These Denver Omelet Egg Muffins are a classic Denver omelet in bite-sized form! They are loaded with ham, bell peppers, onions, and cheese for an easy, savory breakfast.
These breakfast egg muffins are perfect for busy mornings! Make ahead or freeze them, then just grab a couple, warm them up, and breakfast is ready in minutes. Kids LOVE it too, so bonus points!
Quick Look at the Recipe
- Prep Time: 15 mins, Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Total Time: 45 minutes
- Method: Baked
- Main Ingredients: Eggs, ham, bell peppers, onions
- Flavor Profile: Savory, soft and fluffy
- Ideal for: Breakfast, make ahead, freezer-friendly
Jump to:
Ingredients Notes
- Large eggs: To make 12 standard size egg muffins, you need about 8 large eggs.
- Heavy cream: This will help the eggs get extra tender and rich.
- Bell peppers and yellow onions: Diced. Our classic veggies for these Denver omelet egg muffins!
- Ham steak: Diced, about the same size as the peppers for even cooking.
- Cheddar cheese: I’d recommend freshly shredded (I use a box grated) so they melt better into the eggs, but store-bought pre-shredded is fine too.
- Butter for greasing the pan, salt and pepper
As always, ingredient quantities can be found in the recipe card down below.
Equipment: You’ll need a silicone 12-cup muffin pan. The best option is this silicone muffin pan, so the baked egg muffins pop right out and don’t stick. If using a metal pan, I’d recommend greasing the sides really well with butter. You also need a large baking sheet.
Substitutions and Variations
- Heavy cream: You can use half-and-half.
- Ham steak: Sliced ham works too. Also try it with bacon or sausage.
- Bell peppers: Use any color! Feel free to add some jalapeño peppers too for some heat.
- Cheese options: I use sharp cheddar, but white cheddar, gouda, Monterey jack, or Colby Kack are also great options.
- Veggie add-ins: Mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, green onions, diced tomatoes
How To Make These Breakfast Egg Muffins
- Whisk eggs: Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk the eggs and heavy cream, and season with salt and pepper. Tip: Try to incorporate some air as you whisk, but don’t overdo it. Too much air can actually make the egg bites deflate as they cool down.
- Assemble the toppings: Grab a 12-cup muffin pan, or grease a metal muffin tin with butter. Evenly distribute the diced ham, peppers, onions, cheese.
- Fill with the egg mixture: Pour the egg mixture into each tin until ¾ of the way full. If it’s too full it will spill, as eggs expand in the oven. Top with a little more cheese.
- Bake: Place the pan on a large baking sheet to catch any spills. Bake at 350°F for 18-20 minutes, or until set in the center. Let cool slightly, then run a knife around to remove. If you use a silicone pan, they should pop right off.
Tips for Success
- Fill the muffin pan only ¾ of the way. Eggs do expand, so if they are over-filled, they wil spill. I like to place a large sheet pan underneath just to be safe.
- I’d recommend using heavy cream for the eggs to set properly. Milk will be too watery and can make the egg muffins runny.
- For even filling distribution, add ingredients to the muffin pan before pouring in the egg mixture. Whisk in the eggs in a large measuring cup with a spout to make it easier to pour.
- For even more flavor, sauté the ham and veggies before adding the eggs.
- Prefer to make mini Denver omelet egg muffins? Use a 24-cup mini muffin pan and reduce the baking time to 13-16 minutes.
Make Ahead and Freezing Instructions
Make ahead: Once baked, let your Denver omelet egg muffins cool completely, then store in an airtight container or individual reusable bags. Refrigerate for up to 4-5 days.
Freezing: Let cool completely, then freeze them in a single layer on a baking sheet until solid. Transfer to a freezer-safe bag and freeze for up to 3 months. Freezing them individually first keeps them from sticking together, so you can grab just what you need.
Reheating: From the refrigerator, microwave for about 45-60 seconds or until warmed through. From frozen, microwave for about 1 to 2 minutes. Let them sit for a minute before eating, since the center can get very hot.
Recipe FAQs
That is normal. As the egg mixture heats up in the oven, it expands and rises, but will naturally settle as it cools since eggs don’t have much structure. To minimize this, avoid vigorously whisking the egg mixture, which can cause them muffins to rise too much and deflate more noticeably.
No, milk and half-and-half would make the eggs too runny. You need something thicker like heavy cream.
Grease the muffin pan really well with butter or use liners. Or even better, use a silicone pan – they will pop right off.
More Make Ahead Breakfast Ideas
Need more? Try my easy Breakfast Skillet! It’s also got ham, onions, and peppers like these Denver omelet breakfast egg muffins. For something sweet, try my Apple Crumb Muffins or Blueberry Peach Muffins.
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Denver Omelet Breakfast Egg Muffins
Ingredients
- 8 large eggs
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- Salt and pepper - to taste
- ½ cup diced yellow onions
- ½ cup diced red bell peppers
- ½ cup diced green bell peppers
- ½ cup diced ham steak
- 1 cup freshly shredded cheddar cheese - plus more for topping
- Butter - to grease the pan
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F. Grab a silicone 12-cup muffin pan, or generously grease a metal muffin pan with butter.
- Whisk eggs: In a large measuring cup with a spout, whisk the eggs with heavy cream until evenly combined. Season with salt and pepper, about ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon pepper, or to taste. Do not overmix.
- Assemble: Evenly distribute the onions, bell peppers, ham, and cheese into the muffin pan. Then, pour the egg mixture into each until only about ¾ of the way full. Sprinkle with more cheese on top. Note: If they are too full, they will spill over.
- Bake: Place the muffin pan on top of a large baking sheet to catch any spills. Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until set. Tip: Don't open the oven as they bake, as sudden temperature temperature drops can sometimes cause the eggs to collapse.
- Let cool for 10 minutes before serving. If using a silicone pan, they will pop right off. If using a metal pan, you may need to run a knife around the edges to release.
Notes
- Fill them only ¾ of the way through. If they are overfilled, the eggs will spill.
- Note that some deflation is expected. Eggs rise as they bake, but once they’re removed from the oven, they’ll naturally settle as they cool. For a more even rise, whisk the eggs just until well combined rather than beating them vigorously, which can incorporate too much air and cause them to puff up too much and sink more actually.
- Make ahead and reheating: Cool completely. Store in an airtight container for 4-5 days. Reheat in the microwave oven for 45-60 seconds.
- Freeze: Flash-freeze in a single layer on a tray, then transfer to a freezer bag for up to 3 months. Microwave from frozen, 1-2 minutes.
- Proteins: Bacon, sausage, or sliced deli ham.
- Cheeses: Gouda, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, Colby Jack, Mozzarella, or white cheddar.
- Veggie add-ins: Mushrooms, spinach, zucchini, broccoli, green onions, or tomatoes.
- Mini muffins: Use a 24-cup mini pan and bake for 13-16 minutes instead.
Susan says
Delicious. Will for sure make again
Rose says
Your recipe is a little confusing. Under equipment it shows a standard 12 cup muffin pan. In your directions, it says to use a 6 cup pan. I read your entire article and it does not say to use a 6 cup jumbo pan anywhere except under comments made on June 17, 2019. So which pan should I use?
Tania says
Hi Rose! You can use either. I’ll update the recipe to clear the confusion, thanks for pointing that out.
Peggy says
Can you make up the night before and bake in the morning.
Jenny says
These look delicious, but I am allergic to dairy…. Can I add a little water and eliminate the dairy? I use water to make fluffy scrambled eggs.
Tania says
Hi Jenny! Yes, you can definitely do that!
Cathy says
Can these be frozen and reheated?
Tania says
Yes, reheat in the microwave oven for about 60-90 seconds or until heated through.
Kitty says
HOLY DELICIOUS BATMAN!! Ive made egg muffins before and they were always “meh” These are amazing and super delicious! Made these for meal prep for breakfast at work. They reheat nicely. I used swiss in the mixture and topped them with cheddar. They puff up beautifully, but don’t get too attached. They don’t stay pretty and puffy. They settle as they cool. Next time i will prob use greased silicone cupcake liners, as these stuck in my pan. No big deal. Easy fix. Give them a try!
Linda Vandivort says
I wonder if you could put some frozen hash browns in the bottom with a little butter and bake them first until lightly crispy and then add the omelette mixture and bake for the original allotted time! I like the idea of a all in one breakfast and possibly making a pan of 12 a bit bigger sized!? Just a thought!!!
Tania says
That is such a wonderful and creative idea, Linda! I think I’m going to try it this weekend!!
Nicole says
Can you freeze these egg muffins
Tania says
Yes! Wait for them to cool down completely and freeze in freezer-friendly bags or containers for up to 2 months. You can reheat them in the microwave until warmed up in the center. Split them in half halfway through microwaving if necessary for better heat circulation.
Lori says
Can I use muffin cups, or will they stick?
Tania says
Hi Lori, you can use muffin cups!
T says
Super tasty Tania Thank you for this recipe. It is a keeper!!
Tania says
Thank you so much, T! So glad you loved it!
Briana says
Can I do this recipe in an 8 count pan?
Tania says
Hi Briana, it depends on the size of pan (standard muffins vs large/jumbo muffins). This recipe yields 6 large/jumbo sized muffins, but you can use a standard size muffin pan (they are usually 12 count pans) so you’ll end up with more than 6, but smaller, omelet muffins. I hope you like these! 🙂
Dj says
I used a regular muffin pan. Filled them 2/3 full and ended up with 11 muffins. These were amazing! I adjusted ingredients a bit. I used 1/4 cup each of red, green, yellow and red peppers. I didn’t have yellow onion so I used red. I also used bacon as I had a bunch left over that needed yo get used up. I sautéed all the veggies for about 5 minutes enough to soften them up a bit. Then I input a scoop of veggies in each muffin cup and then poured egg mixture on top. Turned out perfectly! Im goikg to try freezing these to have after I have surgery.
Sarah says
Can’t wait to try this!
Tania says
yay! let me know how they turn out 🙂 🙂 🙂
Nad says
Everything was excellent, but how can we prevent them from collapsing and help them retain their shape and poofyness?
Matt says
These were so good! Such a great breakfast idea.
Tania says
🙂