Sausage Egg Muffins

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for my egg and sausage muffins, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

• Ground Italian Sausage – This is my personal fave, but you can also use regular pork sausage, turkey sausage, chicken sausage, or breakfast sausage. Just make sure that it’s raw and ground, or remove the casings from raw sausage links. You can even throw in some cooked bacon if you like!
• Eggs – I used whole, large eggs to develop these sausage egg cheese muffins. You could use only egg whites for more protein, but they’ll be more dense. The ratio is 2.5 egg whites to replace each whole egg.
• Shredded Cheese – Cheddar cheese pairs nicely with the sausage. Feel free to swap in other cheeses, such as pepper jack or mozzarella.
• Milk Or Cream – I like the rich flavor and texture I get from heavy cream here, but lately I’ve been using half and half to make the sausage egg muffins a little lighter. You can use any milk of your choice, including regular milk or alternates like almond milk, coconut milk, even hemp milk. Just choose unsweetened, unflavored milk so your muffins stay savory.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

How To Make Sausage Egg Muffins

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions, including amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Brown the sausage. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook the ground sausage until browned and cooked through. I break it apart with a wooden spatula as I go, then drain off any pooled grease.
2. Make the egg base. In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk or cream, salt, and pepper.

3. Fill the muffin cups. Line a muffin tin with parchment or silicone muffin liners (or spray with cooking spray if you prefer). Divide the cooked sausage evenly into the cups. Sprinkle each with the shredded cheese. Pour the egg mixture over the sausage and cheese.

4. Bake. Place the sausage egg muffins in the oven and bake until the eggs are set in the centers, with no liquid egg remaining. I garnished mine with a little fresh parsley.

Why Sausage Egg Muffins Deflate & How To Fix It

It’s normal for sausage egg muffins to deflate a bit! The air bubbles in the whisked eggs expand when they bake and contract as they cool. You won’t keep every bit of that oven puff, but here’s how I help them shrink less:

• Whisk until combined, not foamy. Beating in lots of air makes the muffins puff more in the oven, but it also gives them farther to fall as they cool.
• Let them cool briefly in the pan. If I’m making them for meal prep, I find that keeping them in the pan briefly helps them shrink less. Once they’re easy to handle, I move them out of the pan and liners, so the bottoms don’t stay damp.
• Want to reduce the deflating effect? Use a water bath! This is easier than it sounds. Place a large, rimmed baking sheet that your muffin tin fits inside on the middle oven rack before preheating. Add water halfway up the baking sheet’s sides, then preheat as usual. When you’re ready to bake, place your muffin tin into the water. The gentler heat helps reduce shrinking, but the muffins can take longer to bake. Check that the eggs are set all the way through, since the tops can look done before the bottoms are.
• Using cream deflates less than milk. Because milk is lighter, it causes the sausage egg muffins to puff up more and then deflate more, whereas cream has less water and helps them keep their structure.

Recipe Variations

I made my sausage egg muffins recipe super simple, but there are endless ways you can customize them. I originally just tried add-ins, but a few of you have asked about mini muffin and air fryer options so I added them as well:

• Veggies – When I want to add some, I use only half the sausage and add 1 cup of cooked vegetables. This keeps the right ratio between the fillings, egg, and cheese. This is a great way to use up your leftover roasted broccoli, roasted cauliflower, or sauteed mushrooms! Just chop them into smaller pieces and add them to the sausage after cooking it. You can also saute some fresh spinach, onions, or bell peppers pretty quickly if you don’t have any cooked veggies lying around. I drain the cooked vegetables well and squeeze any excess moisture from the spinach before adding it, so the muffins don’t turn watery.
• Seasonings – Garlic powder and onion powder make nice additions (that even my kids like).
• Fresh herbs – Feel free to throw in 1-2 tablespoons of fresh parsley, chives, or thyme. If you opt for dried herbs, use 1-2 teaspoons instead. Sliced green onions also work well.
• Mini muffins – Use a mini muffin tin (this is my favorite) instead of a full-sized one. You’ll make double the number of sausage egg muffins, so just use half the amounts in each well but the total recipe stays the same. The baking time is usually 10-12 minutes for me, but I recommend checking if the eggs are set starting at 8 minutes.
• Air fry – Lightly grease individual silicone muffin cups and arrange them in the air fryer. (You can place them directly in the basket, but I try to make it fairly full so that they help each other stay up.) Add the cooked sausage, cheese, and egg mixture, filling each cup about 3/4 full. Air fry at 300 degrees F for 12-15 minutes, until the centers are set with no liquid egg remaining.

You can see more of my variations in my main egg muffins post.

Make Ahead Options

Easy meal prep is the #1 reason I make these! Here are a few ways you can do that:

• Meal prep & store: Keep your sausage egg muffins in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Let them cool before packing them up, so condensation doesn’t make them soggy.
• Prep ahead: Feel free to assemble these in the pan the night before, refrigerate covered in plastic wrap, and then bake fresh in the morning. Sometimes I have to stir them a little before baking (if it seems like everything settled) and the baking time is usually a little longer with the cold pan.
• Reheat: The texture of these sausage egg muffins is best if you reheat them in the oven (at 350 degrees F). But let’s be real, these are a quick grab-and-go breakfast, so I microwave them all the time. Use 50% power in short intervals, so they don’t get dry and rubbery.
• Freeze: They freeze pretty well, too! I just put the cooled muffins in a zip lock bag and they last for up to 3 months in the freezer. Thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating if you can, but I’ve microwaved them frozen in a pinch.

Serving Ideas

You can definitely enjoy these sausage egg muffins on their own, but I always insist on vegetables with every meal. Here’s how I round them out:

• Quick breakfast – My kids and I like to grab sliced cucumbers or cherry tomatoes with them. You can also meal prep my oatmeal breakfast bars ahead for something sweet.
• Weekend brunch – If you’re making these for brunch, pair them with my baked oatmeal or banana oat pancakes for a sweet touch, or my simple cucumber tomato salad for some veggies.

More Meal Prep Breakfast Recipes

If you like my sausage and egg muffins, you might also like some of my other easy breakfast recipes you can make in advance:

Ham Breakfast Casserole

Peanut Butter Overnight Oats

Instant Pot Egg Bites

Healthy Granola