Whether you run out of eggs, are vegan, have a food allergy, or find them too expensive, knowing an egg substitute for recipes is a practical application of cooking chemistry. While there are a lot of egg substitutes, the one you pick depends on the purpose the egg serves in the recipe.
Purpose of Eggs in Cooking
For a successful substitution, identify the reason a recipe calls for eggs:
- Adds Moisture: If eggs are the only liquid ingredient in a recipe, they likely add moisture. The primary reason is that leavening agents, like baking soda and baking powder, require water for activating the acid-base reaction that produces the carbon dioxide bubbles that make baked goods rise. This is the easiest substitution scenario. Recognize it by the presence of baking powder or baking soda in a recipe. Be sure your substitute is water-based (i.e., don’t use oil instead of eggs).
- Binding Agent: Baked good that contain very little flour rely on eggs for holding together. Meatloaf, meatballs, and recipes that call for dipping a food into eggs before breading and frying also use eggs as a binding agent. Use this type of egg substitute when a baking recipe calls for a small amount of flour.
- Thickening Agent: Heating eggs thickens them, making them a staple for custards and puddings.
- Flavor: The fat in egg yolks gives recipes a rich flavor and adds luxurious texture. When you make an egg substitution, adding some form of fat helps preserve the taste of the recipe.
While egg substitutes won’t produce a recipe that is identical to the original, you get a successful result that might taste even better!
Egg Substitute for Baking
Here are common egg substitutes for baking, with the amount you need and the rationale for choosing them:
- Applesauce or mashed banana: Use 1/4 cup mashed banana (about half of a medium banana) or 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce for sweet baked recipes that use eggs for moisture. The fruits are dense, so consider adding an extra 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to the recipe to keep baked goods light. If you are replacing more than three eggs, consider combining the fruit with another substitution because using too much makes the recipe rubbery.
Best in: Muffins, brownies, bars, quick breads, heavier cakes - Vinegar and baking soda: Mix 1 teaspoons baking soda and 1 tablespoon of vinegar in place of 1 egg. Alternatively, use carbonated water. The reaction between baking soda and vinegar produces carbon dioxide gas, that helps baked goods rise. However, it does not thicken or contain fat, so expect a difference in the recipe texture and flavor.
Best in: Cakes, quick breads, cupcakes - Yogurt or buttermilk: Use 1/4 cup plain or vanilla yogurt or 1/4 cup buttermilk as an egg substitute. This substitute contributes both moisture and also fat, so it is a good all-around egg replacement in baked goods.
Best in: Muffins, cupcakes, cakes - Ground flax seeds or chia seeds: Mix together 1 tablespoon of ground flax or chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water and let the seeds absorb water about 10 minutes before adding the mixture to the recipe. The seeds add moisture, but also act as thickening agents that help maintain structure.
Best in: Cookies, breads, muffins, pancakes, waffles - Arrowroot powder or corn starch: Combine 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder or corn starch and 3 tablespoons of water to replace one egg. This mixture contributes moisture and also acts as a thickening agent to help with structure. While this egg substitute does not impact flavor, the lack of fat alters the texture of the finished product. Use in recipes where eggs help provide structure, such as fluffy or dense baked goods.
Best in: Cookies, muffins, pancakes, waffles, sponge cakes - Aquafaba: This is the leftover liquid from cooking chickpeas or beans. Use 3 tablespoons in place of 1 egg. This egg substitute is exceptional for recipes that call for egg whites or rely heavily on eggs for multiple properties.
Best in: Meringues, macaroons, nougat, marshmallows, coffee cakes - Silken tofu: Blend 1/4 cup silken tofu until smooth as a replacement for 1 egg. The tofu provides liquid and structure for the recipe. Avoid using in recipes that call for multiple eggs. The baked good will not brown as deeply as it would with eggs, so take care you don’t overbake.
Best in: Dense cakes, muffins, pies, quick breads - Commercial Egg replacement: Examples include Bob’s Red Mill and Ener-G. Usually, these products contain tapioca or potato starch and you combine 1-1/2 teaspoons with 2-3 tablespoons warm water to replace each egg.
Best in: These products are effective egg substitutes for most goods and have a neutral flavor.
Best Egg Substitute for Cakes
Cakes are a special case in baking. They often use a finer flour and rely on eggs as both moisture for the leavening agents and for producing a light structure. For each egg in a recipe, select one of the following substitutes:
- 1/4 cup buttermilk
- 1/4 cup plain, unsweetened, full-fat yogurt
- 1 teaspoon baking soda plus 1 teaspoon vinegar
Note that using the baking soda and vinegar substitution noticeably affects flavor if you are substituting more than one egg. An excess of baking soda imparts a slightly soapy-salty flavor, while vinegar is sour and sharp. But, this substitution works well with lemon or other fruity cakes. Tofu, chia, or flax are not optimal, as they may produce a dense, heavy cake.
Egg Substitute for Sweet or Savory Recipes
Rather than dipping meat or vegetables into eggs before flouring or breaking them, consider the following options:
- Mayonnaise (which often contains eggs)
- Sour cream
- Aquafaba
For meatballs, meatloaf, casseroles, custards, puddings, and other recipes using eggs as thickeners or binders, consider any of the following (per egg):
- 1 tablespoon soy lecithin (plus 2 tablespoons of another liquid)
- 3 tablespoons aquafaba
- 1/4 cup pureed silken tofu
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder plus 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed plus 3 tablespoons water
If you use flax seed, let it sit and thicken in the water before combining it with the other ingredients. Corn starch or flour also work. Corn starch combines with water, but combine flour with fatty ingredients to avoid lumps.
Using Egg Whites Instead of Whole Eggs
You can use egg white instead of whole eggs in recipes that use eggs for moisture, but keep in mind you need two egg white to compensate for the volume of one whole egg.
Another consideration is that omitting the egg yolk reduces the fat in a recipe. Sometimes this is the desired effect, but if you want a result as close as possible to the original recipe, consider compensating for the lack of yolk with a bit of buttermilk, butter, oil, or yogurt.
References
- Banaszak, L.J.; Anderson, T.A.; Levitt, D.G. (1998). “The structural basis of lipid interactions in lipovitellin, a soluble lipoprotein”. Structure. 6 (7): 895–909. doi:10.1016/S0969-2126(98)00091-4
- Karsten, H.D.; et al. (2010). “Vitamins A, E and fatty acid composition of the eggs of caged hens and pastured hens”. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems. 25: 45–54. doi:10.1017/S1742170509990214
- McGee, Harold (2004). McGee on Food and Cooking. Hodder and Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-83149-6.
- Razi, Saeed Mirarab; Fahim, Hoda; Amirabadi, Sepideh; Rashidinejad, Ali (2023). “An overview of the functional properties of egg white proteins and their application in the food industry”. Food Hydrocolloids. 135: 108183. doi:10.1016/j.foodhyd.2022.108183