Are you on a ketogenic diet and find yourself with leftover egg yolks after making recipes that call for only egg whites? Don't throw those yolks away! Egg yolks are nutritional powerhouses, packed with healthy fats and essential nutrients. This article explores a variety of keto-friendly recipes that utilize egg yolks, from cookies and custards to muffins and sauces.
Keto Chocolate Cookies
For a quick and simple treat, try these Keto Chocolate Cookies. This recipe is perfect for using up leftover yolks. These cookies are not only easy to make but also incredibly satisfying, with only 1 gram of carbs per cookie.
Ingredients:
- 5 egg yolks
- Swerve Sweetener Confectioner (or regular powdered erythritol)
- Dutch processed cocoa
- Chocolate chips
Instructions:
- Preheat oven to 300 °F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In a medium bowl, beat egg yolks until creamy and pale yellow (about 5 minutes using an electric hand mixer).
- Add sweetener, cocoa powder, and vanilla extract, and whisk until combined.
- Stir in chocolate chips.
- Drop by heaped teaspoonfuls onto the lined baking sheet.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Low-Carb Lemon Curd
If you love lemon curd but want to avoid the sugar, this keto-friendly version is a must-try. It's smooth, creamy, and full of flavor, making it a perfect filling for pies, cakes, and parfaits. You can even drizzle it on keto ice cream.
Ingredients:
- 3 tbsp fresh lemon zest (~ 3 lemons), unwaxed
- 3/4 cup fresh lemon juice (~ 4 lemons, 180 ml/ 6 fl oz)
- 6 large egg yolks
- 1/2 cup powdered Erythritol or Swerve, or other healthy low-carb sweetener (80 g/ 2.8 oz)
- 100 g butter, ghee, or virgin coconut oil (3.5 oz)
- Optional: 15-20 drops liquid Stevia
- Optional: 1 tbsp arrowroot powder or 1 tsp gelatine powder mixed with 2 tbsp water (recommended if used for pie topping)
Instructions:
- Start by washing and zesting the lemons.
- Pour in the lemon juice and add the lemon zest.
- Keep stirring for 8-10 minutes or until the custard starts to thicken. Don't worry if the curd is not smooth or looks scrambled.
- When done, place in an airtight jar and keep refrigerated for up to 10 days.
Lemon curd works great as a dip with grain-free crackers, poured over berries, as a topping in parfaits such as Eton Mess, or as a filling in pies (arrowroot or gelatine should be added for a firmer texture).
Keto Walnut Cookies
This keto walnut cookies recipe is another easy way to use egg yolks. It’s a simple, whisk-together low-carb dessert idea that's also super forgiving.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Ingredients:
- Egg yolks
- Butter
- Granulated sweetener of your choice
- Baking soda
- Flours
- Baking powder
- Pinch of salt
- Vanilla extract (optional)
- Apple cider vinegar
- Walnuts
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 170C (340F).
- In a medium mixing bowl, combine the baking soda, both flours, baking powder, and pinch of salt and set aside.
- In another mixing bowl, use a hand mixer or an immersion blender with a whisk attachment to cream the butter and granulated sweetener together until fluffy.
- Next, add the egg yolks, vanilla extract (optional), and apple cider vinegar and mix until fully incorporated.
- Bake the cookies with walnuts for 12-15 mins on a lower rack in the preheated oven.
These low-carb walnut butter cookies have only 2g net carbs each.
Keto Egg Muffins
For a satisfying and keto-friendly breakfast or snack, try these tasty Keto Egg Muffins! They're basically mini portable omelets, packed with healthy fats and nutritious vegetables.
Ingredients:
- 8 egg yolks
- 1 cup mixed greens, finely chopped
- 4 cherry tomatoes, washed and finely chopped
- ¼ cup red onion, washed and finely chopped
- Crumbled bacon
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Unsweetened almond milk
- Garlic salt
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (200°C). Grease the muffin pan with oil or add liners.
- Separate the egg yolks from the whites and add the yolks to a large mixing bowl. Discard the egg whites or save them for another recipe.
- Wash and finely chop the mixed greens, tomatoes, and onion. Add to the egg yolk mixture.
- Add the crumbled bacon, cheese (reserve 3 tablespoons for later), unsweetened almond milk, and garlic salt to the bowl.
- Mix well and pour into muffin pan.
- Bake for 15-20 minutes.
A serving of two keto egg yolk muffins comes in at only 6 grams of carbs and 0.4 grams of fiber, dropping net carbs to 5.4 grams. You may sub 4 whole eggs for 8 egg yolks.
Easy Keto Custard
This Keto Custard recipe needs just four ingredients and is delicious, with just 1g net carbs! Keto Custard can be enjoyed on its own, or as a topping for another keto dessert, like Paleo Chocolate Cake. It can also be used to make other keto desserts.
Ingredients:
- Thickened cream (heavy cream)
- Sweetener
- Egg yolks
- Vanilla
Instructions (Conventional Method):
- Add cream and vanilla to a small saucepan. Whisk over medium heat until it reaches a low simmer and remove from heat.
- In a separate bowl whisk together sweetener and egg yolks.
- Whisk into the cream mixture.
- Return to the heat and continue whisking until custard thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
- Serve warm or chill for later.
Instructions (Thermal Method):
- Insert whisk attachment. Add all ingredients to mixer; cook 9 min/90 ̊C/speed 4.
- If making Pastry Cream, add butter and xanthan gum to custard after step 1. Mix 1 min/speed 4.
- Scrape down sides of bowl; mix 30 sec/speed 4.
- Leave to cool at room temperature then press cling film over surface of pastry cream and transfer to the fridge.
Other Ideas for Using Egg Yolks
Beyond the recipes above, here are a few more ways to use up leftover egg yolks:
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
- Hollandaise Sauce: A classic sauce that gets its richness and silky texture from egg yolks.
- Zabaglione: A sweet Italian custard, usually served with fresh fruit.
- Crème brûlée: A rich custard dessert with a hard caramel top.
- Flan: A custard dessert with a caramel topping.
- Chocolate Mousse: Yolks contribute to the rich flavor and light texture of chocolate mousse.
- Homemade Pasta: Many pasta recipes call for yolks only.
- Carbonara: Put on your chef hat and take a whack at this beloved Italian dish: homemade pasta carbonara.
Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto