Holiday brunches are some of my favorite meals. While the kids dream about presents under the tree, I imagine slow, festive mornings with family and friends—and this Gluten-free Ham & Rice Muffin Tin Eggs Benedict with Blender Cranberry Hollandaise is the perfect holiday brunch dish, especially if anyone at your table needs gluten-free options.
This post was sponsored by USA Rice Canada. I was compensated monetarily but all opinions are my own.
This recipe is Weight Watchers friendly and naturally gluten-free because the base is rice. I usually don’t have gluten-free bread on hand, but I always have rice, so using rice as the base felt natural. The best part: you can make this with leftover rice and leftover ham. If you’re like me, you’re always looking for recipes that use leftovers—not just at the holidays but year-round.
I love Eggs Benedict so much that when I go out for brunch I rarely order anything else. But eating out often is expensive and you can’t control the ingredients. Making this at home is quicker, more affordable, and lets you control what goes in. Rice is a frequent ingredient in my kitchen because it’s convenient, budget-friendly and has several nutritional benefits:
- Rice is a versatile, slow-burning complex carbohydrate that provides long-lasting energy.
- It’s naturally sodium-free, cholesterol-free and gluten-free, and low in common allergens.
- Rice is an excellent pre- and post-workout food because it supplies steady energy from complex carbohydrates.
🥘 Ingredients
For these muffin tin Eggs Benedict you’ll need:
- Rice – I use brown rice
- Ham
- Green onion
- Sharp or aged cheddar cheese – I use low-fat
- Eggs
- Unsweetened applesauce
- Sriracha sauce
- Lemon juice
- Cranberries – I use frozen whole cranberries
- Olive oil
- Unsalted butter
*See the recipe card below for exact quantities.
💭 Top tip
If you’re concerned about raw egg yolks, you can learn how to pasteurize eggs in the microwave before using them.
🔪 Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C). Spray a 12-cup muffin tin very generously with non-stick cooking spray, or use parchment paper muffin cups to prevent sticking.
- Prepare the rice base: In a bowl, combine cooked rice, diced ham, chopped green onion, grated cheddar cheese and 2 whole eggs. Mix well.
- Divide the rice mixture evenly among the 12 muffin cups. Press the mixture down firmly with a spatula so each cup is about half full and well compressed—this helps the cups hold together after baking.
- Crack a whole egg on top of each rice cup, taking care not to break the yolks. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the egg whites are set and cooked through.
- While the egg cups bake, make the quick blender Cranberry Hollandaise (instructions below).
- After baking, let the egg cups rest in the tin for 3 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen them, wait another 3 minutes, then run the knife again before removing. This helps prevent them from falling apart.
*See the recipe card below for full details.
📖 Eggs Benedict Variations
There are countless twists on Eggs Benedict—from pulled pork versions to matcha variations—but this one stands out. Using whole-grain brown rice keeps the dish healthier and boosts its nutritional profile. Brown rice provides fiber, magnesium, selenium and manganese. One cup of cooked long-grain brown rice offers notable magnesium and fiber, making it a simple way to increase whole-grain servings in your diet. Many people don’t get enough whole grains, so this recipe is a convenient and tasty option.
- Rice: Use whatever rice you prefer, though brown rice adds extra nutrition.
- Ham: Leftover holiday ham works great. If you don’t have leftovers, deli ham is a convenient substitute.
- Spice: I like to garnish with sriracha for a touch of heat. If you prefer no spice, use ketchup, salsa, or omit the garnish.
- Hollandaise: If you’d rather a different sauce, try a healthy hollandaise alternative instead of the cranberry version.
🍽 Equipment
A standard 12-cup muffin tin is all you need. Muffin tins make portioning easy and eliminate the need to poach eggs—these bake perfectly in the oven.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe yields 12 servings (one full muffin tin). You can adjust the batch size as needed. If you increase the recipe, you may need extra muffin tins or to bake in batches.
🌡️ Storage
Store the egg cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Keep the hollandaise sauce separate and reheat as needed. Cooked rice will keep in the fridge for 3–5 days or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
This recipe is gluten-free, festive, healthy and an easy way to use up leftovers. It’s ideal for holiday brunches or any time you want a special breakfast without the fuss. If you want more ideas for using leftover ham or rice, try other recipes that incorporate those ingredients.
Happy holiday brunching!
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📋 Ham & Rice Muffin Tin Eggs Benedict (with Cranberry Hollandaise)
Ingredients
Rice Base:
- 2 cups USA brown rice, cooked (500 ml)
- 1 cup ham, diced small (250 ml)
- ⅓ cup green onion, chopped (75 ml)
- 1 cup sharp/aged low-fat cheddar cheese, grated (250 ml)
- 2 whole eggs
Top:
- 12 whole eggs
Quick Blender Cranberry Hollandaise sauce:
- 2 egg yolks
- ⅓ cup unsweetened applesauce (75 ml)
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce (5 ml)
- 1 ½ tablespoon lemon juice (22 ml)
- ½ cup frozen whole cranberries, defrosted, drained and patted dry (118 ml)
- 3 tablespoons olive oil (45 ml)
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter, melted (75 ml)
Garnish
- Additional sriracha sauce
- Additional whole cranberries, defrosted and patted dry
- Parsley sprigs
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350°F (175°C) and spray a 12-cup muffin tin generously with non-stick spray or use parchment cups.
Rice Base:
- Mix cooked rice, ham, green onion, cheddar and 2 eggs together.
- Divide the mixture among the 12 muffin cups and press firmly so each cup is about half full and well compacted.
- Break a whole egg on top of each rice cup, keeping yolks intact, and bake about 25 minutes or until set.
- Let the cups sit for 3 minutes, run a knife around the edge, wait another 3 minutes and run the knife again before removing.
Quick Blender Cranberry Hollandaise Sauce:
- Add egg yolks, applesauce, sriracha, lemon juice and cranberries (measure cranberries before defrosting) to a blender and puree.
- Melt the butter in a small bowl (about 45 seconds in the microwave) and add the olive oil. Warm slightly so the mixture is warm but not boiling.
- With the blender running on low, slowly stream in the warm butter-and-oil mixture until the sauce is creamy (about 45 seconds to 1 minute).
Assembly:
- Carefully remove the Ham & Rice Egg Cups from the muffin tin using a narrow spatula.
- Spoon about 1–2 tablespoons of hollandaise over each egg cup.
Garnish:
- Garnish with fresh cranberries, parsley and extra sriracha as desired. You can add small dots of sriracha and swirl with a knife or drizzle in zigzag lines.
Notes
💭 Top tip
If you’re uneasy about raw egg yolks, consider pasteurizing eggs before using them.
👪 Serving Size
This recipe makes 12 servings. Scale as needed and adjust baking equipment accordingly.
🌡️ Storage
Store the egg cups in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Store the hollandaise separately. Cooked rice keeps 3–5 days in the fridge or up to 6 months frozen.
Nutrition
🎄More Holiday Breakfast Ideas!
- Easy Sheet Pan Huevos Rancheros – gluten-free
- Mexican Sheet Pan Eggs (with Tortilla Toast) – WW friendly and gluten-free
- Christmas Morning Casserole (Wife Saver)
- Raspberry Mocha Cinnamon Roll Breakfast Lasagna
- Overnight Cinnamon Sticky Buns
- Baileys Irish Cream Overnight French Toast Casserole
- Watermelon Granola Trifle
- Rum & Raisin Sheet Pan Pancakes