Egg White Recipes: How to Use Up Leftover Egg Whites

If you’re an avid baker, you’re probably familiar with the art of separating eggs, and you’ll know that many recipes call for just the yolks (like custard, mayonnaise and lemon curd). If you’ve spent the weekend whipping up rich puddings, custard tarts or hollandaise sauce, you might be left with a heap of unused egg whites. To prevent throwing any good food out, it’s worthwhile having a few go-to recipes to use up your leftover egg whites.

How to store them

Any leftover egg white should be put in airtight containers and stored in the refrigerator immediately. They can be refrigerated for up to two days.

If you won’t have a chance to use your egg whites straight away, you can freeze them for up to three months. A handy tip is to pop them into individual ice cube trays so you can use as much at you need at the time. You can also store them in freezer bags, but be sure to label them carefully so you know how many you’ve got to bake with.

Keep in mind, though, once they’re defrosted, they are not safe to re-freeze. You should defrost in the fridge overnight the day before you need them.

What to do with egg whites

Angel food cakes

Angel food cakes are beautifully light, sweet desserts that contain no fat or butter. Their fluffiness comes from incorporating air into egg whites and an unusual cooking method where the cake is inverted.

They are often accompanied with light toppings such as fresh berries and a sweet syrup. Nothing too heavy should be placed on top as it could damage the cake. Similarly, any rich toppings would affect the beautiful lightness of the angel food cake.

Coconut ice

This retro recipe, which is served as little cubes of sugary-coconutty goodness, relies on egg whites as the binding agent.

It’s generally served with a dash of food colouring to create it’s pastel pink appearance, making the perfect edible gifts for special occasions. Keep in mind, though, as the egg whites aren’t cooked – you’ll want to store it in the fridge (if it lasts that long!).

Fluffy frosting

Many traditional cakes will call for fluffy icing in their recipes as the perfect way to decorate the dessert with a smooth, marshmallow consistency.

The addition of a few drops of colouring will tint this frosting to any hue of your liking. Make sure to frost the cake around the base near the board; this forms a seal and helps keep the cake fresh.

Macaroons and macarons

For a long time, there was some confusion about the difference between a macaron and a macaroon. The recipes do have one key factor in common, though – they’re both based on egg whites.

The French macaron looks like a cookie sandwich, consisting of a crunchy, fluffy meringue and almond ‘buns’ which surround a buttercream, ganache, jam or fruit curd centre.

Macaroons are little coconut biscuits made from egg whites, condensed milk, sugar, and dried coconut. Macaroons may be topped with almonds or glace fruits, or dipped in chocolate to create an indulgent mid-morning treat.

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Meringue

Ah, meringues… There’s nothing better than biting into a sweet, crunchy homemade meringue and letting the sugar dissolve on your tongue. They can be served soft or hard, depending on how you want to use them, but one thing the recipes all need is egg whites.

Whisking clean egg whites will give you that beautifully fluffy texture you see atop lemon meringue pies. It’s important not to over-whisk them before you add the sugar, though, as the foam will break down.

And while you wouldn’t top your pies or tarts with crunchy meringue, it works beautifully for a homemade pavlova.

Omelettes

This classic egg dish is extremely versatile and can be gobbled up for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Omelettes made with just egg whites rose to popularity with the low-calorie, low-fat eating trend. The egg whites contain most of the protein and amino acids, without the fats which are sourced in the yolks. They’ll also give you a ‘fluffier’ omelette, if whisked beforehand.

The best part? You can fill your egg white omelettes with whatever you heart desires, with everything from sweet stewed fruits to savoury bacon and ricotta.

Cocktails

When it comes to cocktails, egg white is a brilliant addition when wanting to add a bit of extra texture to your cocktail. They create a silky beverage that feels rich on the tongue, as well as adding an attractive frothy top (like a cappuccino).

Pisco and whiskey sours and some of the more common drinks you can expect to add a dash of raw egg white to, but you’ll also see classic cocktails called ‘fizzes’ with this secret ingredient.

Cocktails that contain egg whites generally require more shaking than normal drinks as you need to ensure the whites form their frothy structure (just like whisking meringues!).