It seems like the whole world has been doing a lot more baking lately. The sourdough craze has taken over social media. Sourdough gurus are making a fortune sharing their secrets to gaping air holes and signature sour flavor. Yet, sourdough is not the only thing being baked.
Fancy French macaroons, buttery brioche buns, and saucy souffle’s are also gracing ovens everywhere these days. If you’ve ever prepared these lovely, technique-intensive tasty treats, then you know they use a lot of egg parts.
Now, I say egg “parts” because macaroon recipes use only the whites. Brioche, by contrast, takes nearly twice as many yolks as it does whole eggs. Oh, and the simple yet classic souffle, well, it’s totally yolked up!
So, if you too have joined the baking bonanza and are now wondering what to do with all those leftover egg yolks or leftover egg whites, this is the list for you!
What to Do with Leftover Egg Whites
1. Eat Egg White Omelets
Way back when people thought egg yolks were a leading cause of cholesterol problems, many people made egg white omelets.
The whites don’t have cholesterol. But they have plenty of protein. So they make a great low-calorie option for a power-packed breakfast.
Eggs, as we have since learned, got a bad rap. Now, most people are back to using the whole egg. But if you’ve got leftover egg whites to spare, why not go old-school and make an egg white omelet?
2. Make Meringue
In my opinion, classic meringues require three ingredients: egg whites, sugar, and a little distilled vinegar. Some people get fancy and use cream of tartar or maybe a splash of vanilla or dusting of cocoa. But they are optional.
Well, actually, you do also need a good mixer or a strong arm and a whisk. But once you have those things, and have practiced a few times, you can make meringues in your sleep.
For me, the key to good meringues is ratios, not recipes. You need one part leftover egg whites to two parts sugar. Then the vinegar you do by feel. Trust me, after a few times through, you’ll know just how much to use.
In the meantime, here’s a good recipe to help you get the feel of making classic meringues.
3. Egg Wash Other Baked Goods
Want to put a nice shine on your brioche bread? Brush on some leftover egg whites whipped with a splash of water before baking.
Do the same for your buttery, homemade croissants, or all your breakfast viennoiseries. In fact, you can do it for any of your baked, bready treats that need a little high gloss sheen to give them polish.
4. Enjoy Old-Fashioned Cocktails
Back before everyone was worried about salmonella, there were a lot of cocktails that required raw egg whites. Here’s a list of egg white cocktail options to consider for brunch (or any cocktail worthy occasion).
Salmonella is still a risk. So, don’t serve these to folks with compromised immune systems. Only use eggs from sources you trust (like your own chicken coop). Or pasteurize your eggs with a sous vide machine to ensure total safety.
5. Freeze Leftover Egg Whites for Later
Leftover egg whites freeze much better than whole eggs or yolks. So, if you can’t use them right away, put them in ice cube trays and freeze them. Then pop them out and keep them frozen in a freezer bag until you need them.
6. Make Angel Food Cake
Angel food cake is made light and fluffy thanks to lots of leftover egg whites. So if you are baking something that requires lots of yolks, why not also plan to bake angel food cake at the same time?
This Angel Food Cake With Sugar recipe is a simple recipe using sugar as the sweetener for angel food cake.
But if you have a diabetic in your family, Sugar-Free Angel Food Cake is also one of the best desserts to make with sugar-free sweeteners.
7. Condition Your Hair
Leftover egg whites are also a great conditioner for your hair. Whip those whites with a little olive oil and a drop of your favorite essential oil fragrance. Rub the mix into your wet hair and allow it to penetrate for 15-20 minutes before rinsing out.
8. Make Marshmallows
9. Soothe Your Skin
Egg whites also make a good skin toner and moisturizer. Mix with a little almond oil to make a mask. Apply and let dry. Then rinse with water.
Your skin will feel tight and toned and smooth for a while after this.
If you want a real treat, make some homemade marshmallows with your leftover egg whites. People say you can make marshmallows without egg whites. But personally, I am in the egg white camp on this culinary delight.
Apparently, so is renowned Chef David Lebovitz. His recipe for homemade marshmallows is pure, simple pastry magic.
What to Do with Leftover Egg Yolks
Now that you know how to make homemade marshmallows with egg whites, you are going to have a lot of leftover egg yolks. (Trust me!) So, let’s get into some equally amazing ways to use up all those yolks.
10. Mix Up Mayonnaise
Making mayonnaise is my go-to when I have a windfall of leftover egg yolks. I can eat this stuff with a spoon like ice cream.
I don’t exactly have a recipe. But I do have a process and I’m sure it will work for you too.
How to Make Mayo
- I put a large dollop of Dijon mustard in my Vitamix blender along with a squeeze of lemon juice or splash of vinegar. You can also use a food processor or an emulsion blender for this.
- I grab my gallon of olive oil and remove the lid so it’s ready to pour. Then, I add the leftover egg yolks (usually 3-4 yolks) to the acidic ingredients and immediately turn on the blender.
- Slowly, I drizzle the olive oil into the egg mix. At first, it just looks like a yellowish oil. Then, as you keep blending on low and adding more oil, you can see plain as day when the magic happens. That oiliness starts to look fluffy, creamy, and buttery in color and texture.
- Keep drizzling in oil until the mix has the consistency you like. I like mine just a bit more liquid than the grocery store mayonnaise.
Add Excitement!
At this point, turn off the blender and add in your exciting seasonings. I like sea salt and lots of fresh ground black pepper.
Very often, whole heads worth of chopped garlic goes in to make the famous French aioli. Or, I blend in some truffle oil or sriracha.
Once your flavoring agents are in, give your mayo a final pulse to mix. Then enjoy.
Mayo experts say it keeps for about a week in the fridge. But I’ve kept mine longer with no ill effects.
Oil Options
You can also use other kinds of oils. Lots of people reach for the vegetable oil for this to keep the cost down. Grapeseed, sunflower, and even unsmoked sesame oil also make delicious mayo.
Mayo Uses
This mayonnaise then gets used as a dip for veggies, homemade fries, smeared on sandwiches, used in Asian fusion recipes, subbed in for sour cream on tacos, mixed with horseradish for roast beef, and a hundred other ways.
Mustard is a Must!
Also note, that dollop of mustard is the magic maker. It’s what keeps your mayonnaise from breaking. So, go big and use the good stuff.
11. Make Hollandaise Sauce
Even though I barely ever make it past mayonnaise on this list, there are several other delicious things to do with leftover egg yolks. For instance, you can also make hollandaise sauce.
The process is similar to making mayonnaise, except you use butter and an acidifier (e.g. vinegar or lemon juice) over very low heat to emulsify the yolks into a creamy sauce.
You can use this sauce over vegetables, as a dipping sauce, or to make the classic eggs benedict. Hollandaise is quite easy to make. But there are several different ways of making it.
Here’s a Quick Hollandaise Sauce version using lemon juice, while this more Classic Hollandaise version uses shallots and a vinegar reduction.
12. Serve Up Spaghetti Alla Carbonara
There are endless ways to make carbonara sauce. The first time I encountered it was at a restaurant in France.
The waiter brought out this steaming plate of glossy oil-coated pasta topped with a heap of lightly crisped pancetta and parsley. Then, right in front of me, he dumped a container with two raw egg yolks in the middle of the mound.
The waiter used two forks to fold the eggs into the hot pasta until it became a creamy glaze. I could smell the yolks cooking and melding with the pasta. Then, he tossed in a handful of aromatic hard cheese and mixed that in too.
So, that’s about how I make my carbonara. I figured if he could do it that easily in front of a table of hungry patrons, then I could do it easily at home. Here’s my process.
Easy Carbonara
- Cook a standard box of spaghetti pasta and strain it.
- Toss it into a hot pan of melted butter (1 stick), olive oil (1/2 cup), pancetta (1/2 pound), and herbs (as much as you want).
- Mix everything together.
- Take the pan off the heat and add the leftover egg yolks.
- Fold those in using tongs until all the pasta is coated.
- Finally, sprinkle it all with a cup or so of Parmesan or Asiago cheese.
This is one of the simplest, richest dishes imaginable. Plus, including cooking the pasta, it’s ready in 20 minutes with only 5-8 minutes of active working time.
13. Make Lemon Curd
Lemon curd is another easy thing to make using leftover egg yolks. Some recipes use whole eggs, but, there are plenty out there that require only the yolk.
Here’s a super simple Lemon Curd recipe.
14. Cook Crème Brûlée
Crème brûlée is really just baked ice cream in my book. The ratios and fat requirements are a bit different. But it satisfies the same craving receptors.
I make crème brûlée in winter and ice cream in summer. But, they are both equally easy to make using simple recipes.
If you happen to have Nigerian Dwarf dairy goats, then you can use their milk instead of heavy cream to make this at home. But other breeds of dairy goats have less fat, so you’ll need to use heavy cream.
15. Make Ice Cream
In my opinion, real homemade ice cream must contain full-fat milk (with the cream), egg yolks, and sugar. Everything else is optional.
Goats Milk Ice Cream
Since I have goats, my standard recipe is 4 cups goats milk, 2 egg yolks, and ¾ cup sugar. Here’s how to make it.
- Strain the fresh milk into a pan after leaving the milk room. Add the yolks and sugar. Whisk everything together.
- Put the pan on the oven over low heat. Continually whisk so the eggs don’t curdle and the milk doesn’t stick. When the temperature is 162-165℉, keep it there for a minute to pasteurize your eggs and milk.
- Cool the mix in the fridge. Then, put it in your ice cream maker until frozen. That’s it!
This super easy, no stress ice cream only takes about 10 minutes of active work whisking while heating. Since the milk is still warm straight from the milk room, it takes half the time of starting with refrigerated milk.
Ingredient Options
For fun, I’ll use part brown sugar, or I’ll add in vanilla. Or, I’ll mix in 2 tablespoons cocoa powder and a pinch of cayenne. A little honey and lavender also make an extra special mix.
Almost any kind of flavoring can be added to this recipe as long as you don’t increase the volume of liquid.
Alcohol Advisement
Also, don’t add more than a teaspoon of alcohol (e.g. vanilla extract) or you’ll get a milkshake instead of ice cream. That’s because alcohol doesn’t freeze, so your mix stays liquid.
16. Salt Cure Yolks
Yolks don’t freeze well. So, if you find yourself stuck with extra yolks and no time to cook with them, there’s one last delicious thing you can do with them.
Coat them in a thick layer of salt. Put them on parchment in your unheated oven and let them salt cure and dry.
Then, you can use them up and use them in salads. Or serve them on blinis with sour cream as a stand-in for caviar. This works particularly well with duck egg yolks.
I learned about this last idea from the fabulous Chef Chris Wishart at Old North State. So simple, yet so deliciously decadent too!
Eggcellent Ideas
Now you are ready to bake to your heart’s content without wasting any of that eggy goodness.
Also, if you are looking for things to do with your eggshells, we’ve got you covered there too with our post – 35 Unique and Useful Uses for Egg Shells That Will Inspire You.
