its own! We particularly love the egg in the centre, too! 5 stars!!!
Julie & Alesah
Gourmet Getaways xx
Nagi | RecipeTin says
Thanks so much Julie & Alesah!! Hope you are having a fab weekend! N x
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Nagi! You are too kind! I’m just a home cook who loves playing with food and can improvise. When you grow up poor you learn to never waste anything and to make do when necessary – I think those are two things everyone should learn at an early age! And if a recipe doesn’t come out exactly like it should, my answer is always “that’s the way it’s supposed to be”! Always stand your ground!
Nagi | RecipeTin says
We’re more alike than you think! I grew up under tight circumstances too 🙂 Mum was so creative and that’s kinda rubbed off on me too I guess.
You’re right, I never should have admitted this was wonky! I should have said that I deliberately made it to look like a winking, smiling face was buried in the muffin!!! (Can you see that too??!)
Dorothy Dunton says
Hi Nagi! Yes! I can see the winking face in your muffin! My husband is a woodworker and when we look at a piece of “raw” wood we detect different shapes/images in the wood grain – the same is true with food or clouds or wallpaper or just about anything! Keeping your mind and imagination open is always a good thing! 🙂