techniques

23 Egg Yolk Recipes For Life on the Sunny Side

Here are 23 recipes that make use of the egg yolk in all of its yellow glory, from carbonara to crème brûlée.
By Belle Cushing
Several cured egg yolk rounds on a platter with a microplane grater in view and shaved yolk underneath.
Photo by Danny Kim

You just made a meringue and have 12 sunny yolks sitting lonely in a bowl. What's a crafty, waste-averse yolk lover to do? Here are 23 recipes that make use of the yolk in all of its yellow glory, from carbonara to crème brûlée.

Tip from the Test Kitchen: If you have extra yolks but want to wait a day before cooking up some custard, store yolks in the fridge for 1-2 days, tightly covered so as to leave no air between the yolk and the plastic.

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    Laura Murray
    3/23

    BA’s Best Coconut Cream Pie

    Think of this coconut cream pie recipe like a Samoa cookie in pie form, complete with a coconut graham cracker crust and caramel layer.

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  • Raspberry Trifle with Custard and Whipped Cream
    Photo by Alex Lau, styling by Judy Mancini
    4/23

    Raspberry Trifle with Custard and Whipped Cream

    This trifle recipe was inspired by our love for The Great British Baking Show. These instructions will help you get even, beautiful layers. If you want to loosen it up a bit, Mary Berry might not approve, but it’ll still be delicious.

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  • Gray platter of Caesar salad on a white backdrop with salad servers.
    Photograph by Isa Zapata, Food Styling by Judy Kim, Prop Styling by Stephanie De Luca
    7/23

    Classic Caesar Salad

    A great Caesar salad recipe like this one gets its swagger from cold and crisp greens, a creamy and briny dressing, and freshly made croutons.

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  • Image may contain Cutlery Spoon Food Egg Dessert Coffee Cup Cup Drink Beverage and Bowl
    Gentl & Hyers
    8/23

    Burnt-Caramel Custards

    Peggy Loftus, a contributor to Food52, devised these stellar custards.

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  • Image may contain Food Egg Dessert Cup and Chocolate
    15/23

    Bourbon-Butterscotch Pudding

    This complexly flavored pudding owes its smooth texture to a quick spin in the blender.

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  • Image may contain Plant Food Breakfast Produce Vegetable and Bread
    16/23

    Almond Bread Pudding with Salted Caramel Sauce

    Adding salt to this classic sauce lets you taste the rich complexity of the caramel, not just the sweetness. To save time, feel free to replace the almonds and butter with 1/2 cup store-bought roasted almond butter (no added sugar). Just stir in the salt and almond extract and it's recipe-ready for the bread pudding.

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  • Image may contain Creme Cream Food Dessert Ice Cream and Egg
    Matt Duckor
    19/23

    Olive Oil Ice Cream

    You might be wondering, Does this really taste good? The answer is yes. Choose a light-bodied, fruity olive oil rather than a heavy, peppery one.

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  • Image may contain Food Pasta and Plant
    20/23

    Orecchiette Carbonara with Charred Brussels Sprouts

    Chef Philip Krajeck, Rolf and Daughters, Nashville, says the key to this dish is getting a good char on the brussels sprouts, which helps balance the richness of the porky, eggy sauce. Salt draws moisture out of the leaves, which might make them soggy, so he doesn’t season them.

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