Low‑carb egg muffins
Savoury, grab‑and‑go egg muffins packed with bacon, spinach and cheddar — low in carbs, high in flavour and perfect for breakfast or lunch.
These low‑carb egg muffins are the kind of thing you can make on a Sunday and eat all week — warm on the go or cold from the fridge. They’re packed with bacon, spinach and mature cheddar so they feel indulgent without the carbs.
Make them in a 12‑hole tin for easy portioning; they freeze beautifully and reheat in a minute or two in the microwave for a speedy breakfast that won’t spike your carbs.
Ingredients
- 10 eggs
- 120 ml double cream
- 5 ml salt
- 5 ml black pepper — freshly ground
- 15 ml olive oil
- 150 g streaky bacon — roughly chopped
- 100 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 1 red pepper — deseeded and diced
- 100 g baby spinach — roughly chopped if large
- 100 g mature cheddar — grated
- 15 g fresh chives — finely chopped, for garnish
Equipment
- 12-hole muffin tin
- cooling rack
- measuring jug
Instructions
Heat the oven to 180°C fan/200°C conventional. Lightly brush a 12‑hole muffin tin with a little olive oil to grease the cases.
Warm a frying pan over medium heat. Add the streaky bacon and fry, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are golden and starting to crisp, 6–8 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon to a bowl.
Using the same pan and bacon fat, add the chestnut mushrooms and diced red pepper. Cook until the mushrooms are softened and the pepper has lost its raw edge, about 4–5 minutes.
Add the baby spinach to the pan and wilt it through for 1–2 minutes, then remove the veg mix to the bowl with the bacon and leave to cool for 2 minutes.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk the eggs with the double cream, salt and black pepper until evenly combined and slightly frothy, about 1 minute.
Stir the cooled bacon and veg into the egg mixture, then fold in the grated mature cheddar so everything is evenly distributed.
Divide the mixture between the 12 muffin cases (fill each to about three quarters). Tap the tin gently on the worktop to settle the mix so there are no large air pockets.
Bake on the middle shelf for 20 minutes until the tops are golden and the centres are just set. Do not overbake or they will become rubbery.
Leave the muffins to rest in the tin for 5 minutes, then turn them out onto a cooling rack.
Scatter the chopped fresh chives over the warm muffins and serve, or cool completely and store.
Tips
- If you want vegetarian muffins, swap the bacon for halved cherry tomatoes or roasted red pepper strips — they keep the flavour but change the texture.
- Make ahead: bake, cool completely, then freeze in a single layer on a tray. Once frozen, transfer to a bag and reheat from frozen for 90 seconds in the microwave.
- Don’t overcook — take them out when the centres are just set; they’ll continue to firm up while resting in the tin.
- Use a metal 12‑hole muffin tin for even cooking; paper cases can make the sides soggy, so brush the tin with oil for easier removal.
- If your mushrooms release a lot of liquid, drain them briefly before adding to the eggs to avoid watery muffins.
Substitutions
streaky bacon → smoked salmon, same weight
Noticeably differentdouble cream → unsweetened almond milk, 150 ml
Noticeably differentmature cheddar → grated mozzarella, same weight
Stays closebaby spinach → softly shredded kale, 100 g (remove any tough stalks)
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 224
- Calories
- 11 g
- Protein
- 2 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 2 g
- Sugar
- 450 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I freeze these?
Yes — cool completely, freeze on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag. Reheat from frozen for about 90–120 seconds in the microwave.
How long will they keep in the fridge?
Stored in an airtight container they keep for up to 4 days; reheat in the microwave or eat cold.
Can I make smaller or larger portions?
Yes — adjust the bake time. Smaller (fairy) tins will take less time (watch from 12 minutes), deeper ramekins will take longer.
Can I make these dairy‑free?
Replace the double cream with unsweetened almond milk and swap the cheddar for a dairy‑free grated cheese; texture and flavour will be slightly different.
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