These rich, slightly cakey egg yolk cookies are just as tasty as any chocolate chip cookies.
I’m obsessed with meringue-based desserts like macarons and angel food cake!
But the problem is I always end up with many extra egg yolks. Besides stocking up on pie crusts and making ice creams, I wanted to try making cookies.
Thanks to the wonderful friend, Google, I came across this recipe, and wanted to give it a go. But I did make a few minor changes. They turned out great. Rich, cake-like cookies. Saving this for next time I need to put the extra egg yolks to a good use.
Did I mention it’s super easy to make this recipe? You hardly need any special equipment. I did use my stand mixer, but regular electric hand-mixer will do just fine. Here is step-by-step photos.
Egg Yolk Cookies
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup (113g) unsalted butter softened
- 1 cup (200g) sugar
- 2 1/2 cups (310g) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon cream of tartar
- ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
- ½ cup (60g) walnuts, pecans, or macadamia nuts optional
- ¼ cup (60g) chocolate chips optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven 350°F (177°C).
- In a small bowl, whisk egg yolks and vanilla extract. Set aside.
- In large mixing bowl with paddle attachment, or using an electric hand-held mixer, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
- Add the egg yolk mixture and continue mixing until well combined, scraping down the sides couple times.
- Stir in flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt. Mix just until well combined.
- Add nuts and chocolate chips, if desired.
- Using a medium cookie scoop, form into 1.5-inch balls and place them on baking sheets with plenty of space to spread. Flatten the dough slightly before baking.
- Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the edges are set.
Nutrition Facts:
Damian says
Omg this is my first ever trying to bake cookies. 😭 I’m a beginner in baking, my first time using electric mixer. I managed to make this and it tasted so good I’ve never complimented my own cooking this much. Thanks for the recipe 😭.
Caitlin says
Had 12 yolks so doubled, and it went well. Yes, it is a little drier than “regular” choc chip cookies… but that is to be expected when you are only using yolks. Just don’t over bake and go slow with that last half cup of flour, and stop when it seems right. Only things I did different were not purposely. Mini choc chips which is what I had, and went fine. However, I had to refrigerate them and bake them later. Not sure if that changed the bake but do NOT copy me unless you want an arm workout!! That dough was intense cold. Will make again.
Shinee says
Hi, Caitlin. Thank you so much for sharing your feedback and experience!! It’s super helpful! And I’m so happy you loved the cookies!
Denise says
Easy to follow recipe, taste amazing, i added some Almond and little more Vanilla they were gorgeous
Shinee says
Yay, so happy you tried and loved the recipe, Denise. Thank you for your feedback!
BeckE says
We had four yolks left from making Pavlova. We made 40 cookies using 2/3 of the ingredients (except more chocolate chips) and a number 70 portioner. We’re so happy to have found this easy recipe. Rich, yet delicate, satisfying to eat without overeating. This is definitely a keeper.
Shinee says
Yay, so happy you tried and loved these cookies, BeckE!
Veronica says
Had egg yolks to use up and found your recipe. I used all chocolate chips and will know next time to flatten more before baking because they don’t spread. Happy with the taste will make again its a great way to use up egg yolks
Shinee says
Hi Veronica. So glad you liked the cookies. And you’re right, these cookies don’t spread as much. That’s why I instructed to flatten them before baking in step 7.
Donna Befus says
I made a Baked Alaska for my husband’s birthday the other day, so I had about 10 egg yolks to use up. Found this recipe. I used all 10 yolks, figuring that the extra 2 wouldn’t make much difference. I only had salted butter, so used that and added slightly less sea salt (didn’t have any kosher). I measured the flour after sifting and then added a little extra because of the extra yolks. Skipped the chips, as we don’t like chocolate, but added pecans. The dough was very stiff, so I added 2 Tbsp 1/2 & 1/2 cream (because I had some) 1 Tbsp at a time. The dough became very, very sticky. I put a few on a baking sheet and pressed them down using a fork dipped in cool water. Put them in the oven and after 10 minutes, and they look and taste great! We prefer a touch of sweetness, but not over sweet. With chocolate chips, it would likely taste sweeter. Going to go ahead now and make more. Thank you for the recipe!
Shinee says
Yay, so happy you tried and loved these cookies, Donna. Thank you for your feedback!
Donna Befus says
Tge salt listed in the ingredients is not in the instructions.
Do you add this or not?
Maybe if you use salted butter, it is unnecessary?
Shinee says
Thanks for letting me know. I updated the recipe. Salt goes in with dry ingredients in step 5. And yes, if you’re using salted butter, omit the salt.
Kayliegh S says
This recipe was amazing. My mom made angel food cake and we had extra yolks and then I looked up a recipe and I told her and she said let’s try it out and we have 13 yolks and I said one extra yolk can’t hurt Then it turned out amazing. Also I am only in 5th grade and I thought this was easy.
Shinee says
Hi, Kayliegh!!! How fun!!! So happy you tried and loved the cookies. Thank you SO much for sharing your feedback. It sounds like you have a lot of fun in the kitchen with your mom!!
KJ McCoon says
We made meringue cookies yesterday, and set the tolls aside. Today I found this recipe. Being that I never do anything the way someone tells me to, I decided to try and turn this cookie recipe into a chewy bar recipe with Maple and Walnut. I intentionally beat the recipe to make them dense, and poured them into a pan as if I were making brownies. I would warn you to make sure that you do not overcook yours, because I almost burnt mine and they ended up crunchy not chewy. I’m curious was anyone was able to make them chewy?
Dana Ipson says
Thank you so much for this recipe. I’m the same way, hate to waste. The cookies turned out delicious. I did however, just like I do with all cookies. Add flour a little at a time, to get the perfect texture. Had no problem. Very good 👍
Shinee says
Thank you so much for your feedback, Dana. Glad you liked the cookies!
Megan says
I had to use up some egg yolks so found this recipe. My kids and I made them together…so super easy and quick to make. I have printed the recipe out so I can use it again and again.
I also used gluten free flour and they still worked out totally okay!!
Shinee says
Yay, so happy you tried and enjoyed this recipe, Megan!! And I’m glad it works with gluten-free flour as well. Thank you for your feedback!
Ang says
Dough turned out very dry, from reading other comments I now know that this recipe requires flour to be measured by weight. Didn’t see that mentioned in the recipe or the video. Disappointed to have wasted these ingredients.
Shinee says
Hi, Ang. It’s not that you *have* to weigh the flour, but it’s more about you have to measure it correctly! If you properly measured the flour by volume, you wouldn’t have any issues. But it is really easy to mis-measure flour with cups (and some recipes are more forgiving than others). I find this tutorial on how to properly measure dry ingredients super helpful.
I really hope you’ll learn to measure flour properly and won’t rate perfectly working recipes (that I worked hard to create) with low star ratings because you didn’t measure the flour correctly.
Christine says
Have you tested this recipe using oil instead of butter? My husband & I do not eat dairy.
Shinee says
Hi, Christine. No, I haven’t tried this recipe with oil. Let me know if you do.
Teri says
I made a half batch of them with Country Crock Plant Butter and cooked 6 to try since batter seemed awfully dry. Dry indeed. I added 2Tbs of water being unsure of how adding more of the plant butter or applesauce could effect it. The water helped with the dryness but the cookies did not have any melt down from the scoop shape.
Shinee says
Hi, Teri. Thank you for your feedback. How did you measure the flour? If you measured by volume, it’s possible to accidentally add a bit too much flour. If you’ve watched my video, my dough isn’t too dry. But you do need to flatten the dough balls, as these cookies don’t spread as much. This was included at the end step 7 in the recipe, and I also showed in the video.
Megan says
In Australia we have diary free spreads – nutalex is a brand that works well. I find it still cooks up well!
Shinee says
Thanks for sharing that tip, Megan!
Sally says
Made these today, used up some homemade candied peel. They’re scrumpy.
I whisked the egg yolks/vanilla until light in colour and foamy, and found they cooked better at the top of the oven. Would definitely make again.
Shinee says
Thank you for your feedback, Sally.
Regina Whitman says
I don’t Twitter or do Instagram.
👩🍳 I DID do the recipe but substituted 1/2 sugar with light brown sugar. Also used ground up semisweet baking chocolate squares partially mixed through the dough.
Turned out delicious!
Shinee says
So happy you tried and loved the recipe, Regina. Thank you for your feedback.
Esther says
Tastes good! Easy. My mix was very dry. I ended up adding approx 1/8c milk before choc chips.
Shinee says
Thank you for your feedback, Esther!!
Heidemarie Kura says
Excellent Recipe,easy and delicious. Thank you very much
Shinee says
You’re welcome. I appreciate your feedback, Heidemarie!
Theresia Yuanita D says
Hi,,,I have a couple extra yolks, so I decided to try out your recipe, 1/3 only – without the cream of tartar as I didn’t have it then. The cookies came out beautifully.. my friends love them. Soon I’m going to try the full recipe. Thank you!!!
Shinee says
Yay, so glad you loved the cookies. Thank you for your feedback, Theresia!
Rhonda says
I made these just as written, with choc. chips but no nuts. They did not spread at all. Perhaps I made them too big, as I only got 24 cookies. But they are not very sweet at all and I had to bake them about 20 minutes, they just wouldn’t brown. Maybe it’s my oven. Would never make again, very disappointed. But I had 6 yolks to use up so I gave ’em a try.
Shinee says
Hi, Rhonda. Bummer, the cookies didn’t turn out as expected. Thank you for feedback though.
Izzati says
Hi.. thank you for the recipe. May I know how many grams of egg yolks? Thank you.
Shinee says
Hi, Izzati. I’ve never weighed the egg yolk amount. I’ll update the recipe when I do.