The first time I had anything remotely close to Cloud Eggs was in grade school. There’s a restaurant in my hometown I would go to all the time called Walker Bros. Original Pancake House. They do a version of an egg white omelette where they beat the egg whites until they’re at medium-stiff peaks and bake it so you’re left with a huge, fluffy and airy omelette (with whatever mix-ins or filling you want). It’s so good! I haven’t had it in years, but still remember how delicious they are.
Cloud eggs might be even better than the Waker Bros. egg white omelette because you still get a big, fluffy, airy omelette sort of dish, but you don’t miss out on the delicious runny yolk! I also love this recipe because it’s so easy to make (in under 20 minutes!) and the variations are endless!
What are Cloud Eggs?
Cloud eggs are a dish originating from 17th century France. The dish consists of egg whites that are whipped until stiff peaks form and are then baked with an egg yolk placed into the center of the fluffy whites sitting in a large, fluffy cloud!
How to Make Cloud Eggs
Process
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Carefully separate egg whites from yolks (try not to break the yolks).
- Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until medium peaks form.
- Gently fold in bacon, cheese, chives, salt, and pepper until just combined.
- Drop spoonfuls egg whites mixture onto a prepared baking sheet, (using cooking spray or brushing oil onto the baking sheet) making 8 mounds, about 2 inches apart.
- Create a well in the center of each egg white mound with the back of a spoon, so you have a little nest of egg whites.
- Bake egg whites for 4minutes.
- Remove from oven and place a yolk into each well.
- Place tray back into oven and bake for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove from oven and top with sliced chives and sea salt. Serve.
Tools You Will Need
- cutting board
- knife
- mixing bowls
- measuring spoons
- dry measuring cup
- electric hand mixer or whisk (but the hand mixer will make this recipe much easier to make)
- baking sheet
Tips and Tricks for Cloud Eggs Success
- Make sure the whites are in a large bowl, as the volume will more than triple in size, once the whites are beaten to stiff peaks.
- If you’re nervous about the yolks popping, place them individually into lightly greased small bowls to make the transfer back onto the egg whites a little easier.
- Don’t over-bake the whites! This will cause them to be chewy and slightly deflated.
- You can use parchment paper to line the baking sheet, but I would still recommend using a little cooking spray or oil over the parchment to ensure the baked whites won’t stick.
Can Cloud Eggs be Made Ahead of Time?
Cloud eggs should not be made ahead of time because they just won’t hold up.
The ingredients can be prepped ahead of time. The egg whites and yolks can be separated up to 2 days ahead of time. The bacon can be cooked and chopped and the cheese can be grated up to 3 days ahead of time . The chives can be thinly sliced up to 2 days ahead of time.
Variations
One of our favorite things about this recipe is that there are so many different mix-ins and flavors that can be added to cloud eggs based on personal preference. Some of our favorite combinations are below!
- plain with nothing added – if you want to keep things super simple, there’s no need to add anything and the dish will still turn out delicious!
- a blend of different herbs – sometimes all you need are fresh herbs to brighten the whole dish up! Some of our favorites are sliced chives (or green onions), minced thyme, minced sage, or a touch of minced rosemary!
- some sautéed vegetables – some diced mushrooms, caramelized onions, chopped spinach (just make sure to squeeze out as much liquid from the wilted spinach as possible).
- use other proteins -we love mixing it up and using a little bit of cooked and crumbled breakfast sausage, diced ham or even diced and cooked pancetta!
Other Recipes to Make and Serve with Cloud Eggs
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Cloud Eggs
INGREDIENTS
- 8 large eggs
- 4 strips cooked bacon, crumbled
- 1/2 cup finely grated cheddar
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced chives plus more for garnish
- salt and pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat oven to 350˚F.
- Carefully separate egg whites from yolks (try not to break the yolks).
- Using an electric mixer, beat egg whites until medium peaks form.
- Gently fold in bacon, cheese, chives, salt, and pepper until just combined.
- Drop spoonfuls egg whites mixture onto a greased baking sheet, making 8 mounds, about 2 inches apart.
- Create a well in the center of each egg white mound with the back of a spoon.
- Bake egg whites for 4minutes. Remove from oven and place a yolk into each well.
- Place tray back into oven and bake for an additional 1 to 2 minutes.
- Remove from oven and top with sliced chives and sea salt. Serve.
NOTES
Tips and Tricks for Cloud Eggs Success
- Make sure the whites are in a large bowl, as the volume will more than triple in size, once the whites are beaten to stiff peaks.
- If you’re nervous about the yolks popping, place them individually into lightly greased small bowls to make the transfer back onto the egg whites a little easier.
- Don’t over-bake the whites! This will cause them to be chewy and slightly deflated.
- You can use parchment paper to line the baking sheet, but I would still recommend using a little cooking spray or oil over the parchment to ensure the baked whites won’t stick.
Can Cloud Eggs be Made Ahead of Time?
Cloud eggs should not be made ahead of time because they just won’t hold up. The ingredients can be prepped ahead of time. The egg whites and yolks can be separated up to 2 days ahead of time. The bacon can be cooked and chopped and the cheese can be grated up to 3 days ahead of time . The chives can be thinly sliced up to 2 days ahead of time.Variations
One of our favorite things about this recipe is that there are so many different mix-ins and flavors that can be added to cloud eggs based on personal preference. Some of our favorite combinations are below!- plain with nothing added – if you want to keep things super simple, there’s no need to add anything and the dish will still turn out delicious!
- a blend of different herbs – sometimes all you need are fresh herbs to brighten the whole dish up! Some of our favorites are sliced chives (or green onions), minced thyme, minced sage, or a touch of minced rosemary!
- some sautéed vegetables – some diced mushrooms, caramelized onions, chopped spinach (just make sure to squeeze out as much liquid from the wilted spinach as possible).
- use other proteins -we love mixing it up and using a little bit of cooked and crumbled breakfast sausage, diced ham or even diced and cooked pancetta!
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These are tasty! Especially on top of a hashbrown! I found mine came out a bit salty for my taste, when I make again I won’t add salt if I’m adding bacon. What does it mean if they sort of melt in the oven? They held their shape but each one sort of leaked out around it a white puddle. Maybe whip the whites more?
I don’t like runny egg yolks. Can you tell me the beat way to fix this recipe so the yolk isn’t runny?
Have these been tried in a muffin pan? If so, how did they turn out?
I have been making something similar for years. I like my yolks runny and ‘ invented’ this myself. Is use a frypan. I beat 2 egg whites until stiff. Add a bit of milk and beat until incorporated. Then add to an oiled small hot frypan and put the lid on so the egg whites rise and become fluffy. After a couple of minutes add wilted spinach to the outer perimeter and make 2 indents into the omelette for the yolks. I add the yolks so they sit in the holes and cook for another minute or so. I have it with 2 slices of smoked salmon. Absolutely the best omelette ever.