If you like an all-american breakfast of eggs, bacon, and hash browns, then you’re going to love these easy egg breakfast muffins with a hash brown crust! They’re great for a quick breakfast or to feed a large group at brunch! And simple enough that you can make them ahead and eat them all week long!
Easy Breakfast Muffins with a Hash Brown Crust
I’ll be honest, I hate making breakfast. I love eating breakfast, but I hate making it. It just seems like it gets in the way of starting your day.
I’d much rather sleep in for a few more minutes and have a breakfast I can just pop in the microwave (like these bacon and egg breakfast rolls) and eat on my way to doing bigger and better things.
These breakfast egg muffins are just that. Make them once on Sunday and eat them all week long. And they’re good enough that I don’t even get sick of eating them, which seems to happen with food for me a lot when I eat it over and over again.
They’re also one of my go-to recipes anytime I’m hosting a brunch. These and this sausage breakfast casserole.
And a baby shower and let’s be realistic, anytime I can get away with making them. Because who wouldn’t love hash brown muffin cups for breakfast!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Hash brown crust – unlike so many other breakfast muffins out there, this one starts with a nice hash brown crust! You crisp it up in the oven before adding the egg mixture on top!
- Reheat great – like I mentioned above, these are great to make ahead of time then reheat when you wan to eat them!
Super easy – this recipe really couldn’t be any easier, as long as you don’t forget to take them out of the oven! - Versatile – while I have this recipe written with bacon bits, you could totally change it up and use ham or sausage inside of them instead!
Ingredients
Ingredient Notes
- Bacon – make sure it’s cooked bacon, and ideally you want it to be somewhat crispy!
- Cheese – I like to use shredded Mexican blend cheese but if you’d prefer something else like shredded cheddar instead, that’s fine as well!
- Hash browns – this is best made with fresh hash browns (that you can find in the refrigerated section) but you could also just shred your own fresh potatoes. Or if you’re in a pinch, frozen hash browns will work as well – just make sure to thaw them first and drain them so you don’t end up with a bunch of extra liquid.
How to Make the Breakfast Muffins
I told you these are really simple to make, and I promise it’s true! Get all of your ingredients together first. I can’t even begin to tell you how many times I’ve gotten 3/4 of the way through a recipe only to realize I’m missing a key ingredient, one of the only ones you can’t find a substitute for.
I used Simply Potatoes hash brown potatoes in my recipe, but you could really use any as long as they’re fresh and not frozen. If they’re frozen, just make sure to thaw and strain them first or the mixture will be too wet.
1 – Make the Hash Brown Crusts
Once you have all of your ingredients, make your hash brown potato mixture.
Spray a muffin tin with a non-stick baking spray.
Start by mixing the hash browns, one egg, oil, cheese, salt, pepper, garlic, paprika, and parsley together in a large bowl until the hash browns are all coated nicely.
Once it’s all mixed up, use a spoon to divide the hash brown mixture among the muffin tins to make the crust of the breakfast muffins.
Use the back of a spoon or I personally use the back of a 1/4 cup measuring cup (so it’s flat), to press the hash browns down gently into the pan. This presses them together, forming the crust.
Pop those babies in the oven for a few minutes to let them crisp up slightly. They will not be super crispy (and you don’t want them to be), but they will have solidified into a crust. This will keep the egg mixture from just going straight to the bottom of the breakfast muffins.
2 – make the breakfast muffins
While the hash brown crust is baking, mix up your egg mixture by combining the rest of the ingredients, including the cooked bacon, in a large bowl. I recommend using a whisk to make sure all of the eggs get beaten well.
Once the hash browns are done, divide the egg mixture evenly on top of the hash brown crusts – filling them about 3/4 full.
Tip!
Make sure to scoop all the way to the bottom of the mixture every time you’re scooping in the egg mixture. The larger things like the pieces of bacon tend to sink to the bottom and you want to get some of that in every once of the breakfast muffins!
Bake the breakfast muffins for another 10-15 minutes or until the eggs are fully cooked. And with eggs, I tend to err on the side of overcooked compared to runny undercooked eggs!
You’ll know they’re cooked if you jiggle the pan (still in the oven) and the eggs are set and don’t jiggle.
Remove from the oven and let cool in the muffin tins for a few minutes before using a silicone spatula to gently slide the breakfast muffins out.
Serve warm or let cool for a few more minutes before eating.
Expert Tips
Double the batch and freeze half. To reheat from frozen, simply put them in the cold oven and set it to 350 degrees. Let the egg muffins thaw and heat with the oven!
Mix it up and try using chopped ham, cooked breakfast sausage, or even leaving out the additional meat all together. These are super versatile and great for making your family’s favorite breakfast!
Use silicone muffin tins to make it super easy to get the breakfast muffins out of the pan! Sometimes non-stick (even when you spray them) muffin tins can get stuck, silicone ones work great every time!
Recipe FAQs
These egg muffins are just eggs, potatoes, milk, cheese, and the added meat of your choice. They’re a great protein heavy breakfast option!
Just like with any egg dish, refrigerate any leftovers! Refrigerate in an airtight container and you can enjoy these for up to five days or freeze!
More Easy Breakfast Recipes
- Banana choc chip muffins – this is the best banana muffin recipe ever! The perfect way to use leftover bananas!
- Pineapple bread – this may be more of a dessert than a breakfast recipe, but I enjoy it for breakfast! A bread that’ll make you want to be in the tropics!
- Bacon cinnamon rolls – a salty version of a classic favorite!
- Homemade sausage gravy – the ultimate southern breakfast food, perfect with homemade biscuits!
- French toast casserole with cream cheese – a perfect make ahead breakfast for a crowd!
Easy Breakfast Muffins with a Hash Brown Crust
Ingredients
For the hash brown crust:
- 1 20 oz shredded hash browns (or frozen, thawed and strained)
- 1 egg
- ⅓ cup shredded Mexican blend cheese
- ½ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp pepper
- 1 tsp dried parsley
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- ¼ tsp smoked paprika
- 1 Tsp olive oil
For the egg mixture:
- 12 eggs
- ½ cup milk
- 1 cup shredded Mexican blend (or your other favorite) cheese
- 12 slices crispy bacon cut up into bite-size pieces
- ¾ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- 1 ½ tsp dried parsley
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
- Spray two 12 cup muffin tins with non-stick baking spray.
For the hash brown crust:
- Mix entire bag of hash browns with egg, oil, cheese, salt, pepper, minced garlic, paprika, and parsley in large bowl until seasonings are well combined.1 20 oz shredded hash browns, 1 egg, 1/3 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, 1 tsp dried parsley, 3 cloves minced garlic, 1/4 tsp smoked paprika, 1 Tsp olive oil
- Split hash brown mixture evenly among the 24 baking cups then pat it down with the back of a cup or other round container that fits into the muffin tins.
- Bake hash brown crust in the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until it gets slightly browned and crispy.
For Egg Mixture:
- While crust is cooking, mix eggs, milk, cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, and bacon in a large bowl.12 eggs, 1/2 cup milk, 1 cup shredded Mexican blend, 12 slices crispy bacon, 3/4 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- Once hash brown crust is slightly browned, split the egg mixture evenly on top of the hash browns in the muffin tins, filling to about 3/4 full.
- Bake in the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until eggs are fully cooked.
- Remove from oven and let cool for a few minutes before removing from the muffin tins by sliding a silicone spatula around the outside of the cups.
- Serve hot or at room temperature.
Tips & Notes:
Nutrition Info
Update: This post was originally published in 2018. The recipe remains the same but the photos have been updated since. Below is an example of the original photos for reference.
Ale says
What temperature are you supposed to bake these at?????
BritniV says
The recipe at the bottom of the post specifically says 400 degrees. Hope you enjoy!
ale says
sorry, that was super hard to find on my phone/pinterest! thank you!
Michelle M. says
I was thinking of making for my family for breakfast this week. Can I just keep in fridge and pop in microwave to reheat?
BritniV says
Definitely Michelle, I do it all the time!
Delma says
Can this be done as a casserole and made the night before? Would all the eggs be put in over the hash browns?
BritniV says
I’ve never made it as a casserole but it should work okay. And you can do it the night before, but it definitely tastes better fresh. I’d put everything together and cook it the morning of if possible.
Heather says
Have you ever made them up the night before & then put them in the crockpot the next morning on warm to serve them for a big brunch?
BritniV says
I haven’t. I typically make the mixture the night before (you could even crisp up the hash browns if you want) and then just bake them the morning of.
Rhonda says
Hi Britni – have you made these without cheese? Any recommended recipe modifications? Have friend visiting who can’t do cheese. Thx!
BritniV says
I haven’t ever tried it without cheese, sorry!
Melania says
Made as ingredients listed with 24 count. Nutritional information per muffin: 226 calories, 15.5 g fat, 90 mg cholesterol, 714 mg sodium, 284 mg potassium, 9.1 g carbohydrates, 0.8 g fiber, 0.7 g sugar, 11.8 g protein.
Suggestions: For those that struggle to get it evenly into 24 cups or want a consistent calorie count. Mix hash browns per instructions. Weigh on scale and divide ounces by 24. Clear scale and measure out to evenly fill out each cup. Do the same thing for the bacon (do not mix with eggs). Mix the eggs as per instructions. Weigh egg mixture same as before. Measure out each portion per cup. NOTE: depending on size of the eggs will yield different volumes. Note the ounces so if your a little short you will know to add an egg next time.
Want to save a few calories. Omit the oil and just spray or mist the top of the hash browns with oil. Used turkey bacon and/or less cheese. We also sub the milk for cashew milk. By using turkey and cashew milk drops the calories to 137, 7 g fat, 80 cholesterol, 391 sodium, 163 potassium, 8 g protein.
Sorry we agreed the original recipe is a little bland. But if your cooking for kids probably just right. Variations: caramelized onions, garlic, sauté mushrooms, bell peppers, jalapenos, dill weed, tarragon, parsley and chives, or thyme. Serve with fruit or small dollop of sour cream, avocado, or salsa. I’ve omitted the bacon and made little piles of sausage or ham with the cheese just in the middle. Like a “nest” surprise. Try different cheese or think themes like Mexican or Italian etc.
One or two for serving suggestions. When I need to feed LARGE usually male appetites I serve them with biscuits and gravy.
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Haven’t had a chance to freeze them yet because theirs never any left. But my grandmother froze eggs all the time. We had chickens growing up and you never knew if you were going to have 30 eggs one day or 5. When in abundance we traded eggs with neighbors and what was left she scrambled and froze in small portions. Technically frozen eggs should be good for about three months but I would eat it within a month. If making large batches to freeze undercook the eggs a little. If just freezing left overs pop them in the freezer. Once frozen wrap in saran wrap a couple times and put them in a freezer container or zip lock bag. Reheat in the microwave.
BritniV says
Thank you for all of these suggestions and details Melania! I actually just updated the recipe to address some of the comments like adding more flavor, etc. I’d love to hear what you think if you make them again!
Kelley says
These look delicious, I was looking at making them for my MOPS group when my husband saw them and asked me to make extra for him. 🙂 Can’t wait to try them, thank you for the recipe. Happy New Year
Missy says
I made this this evening, and found the proportions to be way off :-\ Your original instructions state to spray 12 muffin tins, but later, you go on to say “Split hash brown mixture evenly among the 24 baking cups” – while I was very confused, the potatoes were plenty to cover 24 muffin cups – however, the egg mixture was only enough to get me to 16 muffin cups. Especially disappointing when trying to figure out how to gauge points in Weight Watchers when I now have a very unbalanced Brinner on my hands. I’m sure they’ll taste glorious – but the measurements seem to be a pinch off…
BritniV says
Thanks again for your input Missy, I just updated the recipe to address a couple of the comments – added more flavor to the hash brown crust and changed the egg proportion. I’d love to hear what you think if you make them again!
Barb Kindon says
the recipe I first saw said 2 12 muffin size pans (took me a sec to make that 24 a few minutes later when reading the rest, but it DID say – also – I made these using left over fast food hash browns that were donated to a food pantry – already brown I just mushed them into the bottom of the tins and heated them up (obviously they were already cooked too) good way for those of us living on a shoe string and someone else’s left overs to serve up something fun and yummy – I had cheese and eggs so we were good to go! but tell me about doing this once and using for a week… store in fridge…In pans?? reheat??? how!! thanks!
BritniV says
I typically cook them all on Sunday and just keep them in the fridge in an airtight container. When I’m ready to eat one, I pop them in the microwave for like 20-30 seconds (or until warm depending on your microwave) and eat.
Lori says
Hi! Are these regular size muffins or mini muffin size?
BritniV says
They are regular size Lori!
Tessa says
These turned out great! I made them for my 9 month old and he loves them. I used frozen hashbrowns and added sausage, onion and green pepper! Thanks for the recipe!
BritniV says
Sounds yummy Tessa, glad he liked them!
Hannah says
Do you put the hashbrowns in the pan frozen?
BritniV says
Hannah – The hash browns I used are actually refrigerated hash browns and I put them in pretty much directly from the refrigerator. If you’re going to use frozen hash browns, I would recommend thawing them before you put them in the muffin tins.
Hannah says
Thank you! What a fast reply 🙂 I can’t wait to try these! I’m having some ladies over for a brunch and this looks perfect.
Steph says
I’m excited to try these, but I’m the only one in my house that will eats eggs. Do you have any freezing and reheating suggestions? I’d love to make them and freeze half, perhaps even reheating 1 at a time before heading off to work on bust mornings? Thanks!
BritniV says
I’ve never actually tried freezing them Steph but if you do, let me know how it goes!
Smitty says
An ex of mine made these for camping and froze them before we left for our camping trip and they turned out well.
BritniV says
Thanks, glad you enjoyed them!
Mary says
i was wondering if you have ever made the mix up the night before and then cooked it the next morning?
BritniV says
I haven’t Mary but you definitely could. I would recommend doing the hash brown part the morning of though. The egg mixture you could definitely mix the night before and just add it in the morning.
Megan says
Do you have a recommended serving size? Also, nutritional info? These look really yummy and I am going to make them for the kids/hubby for breakfast!
Francie says
I want to make these for a wedding shower brunch, if I make them the morning of how can I keep them warm for the shower later on, the shower doesn’t start until 11am?
BritniV says
I typically just warm them back up quickly before serving but you could possibly keep them in the warm setting on the oven (like 200 or something). Let me know how it goes if you try it!
Jeanne Jacobs says
Made these for church . Original recipe was a little bland so added finely chopped onion and red pepper and more seasoning … these disappeared very quickly. I am looking forward to making them again with different combinations.
BritniV says
I’m sorry you thought they were bland Jeanne, definitely understand that everyone has different tastes. I would love to hear what combinations you make!
BritniV says
Thanks again for your input Jeanne, I just updated the recipe to address a couple of the comments – added more flavor to the hash brown crust and changed the egg proportion. I’d love to hear what you think if you make them again!
Chelsea says
Yum! These look delicious and I love that they will last for a few days! We are always looking for fast breakfasts for my husband since he leaves early in the mornings. Thanks, Britni!