French Baked Eggs
Deliciously creamy and custardy, these French baked eggs aka Shirred eggs will become your new breakfast favorite.
If you love your scrambled eggs, but really want to try giving the humble eggs a slightly different, elevated twist, you’ve got to try this easy baked eggs recipe. All you’ll need is a few minutes of hands-on kitchen time and some pantry staples to give this recipe a shot.
I’ve recently been experimenting with a lot of recipes using eggs. My egg kheema and egg bhurji were packed with Indian flavors that everyone fell in love with, and my Chinese steamed eggs were the perfect side dish for an Asian feast I whipped up over the weekend.
And then, of course, were the absolute star- my avocado egg boats. Inspired by their perfect, runny yolks, I thought of making these classic, simple shirred eggs, and oh my, they’re quickly becoming a favorite in my household.
Jump to:
What's So Great About the Recipe?
The versatility of this recipe has to be one of my favorite things about it. You can add in so many different toppings and mix-ins of your choice. The possibilities are truly endless.
And of course, the crusty bread on the side is an absolute must!
Ingredients For the French Baked Eggs Recipe
You’ll need just a few simple ingredients for this easy French baked eggs recipe.
Eggs: To start off, you’ll need large eggs for this recipe. I used two eggs - one egg per serving.
Butter: You’ll also need about a tablespoon of butter to grease the ramekins.
Cream: Heavy cream adds a beautiful richness to the dish.
Parmesan cheese: To bring some salty, cheesy flavors to the dish.
Chives: A little sprinkle of some fresh chives can add that nice bit of freshness to the eggs. You can also experiment with other fresh herbs - parsley, cilantro and rosemary are great choices.
Seasonings: I kept the seasonings simple and used just a dash of salt and black pepper.
See recipe card for quantities.
Substitutions & Variations
- To make these baked shirred eggs healthier, you can add some chopped veggies of your choice into the ramekins before you add in the eggs. Sauteed mushrooms, bell peppers, zucchini, spinach and onions are great choices.
- Another great idea is to add your favorite toppings on the eggs to bring some extra flavor. I love the idea of having some crunchy shallots on the top, or some roasted garlic mixed in.
- You can also choose to swap the Parmesan cheese in the recipe for another cheese like Gruyere, Mozzarella, or Cheddar cheese if you want to.
How to Make French Baked Eggs
Ready to make baked eggs? Here’s what you’ll need to do.
Step 1: Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your ramekin with butter. You can also use a cooking spray if you want to.
Step 2: Crack one egg into each ramekin.
Step 3: Pour the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. Top with some Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped chives.
Step 4: Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, taking a peek around the 12 minute mark to check for the desired doneness.
Step 5: Get them out, allow to cool down for 2-3 minutes and serve!
💭Top Tip
To keep the egg yolks from turning solidifying along with the whites, use a spoon to gently get the yolk to the center of the ramekin, and make sure it doesn’t touch the sides.
How to Store Leftover French Baked Eggs
If you have any leftovers, you can transfer them (while still in the ramekins) to an airtight container and refrigerate them for a day, or 2 days max. I wouldn’t recommend storing them beyond that point.
To reheat them, just pop them in the microwave until they’re warm. Of course, since you’re reheating them, the egg yolk won’t be as runny, so keep that in mind.
Tips & Tricks to Nail the Recipe
- To bring in a bit of flavor variation, you can swap the regular butter that you’re using for a compound butter of your choice. I love the idea of using Pesto butter or Cajun butter, but if you’re looking for something a bit subtle in flavor, hot honey butter can be a great choice.
- Remember not to overcook the eggs. The idea is to make sure that the egg whites are set and the yolks are still slightly runny.
- If you have bigger sized ramekins, you can crack two eggs into each.
- You can also choose to sprinkle a seasoning mix of your choice. Smoked paprika and cayenne peppers are some classics you can’t go wrong with. I personally love going all out with my homemade peri peri seasoning.
- The cream and Parmesan make sure you get the perfectly cooked eggs that have the right, silky smooth texture. Cooking eggs in the oven can dry them out, but adding the cream and cheese in can help keep the moisture in.
How to Serve French Baked Eggs
These rich and creamy shirred eggs will become your next favorite breakfast recipe. You can enjoy them for breakfast or brunch on their own, or team them up with some lightly toasted bread on the side for you to dunk into the runny yolk.
To take things up a notch, you can also drizzle some condiments of your choice over the eggs. Stick to the classics like a jalapeno hot sauce or a hot tomato oil or try something different like a nice basil gremolata or some balsamic pickled onions.
I also love the idea of spooning some of my favorite Mexican salsa macha over the eggs. I can’t wait to try making these eggs for breakfast, topping them with my smoky vegan bacon.
Recipe FAQs
You sure can! In fact, I would highly recommend using cold eggs from the fridge for this recipe. Doing this will ensure that the egg whites are just set but the yolks are still runny, just the way they should be.
Shirred eggs are a classic in French cuisine. Traditionally, eggs are baked in the oven in a water bath until they’re rich and custardy.
If the yolk isn’t as runny as it should be, you might want to check if you’re cooking the eggs for longer than you should. Reduce the cooking time by 2-3 minutes and check if the whites are done, leaving the yolks runny.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
French Baked Eggs
Ingredients
- 2 eggs
- 1 tablespoon butter
- ¼ Parmesan cheese
- ¼ cup heavy cream
- 2 teaspoon chives chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease your ramekin with butter. You can also use a cooking spray if you want to.
- Crack one egg into each ramekin.
- Pour the heavy cream and season with salt and pepper. Top with some Parmesan cheese and freshly chopped chives.
- Bake for 12 to 15 minutes, taking a peek around the 12 minute mark to check for the desired doneness.
- Get them out, allow to cool down for 2-3 minutes and serve!
