diff --git a/esphome/components/i2c/i2c.cpp b/esphome/components/i2c/i2c.cpp
index 8fc0a503276..ba23217486e 100644
--- a/esphome/components/i2c/i2c.cpp
+++ b/esphome/components/i2c/i2c.cpp
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@
 #include "esphome/core/defines.h"
 #include "esphome/core/hal.h"
 #include "esphome/core/log.h"
-#include <memory>
 
 namespace esphome::i2c {
 
@@ -59,11 +58,22 @@ bool I2CDevice::read_bytes_16(uint8_t a_register, uint16_t *data, uint8_t len) {
 }
 
 bool I2CDevice::write_bytes_16(uint8_t a_register, const uint16_t *data, uint8_t len) const {
-  // we have to copy in order to be able to change byte order
-  std::unique_ptr<uint16_t[]> temp{new uint16_t[len]};
-  for (size_t i = 0; i < len; i++)
-    temp[i] = htoi2cs(data[i]);
-  return write_register(a_register, reinterpret_cast<const uint8_t *>(temp.get()), len * 2) == ERROR_OK;
+  const size_t size = 1 + len * 2;
+  SmallBufferWithHeapFallback<17> buffer_alloc(size);  // Register plus up to 8 words
+  uint8_t *buffer = buffer_alloc.get();
+
+  buffer[0] = a_register;
+  for (size_t i = 0; i < len; i++) {
+    const uint16_t word = data[i];
+    buffer[1 + i * 2] = word >> 8;
+    buffer[2 + i * 2] = word;
+  }
+  return this->bus_->write_readv(this->address_, buffer, size, nullptr, 0) == ERROR_OK;
+}
+
+bool I2CDevice::write_byte_16(uint8_t a_register, uint16_t data) const {
+  const uint8_t buffer[3] = {a_register, static_cast<uint8_t>(data >> 8), static_cast<uint8_t>(data)};
+  return this->bus_->write_readv(this->address_, buffer, sizeof(buffer), nullptr, 0) == ERROR_OK;
 }
 
 I2CRegister &I2CRegister::operator=(uint8_t value) {
diff --git a/esphome/components/i2c/i2c.h b/esphome/components/i2c/i2c.h
index 00929db6207..0d60f519e32 100644
--- a/esphome/components/i2c/i2c.h
+++ b/esphome/components/i2c/i2c.h
@@ -264,7 +264,7 @@ class I2CDevice {
 
   bool write_byte(uint8_t a_register, uint8_t data) const { return write_bytes(a_register, &data, 1); }
 
-  bool write_byte_16(uint8_t a_register, uint16_t data) const { return write_bytes_16(a_register, &data, 1); }
+  bool write_byte_16(uint8_t a_register, uint16_t data) const;
 
  protected:
   uint8_t address_{0x00};  ///< store the address of the device on the bus
diff --git a/tests/components/i2c/write_bytes_16.cpp b/tests/components/i2c/write_bytes_16.cpp
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..1f9670c62ba
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/components/i2c/write_bytes_16.cpp
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+#include <gtest/gtest.h>
+
+#include <vector>
+
+#include "esphome/components/i2c/i2c.h"
+
+namespace esphome::i2c::testing {
+
+class RecordingBus final : public I2CBus {
+ public:
+  std::vector<uint8_t> written;
+  ErrorCode result{ERROR_OK};
+
+  ErrorCode write_readv(uint8_t address, const uint8_t *data, size_t size, uint8_t *out, size_t out_size) override {
+    this->written.assign(data, data + size);
+    return this->result;
+  }
+};
+
+class WriteBytes16Test : public ::testing::Test {
+ protected:
+  void SetUp() override {
+    this->device_.set_i2c_bus(&this->bus_);
+    this->device_.set_i2c_address(0x40);
+  }
+
+  RecordingBus bus_;
+  I2CDevice device_;
+};
+
+TEST_F(WriteBytes16Test, WritesRegisterThenWordBigEndian) {
+  EXPECT_TRUE(this->device_.write_byte_16(0x12, 0xABCD));
+  EXPECT_EQ(this->bus_.written, (std::vector<uint8_t>{0x12, 0xAB, 0xCD}));
+}
+
+TEST_F(WriteBytes16Test, WritesEveryWordBigEndian) {
+  const uint16_t words[3] = {0x0102, 0x0304, 0xFF00};
+  EXPECT_TRUE(this->device_.write_bytes_16(0x7E, words, 3));
+  EXPECT_EQ(this->bus_.written, (std::vector<uint8_t>{0x7E, 0x01, 0x02, 0x03, 0x04, 0xFF, 0x00}));
+}
+
+TEST_F(WriteBytes16Test, MoreWordsThanTheStackBufferHolds) {
+  uint16_t words[12];
+  std::vector<uint8_t> expected{0x01};
+  for (uint16_t i = 0; i < 12; i++) {
+    words[i] = 0x1000 + i;
+    expected.push_back(0x10);
+    expected.push_back(i);
+  }
+  EXPECT_TRUE(this->device_.write_bytes_16(0x01, words, 12));
+  EXPECT_EQ(this->bus_.written, expected);
+}
+
+TEST_F(WriteBytes16Test, ReportsBusFailure) {
+  this->bus_.result = ERROR_NOT_ACKNOWLEDGED;
+  EXPECT_FALSE(this->device_.write_byte_16(0x12, 0x0001));
+}
+
+}  // namespace esphome::i2c::testing