Make these High Protein Egg Bars for your next meal prep! They're pizza flavoured, packed with nutrients and super delicious.
You wanted more savory meal prep breakfast ideas and I got you.
My inspiration behind these egg bars came from everyone's favourite food: pizza! The spices and mix ins are reminiscent of pizza, while offering a high protein option that can be enjoyed on the go for breakfast. Equal parts nourishing and delicious.
This recipe is a crossover between my spinach feta egg cups and a breakfast casserole, two of my popular recipes. I hope these egg bars will be a hit with your family like they are with mine.
Why This Recipe Is Dietitian Approved
- Savory meal prep. I love my overnight oats and chia puddings, but I understand that many of you love a savory breakfast. These egg bars are also amazing for meal prep and store well throughout the week.
- High protein. Research shows that eating a high protein breakfast can help with appetite and satiety throughout the day. One egg bar has 18g of protein, making it a high protein option for breakfast.
- Customizable. You can add whatever veggies you have on hand into these egg bars.
Ingredients
Eggs. Eggs are a great source of complete protein and other key nutrients like choline, iron and vitamin D. I have not tested this recipe using just egg white, but if you decide to try, please let me know how they turn out.
Cottage cheese. Big surprise, I’m using cottage cheese in a recipe again! The cottage cheese is a great way to boost the protein in these egg bars while also adding in a nice cheesy taste. Any fat percentage will work, but I usually opt for a lower fat option like 0% or 2%.
Flour. I chose all purpose flour because it's the most readily available in most households and I wanted this recipe to be very accessible. You can also use whole wheat baking flour or almond flour if you prefer.
Flax seed. For a boost of protein and fiber. I recommend purchasing whole flax seeds and grinding them yourself in the blender for the freshest option.
Vegetables. These are totally your choice! I personally like using spinach and red bell peppers for a pizza-inspired egg bake. Both fresh or frozen vegetables work, just make sure you defrost the frozen veggies first.
Cheese. Mozzarella or cheddar cheese both work great!
Sausage. This is totally optional, but I find the sausage adds more protein while making these a bit more filling. I usually opt for turkey breakfast sausages, though any meat of choice will work.
Spices. Italian spice blend, onion powder, salt and black pepper are the only spices you are going to need for this recipe.
The complete ingredient list with measurements can be found in the recipe card below.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
- Cook turkey sausages until fully cooked and no longer pink in colour, set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together eggs and cottage cheese.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, ground flax seed, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, whisking to combine.
- Stir in the spinach and bell pepper and 1 cup of cheese. Pour batter into the baking dish, top with remaining ½ cup of cheese and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the tray comes out clean.
- Slice into 9 equal sized bars and enjoy!
Substitutions and Variations
To make gluten-free: use a gluten free 1:1 flour such as this one.
To make dairy-free: I don’t recommend leaving the cottage cheese out of this recipe as it will affect the ratio of wet to dry ingredients!. If you would like to experiment, you could try using a thick dairy-free yogurt alternative.
To make vegetarian: use a vegetarian meat alternative or omit the sausage.
To make nut-free: this recipe is naturally nut-free.
Missing ingredients? Try these:
- Flour: I have not tested this recipe using any other flour other than whole wheat baking flour, gluten free flour and all purpose however if you decide to try with oat flour or almond flour please let me know your results.
- Sausage: any ground meat, cooked cured meats (such as ham) or even shredded chicken will work well. The meat can also easily be omitted from this recipe.
- Mix-ins: get creative! I love a Mediterranean style bar (sun-dried tomatoes, spinach, feta) and a classic breakfast bar (diced potato, bacon, cheese)
Equipment
- Mixing bowl
- 9x9 inch baking pan
Storage
Egg bars can be stored in an airtight container or bag in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
When freezing, I recommend separating layers with parchment paper to avoid having the bars stick together. To reheat, allow to defrost in the fridge overnight or microwave using the defrost function for about 2 minutes
Top Tips for Success
Allow the sausages to cool before adding them to the batter. Adding them warm will cause the cottage cheese to melt and decrease the stability of the egg bake.
I do not recommend blending the cottage cheese before adding it to the eggs. Blending the cottage cheese will result in a much more liquid batter.
The size of your pan will affect the cook time, using a smaller pan such as an 8x8 pan will result in thicker bars which require an increased cook time. A larger pan will result in thinner bars, requiring a shorter cook time.
Frequently Asked Questions
No, the curds melt as it bakes.
Everyone is different and has different needs! I typically like to pair mine with some fruit for additional fiber. Some great options are kiwi or raspberries.
Yes, however please defrost them and drain them of excess moisture before adding.
More Savory Breakfast Recipes
Try these breakfasts next if you loved these egg bars:
- Chorizo, Egg & Green Chili Breakfast Casserole
- Blueberry Sausage Air Fryer Breakfast Patties
- Savory Cottage Cheese Breakfast Muffins
- Breakfast Protein Biscuits
See you in the kitchen!
PS. I love seeing my recipes in action! If you decide to make these high protein egg bars, don't forget to snap a photo and tag me on Instagram- @nourishedbynic or leave a comment and rating below letting me know how you liked it!
📖 Recipe
High Protein Egg Bars
Ingredients
- 1 lb turkey sausages cooked and sliced thinly
- 6 eggs
- 1 cup 2% cottage cheese
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ cup ground flaxseed see notes below
- 1 teaspoon italian seasoning blend
- ½ teaspoon onion powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup spinach chopped
- ½ cup red bell pepper diced
- 1.5 cups cheddar or mozzarella cheese shredded
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350F and prepare a 9x9 inch square baking pan.
- Cook turkey sausages until fully cooked and no longer pink in colour, set aside to cool.
- In a large mixing bowl whisk together eggs and cottage cheese.
- In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, ground flax seed, Italian seasoning, onion powder, salt and black pepper.
- Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients, whisking to combine.
- Stir in the spinach, cooked sausage and bell pepper and 1 cup of cheese. Pour batter into the baking dish, top with remaining ½ cup of cheese and bake for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the tray comes out clean.
- Slice into 9 equal sized bars and enjoy!
Cassie says
Easy, delicious, and healthy! I make these all the time.
Alana says
These are great for meal prep, make them on a Sunday and easy to grab for breakfast all week! I also freeze them and can bring them in my lunch anytime! I love that you can put any ingredients in too!