50 Egg Yolk Recipes for Leftover Egg Yolks

ByCourtney March 20, 2014February 28, 2023

29 Comments

Save this collection of 50 Egg Yolk Recipes for the next time you have leftover egg yolks to use up!

Table of Contents

Using Up Leftover Egg Yolks

In the Stuff I’ve Googled series, we find ways to use up all those pesky leftover ingredients that tend to sit in our fridge until that dreadful moment when we uncover their moldy remains from behind the yogurt and strawberry jam containers.

Here’s what we’ve covered so far:

Leftover Buttermilk Recipes
Coconut Milk Recipes
Canned Chipotles in Adobo Sauce Recipes
Leftover Egg White Recipes

Today, we’re tackling Leftover Egg Yolk Recipes!

If you’ve spent any amount of time baking or cooking, I’m sure you’ve experienced this conundrum. You made Peanut Butter Meringue Pie or an Egg White Mushroom Omelet or Almond Joy Cookies, and now you’re left with a bowl full of sunny leftover egg yolks.

In this post we’ll cover how to store and use egg yolks in a variety of recipes, so whether you have one or six egg yolks, you can be certain they’ll be put to good use!

What are egg yolks used for?

Egg yolks are great for adding richness to everything from pasta to ice cream to breads. An extra egg yolk is also the secret ingredient to irresistibly chewy cookies.

Don’t feel like turning on the oven? Use those extra egg yolks to make your own mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce.

I’ve even included a recipe for hair superfood, because, let’s face it, who couldn’t use a little extra shine after these brutal winter days?

Can you refrigerate egg yolks? How long do egg yolks last?

Absolutely. Leftover raw egg yolks can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. If you can avoid breaking the yolk, it’s always nice to store them whole so you can see how many you have. (Pssst- an egg separator can help with this).

Otherwise, be sure to mark how many yolks are in the container before refrigerating.

Unfortunately, egg yolks do not freeze well, so I recommend storing them in the fridge and using them within a few days!

Recipes with Egg Yolks

Recipes Using 1 Egg Yolk

The Best Chocolate Bundt Cake from NeighborFood

Giant Bakery Style Chocolate Chip Cookies from NeighborFood
Lemon Sandwich Cookies from NeighborFood
Cajun Burgers from NeighborFood
Cheesecake for Two from Homemade in the Kitchen
Creme Brulee Cheesecake Bars fromHandle the Heat
Cake Batter Sugar Cookies from Sally’s Baking Addiction
Vanilla Bean Ice Cream from Baked Bree
Three Cheese Mac and Cheese from Cook Like a Champion
Macaroon Kisses from Chef in Training
Peanut Butter Snickers Brownie Skillet from Picky Palate
Spa In the Kitchen- Hair Superfood from Our Best Bites
Red Velvet Crepes from Tidy Mom

Recipes Using 2 Egg Yolks

Lemon Rosemary Butter Cookies from NeighborFood
Homemade Mayonnaise from The Perfect Pantry
Hollandaise Sauce from Earth Food and Fire
Eggnog cookies from Recipe Girl
Triple Chocolate Mousse from Kitchen Confidante
S’mores Ice Cream from Homemade in the Kitchen
Creamy Angel Hair Carbonara from The Noshery

Recipes Using 3 Egg Yolks

Homemade Egg Noodles from NeighborFood

Crepe Suzette Crepe Cakefrom Pineapple and Coconut
Tiramisu from The Comfort of Cooking
Easy Blender Hollandaise Sauce from Just a Pinch
Bearnaise Sauce from The Novice Chef
Country Eggs Benedict from Lana’s Cooking
Double Chocolate Almond Macaroons from Love and Olive Oil
Strawberry Paczkifrom NeighborFood

Recipes Using 4 Egg Yolks

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict from Or Whatever You Do

Tiramisu Brownies
Linguine Alla Carbonara from Simply Scratch
Peanut Butter Pudding from I Wash You Dry
Easy No Bake Creme Brulee from Completely Delicious
Banana Pudding from Eat 2 Gather
Italian Cream Puffs with Custard Filling from Eats Well With Others
Olive Garden Copy Cat Alfredo Sauce from The Slow Roasted Italian
Key Lime Pie from I Wash You Dry
Julia Child’s Chocolate Mousse from Bran Appetit
Prosciutto and Asparagus Eggs Benedict from bell’alimento
Peaches and Cream Ice Pops from The Slow Roasted Italian

Recipes Using 5 Egg Yolks

Recipes Using 6 Egg Yolks

Margarita Pie from Baking Sense

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream from Lauren’s Latest
Cappuccino Creme Brulee from A Farm Girl’s Dabbles
Bread Pudding with Vanilla Custard Sauce from Two Peas and their Pod
The Best Homemade Vanilla Bean Ice Cream from Cooking LSL
Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken and Orzo fromLove and Olive Oil

I recently baked and I have 2 eggs and 8 yolks to use and since they are mixed I’m wanting to use them but don’t know how exact some of the recipes are since they call for just yolk and mine are mixed together. Any that would be okay with a little bit of whites?
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1. Cookies would be a great recipe to try that in! They can definitely use whites, but benefit from the richness of egg yolks.
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You mentioned using them to make sweet potato fries crispier but I didn’t see the recipe?
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1. Here is an example of a recipe that uses egg whites for sweet potato fries! https://www.wellplated.com/sweet-potato-fries/
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Oh my! This сrepe Suzette сrepe сake was delicious and so easy to make! Will have to try this for my family. Thanks so much!
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Thanks for this compilation, I found my recipe… Just one thing: I’d perhaps leave out the ones where you need both yolk and white, even if used separated.
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That would be great, HSH. I do recall hearing about a cake that is made along with angel food but have never come across it.
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1. I just read another website and it’s a 12 yolk pound cake that you make with an angle food cake.
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Thanks a lot for sharing list of cool recipes Courtney! First of all i’ll try Challah Bread, Crepe Suzette Crepe Cake and Greek Lemon Soup with Chicken and Orzo! I’m also gonna pin this post on my Pinterest board my followers will love it.
See Also
The Most Popular No-Bake Slices | 20+ Recipes
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1. Great! I hope you enjoy and thank you for sharing!
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It’s remarkable designed for me to have a site, which is beneficial designed for my experience.
thanks admin
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I seriously love this round up and have shared it with so many people! Egg yolks rock.
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1. I’m so glad it’s been helpful to you Christina! I was hoping I wasn’t the only one who always needed new ideas for egg yolks. 🙂
  Reply
Courtney, so fun to see that this post of yours brought quite a few people to my blog yesterday! It was great to spend the last couple days with you! You are truly a sweet sweet person! thanks again for the share! Sheila
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1. That’s awesome Sheila! I’m so glad. It was so lovely to meet you. I wish I had more time to chat with you! I was hoping to talk to you more about your experience with adoption. It’s something my husband and I are both passionate about. We’ll have to stay connected online!
  Reply
Came by for Chocolate and PB Day and this caught my eye – EVERY morning my 12 year son wants 2 eggs – straight up or on a sandwich of some sort – minus the yolks (doesn’t like them) – I feel guilty that I usually throw them away – THIS IS AWESOME! I kept meaning to make a list of uses, in addition to the ones off the top of my head…and you did it for me! Smaaa-oooch!
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I always seem to have egg yolks hanging around! This is such a great roundup! Thanks so much for including my cream puffs!
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1. No problem girl! They look wonderful!
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2. You are a life saver! Just made a white wedding cake and have 18 egg yolks. Yes, 18 as in one and a half dozen.
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You’ve totally got our back, girl. I’m always wondering what to do with extra yolks! I’ve got to pin this post so that I always have this list handy. I just read your reply to Danielle’s question – I’m notorious for putting eggs yolks in the fridge and seeing them a week later, all flaky ‘n dried ‘n gross. No more wasted yolks for me!
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1. Yeah! i just discovered that trick and it’s going to save me from a lot of nasty yolks!
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Thank you for sharing this! I soooo need it 🙂 Out of curiosity – how long can you keep an egg yolk in the fridge before it goes bad – not that I have one waiting to be used or anything 😉
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1. The standard I’ve heard is 4 days. You can put a little water over the yolks to keep then from drying out then just drain before using.
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2. I was trying to make a baked alaska with meringue but I messed up horribly and I was crying and feeling really bad because I cant make anything this really helped me thankyou.
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  1. Wait you cooked Alaska is that what global warming really is? It’s ok mistakes are ok at least that’s what my mom told me!
    Reply
3. I think you can keep them in there until they spoil not that you needed to know because you don’t have any 😉
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I have 5 eggs yolks sitting in my fridge as we speak. You’re a GENIUS Courtney!
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LOVE this roundup! Such a great idea (because I always seem to have leftover egg yolks).
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1. Thanks girl! I actually have some leftover yolks in my fridge right now. Oh, the irony. 🙂
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50 Egg Yolk Recipes for Leftover Egg Yolks | NeighborFood (2024)

FAQs

What can I do with my leftover egg yolks? ›

12 Things to Do with Leftover Egg Yolks

#1: Whip Up Caesar Salad Dressing.
#2: Add an Extra Egg Yolk to Box Cake Mix or Chocolate Chip Cookies.
#3: Make Carbonara.
#4: Use Them As Egg Wash.
#5: Bake a Creamy, Custardy Dessert.
#6: Mix an Emulsified Sauce.
#7: Make Ice Cream.
#8: Bake The Tenderest Sugar Cookies.

More items...

View Details ›

How do you not waste egg yolks? ›

How to store egg yolks. Egg yolks will also keep for two days in the fridge but can dry out easily, so store them in small containers with less air in them, or food bags with all of the excess air squeezed out.

Get More Info Here ›

How long can you keep leftover egg yolks? ›

Yolks will keep for up to four days in an airtight container placed in the fridge. A tip to keep your yolks from drying out is to cover them with a bit of cold water, just drain them off before using. To keep them for longer, you will need to freeze them, though this is a bit trickier because yolks are gelatinous.

Learn More Now ›

What can I do with leftover egg yolks from the garden? ›

6 Surprising Ways to Use Old Eggs In Your Garden

Create Your Own Compost. After frying up some eggs for breakfast, don't just throw away the shells. ...
Use the Shells as Deterrents. ...
Feed the Soil. ...
Feed the Birds. ...
Get Started. ...
Help Out Struggling Plants.

Read The Full Story ›

Can I freeze egg yolks for later use? ›

Freezing Egg Yolks

Like egg whites, they can be frozen individually in ice cube trays, then moved to a freezer-safe container or zip-top bag for storage. They'll also need to be thawed overnight in the refrigerator before using. Use them right after they are thawed in any recipe that calls for them.

Learn More ›

Why do bodybuilders not eat egg yolk? ›

Overconsumption of egg yolks will cause your bad cholesterol to skyrocket. Similarly, its strong lipid content would quickly add up the calories of the day and therefore take you out of your macros. If you eat a lot of eggs during the day, it is of course not necessary to banish the yolks completely.

Discover More ›

Why do people throw away egg yolks? ›

Many people believe that the high levels of cholesterol in egg yolks make them unhealthy, leading them to discard the yolks. As a result, some people are reluctant to include eggs in their diet due to their high-fat content.

Learn More ›

Is it bad to waste egg yolk? ›

In most cases egg yolks do not increase cholesterol levels much and if they do they usually increase HDL which is the 'good cholesterol”. So if you tolerate eggs you shouldn't be throwing out the yolk! Of Course if you do have high cholesterol it is important to have regular blood tests to ensure your diet aligns.

Read The Full Story ›

Can you eat eggs 2 months out of date? ›

The expiration date on your carton of jumbo eggs is just there to ensure quality. So if you crack 'em open after the date has passed, you may notice they don't taste as good, but you're not at risk of illness. In short, you can eat eggs two months out of date.

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How do you reheat egg yolks without cooking them? ›

Here's one way to do it:

Take a microwave-safe bowl and fill it with enough water to cover the egg.
Place the egg gently into the bowl of water.
Cover the bowl with a microwave-safe plate or lid.
Microwave the egg for 30 seconds on high power.
Remove the plate or lid carefully as steam will have built up inside.

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Dec 8, 2016

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Can I put egg yolks in plants? ›

They are mostly fat and do not have very much in them in the way of nutrients useful to plants. There's no real reason you couldn't dispose of egg yolks in your garden or add them to the soil of potted plants, other than that they tend to attract mice and insects that aren't helpful at all, and may stink.

Find Out More ›

What do companies do with egg yolks? ›

What happens to the yolks? Most egg producers sell the leftover yolks to ingredient customers, or retailers, foodservice operators such as grocery stores or restaurants. These ingredient customers use the egg yolks to make a variety of products, such as ice cream or salad dressing.