Egg Substitutes In Baking

If eggs are binders in a recipe, it can be replaced with Arrowroot, Soy Lecithin, Flax-seed Mix, Pureed Fruits or Vegetables, Silken Tofu, Unflavored Vegetarian Gelatin Powder (agar agar). The ratio is, for every egg replaced, 1/4 cup of the substitute is used.

If eggs are leavening agents, Buttermilk, Yogurt, Baking Soda, Commercial Egg Replacement Powder such as Ener-G can be used.

If eggs are added for moisture, Fruit Juice, Milk, Water or Pureed Fruit can be used.

#1. Commercial Egg Replacer

It is a mix of potato and tapioca starch (no corn) and some leavening agents. Some commercially available egg replacer powders are Ener-G, Bob’s Red Mill, Organ and other brands. Learn more about egg replacer here.

Whip together in a food processor or blender 1 and half teaspoons powder and 2 tablespoons water. Sometimes 2-3 times as much powder in the same amount of water gives better results.

Flavorless, won’t affect the taste of the baked goods. Best suitable for all baked goods, especially Cookies.

#2. Silken Tofu

It’s made by curdling soy milk and pressing them into sliceable cakes. It is a boon for those who want to go egg free. From scrambled eggs to frittatas and cakes to frostings, tofu has its place in many dishes. Learn more about Silken Tofu and recipes using Silken tofu as an vegan egg substitute.

Substitute 1/4 cup of whipped silken tofu for each egg.

Baked goods won’t brown as deeply, but they will be very moist and heavy. Best suitable for Rich, dense & moist Cakes, breads, chocolate chip cookies, and brownies.

#3. Flax Seeds

As the name implies it is a seed, a miracle plant based food, rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, an important source of the essential fat for vegetarians especially. We can make flax seed meal at home freshly by grinding flax seeds or get it ready made from store. It is an vegan egg substitute. Learn more about Flax Seed Meal here.

Whisk/blend together 1 teaspoon of flax seed powder with 1/4 cup of water for each egg to be replaced. Check-out the step-by-step instructions on how to make flax egg here.

The baked goods are heavier & dense. Flax seed has a nutty flavor, so it works best that are grainier and nuttier, such as: Waffles, Pancakes, Breads, Bran Muffins and Oatmeal Cookies.

#4. Pureed Fruits

Mashed bananas, unsweetened applesauce, pureed prunes, plumped raisins and softened dates are some of the ways how pureed fruits can be used as an egg substitute. Learn more about pureed fruits here.

1/4 cup for each egg. Increase leavening by 25-50%. Bake items slightly longer, if necessary.

Baked goods won’t brown as deeply, but they will be very moist and heavy. Works well for Cakes, Quick Breads & Brownies.

#5. Vinegar/Baking Soda

Yes, Vinegar works very well as an egg substitute in cake, cupcake and muffin recipes, making it light and fluffy. White and apple cider vinegar is used quite often. Learn about vinegar and their types.

1 teaspoon of baking soda along with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Apple cider vinegar and white distilled vinegar can be used.

Baked goods will be light and airy. Suitable for cakes, cupcakes and quick breads.

#6. Yogurt/Buttermilk

Both buttermilk and yogurt are good egg substitutes especially while baking muffins, cakes and cupcakes. You can buy it in the Refrigerator section of grocery aisles next to milk.

1/4 cup of buttermilk or yogurt for each egg to be replaced.

The baked goods will be lighter and not as dense as the ones with pureed fruit.

Sweetened condensed milk is another good egg substitute in cakes mostly.

If you don’t have vinegar in hand, lemon juice is a very good substitute, yes a substitute for an egg substitute.

Chia seeds also works as an egg substitute just like flax seeds. Make chia egg just like flax egg and use it in muffin, quick bread recipes.

Arrowroot powder resembles cornstarch and used as a thickening agent. It’s derived from the root of a South American plant. It is also used as an egg substitute which I haven’t tried. I see that somewhere between 2 tablespoons of the powder mixed with 3 tablespoons of water can used to replace egg.

• Aquafaba is the liquid from cooking legumes, like the liquid from a can of chickpeas, or liquid from beans cooked at home. Since that liquid has a very similar consistency to that of raw egg white it works as a wonderful substitute in recipes which uses egg whites like macaroons, meringues, marshmallow, nougat, cakes etc.
• 3 tablespoons of aquafaba can be used to replace one egg/egg white.
• Only thing to note is that the consistency should be right. It can’t be too thick or too watery. Aquafaba can be used straight from the can, by draining the chickpeas or any legume. Chickpeas, white beans is preferable because the aquafaba will be clear and transparent. You may choose to use the liquid from red kidney beans and black beans in chocolate cakes or brownie recipes.
• If the liquid is thin, heat it up until it reduces and gets a bit thicker. If it it too thick, heat it up with some water to make it thin. Either way cool it to room temperature before use.

• Eggs are mostly used in brownies as a binding agent.
• Some of the best substitutes for eggs in brownies will be 1/4th of a cup of pureed fruit (applesauce recipe, mashed bananas, pureed prune), pureed silken tofu, yogurt/buttermilk and flax egg.
• Check here for a list of eggless brownie recipes.

• The best substitutes for eggs in cookies are Ener-G egg replacer (or any other brand of commercial egg replacer powder), flax egg, sweetened condensed milk.
• In rare cases vinegar too works as an egg substitute in cookies.
• Unsweetened applesauce will make the cookies very soft.
• My favorite egg substitute for cookies is Ener-G. Follow the directions given in the pack. For each egg to be replaced you will have to use about a teaspoon of the egg replacer powder whisked with 3 tablespoons of preferably warm water. You can replace up to 4 eggs using this ratio.
• Sometimes I even use about 1.5 to 2 teaspoons of Ener-G as the pack reaches the expiry date.
• Find the list of the best eggless cookies here.

• The mostly commonly used egg substitutes for cakes will be silken tofu, yogurt, pureed fruit, vinegar-baking soda (in certain recipes, strictly not for recipes which uses more than 1 egg).
• Personally I found a winning combination to substitute for eggs in cakes, which is a mix of yogurt and pureed silken tofu. It works out beautifully especially in plain vanilla sponge cakes.
• Find a huge collection of eggless cake recipes here.

• Baking powder is a good egg substitute in pancakes but it might not work if a recipe calls for more than one egg. I have got the best eggless pancake recipe already in the blog. Do try it.
• If you are looking at a pancake recipe which has eggs and you want to make the pancake without eggs then most probably flax egg, 1/4 cup of mashed banana or unsweetened applesauce for each egg to be replaced should work fine.
• Also you might have to tweak the baking powder/baking soda measurement depending upon the recipe and depending upon the egg substitute that you are planning to use.
• Check here for more eggless pancake and waffle recipes here.