Vegetarian Recipes

Poached Eggs

We love eggs here at Budget Bytes (hence our logo!), but out of all the ways to cook an egg, Poached Eggs are the ones I used to struggle with the most. And let me tell you, I tried ALL the tips and tricks out there before discovering this simple, easy-to-follow method for the BEST poached eggs every time. Now, my eggs always come out perfectly poached with a soft, runny yolk and firm white in a matter of minutes. It’s a no-mess, no-fuss technique that anyone can master—I promise!

Eggs are one of the easiest, cheapest, and nutrient-dense foods you can add to your plate. It doesn’t matter if I scramble, fry, or boil them soft or hard; eggs are one of my favorite ways to add protein to any meal for pennies. And now I’ve added poaching them to that list, I can easily make my family a restaurant-worthy breakfast or brunch without leaving our house!

Here’s what you’ll need to make a delicious poached egg with a luscious, runny yolk and firm white every time:

Egg: The method I’ve shared below is perfect for cooking one egg at a time. I recommend using the freshest egg possible because the fresher it is, the tighter the whites will be. This means it’ll hold its shape better in the water (reducing the chance of those stringy white wisps in the pot!) and will look nicer when plated.
White Vinegar: I’ve tested every possible tip for poaching eggs, and I find that adding a splash of white vinegar to the pot really helps the whites set. And don’t worry, your egg won’t taste like vinegar. The amount used is minimal, and it’s just enough to help it hold its shape.

How Long to Cook Poached Eggs

Timing is something that can vary depending on personal preference and how thick or runny you want your yolk to be. I found anywhere between 3:30 seconds to 4 minutes was the perfect amount of time to poach one large egg. This cooked the whites perfectly while still leaving the yolk runny! Make sure to set a timer somewhere so you can remove your egg promptly to keep it from overcooking.

When I say lots of testing was done in order to get the perfect poached eggs recipe, I’m not joking! Here are a few of my top tips:

Some people suggest cracking the egg in a fine mesh sieve in order to remove some of the excess, loose whites before poaching the egg. After testing, I found this step to be unnecessary and actually removed too much of the egg whites. Using all of the whites helps cover the entire yolk during cooking.
I found that using just a little bit of vinegar and making a vortex in the simmering (not boiling) water helps keep the egg whites together. This combination is my secret to the best poached eggs, so I highly recommend doing both.
I also tested poaching the egg in a medium pot versus a deep skillet or sauté pan. The sauté pan produced a flatter poached egg and not quite as round as the pot. I would recommend using a deep pot for the best results.

Serving Suggestions

Poaching is one of the healthiest ways to prepare eggs and they’re so quick and easy to make. I love serving them on top of my avocado toast in the morning or with a side of air-fried bacon and breakfast potatoes. But when I’m feeling a bit fancy or if I’m hosting brunch at my house, eggs Benedict is the only way to go!

Make Ahead Poached Eggs

Poached eggs are always better served fresh, but you can make them ahead of time. Cook the eggs as directed below and then immediately place them in an ice water bath to stop the cooking process. Once cooled, submerge them in an airtight container filled with more cold water and store them in the refrigerator for up to two days. When ready to use, reheat the eggs by placing them in a bowl of hot water for about 30 seconds.

Side view of a poached egg on avocado toast.

Poached Eggs Recipe

Follow this simple method and learn how to make Poached Eggs with soft, runny yolks and firm whites every time! Perfect for breakfast or brunch.

Course Breakfast

Cuisine American

Prep Time 4

Cook Time 4

Total Time 8

Servings egg

Calories

Author Marsha McDougal

Ingredients

1 large egg $0.25
1 Tbsp white vinegar $0.13

Instructions

Add about 4 inches of water to a medium pot and bring to a gentle boil.
While the water is coming to a boil, crack one egg into a small ramekin or bowl.
Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the water to continue to simmer. Add the white vinegar to the pot.
Stir the water with a spoon in a circular motion to create a vortex. Quickly add the egg to the center of the vortex and allow it to cook for 3:30-4 minutes. Set a timer to prevent overcooking the egg.
Gently remove the egg with a slotted spoon and dab the spoon on a paper towel to remove any excess water. Enjoy with a sprinkle of salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

how to make Poached Eggs – step by step photos

Add about 4 inches of water to a medium pot and bring to a gentle boil. While the water is coming to a boil, crack one large egg into a small ramekin or bowl.

White vinegar being added to boiling water.

Once the water is boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low and allow the water to continue to simmer. Add 1 Tbsp white vinegar to the pot.

A cracked egg being poured into a boiling pan of water to make poached eggs.

Stir the water with a spoon in a circular motion to create a vortex. Quickly add the egg to the center of the vortex and allow it to cook for 3:30-4 minutes. Set a timer to prevent overcooking the egg.

A finished poached egg on a plate with a piece of paper towel and a slotted spoon.

Gently remove the egg with a slotted spoon and dab the spoon on a paper towel to remove any excess water. Enjoy with a sprinkle of salt and freshly cracked black pepper.

Overhead view of two poached eggs on a plate, topped with salt and black pepper.

Baked Eggs

$3.40 recipe / $0.85 serving

Sliced frittata in the skillet, one slice being lifted.

How to Make A Frittata

$5.44 recipe / $0.90 serving

Shakshuka

$10.15 recipe / $2.53 serving

Egg Muffins

$2.01 recipe / $0.34 serving

The post Poached Eggs appeared first on Budget Bytes.

Vegetarian Recipes

Cherry Blondies

Whenever I’m craving something sweet, but I’m sick of the same old same old, I whip up a batch of these fudgy, chewy, fragrant Cherry Blondies! The creamy white chocolate, tart cherries, and crunchy almonds make this recipe stand out. This is not your typical blondie! I don’t use almond extract too often, but pairing its flavor with cherries and white chocolate is just a no-brainer to me. (But a little goes a long way, so use it sparingly!)

Easy Recipe for Cherry Blondies

Blondies are like brownies, just without the cocoa. Instead, they’re made with brown sugar and vanilla, and have the BEST buttery flavor and chewy texture.

For these cherry blondies, I mix in canned cherry pie filling (it adds a sweet-tart cherry flavor without a lot of fuss or cost), slivered almonds, and white chocolate chips. I also brown the butter first to bring out a nutty, almost toffee-like richness that’s totally worth the extra few minutes. A mix of brown and white sugar strikes the perfect balance of moisture and structure, while a splash of almond extract adds a frangipane-style flavor. Bake them once, and you’ll see why I keep coming back to this combo. 😋

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Cherry Blondies

These easy Cherry Blondies are loaded with white chocolate, almonds, and cherry pie filling for a sweet treat that’s simple to make and hard to resist.

Step-by-step photos can be seen below the recipe card.

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Total Cost $5.82 recipe / $0.64 serving

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 1

Chill Time 20

Total Time 1 30

Servings slices

Calories 429kcal

Author Jess Rice

Equipment

8×8” Baking Dish
Parchment Paper
3 Mixing Bowls
Sauce Pan
Hand Mixer

Ingredients

1¾ cups all-purpose flour $0.28
½ tsp baking powder $0.02
¼ tsp salt $0.01
1 large egg $0.29
1 tsp vanilla extract $0.47
½ tsp almond extract $0.15
½ cup cherry pie filling $0.73*
1½ sticks salted butter cut into cubes, $1.48
½ cup granulated sugar $0.19
1 cup brown sugar $0.91
¼ cup white chocolate chips $0.42
¼ cup slivered almonds $0.87

Instructions

Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper and preheat oven to 350℉.
Mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl. Set aside.
In a separate mixing bowl, combine the egg, vanilla, almond extract, and cherry pie filling. Mix together and set aside.
Cube the butter and melt over medium heat until frothy, whisking once in a while to make sure the milk solids don’t stick to the bottom of the pan and burn.
Once butter is browned, it will have a nutty aroma and darken in color. (Babysit it! Don’t let it burn!) Remove from heat.
Combine browned butter with granulated and brown sugar.
Mix with a hand mixer on low until combined. Then, add the wet cherry mixture and continue to mix until combined.
Finally, gently mix in the dry flour mixture little by little until a batter forms.
Fold in white chocolate and almond slivers.
Transfer batter to greased and line baking dish and add some extra white chocolate and almonds on top, if you have them.
Bake for 50-55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Let cool for 20 minutes before cutting. The interior may still be a little gooey. These are chewier than your typical brownie! Enjoy.

See how we calculate recipe costs here.

Notes

*The ingredients in a can of cherry pie filling are pretty simple, but I have found the Duncan Hines Comstock brand “Simply Cherry” in a can to have fewer ingredients and no added coloring, so if you see it next to the regular cherry pie filling, you may want to spring for that can instead. You could try making these with fresh cherries, which I skipped because I couldn’t find any at my local grocery store, just make sure you pit them first!

Nutrition

how to make Cherry Blondies step-by-step photos

The ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Gather all of your ingredients and preheat your oven to 350℉. Grease and line an 8×8” baking dish with parchment paper. Set this aside for now.

Flour, baking powder, and salt in a mixing bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients: Add 1¾ cups flour, ½ tsp baking powder, and ¼ tsp salt to a mixing bowl and combine. Set this aside.

Cherry pie filling, egg, and vanilla extract in a bowl.

Mix the wet ingredients: In a different mixing bowl, combine 1 large egg, 1 tsp vanilla, ½ tsp almond extract, and ½ cup of cherry pie filling. Set this aside for now as well.

Brown the butter: Add 1½ sticks of cubed salted butter to a saucepan or skillet over medium heat. Melt the butter until frothy, being sure to whisk it once in a while to avoid the milk solids from burning and sticking to the bottom of the pan. Babysit it, and don’t let it burn! It typically takes about 5-8 minutes for butter to brown.

When the butter is browned, it’ll smell nutty and be darker in color. There will also be flecks of brown throughout (those are toasted milk solids, and they’re full of flavor). Remove it from the heat once done.

Brown and white sugar added to a bowl of browned butter.

Make the batter: Pour the browned butter into a mixing bowl and add ½ cup granulated sugar and 1 cup brown sugar.

The wet ingredients for cherry blondies added to the creamed butter and sugar.

Use a hand mixer on low to combine the browned butter and sugars. Once mixed, add the wet cherry pie filling mixture and keep mixing until thoroughly combined.

Dry ingredients added to the wet ingredients to make cherry blondies.

Now, gently fold in the dry flour mixture a little at a time until a thick batter forms.

Slivered almonds added to the batter for cherry blondies.

Finally, fold in ¼ cup white chocolate chips and ¼ cup slivered almonds.

The batter for cherry blondies in a lined baking dish.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish. If you have any extra, top the batter with a few white chocolate chips and slivered almonds to make it look extra pretty.

Finished homemade cherry blondies in a baking dish.

Bake: Place the baking dish into the preheated oven and bake for 50-55 minutes. They’re done once a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

Let your homemade cherry blondies cool for 20 minutes before cutting for the best results. They may still be a little gooey! They’re definitely chewier than your average brownie but just as delicious. Enjoy!

Overhead view of a baking dish of cherry blondies with one missing.

Tips for Browning Butter

I brown the butter in this cherry dessert recipe because it gives the blondies the most amazing, deep, nutty flavor that plain melted butter can’t match. You could skip this step and just melt it, but it definitely wouldn’t taste the same.

It’s honestly so easy to brown butter, and only takes about 5-8 minutes from start to finish! Here’s how to do it right (we also have a step-by-step breakdown with photos on how to brown butter you can check out, too!):

Use a light-colored pan if you have one. It makes it easier to see the color change.
Watch it closely. Browning happens fast, and it can burn before you know it. Stay nearby and use medium heat.
It’ll start to froth. That’s normal. Just keep gently stirring so nothing sticks to the bottom.
Look for brown flecks. Those are the milk solids toasting, which is exactly what you want.
Pull it off the heat right away. As soon as it smells nutty and the color deepens, about 5 minutes, take it off the heat! It’s ready to use.

You can even make a big batch of browned butter and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 weeks and use it in future recipes. It’s obviously delicious in my cherry blondies recipe, but it’s also amazing tossed with plain pasta, drizzled over roasted veggies, or mixed into oatmeal.

Line your pan with parchment paper. It makes it way easier to lift the blondies out and slice them cleanly once they’ve cooled.
Let them cool in the pan. As good as they smell fresh out of the oven, I let my blondies cool for at least 20 minutes to help them set up properly. They’ll slice neater, and the texture will be just right.
Check for doneness with a toothpick. You’re looking for a mostly clean toothpick when inserted into your white chocolate cherry blondies. If you hit a cherry or a melty white chocolate chip, it might smear a bit, so try a second spot! Don’t forget, they may still be a little gooey on the inside rather than cakey.

Storage Instructions

Personally, I enjoy these cherry pie blondies cold! I like to keep them in an airtight container in the refrigerator and grab one whenever I need a sweet pick-me-up. They’ll be good for up to 3-4 days when stored this way. You can also freeze them for up to 3 months in a freezer-safe container.