If you’ve ever swapped eggs in a recipe and ended up with cookies that spread too much or a cake that felt dense, you’re not alone. Egg substitutes can work beautifully in baking, though each option behaves differently. Some add moisture, some help with binding, and some create lift.
This guide breaks down the best egg substitutes for baking, what they do, how to use them, and which recipes they suit best.
Jump to:
The Purpose of Eggs in Baking
Eggs do more than one job in baking. They help hold ingredients together, create lift, and add moisture to baked goods. Knowing what eggs do in a recipe makes it much easier to choose the right substitute.
Eggs as Binders
In cookies, muffins, and quick breads, eggs often help hold ingredients together. Good replacements for binding include:
- Flaxseed mixture (Flax Egg)
- Chia seed mixture
- Arrowroot powder
- Silken tofu
- Pureed fruit
- Mashed vegetables
- Agar agar
A general rule is to use about ¼ cup of substitute for each egg.
Eggs as Leavening Agents
Some recipes use eggs to help cakes and baked goods rise and stay light. In these recipes, try:
- Yogurt
- Buttermilk
- Baking soda with vinegar
- Commercial egg replacers like Ener-G
These substitutes help create a softer and fluffier texture.
Eggs for Moisture
Eggs can add moisture and richness to batters. Good moisture replacements include:
- Pureed fruit
- Plant milk or dairy milk
- Fruit juice
- Water
These options work well in cakes, muffins, and brownies.
Common Egg Substitutes In Baking
#1. Commercial Egg Replacer
The egg replacer 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 others. Learn more about egg replacer here.
How do you replace eggs using an egg replacer?
Whip together in a food processor or blender 1 and a half teaspoons powder and 2 tablespoons water. Sometimes, 2-3 times as much powder in the same amount of water gives better results.
How's the result?
Flavorless, it won’t affect the taste of baked goods. It is best suitable for all baked goods, especially Cookies.
#2. Silken Tofu
Silken tofu is made by curdling soy milk and pressing it 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 it as a vegan egg substitute.
How to replace eggs using Silken Tofu?
Substitute ¼ cup of whipped silken tofu for each egg.
How's the result?
Baked goods won’t brown as deeply but will be very moist and dense. They are best suitable for Rich, dense & moist Cakes, breads, chocolate chip cookies, and brownies.
#3. Flax Seed
As the name implies, flax seed is a miracle plant-based food rich in Omega-3 fatty acids, an important source of essential fat for vegetarians especially. We can make fresh flax seed meal at home by grinding or buying it ready from the store. It is a vegan egg substitute.
How to replace eggs using Flax Seeds?
Whisk or blend 1 tablesspoon of flax seed powder with 3 tablespoons of water to replace each egg. Find out more details on how to make flax egg.
How's the result?
The baked goods are heavier and denser. Flaxseed has a nutty flavor, so it works best in grainier and nuttier foods, such as Waffles, Pancakes, Breads, Brân Muffins, and Oatmeal Cookies.
#4. Pureed Fruits
Pureed fruits can be used as egg substitutes in various ways, including mashed bananas, unsweetened applesauce, pureed prunes, plumped raisins, and softened dates. Learn more about pureed fruits here.
How do you replace eggs using pureed fruits?
¼ cup for each egg. Increase leavening by 25-50%. Bake items slightly longer, if necessary.
How's the result?
Baked goods will not brown as deeply but will be very moist and heavy. Pureed fruit works well for Cakes, Quick Breads, and brownies.
#5. Vinegar/Baking Soda
Vinegar...Seriously? 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.
How to replace eggs using Vinegar?
1 teaspoon of baking soda along with 1 tablespoon of vinegar. Apple cider vinegar and white distilled vinegar can be used.
How's the result?
Baked goods will be light and airy. Suitable for cakes, cupcakes and quick breads.
#6. Yogurt/Buttermilk
Both buttermilk and yogurt are good egg replacements, especially while baking muffins, cakes, and cupcakes. You can buy it in the Refrigerator section of grocery aisles next to the milk.
How to replace eggs using Yogurt/Buttermilk?
¼ cup of buttermilk or yogurt for each egg to be replaced.
How's the result?
The baked goods will be lighter and not as dense as the ones with pureed fruit.
Other Egg Substitutes In Baking
#7. Condensed Milk
Sweetened condensed milk is another good egg substitute in cookies & cakes mostly. ¼ cup of condensed milk can be substituted for one egg. Check this condensed milk chocolate chip cookies recipe.
#8. Lemon/Lime Juice
If you don't have vinegar in hand, lemon juice is a very good substitute, yes a substitute for an egg substitute. Just make sure to use twice the quantity of vinegar.
#9. Chia Seeds
Chia seeds also work as an egg substitute just like flax seeds. Make chia egg just like flax egg and use it in muffin, quick bread recipes.
#10. Arrowroot Powder
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.
#11. Aquafaba
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 an excellent substitute in recipes which uses egg whites like eggless macaroons, meringues, marshmallow, nougat, cakes, etc. It works great in cookie and cupcake recipes too.
- 3 tablespoons of aquafaba can be used to replace one egg/egg white.
- The 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 are 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 gets too thick, heat it up with some water to make it thin. Either way, cool it to room temperature before use. Find out more about aquafaba egg substitute .
Substitute for Egg Wash
Simply use oil, dairy/nondairy milk, or dairy/nondairy butter. ¼ cup of light corn syrup thinned with very hot water can also be used for glazing.
Substitute for Egg Whites
Aquafaba is one of the best substitutes available for egg whites. 3 tablespoons of aquafaba can be used to replace one egg, or actually egg whites more specifically. Just make sure that it is of the right consistency. It has to look slimy like egg white, not too thin or not too thick.
Substitute for Egg Yolks
Apparently, soy lecithin is a good substitute for egg yolk, which I am yet to try. It mimics the emulsifying property of eggs. It's a by-product of soy oil so making it vegetarian. I read that 1 tablespoon of soy lecithin is a substitute for 1 large egg yolk.
Note
Share your experiences with different egg substitutes that you've used during baking or if you have questions on egg substitutes, share/ask them in the comments section below. Share this page with your friends.
Happy Baking Without Eggs!
💌 Save This Recipe!
We'll email this recipe post to you, so you can come back to it later!
We will also add you to our email list. Unsubscribe at any time.
Anonymous says
Hi,
Thank you for this wonderful information for us vegetarians. Just to let you know: I tried a minimalist rice flour biscuit recipe yesterday substituting the egg with banana (just contained rice flour, butter, banana puree, sugar). Used a little more fruit puree than the above conversion ratio gives to get the right dough consistency (very soft, but holding shape). The biscuits came out great! They had adequate leavening, though no baking powder was used.
Also, I think the above egg substitution list is missing some possibilities: like lentil flour. I've heard besan works well as an egg substitute. Don't know the exact proportions yet. Only caution: besides binding, lentil flours also tend to harden. So whenever I try it, I'll increase the amount of butter/oil in the recipe somewhat, to compensate for the hardness introduced by the lentil flour.
Lastly, there are two other ingredients we use in Indian cooking that should work :
1. instead of tofu, can use chenna/paneer. I think chenna poda, an Odissi dessert, is an example of such baking.
2. instead of flax, methi seeds would work too. Both seeds are binders.
Hope sharing my experience and suggestions (that I'll be trying later) help others like me who are interested in eggless baking.
Madhuram says
Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I have not included chickpea flour, potato starch etc in the table because these don't go by a standard measurement. You will have to increase or decrease according to the situation. Chia instead of flax I have heard of, but won't methi seeds make the dish bitter?
Anonymous says
Good point 🙂 .. not sure if it would make a difference.
I think savoury cookies and the likes should combine well with methi seeds (if at all they do impart any taste in that small amount). Shall try this sometime.
I did try using moong dal flour instead of banana for more rice flour cookies yesterday. I noticed Suzanna's comments mentioned in the older comments on this page, and used her suggestions as a guideline (she substitued each egg with 2-4 tbsp besan flour + 1/2 as much liquid + 1 tbsp fat). The cookies were pretty good. Need to play around with the proportions more (2-4 tbsp is a big range!), to get the one that works best for me.
AmieR says
I just recently tried 1 tbsp chia seed to 3 tbsp liquid (one of the non-dairy milks is probably best, but I've used water as well as water kefir liquid) in a cookie recipe and a muffin recipe and was very pleased. Neither of these recipes was for "fine" baking, they're both pretty rustic, but they rose very nicely, have a good texture and nice crunchy outer finish. They did take longer to bake, but so what? They did cook through just fine. And the chia doesn't need to be ground first before using, unlike the flax.
As for gluten free, xanthan gum is not necessarily essential. I've discovered that a 70% flour to 30% starch combination does a pretty good replacement for regular wheat flour. But don't expect perfection or miracles; the performance will vary because wheat recipes are built to work with wheat. It takes a lot of experimentation and a lowering of expectations - I'm almost always pleased by the taste and results, but they're almost never bakery perfect.
Madhuram says
Thanks for taking the time to write in detail, Amie.
Christine says
Have tried the flax replacement(3 Tbsp water + 1 Tbsp ground flax) for both a banana bread recipe(made with coconut flour) and a bar recipe(made with almond flour). I don't care for the results at all. At the end of the baking time, they are still too soggy and heavy. The bars I had to cook for double the time and turned out ok. I am still waiting on the banana bread...had to stick it back in the oven. I am not sure what else to try. I can't do dairy. I am tempted to use just egg whites but not sure how that will work for the coconut flour recipes since most call for 4-10 eggs. I have delayed food reactions with egg yolk and dairy(and now almond...just my luck!). The egg white carton has equivalents for whole eggs which is fine is some recipes, but I have some recipes that want just the whites. How much liquid is 1 egg white? Also if using egg whites to replace whole eggs, how is it going to change the final product? Do I need to worry about that?
Madhuram says
Baking gluten free as well as egg free is very tricky, Christine. I'm pretty sure that you will have to use xanthan gum to bake gluten and egg free and get decent results. Google for gluten-free vegan cakes/cookies etc and you should be able to come up with some recipes. I have tried a couple of gluten free cookies and all have come out well but haven't tried my luck with gluten free breads and cakes, but for this Gluten-Free, Flourless, Vegan Chocolate Cake.
Jessica says
I like to use half a banana + 1/4 cup applesauce. It makes a nice texture. Also, combining applesauce and flaxseed powder works well too. Thanks for this!
Madhuram says
You're welcome Jessica. I have not tried combining flaxseed meal and applesauce. That's new to me.
Farzana says
I have tried the flax with water 3 times for my gluten free loaf. All 3 times it ended up gummy. Too bad because its healthy and the texture looks just like egg when its mixed up 🙂
Madhuram says
Gluten free baking is quite tricky and make it egg free is even more tricky. Did you use a ready to go gluten free flour or made it right from scratch? I assume that you already know that it needs xanatham gum if you are going to make it egg free too.
Farzana says
HiMadhuram! Thanks for replying. Yes I do know about xanthum gum and guar gum too. I find instead of making a slury out of the flax and water, I do 1/2 cup grounded up flax and use this in my gluten free flour mix. I also mix soya flour (I make my own). I am having great results ! Thanks!
David Kelsey says
Thanks for the reply, most appreciated.
That's what I was thinking. I couldn't really see a way of doing it. My only hope is the flaxseed minimizes the effects of the cholesterol from the eggs in some way.
Anyway, thanks for the input.
David Kelsey says
Due to seemingly uncontrollable diabetes, I have trying to stick to a zero-to-very low carb diet and have been cooking/baking with flaxmeal lately. One of the major problems I'm having is that most recipes call for relatively large quantities of egg and, as I'm conscious of my cholesterol levels, I have been looking for an egg alternative.
My question is what would you suggest I do for this recipe ->
http://recipes.sparkpeople.com/recipe-detail.asp?recipe=447365
keeping in mind that I live in Taiwan where certain ingredients, like Ener-G and similar egg replacements, are not available (as far as I'm aware). This recipe turns out reasonably well in the few times I've tried it, but the 5 eggs required is a little concerning.
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Madhuram says
I saw the recipe David. I don't think it can be made egg free. It's very tricky. My first option would be EnerG, even with that I have not replaced more than 3 or 4 eggs. Without EnerG, I'm not sure how tofu would work in this. Because the egg plays a vital role in this recipe, I don't think it's going to be possible to replace it.
prakash says
hi,
i needed to know which would be the best substitute for eggs in cake donuts (the batter type donuts which are fried in shortening) as it has very short floor time of between 10-15 minutes before frying. Thank you very much in advance.
Madhuram says
How about these two recipes? They have used EnerG egg replacer.
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11080
http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipes/11081
Surbhi says
Hi, I keep trying to bake muffins using Betty Crocker mix but it never comes out well. I cannot use egg so could you tell me a good egg substitute? The mixes usually require 2-3 eggs maximum.
I have tried yogurt, about 1/2 spoon for 1 egg, but the muffins still remain extremely moist and not baked well at the bottom.
Is it the problem with the substitute or the baking time? I remove them when its brown enough otherwise it would burn.
Also, should you remove the muffin or cake from the oven for cooling as soon as its done or should you leave it inside for sometime?
Madhuram says
I haven't baked muffins using mixes, but have baked brownies and cakes and the result was pretty decent. My go to sub in these mixes is 1/4 cup of yogurt (and not just a spoon) for each egg to be replaced. I have replaced upto 4 eggs in this method and it works out good. You should remove the muffins immediately from the oven when you think it's done (by inserting a toothpick in the center of the muffin and it should come clean). The cooling should be done outside only (even though you switch off the oven), preferably on a wire cooling rack. If you lined the pan with muffin liners, then you should be able to remove the muffins from the pan just after 5 minutes and let them finish cooling on the wire rack or serve it warm.
Surbhi says
I tried that yesterday and it came out pretty good. It was still a little moist and unbaked in the middle but it was better than before. Thanks!
I always add a pinch of baking powder even though the packet doesn't say so. That is okay right?
Madhuram says
You could Surbhi. Did you check with the toothpick? It should come clean. If it doesn't then you will have to bake it for another 2-5 minutes accordingly.
Surbhi says
Yes I always do that.
Thanks!
Ujjaval says
Hi,
I have store bought molten lava cake mix. I have to add 1/3 cup butter and 2 eggs.
I am new to this site and new to baking too :), what would you suggest for replacing 2 eggs. This is my first time using store bought cake mix so plz help me.
Madhuram says
I would either try 1/2 cup yogurt or 1/2 cup pureed silken tofu or a combination of both. All the best.
Jenna says
If a recipe calls for 4-5 eggs, can I mix the different choices for egg replacers together? Example, tofu for some of the eggs, and the flaxseed mixture for the others? Thanks!
Madhuram says
You could Jenna. For me the winning combination is tofu and yogurt. It gives an unbelievable flufy/light texture for cakes. Check this recipe of mine: http://www.egglesscooking.com/2011/07/26/eggless-blueberry-pound-cake/
Suzanna says
That's interesting. I'm wondering if a chenna or ricotta could be used instead of the tofu? We have stopped using tofu and soy products due to the pervasive GMO contamination. I have a source of clean, organic milk and organic ricotta. Looks like I'll be trying some blueberry pound cake soon.
Kristen says
Hi-
are you supposed to mix the vinegar and baking soda before adding them to the rest of ingredients, like you do with water & the egg replacer? Or do you add the vinegar to the wet and the baking soda to the dry? I did the former and it seemed wrong - awful smelling.
Madhuram says
It's the latter Kristen. Vinegar with the wet ingredients and baking soda with the dry ingredients.
Karl says
Prune you say? That is a good idea. I am getting a lot of good info on this site.
Madhuram says
Yes it goes very well with chocolate flavored cakes/muffins.
Karl says
Can pureed baby food fruit be acceptable as an egg replacer? Most of the baby food is 100% pureed fruit with the addition of citric acid.
Madhuram says
Of course Karl. I have used pureed prune from the baby food aisle quite a lot.
rhonda says
I made brownies using the egg replacer and it didn't work. The brownies never got beyond a liquid consistancy. I was able to pour them out of the baking dish into a jar. Do you have any suggestions?
Madhuram says
I have heard many a times that Ener-G doesn't work in brownies. You have to either use yogurt, applesauce or silken tofu.
E says
Hi,
Thanks for this useful page. I've been using mashed bananas instead of eggs in cakes, which I find works very well except for one problem: I can never get the cake out of the tin once it's cooked! Is there something I can do to make this easier? When I've made cakes in the past with eggs I never had this problem, so I'm sure it's something to do with the lack of eggs.
By the way, you can also use golden syrup to replace eggs in cake, though I found the same problem with the resulting cake sticking to the tin.
Betsey says
I was wondering if I can use plain yogurt in place of eggs in store bought cake mix? If so how much do I use?
Madhuram says
You can Betsey. Use 1/4 cup of yogurt for each egg to be replaced. I have tried it with a brownie mix and vanilla cake mix. You can find those recipes here:
http://www.egglesscooking.com/2009/11/16/eggless-vanilla-cake-using-cake-mix/
http://www.egglesscooking.com/2009/04/13/fudge-brownies/
Betsey says
Madhuram,
Thank you so much! I find your site very useful in my situation. Thank you once again!!!
Betsey says
Hello,
I'm struggling so bad with "eggless" things. My 10 year old son just recently got diagnosed with eosinophilic esaphagitis disease and in which he is now allergic to eggs. 3 of his fave foods are pancakes, brownies and chocolate chip cookies. Could you please help me with what I should use for store bought brownie mix calling for eggs? Also do you have any recipes for eggless chocolate chip cookies?
Any help would be greatly appreciated thank you so much!
Madhuram says
Hi Betsey, I'm very sorry to hear about your son's allergies. I have all the recipes you are looking for in this site. Please do take time to check the appropriate sections. Check the Baking Recipes section in the menu bar and you will be able to locate recipes under various categories. However I'm listing a couple of my favorite recipes below:
http://www.egglesscooking.com/2011/06/27/eggless-pancakes-recipe/
http://www.egglesscooking.com/2009/04/13/fudge-brownies/
http://www.egglesscooking.com/2009/01/23/best-chocolate-chip-cookies/
http://www.egglesscooking.com/2008/09/02/eggless-chocolate-chip-cookies/