How often do you end up with leftover egg yolks when cooking and baking? Unfortunately, too often. And then you stand there, have a lot of yolks leftover, and wonder: "What to do with leftover egg yolk?"
It would be a shame to have to throw them away! That's why I want to give you a great idea of what to do with leftover egg yolk and how to bake delicious Christmas cookies from egg yolks!
Since I've used up 6 egg whites for the grannies coconut kisses cookies, I have 6 egg yolks leftover. Now I thought I'd write a little post about some fabulous walnut cookies that will use up those 6 extra yolks!
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🥘 Ingredients
- 6 Egg yolks
- 4.23 oz (120 g) Powdered sugar
- 1.5 Packs Vanilla sugar
- 1.5 tablespoon Rum
- 1.5 Pinches of salt
- 10.58 oz (300 g) Grounded walnuts (replaceable with grounded almonds or hazelnuts)
- OPTIONAL: baking wafers (Just like with the grannies coconut kisses cookies, I left out the baking wafers. Simply a matter of taste.) 🙂
The nice thing about these cookies is that they don't require cream, butter, wheat, or milk as an ingredient, which is excellent for many people who have food allergies!
🍽 Equipment
- Handheld electric mixer
- Wooden spoon
- Mixing bowl
- Pastry bag
- 2 Baking paper sheets
- 2 Baking trays
🔪 Instructions
Before you start the preparation, preheat the oven to 302 °F / 150 °C (top/bottom heat). Combine the leftover egg yolks with powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla sugar and beat them using a hand mixer until foamy.
In the next step, fold in the rum and the grated walnuts (almonds or hazelnuts) with a wooden spoon into the foamy mixture.
Now fill the mixture into a pastry (piping) bag and create tiny mounds onto the baking tray lined with baking paper.
If you have opted for the variant with baking wafers, pipe the mass directly onto the wafers. Fancy decorating your cookies? Add a walnut (almond or hazelnut) on top as a decoration. Once a baking sheet is full, bake the cookies on the second rack from the bottom for about 20 minutes. In total, you get about 40 delicious walnut cookies out of the mass.
Let the cookies 🍪 rest and cool after baking. After that, you can store them in an airtight container in a cool and dry place. Serve these delicious gluten-free egg yolk cookies together with the previously prepared coconut kisses cookies with coffee or tea. Enjoy them with good music and pleasant company!
You might also like the following cookie recipes: Almond Slivers, Linzer Cookies, and Advocaat Bites.
More great recipes to use up leftover egg yolk: homemade advocaat egg liqueur and Linzer Cookies with Egg Liqueur Ganache.
🙋🏻 FAQ
How long can you keep leftover yolks? / How to store leftover egg yolks?
Until you're ready to use your extra egg yolks, you need to properly store them first. The easiest way is to store them in airtight containers in the refrigerator. I personally like to use small glass jars because plastic can retain odors if used previously to store other foods. Unlike egg whites, you can store multiple yolks in 1 container. However, if any of the yolks break then you can't separate them individually. That's why I like to store 1 yolk per container. You can store leftover egg yolks in the refrigerator for 2-3 days (although I personally have gone up to a week).
Source: chocolatemoosey.com
Can you freeze egg yolks?
Credit: TARIK KIZILKAYA / Getty Images You can freeze egg yolks in ice cube trays. But first, you'll want to mix about ⅓ tsp. of salt or sugar into each yolk. This keeps the yolks from gelling in the freezer. Once the yolks have frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer-safe container. Just thaw them the night before you plan to cook them. (allrecipes.com)
What other recipes are there for extra egg yolk?
For example: Cream of Tartar, Homemade Egg Liqueur, Vanilla ice cream, Rich Hollandaise Sauce, chocolate chip cookies (with one egg yolk), ...
What to do with extra egg whites?
If you have six egg whites leftover, have a look at my coconut kisses cookie recipe!
🪄 To the conclusion
I have to say, this is one of my favorite egg yolk cookie recipe for zero waste baking. I hate tossing food away, and so I'll always look for options to create something delicious out of leftover ingredients. If you're looking for a recipe that repurposes six egg whites, head over to the coconut kisses cookies recipe!
📖 Recipe
Walnut Cookies
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 Egg yolks
- 150 g Powdered sugar
- 1.5 Packs Vanilla sugar
- 1.5 Pinches Salt
- 300 g Grounded walnuts Replaceable with grounded almonds or hazelnuts
Optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 302 °F / 150 °C (top/bottom heat).
- Beat the leftover egg yolks with the powdered sugar, salt, and vanilla sugar using a hand mixer until foamy.
- Fold in the rum and the grated walnuts (almonds or hazelnuts) into the foamy mixture.
- Fill the mixture into a pastry (piping) bag and create tiny mounds onto the baking tray lined with baking paper.
- Once a baking sheet is full, bake the cookies on the second rack from the bottom for about 20 minutes.
Optional
- If you have opted for the variant with baking wafers, pipe the mass directly onto the wafers.
For decoration
- Add a walnut (almond or hazelnut) on top before baking.
Nutrition values are estimates only, using online calculators. Please verify using your own data.
⛑ Food Safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
Freya
This is such a great idea to save waste and make something yummy at the same time! I know that some cookies also use cooked egg yolks (so give a short, crumbly biscuit) and I wonder if you can cook yolks on their own?
Nora
Thank you, Freya! Yea you can cook yolks on their own. Boil water in a pan and drop the yolk into the simmering water. Cook for a minute. And voilà!
Elaine
I may make these today, as I have six yolks leftover after making an egg white based cake yesterday. May I ask how long these cookies last in an air tight container or if they might freeze well? I am travelling starting in a week, for three weeks. Of course I'd eat some before departing, but hopefully not all.
I make many Christmas cookies of Austrian origin as my husband is Czech.
Nora
Hi Elaine, that sounds wonderful! Thank you for the message!
You can freeze the cookies for up to three months.
In an airtight container, they will last two to three weeks at room temperature. Place a sheet of baking paper between the cookie layers, so they don't stick together.
I totally love that you enjoy making Austrian cookie recipes! Enjoy baking and stay healthy! 🙂
Liz
I need all the tips I can get when it comes to baking cookies, I usually mess them up so thank you for this!
Cindy Mom, the Lunch Lady
Oh I am so excited for this recipe. I've been stuck with egg yolks several times and have had to force myself to make scrambled eggs to use them up. Now I have a yummy cookie recipe to try! Pinning!
Markus
Awesome recipe. I got to taste them first hand and they are super tasty.
Andréa Janssen
I'm always looking for recipes for leftover egg yolks. I love the walnuts they've got such a great flavor. Certainly going to make this soon!
Natalie
Oh great. I'm saving this. Such a great idea to use up egg yolks and make delicious cookies. Brilliant!
Jere Cassidy
I always have leftover egg yolks and I keep them for a couple of days but never use them. Glad to have this recipe to use those yolks.
Mandy
So much better than wasting them! I will definitely have to do this, thanks😊
Scout
I love this - it's so resourceful! Thank you for sharing this way to use egg yolks - rather than waste them!
Meg
Yum! These cookies sound delicious and are an excellent way to use up leftover egg yolks! Thanks for sharing!!
Chef Dennis
I'm gonna go and make cookies! This looks absolutely deish!
Mama Maggie's Kitchen
My mouth is watering. I have to make this tonight!
Addison
This is so helpful! Thanks for sharing!
Kalin
This is so helpful! I often end up with leftover yolks and struggle to use them. These cookies sound delicious!
Gregory Halpen
This is awesome! Always thinking of ways to use up left over egg yokes. I’m going to make this one!
Marita
What a great recipe. Thanks for sharing, my children are crazy for walnuts, and I will make these for them
mihaela
Nothing should go to waste in the kitchen! There is always a recipe for things you don't need in another:) This is a great example!
Leah Buehler
I love that you’ve written this post because cookies are the best (and these sound amazing) but also because I do tend to have extra egg yolk! Egg whites are great for topping my margaritas and for a face mask but I’d hate to throw out the yolk. Also, I didn’t know you could freeze yolk! So cool!
Ramona
I have made these yesterday and I’ve got none left. They’re delicious 🤤 and will definitely be a regular. Thanks for sharing!
Jere Cassidy
I save egg yolks in the freezer but then I never use them. Glad you posted this recipe just for that reason.
Nayomi Kirton
Great recipe idea - I often use a lot of egg whites and it feel so wasteful chucking the egg yolks away.
Tyanne Johnson
Such a great way to repurpose them! I hate seeing them go to waste.
Madeline
It always feels like such a waste to dump perfectly good egg yolks. I'm so excited to find this recipe so that I can use them to create something delicious. Thank you for sharing!
Natalie
This is definitely a keeper. Thanks for sharing this simple yet delicious recipe.
Debra
BINGO....why did it take me so long to find a great use for all the yolks?? We love meringue cookies, but I hate the waste. Thanks for the perfect recipe.
Sunrita Dutta
Thank you so much for this recipe and brilliant idea. I have always wondered what to do with leftover yolks and end up adding them to eggs for omelette. This is such superb
Anaiah Michelle | Speak Veggie To Me
This is such a great idea, Nora! I never thought of using the egg yolks in another recipe. I can't wait to try it! I never did let mine go to waste though. I always end up scrambling them up and giving them to the pups haha
Sara
This is helpful! I had no idea you could save egg yolks and I always feel bad tossing them.
Fiona Maclean
Great Idea and your cookies look delicious!
Soheila Hakimi
These cookies sound delicious and I had no idea you could freeze egg yolks! I usually just throw them into a custard but next time i'll try freezing them or making these cookies!
Thanks for the inspo!
Audrey
A friend of mine has a macaroon stall at a local farmers market and always has a ton of yolks left! I can't wait to try these cookies.
Alexandra
Such a great use for those leftover yolks!
Emily Flint
Great tips, I love this idea!!!
Amy Roskelley
YEAH!! I feel like I waste so many egg yolks because I eat so many egg whites! haha!
Thanks for this!
Chef Dennis
My wife super love cookies! This recipe looks soo yum!
Toni
This is so good! Thanks for sharing!
Biana
What a great idea for using leftover egg yolks! These cookies sound great.
Swathi
This is very useful recipes using all the left over egg yolks.
Lara
This is so informative.. I’m always looking for ways to use up extra egg yolks instead of wasting them. Thank you!
Sue
Great cookie and I think now I might have some leftover egg whites LOL.
Nora
😀 If you like coconut meringue cookies, I can recommend trying my "Grannies Coconut Kisses" recipe to get rid of the leftover egg whites! 🙂
Lindsay
I love this recipe and the tips! I'm always looking for ways to reduce food waste so this is perfect.
Lara
Great to have a recipe that uses yolks! Also, never knew I could freeze them. Great tip!
Mihaela | https://theworldisanoyster.com/
I didn't know you can freeze egg yolks. I would rather use them, especially for a batch of walnut cookies - they look just right for coffee!:)
Kay
Great cookie recipe, the kids loved them 🙂
Swathi
This is really useful post thanks for sharing
Jeannie
thanks for sharing this austrian cookie recipe. always wanted to know about cookies from other places or country. and the fact that we dont waste any ingredients in the kitchen.
Sara
Thanks for sharing this! I'm always looking for creative ways to use up my leftover yolks, and these cookies like delicious 😋
Julia
What a brilliant idea for using up egg yolks. I've always mixed them into omelettes which end up being a bit heavy so this is a perfect solution. I hate waste so I sometimes avoid recipes that leave with yolks so this is going to be keeper. Thank you
Bobbie
I always hate to throw away the yolk. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Giangi Townsend
What a wonderful idea! Thank you for sharing it. It will come in handy at baking time.
Kristen
Sorry but what is vanilla sugar? Or more importantly, what can you sub for it? Vanilla extract and sugar maybe?
Nora
Thank you for the great question, Kristen! Vanilla sugar is made from sugar and vanilla pods or sugar mixed with vanilla extract. It is widely used in Austrian kitchens. As a substitute, you can use vanilla syrup, vanilla paste, sugar beet syrup, but also ground Tonka beans. Hope that gives you some alternatives!