Espresso, white chocolate, egg whites, heavy cream, powdered gelatin Chocolate Angel Food Cake Swans Down® whole milk, Dutch process cocoa powder, almond extract, salt and 11 more.
Do you prefer your eggs with or without the yolk? It’s no secret that the yellow insides of the egg are flavorful and satisfying; however, some consumers prefer to skip the yolk and go for the egg whites instead. Because while eggs come with many health benefits, they’re also high in cholesterol. But if you stick to only egg whites, you avoid those extra grams of cholesterol, and are left with protein and nutrients instead.
According to Livestrong, a single egg white yields 6 grams of protein and no fat. Livestrong also notes that a single egg white offers provides you with plenty folate, selenium, calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus. So, it is evident that egg whites can and should easily be incorporated into a healthy diet — the only question is: how? Not many consumers want to drink egg whites for breakfast, so we’re highlighting six egg white recipes that make your protein game just a little more interesting.
1. Egg White Oatmeal
Can you spare three minutes in the morning to make breakfast? Then you have time to prepare Egg White Oatmeal. Follow Julie from Peanut Butter Fingers’s lead and see how she makes her masterpiece in the microwave. Oatmeal is healthy on its own, but when you add egg whites to the mix, you amp up the nutritional profile of your breakfast, while also making your oats more voluminous and tasty. You won’t even be able to detect an eggy taste in this Egg White Oatmeal, but you may notice how perfectly a protein-packed breakfast can start your day.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup quick cooking oats
- 1 ripe banana
- ½ cup milk of your choice
- ¾ cup liquid egg whites
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
See recipe directions at Peanut Butter Fingers.
2. Mushroom and Egg White Omelet
Mushrooms and onions | iStock.com
With this breakfast from Real Simple, you can get your protein and keep your cholesterol levels at bay, too. This Mushroom and Egg White Omelet is a nutritional powerhouse and the recipe requires only a handful of ingredients you likely already have in your pantry. Egg whites, mushroom, and scallions cook together with a bit of cheese to yield a morning meal that tastes more decadent than it is, and this is one example of a breakfast that can be enjoyed guiltlessly on a slow weekend or busy work day.
Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 button mushrooms, sliced
- 2 scallions, sliced
- 4 large egg whites
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 1 ounce cheddar, shredded
See recipe directions at Real Simple.
3. Egg White Breakfast Muffins
Have your muffins and get your protein, too, via this recipe from Ambitious Kitchen. Egg Muffins are the best of both worlds, as they are pre-portioned, packed with protein, low carb, and gluten-free. This recipe yields 12 muffins, meaning you can plan ahead and eat these on the go, or leisurely enjoy them at the breakfast table. Grab your eggs, cheese, yogurt, and preheat the oven. Starting your day off on a healthy foot never tasted so good.
Ingredients:
- 2½ cups egg whites
- 3 eggs
- ¾ cup reduced-fat shredded cheese of choice
- 2 tablespoons of skim milk or plain greek yogurt
- Salt and pepper
See recipe directions at Ambitious Kitchen.
4. Egg White Frittata
Use up any fresh veggies you have on hand in this Egg White Frittata featured on Food Network and see how easy it is to eat egg whites and enjoy them, too. The recipe for this frittata calls for zucchini, tomatoes, fresh basil, egg whites, and seasonings.
Ingredients:
- 2 medium sized zucchini, cut in ¼-inch slices
- Olive oil, for grilling
- 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt, plus more for seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, plus more for seasoning
- 2 tablespoons butter
- ¼ cup diced pancetta
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
- 1 tablespoon chiffonade fresh mint leaves
- 1 tablespoon chiffonade fresh basil leaves
- 12 egg whites
- ¼ cup Swiss cheese
See recipe directions at Food Network.
5. Avocado Egg Whites
Mashed avocado | iStock.com
Another way to amp up your egg whites is by enjoying them mixed with creamy avocado. Make these Avocado Egg Whites from Oh Sweet Basil and see what we mean. This recipe yields a breakfast that is a nutritional powerhouse thanks to healthy fats from the avocado and protein from the egg whites. Add in some grape tomatoes with a pinch of salt and pepper and you’re good to go. Not only are Avocado Egg Whites fresh and easy, they also come together in 1 minute or less. Bon Appetit!
Ingredients:
- ⅓ cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half
- 3 egg whites
- ¼ avocado, smashed
- Pinch of salt and pepper
- Olive oil
See recipe directions at Oh Sweet Basil.
6. Herbed Poached Eggs on Wheat
We’re wrapping things up with a wheat bread remix. Instead of eating peanut butter or cinnamon sugar on toast for breakfast, try this recipe featured on BeachBody and go savory with poached egg whites and herbs. Poaching egg whites is easy, and this food formula couldn’t be simpler. Your breakfast can be on the table in 20 minutes or less, and with a hearty and satisfying combination of protein and carbs, you won’t worry about starting work on an empty stomach.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups hot water
- 1 teaspoon vinegar
- 3 large egg whites
- 1 slice low-sodium sprouted whole-grain bread, toasted
- 3 fresh tarragon sprigs, finely chopped
See recipe directions at Beach Body.
More from Culture Cheat Sheet:
Some recipes only need egg yolks, leaving you with excess egg whites on your hands. There is no need to discard your egg whites, though, and you don’t have to turn them into omelettes or scrambled eggs either. There are plenty of egg white-only baked goods you can prepare instead. Joy of Baking states that you can store egg whites in the fridge for seven to ten days by placing them in a tightly sealed container, and they can be frozen for up to one month. (To thaw, leave in the fridge overnight.) With that piece of information, and the following seven recipes, you won’t ever need to waste your leftover egg whites again.
1. Meringues
This little, light, crisp cookie from Eating Well only needs four ingredients. Having the egg whites at room temperature when you beat them into stiff peaks ensures you get as much volume as possible from the egg whites. It yields about eighty cookies, and excess cookies can be stored in the freezer for up to one month.
Ingredients:
- 3 large egg whites, at room temperature
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¾ cup sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
Directions: Separate one egg at a time into a small bowl, letting the white fall into the bowl and discarding the yolk. If there’s any trace of yolk in the white, discard the white and start over. If it’s yolk-free, transfer to a clean medium mixing bowl. Repeat with the remaining 2 eggs.
Add cream of tartar to the whites and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, until all the sugar has been added. Continue beating until the whites are stiff and glossy. Add vanilla and beat for 30 seconds more.
Position racks in the upper and lower thirds of the oven; preheat to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper. Place a small amount of the meringue under each corner of the paper to secure it to the pan. Fill a 1-quart sealable plastic bag (or pastry bag fitted with a ½-inch plain tip) with the meringue. Seal the bag almost completely, leaving a small opening for air to escape from the top as you squeeze. Snip off one corner of the bag with scissors, making a ¾-inch-wide opening. Fold the top of the bag over a few times, then gently push the meringue down to the snipped corner. Working with the bag perpendicular to the baking sheet, pipe the meringue into 1½-inch-diameter cookies, spacing them about ½ inch apart.
Bake the cookies until dry and crisp throughout, about 1½ hours. Transfer the pans to wire racks and let the cookies cool to room temperature, about 15 minutes.
2. Almond Scented White Cake
Use your leftover egg whites to make almond-scented white cake | Source: iStock
With your extra egg whites, you can make an impressive layer cake with this recipe from Williams-Sonoma’s Kitchen Library Series: Cakes, Cupcakes & Cheesecakes by Sarah Tenaglia. Decorated with toasted almonds, it yields about ten servings.
Ingredients:
Cake
- 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1½ cups sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon almond extract
- 1 cup milk
- 5 egg whites, at room temperature
- ¾ cup raspberry preserves, melted
- Raspberries (optional)
- 1¼ cups sliced almonds, lightly toasted and cooled
Frosting
- 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature
- 6 tablespoons (¾ stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1¼ cups confectioners’ sugar
- 1½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1½ teaspoons almond extract
Directions: Position a rack in the middle of an oven and preheat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Butter and flour 2 round cake pans each 9 inches in diameter and 1½ inches deep.
In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat the butter until light. Gradually add the sugar, beating until well blended. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts. Reduce the speed to low and, dividing the flour mixture into 3 batches, beat the flour mixture into the butter mixture alternately with the milk just until combined.
In a large bowl, using an electric mixer fitted with clean, dry beaters and set on high speed, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the beaten whites into the batter just until incorporated. Divide the batter between the prepared pans; smooth with the spatula.
Bake until a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Transfer to racks and let cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Run a sharp knife around the pan sides to loosen the cakes. Invert onto racks and let cool completely.
Meanwhile, make the cream cheese frosting: In a large bowl, combine the cream cheese and butter. Using an electric mixer set on medium-high speed, beat until smooth. Reduce the speed to low, add the confectioners’ sugar and again beat until smooth. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts until well blended.
Using a long serrated knife, cut each cake in half horizontally. Place one layer on a plate. Spread ½ cup of the frosting over the top, then drizzle on ¼ cup of the melted preserves. Top with another cake layer and repeat with the same amounts of frosting and preserves. Top with a third cake layer and again repeat with the same amounts of frosting and preserves. Top with the fourth cake layer, cut side down.
Spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides. Ring the top with raspberries, if using, and press the toasted almonds onto the sides. Serve immediately, or cover with a cake dome and refrigerate for up to one day. Bring to room temperature before serving.
3. Black and White Angel Food Cake
Angel food cakes call for plenty of egg whites and Ina Garten’s Food Network recipe is no exception. What is different is that instead of a white, basic angel food cake, you’ll be baking a vanilla and chocolate cake, topped with a rich glaze.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups sifted superfine sugar (about 1 pound)
- 1⅓ cups sifted cake flour (not self-rising)
- 1½ cups egg whites at room temperature (10 to 12 eggs)
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1½ teaspoons cream of tartar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ½ cup coarsely grated semisweet chocolate
Glaze
- ½ pound semisweet chocolate chips
- ¾ cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Directions: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Combine ½ cup of the sugar with the flour and sift them together 4 times. Set aside.
Place the egg whites, salt, and cream of tartar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment and beat on high speed until the eggs form medium-firm peaks, about 1 minute. With the mixer on medium speed, add the remaining 1½ cups of sugar by sprinkling it over the beaten egg whites. Beat on high speed for a few minutes until thick and shiny. Add the vanilla and continue to whisk until very thick, about 1 more minute. Scrape the beaten egg whites into a large bowl. Sift ¼ of the flour mixture over the egg whites and fold it very carefully into the batter with a rubber spatula. Continue adding the flour in 3 equal additions, sifting and folding until it’s all incorporated. Fold in the grated chocolate.
Pour the batter into an ungreased 10-inch tube pan, smooth the top, and bake it for 35 to 45 minutes, until it springs back to the touch. Remove the cake from the oven and invert the pan on a cooling rack. When cool, run a thin, flexible knife around the cake to remove it from the pan.
For the chocolate glaze, place the chocolate chips and the heavy cream in a heat-proof bowl over a pan of simmering water and stir until the chocolate melts. Pour the chocolate over the top of the cooled cake to cover the top completely and allow it to drizzle down the sides. If you have chocolate glaze left over, you can serve it on the side with the cake.
4. Brownie Crisps
Espresso powder | Source: Thinkstock
Just as some people prefer crispy cookies, others want the crispy brownie edges all to themselves. With King Arthur Flour’s recipe, they won’t be scavenging the edges of the brownie pan for that crunchy bite, because the whole pan will have a crisp texture.
Ingredients:
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 large egg whites
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
- ½ teaspoon espresso powder, optional, for enhanced chocolate flavor
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon Baker’s Special Dry Milk or nonfat dry milk powder
- 1 cup chocolate chips, divided
Directions: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease a pan-sized piece of parchment; or tear off a sheet of non-stick aluminum foil.
Whisk together the flour, salt, and baking soda. Set the mixture aside.
In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the sugar, cocoa powder, espresso powder, oil, and vanilla, beating until smooth. Whisk in the milk powder, then the flour mixture. Stir in ½ cup of the chocolate chips.
Place the parchment or foil on your work surface. Spread the batter on the parchment or foil, using a spatula or dough scraper to spread it as thin as possible.
Lift the paper or foil onto a baking sheet or jelly roll pan. Sprinkle the remaining chips atop the batter.
Bake the brittle for 20 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and cut it into squares using a knife, bench knife, or rolling pizza wheel; don’t separate the pieces. Return the pan to the oven, and bake the brittle for an additional 5 minutes. Remove it from the oven, and cool on the pan. When the brittle is cool, break it into pieces. Store airtight at room temperature.
5. Chocolate Macaroon Bars
Wilton has taken the coconut macaroon, and turned it into a bar cookie in this recipe which will use up three egg whites. The cookies can be stored at room temperature for five days.
Ingredients:
- ¾ cup (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch chunks
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- ½ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt
Topping
- 4 egg whites
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 bag (7 ounces) sweetened flaked coconut
- 10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips , chopped
Directions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In food processor, pulse butter, flour, sugar and salt until mixture begins to form small lumps. Transfer mixture into a 13-by-9 inch pan; press evenly onto the bottom. Bake 15-17 minutes or until just golden. While crust is baking, prepare topping.
In large bowl, whisk together egg whites and sugar until combined well. Stir in flour and coconut. Sprinkle chopped chocolate evenly over the hot crust. Allow it to melt; spread evenly with spatula. Drop small spoonfuls of coconut mixture onto chocolate; spread gently.
Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until top is golden. Cool completely in pan. Cut into twenty-four bars.
6. Three-Layer Berry and Brown Sugar Pavlova
Three-layer berry and brown sugar pavlova | Source: iStock
Pavlovas are meringue desserts, often topped with berries and cream. The use of brown sugar in Gourmet’s version, via Epicurious, has colored the traditionally white dessert a light sandy shade. Use the mix of berries that suits your tastes.
Ingredients:
Meringue
- Confectioners sugar for dusting
- 1 cup superfine granulated sugar
- ½ cup packed light brown sugar
- 1½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
- ¾ cup egg whites (from 5 to 6 large eggs) at room temperature 30 minutes
Berries
- 1½ pounds strawberries, trimmed and quartered
- 1 pound blackberries
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Cream
- 1 cup chilled heavy cream
- ⅓ cup chilled sour cream
Directions: Preheat oven to 275 degrees Fahrenheit with rack in middle. Lightly butter 3 (8-inch) round cake pans, then dust sides of pans with confectioners sugar, knocking out excess. Line bottom of each pan with a round of parchment paper.
Pulse superfine sugar, brown sugar, and cornstarch in a food processor until well combined. Stir together vanilla and vinegar in a small bowl.
Beat egg whites with a pinch of salt using an electric mixer at medium speed until they hold soft peaks. Increase speed to medium-high and add sugar mixture 1 tablespoon at a time. After all sugar has been added, beat 1 minute more. Add vinegar mixture, then beat at high speed until meringue is glossy and holds stiff peaks, about 5 minutes. Spoon about 2½ cups meringue into the pans and smooth tops.
Bake until meringues have a crisp crust and feel dry to the touch, about 1 hour (insides will still be marshmallow-like).
Turn oven off and prop door open slightly with a wooden spoon. Cool meringues in oven 1 hour. The meringues may sink or crack while cooling. Run knife along sides of cake pans and carefully turn meringues out of pans. Carefully peel off parchment (more cracking my occur). Carefully turn right side up.
Macerate fruit while meringues cool. Toss berries with sugar and let stand at room temperature until ready to use. When ready to assemble, beat heavy cream with sour cream using an electric mixer until it just holds soft peaks. Put one meringue on a serving plate and spread one third of whipped cream over it. Spoon one third of fruit (with juice) over top. Repeat with remaining meringues, cream, and fruit.
7. Pistachio Financiers
A small cake, The New York Times says that financiers have been a staple of the Parisian pastry shop circuit for more than 100 years. It is sweet with a slightly crisp exterior and nutty taste. Egg whites keep the cake from becoming too dense, and Saveur has added pistachios, for an extra crunch and nut flavor.
Ingredients:
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for pans
- ½ cup flour, plus more for pans
- ½ cup sugar
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 egg whites
- ½ cup finely ground pistachios, plus ½ cup finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons finely ground almonds
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
Directions: Grease and flour 1½-inch round financier molds or mini-muffin pans; set aside. Heat butter in a 2-quart saucepan over medium heat; cook, without stirring, until butter begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl; cool.
Whisk sugars, salt, and egg whites in a bowl until smooth. Add flour, ground pistachios, almonds, and baking powder; stir until combined. Add browned butter; stir until smooth. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Pour batter into molds; sprinkle with chopped pistachios, and bake until golden brown, about 16 minutes.