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These baked eggs, known as oeufs cocotte in France, are one of my go-to quick and easy brunch recipes. The combination of creamy, salty feta, spinach and gooey egg yolk, with buttery hot toast for dunking, is just so simple yet so delicious.
For me, brunch isn’t brunch without eggs. Whether that be Turkish eggs, breakfast bagel sandwiches or a classic salmon omelette, and oeufs cocotte are a go-to for me. It works for both a weekend brunch and a weekday quick lunch, and you can try different flavour combinations too.
You could swap the feta and spinach for ham, Gruyère and chives for a French twist. Or go Italian and opt for pesto and sundried tomatoes. You can even go for a shakshuka vibe with tomatoes, paprika and herbs. The choice is yours!
Table of Contents
Why you will love this recipe:
- They are quick and simple to make.
- You can have them on the table in under 20 minutes.
- The perfect easy brunch recipe, whether cooking for 2 or entertaining a crowd (it easily scales up).
- It uses just a handful of store cupboard ingredients
- It is super versatile – you can add all sorts of ingredients to switch up the flavours.
Ingredients:
Full recipe can be found in the printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, just scroll down!
Eggs
Double cream – also known as ‘heavy’ cream in the US.
Feta – a soft, salty, crumbly Greek cheese traditionally made from sheep’s milk.
Fresh herbs – the combination of dill and chives works really well with the spinach, feta and eggs.
Substitutions and Variations:
Cheese: swap the feta for all sorts of cheeses. Nutty Gruyère and Comté are delicious. Try Brie or Taleggio (they melt well) or Parmesan.
Herbs: swap the dill for thyme, lemon thyme or oregano if you prefer. The chives can be subbed for spring onions.
Other additions: fry mushrooms with the spinach and add in. You could scatter in sliced sundried tomatoes, chopped cherry tomatoes, crushed or roasted garlic, sliced pitted olives or a dollop of fresh pesto.
Here’s how to make easy baked eggs (oeufs cocotte):
Here’s a step by step guide for what you need to do, but you can find the full recipe at the bottom of the page for detailed instructions.
ONE: Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F. Grease two ramekins liberally with the softened butter. Wilt the spinach.
TWO: Crack 2 eggs into each ramekin.
THREE: Divide the chopped spinach equally between the two, then crumble over the feta.
FOUR: Add 2 tbsp double cream to each ramekin, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sprinkle over dill.
FIVE: Pop the ramekins into a roasting tin or baking dish. Pour in just enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes – or until the yolks are set to your liking.
SIX: Remove from the oven and carefully lift out the ramekins. Serve straight away sprinkled with chives alongside slices of hot buttered toast.
Cooking Tips:
Draining the spinach: don’t be tempted to skip the step where you drain the spinach. It is really important to remove as much liquid as possible or else your oeufs cocotte will be watery, rather than creamy.
Feta: try to find one made with traditional goat or sheep milk. It tastes best.
Baking time: watch the eggs closely as they bake to get the perfect runny yolk. All ovens vary and factors like the size of your ramekin will alter how quickly they cook.
Frequently Asked Questions
Oeufs cocotte are cooked in a bain-marie (A.K.A a water bath) to encourage gentle and even cooking. This helps prevent the whites from overcooking and the yolks from drying out.
Yes! Simply double, triple or quadruple the recipe and continue as usual.
I love to serve my oeufs cocotte with toast – perfect for dunking into the gooey yolk and creamy feta. Or stick with the Greek theme and go for toasted pitta bread, if you prefer.
Yes, this will save you from wilting it in a pan. Pop in the microwave (or leave to defrost if you have time) and then squeeze out excess water. Continue as normal.
Other recipes you might enjoy:
If you like oeufs cocotte, you will love my courgette corn fritters. Also don’t miss my courgette frittata (frittata di zucchini) or ham and cheese croissant bake.
Recipes
The Best Sweetcorn Fritters
Breakfast & Brunch
Easy Pancake Recipe Without Baking Powder
Easy Healthy Recipes
Scarpaccia (Italian Zucchini Tart)
Easy Baking Recipes
Chocolate Chunk Muffins
If you tried my Oeufs Cocotte or any other recipe on the site, please do leave a rating or comment and let us know how it went!
Oeufs Cocotte (Easy Baked Eggs)
Ingredients
- 15 g unsalted butter, softened
- 1 tsp olive oil
- 200 g fully prepared baby spinach
- 4 large eggs
- 4 tbsp double cream
- 20 g feta
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp freshly chopped dill
To serve:
- 2 tbsp finely chopped chives
- Hot buttered toast
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F. Grease two ramekins liberally with the softened butter (I like to use the ones with the lids – mine were about 10cm wide. Set aside.
- Drizzle the oil into a large non-stick frying pan and add the spinach. Cook over a low-medium heat, stirring occasionally, until wilted (it will look like a lot at first, but will reduce dramatically in size after cooking). This takes around 5 minutes.
- Once wilted, tip into a sieve and use a wooden spoon to push out as much liquid as possible (this stops your baked eggs and feta becoming watery). Alternatively, tip into a clean tea towel, wrap up, twist and squeeze out as much water as possible over a sink. Once you have removed as much liquid as you can, transfer onto a chopping board and roughly chop.
- Crack 2 eggs into each ramekin. Divide the chopped spinach equally between the two, then crumble over the feta. Add 2 tbsp double cream to each ramekin, then season with salt and freshly ground black pepper (bear in mind that feta is quite salty). Sprinkle with dill.
- Pop the ramekins into a roasting tin or baking dish. Pour in just enough boiling water to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. If your ramekins have lids, pop them on. If not, cover the roasting tin/baking dish with foil. Pop in the oven and bake for about 15-20 minutes – or until the yolks are set to your liking (I like mine with a slightly runny yolk – so lightly set but with some wobble).
- Remove from the oven and carefully lift out the ramekins – they will be hot! Place one on each plate. Serve straight away sprinkled with chives alongside slices of hot buttered toast.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I come back to this recipe so often as it’s just so simple and so good. Plus, I often swap out the dill and feta for other cheeses or herbs I may have to hand – it’s really versatile.