Recipe Roundup

37 Ways to Use Extra Egg Yolks

Rich custard, creamy pasta, easy croquettes, and really great eggs Benedict can be yours.

March 1, 2020

Glass bowl filled with chocolate pudding and candied walnuts topped with flaky sea salt.

Sometimes you make a meringue or some seedy power sprinkle and you find yourself with extra egg yolks. Which means you need some egg yolk recipes. Luckily, a yolk or four is what makes pasta carbonara so luscious, crème brûlée so luxurious, and, well, you'll see more in our collection of favorite egg yolk recipes below.

Marcus Nilsson
1/37
Rigatoni with Lemon-Chile Pesto and Grated Egg
The secret to this silky, lemony pasta sauce is plenty of butter, and the courage to use it all. You'll top off the dish with Pecorino and grated egg yolks for even more luxurious richness.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Michelle Gatton
2/37
Classic Crème Brûlée
A kitchen torch makes easy work of melting sugar into the crackly topping for classic crème brûlée. And once you have one, you’ll come up with all kinds or ways to use it (like coffee crème brûlée, and coconut crème brûlée, and pistachio crème brûlée…).
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Photo by Joseph De Leo
3/37
Classic Mayonnaise
Repeat after us: Homemade mayo is easy to make. You can do it! And it's a great way to use up one extra egg yolk.
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Christopher Testani, food styling by Rebecca Jurkevich
4/37
Mashed Potato Croquettes
Wondering what to do with two egg yolks and some leftover mashed potatoes? If you've got 'em, you're well on your way to these crispy-on-the-outside, creamy-on-the-inside potato croquettes.
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Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Kaitlin Wayne
5/37
French Buttercream
Five egg yolks enrich this French buttercream, which is perfect for topping these chocolate-peanut butter cupcakes. The instructions for this egg yolk recipe are very detailed—read the whole thing before you start!
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Photo by Chelsie Craig, Food Styling by Claire Saffitz
6/37
Custard Tart With Cream and Fresh Fruit
If eggy flan-like desserts are your thing, you are going to love this crustless vanilla-infused tart.
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Christopher Testani
7/37
True Vanilla Ice Cream
There's nothing, um, vanilla about our homemade version of the classic. Of course, it also makes a great base for your favorite upgrades.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell
8/37
Grand Aioli
To make the lemony, garlicky aioli for this classic French party platter, you'll need four extra egg yolks. (We also like to serve a few halved 8-minute eggs for dipping.)
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Photo by William Meppem
9/37
Classic Lemon Curd
If you are lucky enough to have a lemon tree in your backyard, you should probably be making this lemon curd recipe and sharing it with friends. By constantly stirring the mixture, you'll end up with luscious, velvety smooth curd.
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Photo by Matt Russell
10/37
Eggplant and Mushroom Tahcheen
This saffron-infused, vegetarian version of the traditional savory Iranian rice cake is made with earthy portobello mushrooms and meaty eggplants. Egg yolks and yogurt enrich the dish.
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Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson
11/37
Pasta Carbonara With Cabbage and Mushrooms
In this dish, you’ll sauté mushrooms and bacon until they become crispy. You’ll use bacon fat to sear the cabbage before tossing in an egg, Parmesan, and pasta.
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Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Mira Evnine
12/37
Caesar Salad
Our best Caesar salad recipe is classic version with a zesty homemade dressing and crunchy garlic croutons.
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Photo by Alex Lau
13/37
Chocolate Budino With Candied Walnuts
This deliciously wobbly, very special pudding isn’t thickened with cornstarch or gelatin. Instead, it’s made with chocolate, milk, cream, and six egg yolks, and spiked with olive oil and salt, which complement the bittersweet and fruity flavors of the chocolate.
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Chelsie Craig
14/37
Magic Crispy Chicken
For the satisfaction of fried chicken without the fuss, coat boneless breasts in an eggy, mustardy mixture, then toasted panko, and bake them in the oven.
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