Love the Bistro Boxes at Starbucks but hate the price? This copycat version of the Protein Bistro Box is super easy to put together and will save you so much money!
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details.
Okay, let’s be honest for a second. Raise your hand if you’ve ever walked into Starbucks, bought one of their Bistro Boxes and thought, “I know I’m spending way too much money on this but I’m going to justify it because it’s a better choice than going through a drive-thru.”
You can’t see me, but I’m raising my hand too. I’ve done this way more than I’d like to admit and every single time I think, “Why the heck am I not making these at home myself??? I know it would be a lot less expensive and way more convenient.”
In the past I’ve attempted to recreate the Eggs & Cheese Bistro Box (which used to be called the Protein Bistro Box) but the part that always eluded me was the little bread round that came with it. I love those little things and it seemed like a lot of effort to figure out how to make them. So usually I’d pack a few crackers or half of an english muffin. But it just wasn’t the same! I missed that little bit of sweet, delicious bread that paired so well with the salty cheese.
But then a little miracle happened! One day, as I was roaming the aisles of my local natural foods market, I noticed these Morning Rounds made by Ozery Bakery. They looked kind of like a pita mixed with a cinnamon-raisin english muffin. As I was wondering what you would do with them, it dawned on me that they looked like a really big version of the little bread rounds Starbucks used in my favorite Bistro Box. I snatched those puppies right up and to my delight, when I tasted them after I got home they were exactly the same!
It turns out that Ozery Bakery makes a few different flavors. The one you want to grab is the Muesli flavor. They also have pint-sized versions of these rounds which would be perfect for my copycat Bistro Box but unfortunately they don’t carry them in my area. But no worries! The big ones work just as well if you cut them into quarters.
Each bag has 6 rounds in it and a half of a Morning Round (or two quarters) looks pretty close to the mini ones Starbucks uses. What’s great is that I can freeze the remaining rounds and thaw them on the counter when I’m ready to use them.
After I solved the conundrum of the bread round, I’ve been making my Copycat Starbucks Bistro Box way more often. Here’s the list of ingredients you’ll need to assemble your own Bistro Box. The list below is for the original Protein Bistro Box but if you want to copy the current Eggs & Cheese box, just throw in an extra hard boiled egg and a few more apple slices.
- 1 – Hard Boiled Egg
- 1 – Pouch Justin’s Honey Peanut Butter Blend (affiliate link)*
- 1/2 – Ozery Bakery Muesli Morning Round
- 7-10 – Red Grapes (depending on size)
- 1/4-1/2 – Gala or Pink Lady Apple (depending on size), cut into slices. I soak mine in a little lemon water to keep them from turning brown.
- 1 oz – White Cheddar Cheese. I use sharp cheddar just because I like the extra bite but feel free to use whatever you prefer.
Assemble all your items in a to-go container and that’s it! I like using these rectangular storage containers (affiliate link) from Pyrex since they are about the same size as the Bistro Boxes and stack well in my cupboards. Plus they look so virtuous in the fridge. It makes me feel good knowing I have a healthy week’s worth of meals.
Here’s the best part; it only cost me $1.71 per container to make the original Protein Box at home…even with buying the individual peanut butter pouch. If I made the two egg version, my final cost would be $2.08 per container. Obviously these prices could vary depending on your local grocery stores but compared to paying $5.75 at Starbucks, I think that’s a pretty great savings any way you slice it.
Now the only question is what Bistro Box should I try making next?
NOTES
* If you don’t want to use the individual peanut butter pouches, you can always portion out a heaping tablespoon of your favorite nut butter from a jar. I use these cute little containers from Sistema (affiliate link). They work great for all kinds of condiments, plus they don’t leak!
