If you have an extra carton of eggs in the fridge that’s about to go bad, why not use them to whip up one of these delicious, decadent egg desserts?
Egg-based desserts can be anything from egg tarts and mini-egg pies to lemon bars, chocolate crème brûlée, and eclairs. They can include one egg or many in their recipes.
The desserts outlined here run the gamut from super sweet to slightly tart. Some feature the flavors of chocolate, vanilla, lemon, or nectarine. There’s even a brandy custard!
The one thing they all have in common is that they’ll make excellent use of the eggs in your refrigerator. So if you’re in the mood for something sweet, check out these 25 egg desserts.
1. Old-Fashioned Egg Custard Tarts
Egg custard tarts have been around for decades, and people just keep making them because of how incredible they are.
They’re simple to construct and have a lightly sweet but mild flavor and a buttery, flaky crust that’ll make you groan with pleasure.
You can enjoy them as they are or add a few of your favorite berries to the top.
2. Classic Vanilla Slice
This seemingly plain dessert looks simple – and it is – but that doesn’t mean that it isn’t a genuine delight to eat.
The top and bottom layers are supremely crispy, flaky puff pastry dough, and the center is a thick layer of soft, smooth vanilla custard.
You’ll top it with powdered sugar for an even sweeter flavor, and that’s all it takes to knock this one out of the park.
3. Lemon Curd
Lemon curd is a zesty, somewhat tart dessert that you can enjoy alone or on top of cookies, wafers, or bagels. It requires only five ingredients and takes 15 minutes to make (minus cooling time).
If you love the bright, bold taste of lemons, you’ll appreciate this one.
4. Meringue Cookies
These meringue cookies are so light, fluffy, and airy, you’ll swear you’re biting into a cloud.
You’ll need only five ingredients to make them, and they aren’t nearly as challenging to create as most people think (as long as you have a piping bag and tip).
These are perfect for simple brunches or tea parties, but they’re elegant enough for more elaborate affairs, as well.
5. Earl Grey Crème Brûlée Tart
You might have enjoyed crème brûlée before, but you probably haven’t tried Earl Grey crème brûlée. It looks like the original and has the same caramelized top, but the flavor is subtly different.
You’ll get notes of Earl Grey tea, bergamot, and vanilla. Unsurprisingly, it pairs perfectly with a mug of coffee or hot tea.
6. Cranberry Creme Brulee Recipe with Amaretto
The six-ingredient cranberry crème brûlée seamlessly blends the sweetness of amaretto and vanilla and the tartness of frozen cranberries.
Additionally, you’ll need granulated sugar, heavy cream, egg yolks, and a kitchen torch to get the signature crème brûlée finish. It’s smooth, creamy, and out of this world.
7. Chocolate Creme Brulee
Chocolate crème brûlée is just as decadently delicious as any other crème brûlée, but it features the robust flavors of cocoa powder along with the vanilla.
It’s a lovely dessert, and this recipe shows you how to make eight miniature ones so that everyone gets their own.
They’ll take a bit of time to pull together, but they’re sure to wow every guest sitting around the table.
8. The Ultimate Vanilla Custard
If you have whole milk, egg yolks, a vanilla pod, sugar, and cornstarch in your kitchen, you can have this vanilla custard ready to eat in just 30 minutes.
It’s smooth, creamy, and perfect for filling donuts, eclairs, and other custard-filled desserts. Of course, if you just want to slurp it out of the bowl, that’s fine, too.
9. General Semifreddo Recipe with Fruit
Semifreddo is a type of Italian ice cream that’s cold, creamy, and full of whatever fruit you want to add to it. (You can also use nuts and seeds if you enjoy them.)
It takes about 40 minutes to whip up, but you’ll need to make it several hours ahead of time so that it has plenty of time to freeze.
10. Easy Lemon Bars
These tart and tangy lemon bars have the chewiest, moistest consistency, and the powdered sugar on top helps tone down much of their natural sourness.
They have a bright, vibrant taste, and they’re ideal for serving alongside warm tea at a spring or summer brunch.
11. Basic Choux Pastry
To make the perfect light and airy choux pastry, you’ll only need seven ingredients, and you probably have all of them in your kitchen.
The recipe calls only for water, butter, flour, eggs, sea salt, white sugar, and vanilla extract.
And once you have this recipe down, it’s as easy as pie to turn them into cream puffs, sugar puffs, or your own favorite sweet treats.
12. Classic Eclair
Speaking of things you can do with choux pastry… These chocolate ganache-covered eclairs are the next logical step once you’ve mastered it.
It’s hard to know what to love most between the rich chocolate frosting and the supremely sweet pastry cream filling.
13. White Chocolate Mousse
This five-ingredient white chocolate mousse is another straightforward dessert that takes practically no effort to make but packs a wallop of a punch in terms of flavor.
It’s silky smooth, cool, and wonderfully sweet, and you can top it with chocolate sprinkles, toffee bits, or anything else you like.
14. Jiggly Japanese Cheesecake
Whether you shape it into an enchanting heart or not, this spongy, fluffy cheesecake is sure to be a fast favorite.
Among other things, the recipe calls for cream cheese and lemon juice, so it has a bright, tangy taste, and you can improve on that by topping it with all of your favorite berries.
If you’re looking for a fun, jiggly dessert that looks as good as it tastes, this cheesecake is the way to go.
15. Old-Fashioned Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe
I love most “old-fashioned” recipes because “old-fashioned” people didn’t have many ingredients to cook with, which means most of these recipes are easy and require very few things.
You can make this sweet, refreshing vanilla ice cream with nothing more than egg yolks, sugar, whole milk, heavy cream, and vanilla extract. You won’t even need an ice cream maker.
16. Easy Custard Pies with Cardamom and Nutmeg
This recipe is another excellent option if you’re in the mood for tiny pie crusts filled with custard.
The custard in this one features both cardamom and nutmeg, giving the pies a rich, sweetly spiced flavor that sets them apart from the other custard tarts and pies on this list.
17. Mini-Egg Pies
Mini-egg pies are much like egg tarts; the two share similar buttery, flaky crusts, and sweet, creamy custard fillings.
These, however, don’t include nutmeg, so their taste is even milder and lighter than the egg tarts above. Both are simple, comforting desserts that’ll have you nostalgic for your childhood.
18. French Silk Pie
There may be something out there that’s softer, sweeter, and silkier than French silk pie, but why waste time trying to find it when you can indulge in this incredible chocolate treat?
You’ll love its flaky crust, thick chocolate center, and pillowy whipped cream topping. Just ensure you make it in advance because this isn’t one you can whip up in half an hour.
19. Nectarine Frangipane Tart
People often overlook nectarine desserts, but one taste of this nectarine frangipane tart will shoot them straight to the top of your radar.
The tart is fruity, buttery, nutty, and has the most amazing melt-in-your-mouth crust. It takes a little time and attention, but there’s nothing else quite like it, and it’s sure to be a hit.
20. Pavlova Recipe
If you’ve never had pavlova, drop everything and go make it right now.
It’s a gorgeous, three-part dessert that features a crispy outer shell, a fluffy, marshmallow-like center, an indulgent topping of sweet cream, and berries and mint leaves to top it all off.
Every bite is sheer bliss, and you won’t be able to stop after just one.
*Disclaimer: I take no responsibility if your knees give out and you crumple to the ground in ecstasy after your first bite. Maybe be sure you’re sitting the first time you try them.
21. Eggnog Cheesecake
Don’t worry, you won’t have to come up with that crazy creative topping from the picture to ensure everyone will love your eggnog cheesecake.
Its velvety texture and phenomenal taste take care of that.
This cheesecake is flavored with cinnamon, rum extract, and nutmeg and features a warm, flavorful crust of gingersnaps, brown sugar, and butter.
It has a lovely color, a delectable crumb, and an overall yumminess that’s hard not to love. If you need an egg dessert for the holiday season, give this one a try.
22. French Apple Custard Pie
You can call this apple custard pie or an apple tart, but whatever you call it, there’s no denying that it’s sweet, slightly tart, and 100% delicious.
The crumbly crust is buttery and – as the recipe’s original author says – “foolproof.” The apples and custard are a delight to the senses.
This lovely pie is attractive enough to be on the cover of a magazine, but you’ll be able to whip it up easily in just over an hour.
23. Brazo De Mercedes Cupcake
There is no cupcake like the Brazo de Mercedes cupcake. It’s unimaginably soft and delicate, features a meringue and custard filling, and is dusted with powdered sugar.
It looks less like a cupcake than any other you’ve probably ever seen, but after just one bite, you won’t care what it looks like at all.
24. Brandy Custard
You can prepare this traditional brandy custard in less than 30 minutes with nothing more than milk, heavy cream, egg yolks, caster sugar, cornflour, and brandy.
It’s rich, creamy, and perfect for pairing with any of your favorite desserts.
25. Crema Catalana Recipe – Authentic Spanish Version
Crema Catalana is quite similar to a crème brûlée, but it’s more citrus-flavored, a bit creamier, and takes only 20 minutes to make (excluding chill time).
Beneath the crunchy caramelized sugar crust, the dessert is exceptionally creamy and sweet. Once you top it with your favorite berries, you won’t be able to get enough of it.