It’s easy enough to freeze leftover egg whites or use them up in pavlova, but when it comes to egg yolks things get a little trickier. Here’s how we use up our leftover yolks!
Freezing egg yolks
Did you know you can freeze egg yolks? Yes, really! Unlike egg whites though, egg yolks will thicken and turn gelatinous if frozen as is, making them unusable in recipes.
To avoid this, whisk the egg yolks until smooth and mix in either salt or sugar before freezing. Whether you use salt or sugar depends on whether you intend to use the yolks for a sweet or savoury recipe. As a rule of thumb, use a pinch of salt or 1 tsp sugar for every four egg yolks. When you’re ready to use your yolks, defrost them in the fridge.
Tip from the team: Don’t forget to label your container with the date, the number of egg yolks inside and whether you used salt or sugar.
Quick uses for egg yolks
- Whisk an egg yolk with a pinch of salt and drop of water to use as an egg wash for pastry
- Stir fry yolks into leftover rice to make golden egg-fried rice
- Whisk an egg yolk into bechamel sauce to add extra creaminess
- Make homemade mayonnaise
- Use egg yolks to whip up your favourite French toast recipe
12 recipes to use up leftover egg yolks
1 yolk
Fruit spirals with white chocolate sauce
Is it tea time yet? These fruit spirals with white chocolate sauce are the perfect Sunday dessert!
2 yolks
Honey crème caramels
These honey crème caramels are so sweet and silky, you’ll instantly fall in love with them.
3 yolks
Matcha mille crêpe cake with custard-crème filling
A classic French dessert, “mille” means thousand. This dish only needs 10 to 20 layers of crêpes – but it feels like a thousand when you’re making them!
Chocolate custard tarts with fresh berries
A classic, creamy chocolate tart always wins!
Caramel, spice & rum mousse cake
This spiced mousse cake with a bonus creamy caramel layer has a hit of sweetness that is bound to please.
Chocolate crème pots with spice-caramelised naartjies
These pots fall somewhere between a mousse and a custard, and are a luxurious treat for your next dinner party!
4 yolks
Bigné (Italian profiteroles)
Bigné, also known as Italian profiteroles, are traditionally eaten on St Joseph’s Day in Italy. They are light choux puffs generously filled with a rich vanilla custard and finished with a chocolate glaze.
3-ingredient Crème Brûlée
This 3-ingredient crème brûlée is an effortless dessert perfect to serve at birthday parties or dinner with friends. Chances are, you won’t even need to make a grocery run!
5 yolks or more
Pear and phyllo pastry milk tart
The nostalgic milk tart is given an epic upgrade with a dash of almond extract, a crisp golden phyllo pastry case and sweet slices of pear. Perfect for entertaining!
Lemon tart
When life hands you lemons… make this! Wonderfully smooth, creamy and zesty, this lemon tart is bursting with elegance.
Cherry Almond Beesting Cake
This cherry-studded beesting cake is made with an egg yolk and butter-enriched yeasted dough, and sandwiched with rose-scented pastry cream.
Grapefruit curd
We all know the classic lemon version, but grapefruit curd is an update with a much-needed twist! Grapefruit has an especially sharp, fruity flavour which is the perfect complement to the creaminess of the curd.
Made any of these recipes? Tag us @foodandhome #cookingwithFH
Feature image from Pexels
Looking for savoury recipes to use leftover egg yolks? Have a look at these!
ALSO SEE: Quiche Primavera
ALSO SEE: Egg yolk ravioli
ALSO SEE: Hollandaise sauce
Kirsty is the food assistant on the Food&Home team. Usually baking up a storm, snapping pics on her camera or buried in her beloved recipe books, she also spends her time tinkering on the piano, doing contemporary dancing and enjoying the beautiful outdoors.
