Preheat your oven to 300°F (150°C) and boil a kettle of water for the water bath. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray to prevent sticking.

Cook the thick-cut bacon in a skillet over medium heat until crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Drain and chop into small pieces.

Blend full-fat cottage cheese, shredded Gruyere cheese, cornstarch, salt, and black pepper until smooth, about 30 seconds.

Crack in the 8 large eggs into the blender and mix until well combined, about 15-20 seconds. Adjust seasoning if needed.

Distribute the chopped bacon among the muffin cups in your prepared tin.

Carefully pour the custard mixture over the bacon in each muffin cup, filling them about three-quarters full.

Place the muffin tin inside a larger baking pan and pour boiling water into the larger pan until it reaches halfway up the sides of the muffin tin.

Bake in the preheated oven for about 30 minutes, checking for doneness around 25 minutes; edges should be set, center slightly jiggly.

Remove from oven, cool for 5 minutes, then gently lift them from the tin and serve.