53 Creative Ways to Use Leftover Egg Whites
![Desiccated coconut on two layers of cake and frosting.](https://cdn.statically.io/img/assets.epicurious.com/photos/64cabd08f0a537ecfb046cba/16:9/w_320%2Cc_limit/coconut-cake_RECIPE_072123_18373_VOG_final.jpg)
So, you made a rich, eggy custard or dabbled in homemade mayonnaise, and now you’ve got a batch of leftover egg whites and no clue what to make with them. Good news: You don’t have to resort to a sad, soggy egg white omelet. There are plenty of delicious egg white recipes, including some of our favorite desserts, like meringues and pavlovas. But you can also use egg whites to make fantastically frothy cocktails or the crispiest roasted potatoes.
Need a refresher on how to separate egg whites from the yolks? There are several methods (you can see 50 of them here), but here’s our favorite: Gently crack a whole egg on its side, on a flat surface (not the edge of a counter or a bowl, which is more likely to push shell shards into the egg). Holding the egg over a bowl, separate the shell into two halves—like two little cups—and let the yolk sit in the bottom half while the whites drip into the bowl. Slowly pour the yolk back and forth between the two pieces of shell until all the whites are in the bowl below. Alternately, to avoid any contact with the eggshell (which may harbor bacteria), wash your hands well, then crack the egg and pour the whole thing into your hands. Catch the yolk, letting the whites drip through your fingers into the bowl. Save the yolks separately in another bowl.
Enough logistics—let’s get on to a few of the best ways to use egg whites.
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- Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Zoe Denenberg & Mira Evnine1/53
Vanilla Meringue Cookies
Considered by many the ultimate way to use up leftover egg whites, these light-as-a-cloud vanilla meringue cookies stay good for weeks, so you can have a homemade dessert whenever the mood strikes.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert2/53
Clover Club
The ingredients in a classic Clover Club are simple—just egg white, gin, dry vermouth, lemon juice, and raspberry syrup—so success is all in the technique. Learn how to make it with this foolproof recipe.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne3/53
Coconut Macaroons
Almond extract boosts the coconut flavor of these streamlined macaroon cookies, bound together with an egg white.
- Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton4/53
Fluffy and Fabulous Coconut Cake
A good coconut cake recipe can be made in any season, for any occasion. While there are countless ways to make this classic cake, this version keeps things simple with a fuss-free white cake—made with six egg whites—enrobed in coconutty cream cheese frosting.
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Vegetable Frittata With Asiago Cheese
A frittata is a fantastic way to use up all the odds and ends you have in your fridge. Use whole eggs, egg whites, or a combination of both, then go wild with mix-ins—you’ll find lots of inspiration in our go-to frittata recipe.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne6/53
Lemon Meringue Pie
This classic homemade lemon meringue pie recipe is sweet and tart with a fluffy, cloudlike meringue topping. No torch? No problem—slide the pie back into the oven until the top turns golden brown.
- Photo by David Japy7/53
Chocolate Satin
Egg yolks are standard in most classic chocolate mousse recipes, but this one uses only the whites for a dessert that’s silkier, lighter, and deeply chocolaty.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne8/53
Pisco Sour
Recognizable by its distinctive foamy head (from egg whites) and tart flavor, the Pisco sour is popular in Peru and Chile. This classic version is one of our favorite egg white recipes, no question.
- Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Kaitlin Wayne9/53
Italian Meringue Buttercream
Even if it’s your first time making meringue-based buttercream, this step-by-step guide will lead you to plush, voluminous success.
- Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Zoe Denenberg & Mira Evnine10/53
Peppermint Meringue Cookies
Swirly, twirly, and striped, these red-and-white peppermint meringue cookies are all dressed up for the party. Oh, and they’ll help you use up all those extra egg whites in your fridge.
- Photo by Sarah Kieffer11/53
Lemon Meringue Bread
A moist lemon loaf cake, topped with a layer of crunchy meringue, that only gets better as it sits? We’re listening. This recipe comes from 100 Morning Treats, a cookbook by Sarah Kieffer—find more of her recipes here.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson12/53
Baked Alaska Saint Pierre
A flambéed cloud of meringue covers layers of orange ice cream, sorbet, and light genoise sponge in this showstopping dessert.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Judy Haubert13/53
Classic Whiskey Sour
The simple combination of whiskey, sugar, and fresh lemon juice, makes one of the most important drinks in the cocktail canon. Classic recipes, like this one, incorporate egg whites to give the drink body and round out the acidic punch.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Rhoda Boone14/53
3-Ingredient Hazelnut Cookies
From now on, you won’t catch us without cookies on hand, because these three-ingredient wonders are so easy to make.
- Photo by Andrew Purcell, Prop Styling by Paige Hicks, Food Styling by Carrie Purcell15/53
Easter Egg Cake With Strawberry Frosting
This delightful cake tastes like a malted strawberry milkshake. Egg whites keep the sponge particularly light and fluffy; feel free to skip the chocolate egg-filled nest on top if you’re not making this dessert for Easter brunch.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks16/53
Chocolate-Raspberry Soufflé
We can’t think of a better Valentine’s Day dessert than rich, chocolaty soufflé. And once you’ve mastered the technique for the whipped French meringue that helps it rise, you can make this fancy chocolate dessert whenever you want.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks17/53
Frozen Mini S'mores Pies
These campfire-inspired treats combine chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows in a whole new way. Torch the meringue spires just before serving to mimic toasted marshmallows.
- Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food styling by Kaitlin Wayne18/53
Swiss Meringue Buttercream
First time frosting a cake? You’re gonna need a reliable frosting recipe—this Swiss meringue buttercream is our go-to.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Kaitlin Wayne19/53
Chewy Flourless Pistachio Cookies
These pistachio and cardamom-scented cookies are both chewy and crispy, thanks to the egg whites that bind the dough. The egg white and sugar dehydrate on the exterior, crisping up the edges, while the center remains chewy and marshmallowy.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Alex Brannian, Food Styling by Diana Yen20/53
Giant Chocolate Candy Bar with Peanuts and Nougat
Channel the flavors of your favorite candy bar into a giant, sliceable confection, stuffed with chewy, peanutty nougat.
- Dan Forbes21/53
Fudgy Meringue Cookies
Made without egg yolks or flour, these cookies are simultaneously crisp and fudgy. They’re best eaten the day they’re made, so get that glass of milk ready.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Sean Dooley22/53
Amaretto Sour
That bottle of almond liqueur need not stay exiled to the far reaches of your liquor cabinet—the amaretto sour is ready for its comeback.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Erika Joyce23/53
Crispy Salt and Pepper Potatoes
Not all egg white recipes are sweets—here’s a great side dish for dinner tonight. The trick of this recipe is to coat tiny potatoes in whipped egg whites before roasting; the flesh becomes tender and the skin turns wonderfully crispy-crackly.
- Photo by Travis Rainey, Food Styling by Zoe Denenberg & Mira Evnine24/53
Chocolate Meringue Cookies
Looking for a fun, utterly charming dessert to make for a holiday dinner? These kiss-shaped chocolate meringue cookies are just it. They’re simultaneously light and rich, an ideal two-bite sweet to end a celebratory meal.
- Photo by Kelsey McClellan25/53
Granola Cluster Cookies
Use your favorite granola ingredients in these meringue-like cookies. The recipe calls for pecans, almonds, and pepitas, but you can swap in other nuts and seeds, like hazelnuts, peanuts, or sunflower seeds.
- Photo by Romulo Yanes26/53
Pignoli Cookies
These delicate pine nut cookies are often found at Italian bakeries, alongside the biscotti, cannoli, and butter cookies. They’re gluten- and dairy-free too. For this egg white recipe, it’s important to use canned almond paste—the type sold in tubes is too crumbly and won’t give the cookies the right consistency.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton27/53
Italian Meringue
This billowy Italian meringue is incredibly versatile—use it to top pies, frost baked Alaska, or as the base for Italian meringue buttercream. We also use it to complement an intensely chocolaty chocolate cake.
- Romulo Yanes28/53
Blackberry Financiers
The financier—a small, traditional French cake—is as tasty as it is cute (and it’s really cute). Brown butter gives these pastries a nutty richness that perfectly complements the ground almonds in the batter.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Kate Schmidt29/53
Angel Food Cake
This classic sponge cake recipe is a thrifty way to use up a bunch of extra egg whites. Top the cake with whipped cream and any fruit that’s in season, or go for puckery lemon curd.
- Photo by Elizabeth Coetzee, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton30/53
Ramos Gin Fizz
A true cocktail classic, the Fizz is a notorious arm workout: It requires two rounds of shaking: a dry shake (without ice) to emulsify the egg white and an iced shake to chill the cocktail.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Anna Surbatovich, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks31/53
Spiced Pavlova With Pumpkin Mousse
Pumpkin mousse, whipped cream, and pretty pomegranate syrup give this elegant spin on pumpkin pie a bejeweled look.
- Photo by Alex Lau, Food Styling by Andy Baraghani32/53
Grilled Chicken Skewers With Toum (Shish Taouk)
Garlicky toum—made with lemon, oil, egg whites, and garlic—serves as both marinade and dip for the chicken skewers in this savory egg white recipe.
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Marrakesh Express
This mezcal drink from The One-Bottle Cocktail is another one of our best egg white recipes. The fresh pomegranate juice truly shines here, so it’s worth juicing one yourself.
- Photo by Joseph De Leo, Food Styling by Micah Marie Morton34/53
Angostura Fizz
This spicy fizz might just make Angostura bitters your new favorite cocktail base. A whole ounce of them go into this drink; don’t knock it ’till you try it.
- Romulo Yanes35/53
Chocolate Macarons With Orange Ganache
Classic French macarons are definitely a project recipe, but this one is easy for home cooks to get the hang of—and totally worth it. Measure the egg whites into a liquid measuring cup so you get just the right amount (or use liquid egg whites from a carton); it’ll impact the texture of the finished cookies.
- Tara Donne, food styling by Liza Jernow36/53
Gluten-Free Pistachio Truffle Cookies
Made with nutty brown rice syrup and plenty of crushed pistachios, these chocolate-dipped gluten-free cookies are a delicious cross between truffles and macaroons.
- Photo by Tara Fisher37/53
Toasted Marshmallow Cupcakes
This British recipe calls for digestive biscuits, but graham crackers work just as well. With a chocolate filling and toasted marshmallow topping, these cupcakes are full of classic campfire flavor.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell38/53
Pannelet Cookies With Sweet Potato and Coconut
Made with mashed sweet potatoes, shredded coconut, almonds, sugar, and egg whites, these cookies are both delicate and flavorful—a great way to use up two extra egg whites.
- Photo by John Kernick39/53
Three-Layer Berry and Brown Sugar Pavlova
Pavlova goes high in this recipe, with three tiers of airy meringue that crack and crumble to reveal marshmallowy interiors. Meringues aren’t usually made with moist brown sugar, but here it adds rich flavor and color. Baking the meringue in cake pans, another unusual technique, helps each layer rise talland offers lovely contrast to the billowy whipped cream and juicy berries.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Rhoda Boone40/53
Hibiscus Pavlova With Lemon-Hibiscus Cream
Magenta-hued hibiscus flowers add color and tartness to this whimsical meringue-based dessert.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Beatrice Chastka, Food Styling by Anna Stockwell41/53
Cranberry-Pistachio Baked Alaska
Cloak cranberry sorbet, pale green pistachio ice cream, and buttery pound cake beneath a torched meringue shell in this twist on a baked Alaska.
- Dan Forbes42/53
French Macarons With Raspberry-Rose Buttercream
To create patisserie-perfect macarons, use very finely ground almond flour and use the cookies to sandwich a fragrant raspberry-rose buttercream.
- Photo by David Malosh43/53
Giant Meringue (Pavlova Gigantata)
The second-most fun part of this dessert? Spreading the meringue on a sheet pan and shaping it into whimsical peaks and swirls. The most fun part? Eating it with mezcal-marinated strawberries and crunchy toasted coconut.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Nathaniel James, Food Styling by Anna Hampton44/53
Pumpkin and Cookie-Butter Sheet Cake With Toasted Meringue
Who needs frosting when you’ve got meringue? The torched (or broiled) topping cuts the richness of this moist pumpkin cake. Check out this guide to turn any cake into a meringue-topped wonder.
- Photo by Alex Lau45/53
Tuscan Almond Cookies (Ricciarelli)
These traditional almond cookies hail from Tuscany; they’re soft and chewy, similar in texture to macarons.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Food Styling by Katherine Sacks46/53
Salted Coconut Granola
Pro-tip for crunchier granola: Toss all of the ingredients with a beaten egg white before baking. If you’ve never made your own granola before, it’s a quick project, requiring just 20 minutes of prep time and a half hour of cook time. Enjoy it over yogurt for breakfast or ice cream for dessert.
- Photo by Emma Fishman, Food Styling by Sue Li47/53
Nut Butter Granola Bars
If you just have one extra egg white, use it to bind together these just-sweet-enough granola bars for the week ahead.
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Royal Icing
Royal icing is our top pick for cookie decorating; some versions are made with meringue powder, but this recipe uses egg whites to get a fluffy, shiny finish.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food and prop styling by Ali Nardi49/53
Yogurt-Peach Semifreddo
Leaving the skins on the peaches for the purée makes for a beautifully pink swirl in this refreshing summer dessert.
- Photo by Paige Green50/53
Granola Bark
This clever bark recipe is half granola bar (the snack), half granola (the cereal), and all delicious.
- Photo by Peter Frank Edwards51/53
Coconut Cream Pie With Macaroon Press-In Crust
You might not be surprised to hear the word “macaroon” when you’re looking for egg white recipes, but this dessert is special. The press-in crust, which uses an egg white and sugar to bind shredded coconut together, is like a giant coconut macaroon. For the pie filling, make a coconut custard. Then—hold your applause—scatter a crunchy, sweet-meets-salty chocolate-almond crumble over the top.
- Photo by Chelsea Kyle, food styling by Anna Stockwell52/53
Flourless Pistachio Cake With Strawberry Meringue
Make this stunning flourless pink and green cake for your Passover dessert, or to end any and every spring celebration.
- Photo by Carl Kravats53/53
Muffin Cup Veggie Omelets
This egg white recipe is a great meal-prep option—and entirely customizable. The bites call for bell peppers, mushrooms, spinach, onions, and goat cheese, but you can swap in feta or Parmesan; kale or Swiss chard; or any combination of cheese, veg, and soft herbs. Want more breakfast recipes? Right this way.
Julie Harans
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