Wholesome Egg Muffins | Easy Healthy Breakfast Recipes
These wholesome breakfast egg muffins pack the much-needed protein punch, in addition to fiber and essential micronutrients from whichever greens you choose to put in!
Egg muffins are one of my go-to breakfast choices for obvious reasons – you need not break your head over macro-calculations, these are ready in a jiffy, and oh so easy! All these need is eggs, your choice of greens and an oven. Or a microwave oven that has convection mode.
What makes Egg Muffins an ideal breakfast option?
Egg Muffins are also extremely versatile. There is no particular selection of vegetables that is needed for these – just include anything you have available in the refrigerator. A great choice of breakfast for fridge-cleanout days😊 I sometimes use garam masala and coriander in the vegetable mix to give it a desi twist, and use oregano and other Italian herbs to infuse Mediterranean flavors. Basically, do what pleases you and enjoy a balanced, tasty breakfast!
Egg muffins are also a great way to sneak in green leafy vegetables in your meal, in case you don’t like the taste of spinach or kale much (a kids-friendly tip). Don’t have much time to prepare breakfast every morning afresh? Make a huge batch of egg muffins, store in Ziploc bags in the freezer, defreeze/ thaw at breakfast and get on with your day with ease. These egg muffins can be stored for up to 2 weeks in the freezer with their freshness and nutrition intact.
Ingredients in the egg cups recipe
Eggs
Nutrition-wise, eggs are pretty hard to beat. One egg contains about 77 calories, with about 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of fat, in addition to vitamins and carotenoids. Eggs promote brain health as well, thanks to their choline content, which is an essential nutrient for the human body.
What’s more, they’re utterly delicious and versatile, so what’s not to love! Try free-range/ pastured/ omega-3 enriched eggs for improved nutrition, but if you can’t, conventional poultry eggs are still a good option.
Garlic
Not only does garlic improve flavor and add that much-needed oomph, but the medicinal properties of garlic and the health benefits of active ingredients are some more reasons to add more of it to your recipes.
Onion
I usually add red onions to the recipe to render some body to the muffins and balance the sweetness with the spices and herbs, but feel free to include spring onions or white onions instead.
Mushrooms
Great for texture, flavor and nutrition. Mushrooms are rich in protein, fiber and antioxidants, while offering very low calorie load.
Bell peppers
Rich in fiber, vitamin A, beta-carotene and potassium. Add bell peppers in the colors of your choice. While green capsicum is easiest to find and slightly bitter, yellow and red bell peppers are more abundant in antioxidant content but also add more sweetness to the recipe.
Spinach
Rich source of vitamins and minerals like vitamin A, thiamine, folate, iron, magnesium and potassium, spinach is a nutrition powerhouse in itself. Feel free to replace with any other leafy vegetable like kale or amaranth (chaulai bhaji).
Tomato
Tomatoes a great source of fiber and antioxidants like lutene. However, since they have high water content, be sure to dice them, or better yet, include cherry tomatoes in the recipe. Also, cooking the tomatoes until the additional water content has evaporated will ensure that the muffins are not mushy.
Cheese
For amplified flavor! Feel free to experiment with any other cheese variety like parmesan, string cheese, feta cheese or goat cheese. If you’re watching your calorie intake from fat, just skip adding cheese. The muffins will still taste amazing.
Paprika, Garam Masala and other condiments
For the spicy zing. Feel free to skip either of these or both if you want the flavors to be milder.
Oil
I use sunflower oil or olive oil but feel free to experiment with other oils for baking. While sauteing the vegetables however, take care to select an oil variant with higher smoking point.
Egg Muffins – Frequently Asked Questions
Why are my egg muffins soggy?
Be sure to drain any excess liquid from the sauteed veggies before you add them to the egg mixture. Also, while re-heating the egg muffins stored in the refrigerator, be sure to thaw at room temperature, wipe the excess liquid if any with a paper towel and then proceed to heat in the microwave oven before consuming.
Why are the egg cups flat?
The muffins will look extra fluffy till a few minutes after cooking, but will most likely begin to deflate as they cool outside the oven. This is completely okay, and doesn’t alter the flavor in the least. The reason for this in fact is because the egg muffins lack sufficient starches that may render it a sturdier structure.
Few tips for extra-delish egg muffins
Like the recipe? Wish to try more breakfast ideas?
Do try my:
- Shakshuka or poached eggs in tomato sauce
- Healthy Millet Pancakes with Pistachio Butter
- [The Bestest Ever] Oats Porridge Bowl
I’d love to hear how this recipe turned out for you, if you tried it. Let me know in the comments how it turned out for you. You could also post a pic on Instagram and tag #fitfoodiediary in the picture.
Wholesome Egg Muffins
Ingredients
- 6 eggs
- 1/2 onion medium, chopped (can be substituted with green onions/ spring onions)
- 1/2 bell pepper chopped
- 1 cup mushrooms thinly sliced
- 2-3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 cup spinach roughly sliced
- 10 cherry tomatoes sliced into halves (can 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes as well)
- ¼ cup cheddar cheese grated (can substitute with feta/ goat cheese as well)
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garam masala can be substituted with dried Italian herbs
- salt to taste
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil/ olive pomace oil
Instructions
- First, Preheat the oven at 200°C. Grease the muffin tray with few drops of oil.
- Meanwhile, heat oil in a non-stick pan, add all vegetables except spinach and sauté for 2-3 minutes. Take care to not overcook – we will bake these later anyway.
- Now, add chosen spices, herbs, salt, turmeric, paprika, pepper, spinach right before turning the flame off and stir.
- Beat eggs in a bowl. Add salt if needed.
- Next, add the sautéed vegetables to the beaten egg mixture and mix well.
- Thereafter pour the mixture in muffin slots to 3/4th level.
- Lastly place the muffin tray inside the oven. Bake at 250°C for 20-22 minutes, or until the tops look cooked and firm. Test if done by inserting a fork or toothpick.
- Devour while hot!
