What To Know About Swapping Out Eggs
Its helpful to know what eggs actually do for your baked goods in the first place. Eggs typically take on three roles when baking: Moisture, rise/leavening, and binding, culinary school grad and professional photographer Sarah McMinn of My Darling Vegan tells SELF. Most egg replacers will add moisture and binding, but you will likely need to add a separate leavening agent, such as baking soda or baking powder.
However, When you’re replacing eggs, there’s no one-size-fits-all, Fran Costigan, culinary instructor, cookbook author, pastry chef, consultant, and director of Vegan Pastry at Rouxbe Culinary School, tells SELF. Each egg substitute will affect the taste and texture of the final product slightly differently, Costigan explainsmeaning the best substitute for a batch of cookies might not be right for a birthday cake. We got great pointers from experienced vegan bakers, but its also good to be open to a little experimentation, Costigan says.
One more thing to keep in mind: Stick to substituting in recipes that call for three eggs or fewer, Costigan and Dunklee agree. More than that, and you begin to compromise the integrity of the original recipe. You cant make Grandmas cake recipe with six eggs, Dunklee says.
Replacing eggs can take some trial and error, McMinn says, but generally speaking, most people are quite surprised at how easy it is to bake egg-free. Happy eggless baking!
How To Use Aquafaba As An Egg Substitute
What in the world is aquafaba? Aquafaba is the liquid thats leftover in a can of chickpeas! It has become a popular vegan egg replacer and can even be used to make mayo. How? The starches from the chickpeas soak into the water that the chickpeas are canned in to create thicker water with binding properties. Heres how much aquafaba youll need to replace an egg:
- Recipe: 1 egg = 3 tablespoons aquafaba
- How to Use It: Simply use the liquid as you would any egg. Aquafaba can also be whipped and used in place of egg whites!
- Works Best In: Truthfully, we didnt actually love aquafaba as an egg replacer! While it did provide some binding, the baked goods made with it consistently ended up in the bottom of our test batches.
- What to Know: Surprisingly, no chickpea flavor came through in the desserts we tested. However, they all seemed to have too much moisture, while also having a crunchy exterior. If you use this substitute, wed recommend reducing the liquid in your recipe by a tablespoon or two.
How To Decide On An Egg Substitute:
Different substitutes work better for different things. An egg has many diverse properties. In baking it acts as a binder, a leavening agent, and adds moisture. Simply put, an egg is what makes your cake spongy and well structured.
The most important property of egg will vary from recipe to recipe. Before picking what replacement to use, be sure its the best available. Especially when making an egg heavy recipe such as meringue.
If you want to try baking without eggs, then first find recipes designed specifically to be egg free. Vegan baking is a popular market, and with hardly any searching youre sure to find something to make your mouth water.
Once youve mastered the basics, you can begin substituting eggs in your favorite recipes.
Also Check: How Many Protein Is In An Egg
Ground Flaxseed And Water
Ground flaxseed, or flax meal, is a popular egg substitute in vegan baking. When substituting flaxseed for egg, the general rule is 1 tablespoon of flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water per egg, shares Weintraub. Simply mix the two ingredients together, then let the mixture sit in the refrigerator until it becomes gelatinous, about 15 minutes. The consistency will help bind ingredients together, just like an egg. Flaxseed adds a mild, nutty flavour to recipes, which is great for pancakes, brownies, and cookies, and banana bread, adds Weintraub. However, its not the best for adding structure, so she recommends skipping this option when baking cakes.
The Role Of Eggs In Baking And Cooking
Before we can understand how to substitute for eggs, we need to understand their role. “The Incredible Edible Egg” may be a marketing slogan from The American Egg Board, but the once you’ll realize what eggs do for cookies, cakes, quick breads and frittatas, you’ll totally agree that they’re versatile. Eggs bring flavor, structure, tenderness and leavening to baked goods. They provide moisture, protein and color, and sometimes theyre the glue that keeps crystal sugar on a pie crust. There isnt one egg substitute that can do everything an egg can do, but theres a list of egg substitutes to choose from that follows, and at least one of them will stand in for eggs based on its characteristics.
Also Check: How Much Calories In One Egg
How Much Egg Substitute Do I Need To Replace An Egg
The number of substitutes to replace an egg will always vary based on the food type you want to prepare. However, for basic egg replacement in baking, you can substitute the following for one large egg:
Applesauce: ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce
Banana: ½ cup mashed banana
Ground Flax or chia seeds: 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoon water
Yogurt: 4 tablespoons yogurt
Tofu: 1/4 cup silken tofu
Egg replacement: This depends on the egg replacer you opt to use
Buttermilk: 1/4 cup buttermilk
Aquafaba: 3 tablespoons of aquafaba
Condensed milk: 4 tablespoons of condensed milk or coconut condensed milk
Agar-agar: 1 tablespoon agar-agar + 1 tablespoon water
Xanthan Gum And Water
If you’ve ever used xanthan gum, you’ll know how the second it touches water it gets slimy. That’s a good thing when you’re trying to stick food together, though the glue-like consistency is pretty unappetizing. Still, it does the job for muffins and cakes that don’t need to rise. Another upside of this egg substitute is that you only need a little. A quarter teaspoon plus a quarter cup of water will replace one egg as a binder .
You might have heard of xanthan gum from gluten-free flour blends where it’s often used to replace the stickiness of gluten .
Fun fact: Xanthan gum is fermented! It’s a dehydrated and ground powder made by fermenting glucose, sucrose, or lactose to produce the gummy substance. That sliminess, though, definitely ranks it below chia and flax. But it still ranks above psyillium because that has the same sliminess and can be harder to find.
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Egg Substitutes In Cooking And Baking
Find the recipe card at the end of the post. Make sure to read the content as it contains chef tips, substitution options, answers to FAQs to help you succeed the first time around!
Whether youre egg-free by choice or by allergy, heres a trusty Egg Substitution guide for baking and cooking!
One of the things in creating recipes is to be mindful of food allergies and give options for those that want to make the dish but due to an ingredient that is key, they cannot due to an allergy.
Now Im pretty well versed in gluten-free stuff, nut-free and low carb/low cal/ low fat but egg substitution Im still learning.
Ive been fortunate to have the TKW family help me out with this as they either themselves or have someone in their family with egg allergies and theyve taught me things to use in place of eggs and still have the recipe turn out awesome.
Through them, educating myself and research on the net Ive comprised a list of Egg Substitutes in Cooking and Baking that hopefully will help you out.
In a typical recipe for baked goods, eggs generally play one of two roles:
They act as a Binder. Meaning they are used to hold the recipe together. Or They act as a Leavening Agent. Essentially they are used in a recipe to help the food rise.
How Long Can You Keep Homemade Applesauce
Store your Homemade Applesauce in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. They also freeze really well, so you can freeze them in labeled Ziplock bags or even in ice cube trays. I find it really helpful to have them on hand for baking emergencies or even to serve with pork for dinner. The sweet puree compliments the pork really well give it a try!
Recommended Reading: Low Carb Breakfast Without Eggs
Ground Flax Seed Or Chia Seed
Works for: Baked goods like muffins, quick breads, waffles and cookies. Don’t add it to recipes where lightness and fluffiness is important because flax and chia seeds make for slightly denser results than baked goods made with eggs. They also contribute a slight nutty flavor.
How to use it in place of eggs: Measure 1 tablespoon flax or chia meal in a cup and add 3 tablespoons of water. Wait 5 minutes before adding it to the remaining ingredients.
What we love about French toast: the fluffy, custardy center and contrasting crisp, golden edges. This vegan recipe leans on flaxseed meal as an egg replacement and replicates those heavenly qualities.
What Kind Of Apples Should I Use To Make Applesauce
You can use any variety of apples for my Homemade Applesauce recipe, but I recommend Granny Smith, Golden Delicious, Jonagold, and Bramley apples. These apple varieties soften and cook down very well. Feel free to also mix and match different kinds of apples to play around with the flavor!
Since you dont have to use crisp apples, this is also the perfect opportunity to use dented or bruised apples in your pantry!
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The Best Egg Substitutes For Breads
The same egg substitutes for baking that work for muffinsapplesauce, bananas and pumpkinwill work for sweet quick breads like pear bread.
For yeast breads and savory quick breads, like this cheesy garlic herb quick bread, go for ground flaxseed. To use flaxseed as an egg substitute for baking, whisk 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes or until a thick gel forms. Then, get going on your bread dough!
You can experiment with using chia seeds as an egg replacer in your bread recipes, too, if you have those on hand more often. Follow the directions above.
Baking Soda + Vinegar
An interesting combination which provides the lift and browning to vegan cakes missing from not including eggs. This is very limited in application but works extremely well for certain recipes.
1 egg = 1 tsp baking soda + 1 tbsp vinegar
- Method: Unless you are confident in making changes to recipes I would only use this substitute in recipes which have been specifically developed using it. These types of recipe are easy enough to find by googling!
- Best for: chocolate cakes, other fluffy layer cakes and cupcakes, pancakes
- Benefits: most people will have these already to hand, cheap
- Example recipe: Caramelised Banana Buckwheat Bread
Recommended Reading: Difference Between White Eggs And Brown Eggs
Bobs Red Mill Egg Substitute
This was the most readily-available pre-packaged egg substitute that we could find! It is made from a combination of starches, baking soda, and psyllium husk. Heres the ratio to replace 1 egg:
- Recipe: 1 egg = 1 tablespoon egg replacer + 2 tablespoons water
- How to Use It: Once youve mixed the egg replacer and water and let it sit for one minute, you can use it exactly as you would an egg in any baked good.
- Works Best In: Any baked good. We loved the cookies made with this egg replacer and it produced good brownies and cake as well. This egg substitute is a great one to keep on hand!
- What to Know: We dont have any special notes for this one! It is flavorless and provides just the right amount of moisture to baked goods.
How Much Egg Substitute Do I Add To Replace An Egg
Great question! The answer to this depends entirely on which egg substitute youre using. For example, if youre using a flaxseed egg, youll need 1 tablespoon of flax meal + 3 tablespoons of water per egg, but if youre using aquafaba , youll need 3 tablespoons of it per egg. Dont worry, though, well walk you through exactly how much of each egg substitute to use below.
Read Also: Egg Allergy Foods To Avoid
I Cringe When I See Answer That Because There Just Is No One Size Fits All Replacer
But I get it.
The what egg replacer do I use question was the same question I also had when I first transitioned to vegan baking.
And of course my first experience with egg replacers as I tested my recipes to make them vegan was indeed FLAX!
Perhaps why my initial experiences with vegan baking was so horrific!
Egg Substitutions In Baking As A Binder
For recipes which use eggs primarily as a binder , possible substitutions for one egg include:
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Tips For Baking With Egg Substitutes
- Dont replace more than two eggs: For any baked good, only replace two of the total eggs that the recipe calls for. More than that can noticeably alter the flavor and texture. If youre not worried about making a dish vegan and you have an egg to spare, leave at least 1 whole egg in the recipe.
- You can even replace the egg in meringue: Aquafaba works as an egg substitute for a meringue, too. Youll need to whip it until its a little stiffer.
- Consider egg whites: When youre making store-bought cake mixes, you can get away with using just egg whites as your substitute for whole eggs because the mixes usually include other ingredients that help with tenderness and texture. Two egg whitesor 1/4 cup fat-free egg substitutecan replace 1 whole egg. Of course, thats not a solution if youre looking to make an egg-free recipe!
Now that you know the best egg substitutes for baking, learn how to replace other common baking ingredients like butter, brown sugar and flour in our guide to baking substitutes.
How To Make A Flaxseed Egg
All youll need to make a flax egg is flax and water! Heres what you need to know about flax eggs:
- Recipe: 1 egg = 1 tablespoon flax meal + 3 tablespoons water
- How to Use It: Simply mix together the water and flax meal, then let it sit for 5 minutes. Once the mixture begins to gel a bit, its ready to use exactly as you would use an egg.
- Works Best In: Baked goods that have strong flavors, such as brownies.
- What to know: Flax acts as a good binder, but it has a strong flavor that leaves an aftertaste in many baked goods!
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Vinegar And Baking Powder
Linda Hall/Getty Images
This duo is a popular egg substitute because you likely already have the ingredients on hand. Simply whisk one teaspoon of baking soda and one tablespoon of vinegar together, and then combine with the rest of your recipe.
I love using this egg alternative when baking a vegan birthday cake. You can use either white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
Vinegar And Baking Soda
Works for: When you’re baking and need the outcome to be light and airy , the bubbles that baking soda and vinegar generate will do the trickthink grade school science project volcano.
How to use it in place of eggs: 1 teaspoon baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon vinegar can take the place of one egg.
Also Check: How Do You Boil An Egg In The Microwave
Most Commonly Used Egg Substitutes For Baking
The choice for egg substitutes really depends on what it is for in a recipe. It could be used as a binder, or even to enrich the flavor of the bake. In some recipes, substitution is not possible and if youre ever in doubt, feel free to leave a comment at the bottom of any of our recipe pages and well respond!
Ground Flax Or Chia Seeds
Flax and chia seeds add structure to your baked goods and extra nutrition. Both contain Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, and fiber.
Flax and chia do not work as a leavening agent, however. So, while they bring flavor and nutrition, traditional bread dough will still need eggs.
Instead, chia and flax work well in flatter bakes like pancakes, waffles, and quick bread.
Substitution Measurements Replace 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of ground flax or chia seeds + 3 tablespoons of water.
Let the mixture sit until a gel forms about 5 minutes.
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Liquid Commercial Egg Substitute
Available in plastic containers, they are made of water, bean proteins, oil, thickeners and gelling compounds like agar-agar. The remaining ingredients are flavorings: onion powder, turmeric for flavor and color, soy lecithin, tapioca, salt, etc.
Works for: It’s great for any baking recipe that uses whole eggs, but it is definitely the best option for cooking savory dishes: think quiches, omelets and frittatas.
How to use it in place of eggs: Use 1/4 cup for every egg youre replacing.
The Best Substitutes For Eggs In Cooking
While the need for an egg substitute often arises for baked goods there may be times when you need an egg in a savory recipe. The purpose of eggs in cooking is usually as a binding agent therefore, you dont need to worry about substitutes that help with leavening.
Below are my favorite egg substitutes to use in dishes like meatloaf or when making meatballs. These options are perfect for binding the ingredients without adding outside flavor.
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