Who Really Makes Starbucks' Fan-Favorite Egg Bites?

It's fun to imagine Starbucks kitchens where green-aproned chefs whip up those heavenly pumpkin loaves and cute little cake pops while an army of sous chefs assemble our sandwiches, protein boxes, and berry parfaits. But that's not actually the way it works, especially since Starbucks is now a mega corporation with more than 40,000 stores spread across the world. The reality is that Starbucks partners with multiple suppliers who specialize in their own culinary niches. 

That includes the sous vide masters creating the perky, hand-sized Starbucks Egg Bites that we love and crave. Now a mainstay menu item in many locations, Egg Bites made their 2017 debut in Starbucks stores with two varieties, tapping into the growing trend of sous vide cooking, which involves evenly heating vacuum-sealed food in temperature-controlled water. Fortunately, the powers that be at Starbucks went straight to the French masters of sous vide to create the egg bites they envisioned. The company who makes them is Cuisine Solutions, originally from France but now headquartered in Virginia. 

The chief food scientist at Cuisine Solutions, Dr. Bruno Goussault, is considered the "father of sous vide cooking" since developing the modern method in 1971. He went on to found the renowned Culinary Research and Education Academy(CREA) in Paris, which has since trained more than 80% of all 3-star Michelin chefs worldwide, according to the company. When collaborating with Starbucks on the Egg Bites introduced in 2017, Chef Bruno Bertin from Cuisine Solutions described the sous vide technique as giving eggs an extraordinarily velvety and creamy texture "almost like you're eating something indulgent, but you're not."

Now that we know who makes those smooth and sassy little Starbucks Egg Bites, here's a look at the varieties currently available, which has expanded from two to three different offerings. But first, it's worth noting that Starbucks isn't the only customer for Creative Solutions sous vide egg bites. In fact, the company makes different egg bite versions, which assumably crop up semi-secretly on the menus of other major food vendors. The two original Starbucks sous vide Egg Bites unveiled in 2017 still grace the menu today. 

From my own experience in the Seattle area, they're usually available, though sometimes sell out as the day wears on. My favorite by far is the Bacon and Gruyère Egg Bites, which are made from cage-free eggs (as are all the ones at Starbucks) and uncured applewood-smoked bacon. They feature the namesake Gruyère cheese, but also Monterey jack, plus the real creator of the creamy texture: cottage cheese. That's actually the first non-egg ingredient listed in all three of the Starbucks Egg Bites. 

The other original offering, still going strong at Starbucks, is the Egg White and Roasted Red Pepper Egg Bites, which are made with three cheeses: Monterey jack, cottage cheese, and a smaller amount of feta. There's also an infusion of fire-roasted red peppers, spinach, and green onions. Then there's the new Bite on the block, the vegetarian Kale and Mushroom Egg Bites. This one showcases the same cage-free eggs but mixed with Monterey jack, Swiss, and cottage cheeses, plus kale and portobello mushrooms.