As a frequent baker, I often find myself trying to figure out what to do with leftover egg yolks from a recipe that only used the whites. I hate to waste food, so I will often madly scour the Internet for recipes that will exactly use up the number of extra egg yolks I have.

I thought it might be helpful for me and others, to collect a list of recipes that are perfect for using up extra egg yolks. I’ve included recipes for as few as one egg yolk all the way through 8 egg yolks. And if all else fails, there’s information on how to freeze egg yolks as well.



Do you have a favourite recipe to use up egg yolks? Let me know in the comments!

Last updated September 2014.

How to Freeze Egg Yolks

If you’re not able to cook right away, consider freezing your egg yolks. Unlike egg white, which can be frozen “as is”, egg yolks need a little addition to freeze well.

You basically have two choices to successfully freeze your yolks – add a bit of salt or add a bit of sugar to the them. My choice is usually salt, because even sweet recipes have some salt added to them.

How to Prepare Egg Yolks for Freezing: Place one egg yolk in each ice cube cavity of a clean ice cube tray. Add a pinch of salt to each yolk and Freeze overnight until solid, then transfer to an airtight freezer bag.

To use, thaw in refrigerator and then mix well. They will keep in the freezer for up to three months.

Leftover egg yolks will also keep well in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

One Egg Yolk Recipes

Homemade Mayonnaise (Epicurious) – mix up a quick batch of mayo and enjoy it on a sandwich!

Cheese Straws (BBC Food) – a nice snack, perfect for wine and cheese parties.

Two Egg Yolk Recipes

Ginger Cupcakes (Cooks.com) – great for Fall and Winter baking.

Raspberry Ice Cream (Yummly) – a nice, refreshing summer ice cream with fresh raspberries.

Eggnog (My Recipes) – a seasonal favourite!

Orecchiettte Carbonara with Charred Brussels Sprouts (Bon Apetit) – a delicious pasta dish, with Brussels sprouts.

Tapioca Pudding (About.com) – a classic pudding with tapioca pearls in a custard sauce.

Basic Aioli (Gourmet Sleuth) – use on sandwiches, salads or as a dip.

Another Aioli (Easy French Food) – another classic aioli recipe.

Vanilla Bean Pudding (Cooking Light) – a delicious pudding, made with vanilla beans for great flavour.

Fettucine Alfredo (Italian Chef) – classic creamy pasta dish.

Jam Filled Butter Biscuits (BBC.com) – perfect for breakfast or an afternoon snack.

Chocolate Truffles (From the comments – Thanks Nadine!) – you can never go wrong making chocolate truffles!

Pate Sucree (French Flan Pastry) – See Comments below for recipe – Thanks John!)

Caesar Salad Dressing (Food.com) – a classic dressing for everyone’s favourite salad.

Almond Butter Snickerdoodles (Cooking Light) – delicious cookies, flavoured with almond butter.

Poppy Seed Salad Dressing (Food.com) – make a batch of this to keep in the fridge for salads.

Lavender Shortbread (from the comments – thanks Poppy!) – so pretty and delicious.

Three Egg Yolk Recipes

Pastry Cream (TheKitchn.com) – classic filling for profiteroles or donuts.

Mississippi Mud Pie (RecipeLand) – can’t go wrong with this indulgent dessert of chocolate and cream.

Strawberry Paczki (Neighbor Food) – traditional Polish donuts, filled with strawberry jam.

Vanilla Slice (Taste AU) – a lovely dessert, perfect for entertaining.

Homemade Cruellers (Frugal Living) – the classic French donut!

Creme Brulee II (All Recipes) – a classic, no-fail recipe for baked custard.

Egg Yolk Sponge Cake (Nigella.com) – a rich and delicious sponge cake.

Egg Yolk Only Sugar Cookies (Group Recipes) – you can never go wrong with sugar cookies!

Black Forest Chocolate Mousse (Suite 101) – all the flavours of black forest cake in a mousse.

Blender Hollandaise Sauce (All Recipes) – an easy hollandaise sauce for topping vegetables or eggs benedict.

Martha Stewarts Bernaise Sauce (RecipeZaar) – a classic sauce, typically served with beef.

Boston Cream Pie (Joy of Baking) – a delicious pie of chocolate and custard.

Heavens Chocolate Mousse (RecipeZaar) – a classic chocolate mousse recipe.

Fettucini Carbonara (All Recipes) – pasta with a creamy sauce and bacon.

Pastry Cream (Joy of Baking) – another pastry cream recipe, perfect for filling donuts or profiteroles.

Pan Del Dia De Muertos (Gourmet Sleuth) – bread of the dead.

Crema Catalana (My Recipes)

Creme Anglaise (Canadian Living) – a pouring custard sauce for puddings or cakes.

Custard Sauce (RecipeZaar)

Four Egg Yolk Recipes

Vanilla or Chocolate Pudding (Martha Stewart)

Egg Custard (About.com)

Peaches and Cream Ice Pops (Slow Roasted Italian) – a fresh peach ice cream made with a custard base.

The Ultimate Lemon Butter Bar (Epicurious)

Boston Cream Pie (About.com)

King’s Cake (About.com)

Copycat Olive Garde Alfredo Sauce (Slow Roasted Italian) – use your egg yolks to make this copycat alfredo sauce for pasta!

Homemade Layered Chocolate Pudding Snacks (Serious Eats) – layered puddings, perfect for entertaining.

Almond Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce (Bon Apetit)

Key Lime Pie (Martha Stewart)

Key Lime Pie (Yummly)

Lemon Charlotte (Yummly)

Banana Custard Pudding (ifood.tv)

Olive Oil Ice Cream (Bon Apetit)

Traditional Vanilla Custard (Taste.au)

Chocolate Pudding (Joy of Baking)

Classic Bernaise Sauce (Home Cooking)

Earl Grey Pots de Creme (Canadian Living)

Chocolate Pots de Creme (Chow.com)

Lemon Pound Cake (Southern Food)

Lemon Pound Cake (Italian Deserts)

Chocolate Ice Cream (Joy of Baking)

Chocolate Hazelnut Ice Cream (Frozen Treats)

Strawberry Ice Cream (Frozen Treats)

Pasta Carbonara (The Paupered Chef)

Creme Anglaise (All Recipes)

Dark Chocolate Pudding with Pretzels (Bon Apetit)

Banana Pudding (Eat 2 Gather)

Creme Brulee Tarts (Taste AU)

Baked Custard (Southern Food)

Traditional Vanilla Custard (Taste.com)

Hazelnut Pastry Crust (From the comments – Thanks JoAnn!)

Five Egg Yolk Recipes

Rhubarb Crisp Ice Cream (Eggs On Sunday)

Salted Caramel Ice Cream (David Lebovitz)

Coconut Cream Pie (Add a Pinch)

German Chocolate Cake Squares (Epicurious)

Makaruni Pasta with Morel Mushroom Sauce (Cooking Light)

Lemon Crostada (Epicurious)

Vanilla Ice Cream (David Lebovitz)

Pumpkin and Brown Sugar Creme Brulee (Epicurious)

Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream (Foodie Misadventures)

Alton Brown’s Lemon Curd (Alton Brown)

Vanilla Custard Sauce (Epicurious)

Vanilla Lime Flan (Epicurious)

Creme Anglaise (Joy of Baking)

Caramel Budino with Salted Caramel Sauce (Epicurious)

Six Egg Yolk Recipes

Thomas Keller’s French Laundry Pasta Dough (Smitten Kitchen)

Bread Pudding with Vanilla Custard Sauce (Two Peas and Their Pod)

Tocino De Cielo (Baking Bites)

Maple Ice Cream (Serious Eats)

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream (Laurens Latest)

Pecan Pie Ice Cream (My Recipes)

Cappuccino Creme Brulee (A Farm Girls Dabbles)

Lemon Curd with Berries (Cooking Light)

Egg Yolk Cookies (Food.com)

Blood Orange Tart with Cardamom Pastry Cream (Epicurious)

Bourbon Butterscotch Pudding (Bon Apetit)

Lemon Custards (Yummly)

Creme Brulee (All Recipes)

Alton Brown Creme Brulee (Alton Brown)

Burnt Caramel Custards (Bon Appetit)

Four Layer Lemon Pie (Yummly)

Egg Yolk Sponge Cake (All Recipes)

Chocolate Espresso Pots de Creme (Epicurious)

Cardamom Chocolate Pots de Creme (Canadian Living)

Mexican Chocolate Pots de Creme (Group Recipes) – Mexican chocolate flavoured puddings.

Yellow Butter Cake (Joy of Baking)

Classic Lemon Curd (American Food) – use your egg yolks to make a supply of lemon curd that is lovely on cakes. You can also freeze it!

Egg Yolk Cookies (RecipeZaar)

Pastry Cream (Epicurious)

Seven Egg Yolk Recipes

Lord Baltimore Cake (All Recipes)

Creme Brulee Pie (Serious Eats)

Raspberry Custard Tart (Taste AU)

The Silkiest Carbonara (Bon Apetit)

Eight Egg Yolk Recipes

Caramel Creme Brulee (Food Network)

French Vanilla Ice Cream (Simply Recipes)

Meyer Lemon Chicken Soup (Cooking Bride)

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream (Taste AU) – a custard based ice cream, flavoured with vanilla beans.

Coffee Caramel Creme Brulee (Bon Apetit)

All Egg Yolk Leche Flan (Cafe Munchkin)

Momofuku’s Crack Pie (LA Times) – a decadent tart with an oatmeal cookie crust!

Poppy Seed Lemon Cake (Smitten Kitchen) – a classic poppy seed filled lemon cake.

Zabaglione – See recipe in Comments below – Thanks JoAnn!)

Ten Egg Yolk Recipes

Creme Brulee Ice Cream (Cafe Johnsonia) – decadent homemade ice cream with the flavours of creme brulee and the melted sugar topping!

Eleven Egg Yolk Recipes

Golden Butter Cake (Babble.com)

Twelve Egg Yolk Recipes

1 cup of yolks – Gold Cake (From the comments – Thanks Michelle!)

Bitter Orange Creme Brulee (Epicurious)

12/13 Yolks – Daffodil Cake (From the comments – Thanks Bonnie!)

Soft Egg Ravioli (Epicurious)

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