Bacon, Egg & Cheese Cups
Crisp bacon rings baked in a muffin tin around melty cheddar and a whole egg. They're a bacon, egg and cheese sandwich without the bread, and they're easy to make by the dozen.
Nutrition per serving
2 cups- Net carbs
- 1.6g
- Calories
- 294kcal
- Protein
- 23g
- Fat
- 21g
- Total carbs
- 1.6 g
- Fiber
- 0 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central values for each ingredient (optional ingredients excluded). Brands vary — check your labels if you track closely.
Ingredients
Ham & Swiss cups: Thin slices of deli ham form the cups instead of bacon, with Swiss cheese inside. No par-baking is needed, so they are quicker to put together.
- Skip the bacon par-bake. Heat the oven to 375°F (190°C), grease the tin and press one ham slice into each cup, letting the edges ruffle above the rim.
- Fill and bake for the same times as the bacon version.
Jalapeño popper: Cream cheese and diced jalapeño under each egg turn these into a jalapeño popper you can eat for breakfast.
- Stir the jalapeño into the softened cream cheese and put a heaping teaspoon of the mixture in each bacon-lined cup before cracking in the egg.
- Leave the seeds and ribs in one jalapeño if you like them hot.
Dairy-free with spinach: A small nest of wilted spinach replaces the cheddar under each egg, keeping the cups dairy-free and adding some greens.
- Wilt the spinach in a dry skillet for 1–2 minutes, squeeze out the liquid and chop it. Put a little in each bacon cup in place of the cheese, then add the egg.
- Nice to have (optional)
- Nice to have (optional)
- Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
-
¾ cup cheddar cheeseleave out - Also add
- Nice to have (optional)
Estimated cost $5.15 for 6 servings ($0.86 each) · how we estimate
Instructions
-
Heat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Lay the bacon on a rimmed baking sheet and bake 6–8 minutes, until it's starting to render but still soft and bendable. Drain on paper towels.
-
Lower the oven to 375°F (190°C). Grease a 12-cup muffin tin and line each cup with a slice of bacon, curling it around the sides to form a ring.
-
Drop a tablespoon of cheddar into each cup, then crack in an egg. Season with salt and pepper.
-
Bake 13–15 minutes for set whites and soft yolks, or 17–20 minutes for firm yolks (best if you're making them ahead).
-
Cool 3 minutes, then lift out with a small offset spatula or spoon and sprinkle with chives.
Tips for success
-
Par-baking the bacon is the key step. Raw bacon is still flabby and greasy by the time the eggs are done. - If your eggs are extra-large, whisk them with the cheese and divide evenly instead of cracking them in whole, so the cups don't overflow.
- Make a quick benedict by spooning a little blender hollandaise over each cup.
Nice to have, not needed
- A small offset spatula lifts the cups out cleanly — a spoon works too.
Storage & meal prepMeal-prep friendly
- Keeps 4 days in the fridge
- Doesn’t freeze well
Reheat: Microwave 30–45 seconds, or warm at 350°F (175°C) for about 8 minutes.
Prep tip: Bake the firm-yolk version for meal prep; runny yolks overcook when you reheat them.
Refrigerate up to 4 days and reheat 30–45 seconds in the microwave. The firm-yolk version reheats best.
Variations
3 variations, each with its own ingredients and macrosHam & Swiss cups
ProteinThin slices of deli ham form the cups instead of bacon, with Swiss cheese inside. No par-baking is needed, so they are quicker to put together.
- bacon → thin deli ham slices
- cheddar cheese → Swiss cheese
1.6 g net · 245 kcal · 21 g protein · 16 g fat · ≈$0.96 per serving (same net carbs as the original)
Jalapeño popper
FlavorCream cheese and diced jalapeño under each egg turn these into a jalapeño popper you can eat for breakfast.
- cheddar cheese → cream cheese
- + 2 jalapeños
2 g net · 288 kcal · 20 g protein · 21 g fat · ≈$0.85 per serving (+0.4 g net carbs vs the original)
Dairy-free with spinach
DietA small nest of wilted spinach replaces the cheddar under each egg, keeping the cups dairy-free and adding some greens.
- + 2 cups baby spinach
- no cheddar cheese
1.2 g net · 239 kcal · 20 g protein · 17 g fat · ≈$0.78 per serving (−0.4 g net carbs vs the original)
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