Egg

What to Do With All Those Extra Egg Whites

Macarons and meringues, oh my!

November 19, 2021
Photo by Julia Gartland

We’re a little obsessed with eggs around here. Okay, a lot. We like eggs for breakfast and dinner. (Honestly, we'll put an egg on almost any meal.) We’ve talked about how to fry, bake, boil, and poach them. We've covered how to separate eggs and how to temper them. Together we’ve learned about the best way to crack an egg, what to do with extra egg yolks, and picked up tips for baking with smaller (or larger) eggs. Now we need to talk about what to do with extra egg whites.

Recently, our community member Undeniably Rachael made a recipe calling for nine egg yolks, and she’s wondering what to do with all of those extra egg whites. Straight from the Hotline, she’s already gotten some egg-cellent ideas. From lemon meringue pie to meringue cookies inspired by our favorite ice cream flavors, here are our go-to egg white recipes for home cooks everywhere.

1. Meringue Cookies Swirled With Jam

The best use for leftover egg whites is meringue, and these jammy cookies are an extra sweet take on the classic French cookie thanks to a swirl of your favorite fruit preserves.

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Meringue Cookies Swirled With Jam

2. Effortless Angel's Food Cake

If you have a lot of leftover egg whites (in fact, a dozen), put them to use in this soft, tender angel food cake recipe.

Effortless Angel's Food Cake

3. Yogurt Marshmallows

Just a single egg white adds a little bit of body to these homemade marshmallows that are dusted with powdered sugar and cornstarch.

Yogurt Marshmallows

4. Double-Chocolate French Macarons

French macarons can be quite temperamental, due in part to their list of delicate ingredients like almond flour and egg whites. The whites are whipped until they hold stiff peaks and are then mixed with almond flour, powdered sugar, and cocoa powder. Bonus: they’re gluten-free!

Double Chocolate French Macarons

5. Sprinkle Macaron “Cake”

If you’re like Erin Jeanne McDowell’s niece, you’d rather eat a dozen French macarons on your birthday instead of a traditional yellow or chocolate cake. Turn the petite pastry into an all-out party-ready cake with layers of large macaron shells and confetti-style cake batter frosting.

Sprinkel Macaron Cake

6. Chocolate Soufflé

You’ll need six large egg whites to make this delicate, decadent dessert. Once whipped, they give the soufflé its signature cloudlike texture and airiness, and the chocolate flavor will melt in your mouth (especially if the soufflé is served warm, which it should be).

Chocolate Souffle

7. Minty Oreo Meringue Cookies

Two desserts folded into one! Inspired by a few scoops of mint chocolate chip ice cream (the green-tinted version, of course), these meringue cookies are the perfect excuse to use up some leftover whites. 

Minty Oreo Meringue Cookies

8. Berries and Cream Pavlova

If you’ve never tasted pavlova before, you’re in for a real treat. Swirled into a crunchy meringue shell is the most luscious whipped cream you’ve ever tasted topped with macerated strawberries.

Berries and Cream Pavlova

9. Italian Meringue

Recipe developer Erin Jeanne McDowell turns to this Italian meringue time and time again for cake and pie toppings. “I love it because it’s so stable and it whips up so beautifully glossy, thick, and shiny. It’s made by cooking a sugar syrup, then adding that hot syrup to whipping egg whites,” she writes.

Italian Meringue

10. Lemon Chiffon Layer Cake

The wonder of a chiffon cake is that it manages to taste light as air and is dependable as it bakes (meaning no tragic sinking). The extra-lemony cake is layered with lemon curd, lemon buttercream, and lemon syrup.

Lemon Chiffon Layer Cake

11. Alice Medrich's New Classic Coconut Macaroons

Always a fan favorite, these-four ingredient coconut macaroons get their body from whipped egg whites, which form stiff peaks and are then folded with shredded coconut, sugar, and vanilla extract

Alice Medrich's New Classic Coconut Macaroons

12. Edna Lewis' Cheese Soufflé

A lot of people are intimidated by cheese soufflé, but with this trustworthy recipe and Sohla El-Waylly’s guidance, you too can master the art of a sharp soufflé that will soar, not sink.

Edna Lewis' Cheese Souffle

13. Layered Nougat

Unlike most candy recipes, nougat is surprisingly easy to make, according to our Resident Baking BFF Erin Jeanne McDowell. All it takes is egg whites, granulated sugar, corn syrup, and a vanilla bean.

Strawberry Layered Nougat

14. 3-Ingredient Oreo Meringues

“With just three ingredients (egg whites, sugar, and Oreos), the easiest, chewiest pantry dessert is yours at the flick of a whisk,” writes recipe developer and all-around sweet tooth Eric Kim.

3-Ingredient Oreo Meringues

15. Fresh Cherry Slab-Pavlova (Slablova)

Somewhere in between a slab pie and a pavlova is this cream-filled, crowd-friendly dessert studded with macerated cherries. 

Fresh Cherry Slab-Pavlova (Slablova)

What are your favorite ways to use leftover egg whites? Add your two cents to the question on the Hotline here or continue the conversation in the comments below!

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • mlcred
    mlcred
  • Kirsten Svenson
    Kirsten Svenson
  • Devangi Raval
    Devangi Raval
  • Eliz.
    Eliz.
  • BurgeoningBaker
    BurgeoningBaker
I like esoteric facts about vegetables. Author of the IACP Award-nominated cookbook, Cooking with Scraps.

38 Comments

mlcred May 8, 2022
are there any uses for egg white that aren't desserts?
 
Jamin-a January 27, 2023
I often make frittatas with whatever cooking vegetable I have on hand. I add just a bit of turmeric to give the eggs the "right" color and modify their taste (I don't like very much the egg white taste, but with the addition of turmeric I find the taste becomes similar to whole eggs).
 
Kirsten S. October 12, 2013
This has nothing to do with cooking, but my favorite face mask takes 1 egg white and 1 tbsp plain yogurt, mixes it up, and feels amazing. Leave on for as long as you want, and rinse off to clean out your pores without drying your skin. Cheap luxury!
 
Devangi R. September 10, 2013
Recently, I made mango curd from yolks just as we make lemon curd. And, filled it in tart and topped it off meringue. Another time last month, I made a two layer cake with mango curd filling and with whites I made swiss meringue buttercream.
 
Eliz. September 9, 2013
Outside the kitchen? Glue. Paper mâché.
 
BurgeoningBaker September 9, 2013
Meringue and its associated goodies (think angelfood cake, macaron, etc).
 
Demington September 9, 2013
Egg white soufflé à la Julia Child.
 
Kanzi K. September 9, 2013
But what about extra egg yolks?
 
Lindsay-Jean H. September 9, 2013
There are a number of Hotline threads with ideas for extra egg yolks. Here are a few: http://food52.com/hotline/13801-8-egg-yolks-suggestions, https://food52.com/hotline/10212-what-are-some-good-recipes-using-left-over-egg-yolks-from-another-recipe, https://food52.com/hotline/16747-use-and-storage-recos-for-lots-of-egg-yolks, http://food52.com/hotline/20383-what-desserts-or-savory-dishes-can-leftover-egg-yolks-be-used-for
 
Alice @. September 9, 2013
These cookies from 101 Cookbooks are a brilliant use of left over egg whites. Decadent while gluten and dairy-free to boot!
http://alicebakesacake.blogspot.com.au/2012/11/chocolate-puddle-cookies.html
 
EmFraiche September 8, 2013
Any more good egg white-containing cocktail recipes? (pisco sour noted!)
 
Lindsay-Jean H. September 9, 2013
A Ramos Gin Fizz - http://food52.com/recipes/4547-rhubarb-and-rose-ramos-gin-fizz
 
Claudia K. September 8, 2013
Whip the egg whites into cumulus clouds to make a drop-dead beautiful (and delicious) dessert called Pavlova. It's named after a famous French ballerina and it even looks like a tutu. Top with mixed beries, they're still in season!
 
bumban September 8, 2013
I was just reminded of this Chinese technique - velveting.
 
weshook September 8, 2013
I have the opposite problem--the egg whites are used for angel food cake and then I have no idea what to do with 15 egg yolks.
 
Lindsay-Jean H. September 9, 2013
See above - I've listed some Hotline threads about extra egg yolks that might help!
 
Helens September 10, 2013
Anything with custard? Gordon Ramsay has an insanely simple and delicious lemon tart recipe which uses lots of yolks. Off the top of my head, I think you combine 12 egg yolks with 300ml double cream, juice of 3 lemons and 350g castor sugar. Then you pour it into a blind bake tart shell and cook it at 110*C for 35-45 mins (although I always find it takes longer in my oven) until there's just a slight wobble in the middle (have fun trying to determine the wobble factor without opening the door). Then you turn off the oven and leave the door closed until the tart is cool (or I suppose you could just cook it in a water bath and be done with it). He also does a version where you spread chocolate on the pastry shell, but I like to keep things simple where lemon tart is concerned.
 
CJS March 7, 2023
Sponge cake. My Mother in law would make a sheetpan spongecake with left over yolks from angel food cakes, cut in 2 inch squares (after it cooled). rolled each in a powered sugar glaze then roll in ground spanish peanuts. In March the are called Blarney Stones!!
 
Dianne September 8, 2013
I like to use leftover egg whites to make candied nuts. I mix 1 cup of granulated sugar, 1/2 cup of brown sugar, 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon of hot smoked paprika (or a nice size pinch of cayenne), and 1 teaspoon of kosher salt in a small bowl until no lumps remain. In a large bowl, whisk until frothy, 2 room temp egg whites with 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Mix in about 2 lbs of your favorite nuts and coat with egg white mixture. Sprinkle sugar mixture over nuts and stir to coat well. Spread out on foil lined and greased baking sheet in a single layer and bake at 300F for 30 minutes, stirring and turning nuts a couple of times. Remove from oven and separate any nuts that have clumped together. Let cool and enjoy. Any nuts work well, but nuts like walnuts and pecans, with crevices for the sugar mixture to stick in, work particularly well.
 
Ashafoodfashion September 8, 2013
Funny that I am seeing this post now, as I comment, my teen is using some egg whites to scramble with vegetables for lunch.
 
petitbleu September 8, 2013
I love leftover egg whites as an excuse to make rustic almond macaroons. They're essentially just coarsely ground almonds, powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla and almond extracts all bound together with egg whites and baked.
 
Helens September 8, 2013
My partner loves pavlova, so they often go into a meringue base for that. I've also found that using only egg whites, rather than the whole egg when making batter yields a less stodgy, lighter, crisper result when deep frying.
 
Cassandra B. September 8, 2013
Friands or financiers!
 
William W. September 8, 2013
I like to scramble them up with plenty of salt and spices and use them for breakfast wraps. Usually I use lots of cumin and paprika, or rosemary (add fresh tomatoes)!
 
beetsandbluecheese.com September 8, 2013
Leftover egg whites, no problem. I say make yourself a Pisco Sour! It's the national drink of Peru for a reason...
http://beetsandbluecheese.com/2013/09/01/cocktails/
 
Andi September 8, 2013
I also had loads of egg whites after making my own wedding cakes (9 cakes with 4 egg yolks each, + fruit curds). David Lebovitz's Coconut Macaroons are my egg-white fall-back as well, but I discovered a new good use: Italian Chocolate Almond Torte. A great way to use 7 whites. Recipe here: http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2007/09/cook-the-book-italian-chocolatealmond-torte.html