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.
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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!
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Vanessa says
I have some left over pear juice/syrup from a can. Can I use this to make cookies In combination with something else instead of eggs?
Tez says
I want to share two more ingredients that we have tried many times and work perfectly in some recipes.
1. Gram flour (chikpea flour) works perfectly for making omelette. You just need to mix it with some water to make it as dense as egg. Then you can add whatever you like - vegan cheese, for example and fry it.
2. Cashews are perfect versatile ingredient for making cheesecake ot tiramisu or even cream. You need to soak these for a few hour (or overnight) and process them with a little amount of water and sweetener (agave nectar or date paste). You will have a cream. If you want to make it into cheesecake, add some creamed coconut and vanilla flavouring.
I was actually looking for egg white replaces that will give the consistency of meringue but I could not find any. We tried xanthangum but it is only binding and does not make it crisp.
Madhuram says
Thanks for the information Tez. I have read in the box of Ener-G egg replacer that it can also be used in place of egg whites. But haven't tried it.
Amber Wulle says
What is the best egg replacer for batter for frying?
I'm hoping to adapt these (with veggie dogs) to have for the kids when the adults get together for things like pakoras or falafel and vegetarian corn dogs are difficult to find.
http://life-in-the-lofthouse.com/homemade-corn-dogs/
Madhuram says
I think cornstarch would be a good option to bind things together.
Rocky Shepheard says
Not only does The Vegg offer the best egg replacers anywhere in the products The Vegan Egg Yolk, The Vegg Baking Mix, The Vegg French Toast Mix and now..the world's first plant-based scrambled egg, The Vegg Scramble! http://www.thevegg.com/shop
Amber says
I want to try this recipe.
http://12tomatoes.com/2014/05/italian-recipe-lemon-ricotta-cheesecake.html
It is pretty egg-heavy however. Do you have suggestions as to what I should try?
Madhuram says
I don't think that this is a good recipe to be substituting eggs. It's a lot. I haven't tried replacing 6 eggs so far. 4 is the maximum I have tried.
Amber Wulle says
Pity... I was afraid so.
Sri says
Hi, first and foremost, apologize for asking too many questions. I hope you can help me.
1. How do you know the purpose of the egg in a recipe? You have mentioned three purposes above. I read somewhere if egg is the only wet ingredient, it means the purpose of it is to add moisture. What are the criteria used to identify the different purposes you have stated? And, how to identify in a boxed cake mix (is it usually a binding agent there?) and for recipes from scratch?
2. Many recipe calls for separating the yolks and whites and then adding to the cake. What is the science behind it? How do you do that with the replacers you have suggested?
3. Can butter be replaced with Vegetable oil in any cake recipe? If so, what is the ratio? Because, I believe Vegetable oil is the secret behind the moistness in the store bought cake mixes.
4. I know Ener-G powder is best for cookies. But, for store bought cake mixes, I could not find any other closer substitute after accounting for the ifs and buts of other replacers available (for eg, using banana changes the taste, flax seeds gives a nutty taste and so on). But, it leaves a Chalky taste and the cake sticks to the tongue. That is all the more evident in White cakes and less in Chocolate cakes. Any suggestions?
5. I read from other sources that most of these replacers (or replacers in general) are good if the recipe calls for less number of eggs (I suppose it is 1 or 2 eggs) which is less likely because the store bought cake mixes calls for a minimum of 3 eggs. So, in general how do you replace recipe with many eggs (like 3 or more)?
6. It is a general question - When you make cakes with any of these replacers (not just from what is suggested here, even many recipes from You tube), and when you say it comes out soft, moist and fluffy, do you mean they come atleast close to cakes that are made with eggs? I have tried a few chocolate cake recipes with condensed milk following the exact recipe - they are not even close. I make it a day in advance and store it in the fridge after frosting and decorating. May be are these cakes without eggs supposed to be eater as soon as they are baked/frosted?
Thanks in advance.
Sri.
Madhuram says
Hi Sri, my apologies for not answering your query for such a long time. Somehow I missed it.
1) You will be able to guess the purpose of the egg seeing the other ingredients in the recipe. I'm not able to pinpoint exactly the reason behind why I choose a particular egg substitute. I see the recipe and decide. Yes in boxed mix it's mainly used as a binding agent.
2) I normally ignore it and just replace it as substituting whole egg or avoid such recipes, and also recipes with more than 4 eggs. But the Ener-G egg replacer box does come with instructions for replacing egg whites too, which I haven't tried so far.
3) When you replace butter with oil, you will have to modify the liquid ingredients in the recipe a little. Depending on how much oil is being used and other liquid ingredients in the recipe maybe you will have to cut back about 1/4 cup to 1/3rd of a cup of the liquid ingredient.
4) My best bet is yogurt or a mix of yogurt and pureed silken tofu.
5) The maximum I have gone is 4 eggs in cake recipes. For me the winning combination is 1/2 cup of plain yogurt and 1/2 cup of pureed silken tofu.
6) No what we are missing is coating the cakes with sugar syrup especially the white cakes. For me I haven't had any problems with chocolate cakes because most of the chocolate cakes has oil and the cakes remain moist even without coating it with sugar syrup. But plain/vanilla cakes mostly need this to keep it moist and to get the texture of cakes with eggs. http://www.egglesscooking.com/2012/11/28/eggless-strawberry-cream-cake-recipe/ This is the first cake recipe that I tried it and was totally floored by the result and knew what I was missing all these days.
Get back to me if you have any further questions.
Katherine Greenall says
Hi
I am wanting to try baking a cake for my little boys birthday. He is allergic to egg and milk so I am looking for a substitute to the egg as I am going to use a chocolate cake mix that is free from allergens.
I was originally going to try an egg replacer powder but seen mixed reviews. Could you recommend anything else? I am thinking maybe vinegar and baking powder?
Kate
Madhuram says
Usually I use yogurt for boxed mix, but because you can't use it why not soy yogurt.
Brittany says
Hi im a vegetarian and im trying to make a homemade pie crust, which of these suggestions that you gave us would be the best to use?
Madhuram says
I haven't tried pie crust at home. But I think I have seen recipes which use apple cider vinegar.
Darlene Kubota says
Hi!
I am trying to find a dairy, soy and gluten free egg replacer for meat balls or meat loaf. Any suggestions? Do you think applesauce would work? It's for thai curry meatballs.
Please help!
Regards,
Darlene
Madhuram says
I'm thinking some mashed potatoes, wheat flour/cornstarch would work.
Marilyn says
Help!! My first vegan Passover... What can I use in matzoh balls!? Thank you
Madhuram says
Sorry Marilyn, haven't tried. Maybe Ener-G egg replacer.
Nitika Chopra says
I want to make a chocolate fudge cake which requires 4 eggs. Can I still make that cake without eggs. Will I get the same texture or using baking soda and vinegar give the same effect.
Madhuram says
Recipes like this especially which use 4 eggs, it's better to use a combination of yogurt and tofu. Baking soda/vinegar combination is for replacing only 1 egg.
Jennifer says
Hi! I am wanting to make some Mexican chocolate chewies that only calls for 2 cups chopped pecans, 2 1/2 cups powdered sugar, 1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, 1/4 tsp salt, 3 egg whites and 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips. What would you recommend subbing the egg whites with? FYI I am avoiding any wheat and milk products. Thank you for your help! Jennifer
Madhuram says
Hmm....I'm thinking Ener-G egg replacer maybe. But not sure though.
Cathleen says
I found a soy flour based egg substitute made by Bob's Red Mill. I don't care for the fact that it is soy based, but it works very well in all my recipes. I am going to try the flax seed meal next. Have you heard of using chi seed?
Madhuram says
I haven't tried Bob's Red Mill Cathleen. Flax seed meal yes. I used chia seeds in my smoothies and cereal but haven't used it as an egg substitute.
Rocky Shepheard says
I highly recommend the best egg replacer available...The Vegg Baking Mix. It is the only egg replacer that tastes like eggs and functions like eggs. Soy-freeJust whisk 1 tsp with 1/4 cup water for each egg you want to replace. I usually don't even use an added oil since The Vegg Baking Mix always gives a moist product while leavening and firming. Find it on Amazon (yellow container)
http://www.amazon.com/The-Vegg-Vegan-Baking-Large/dp/B00INBFGFM
Jennifer R says
I make a very moist carrot cake,that uses 4 eggs 1 1\2 c oil, cup puréed carrots, 8 oz crushed drained pineapple and uses baking soda. What can I use in place of the eggs?
Madhuram says
1/2 cup of yogurt and 1/2 cup of pureed tofu will be the best substitute.
Sheryl says
I use Eg egg replaced ALL the time, even w boxed mixes .. It comes out awesome.. However, I have used flax seed, and applesauce as well. I use yogurt for mayo replacement as well as sour cream
If the recipe has called for more than 3 eggs I still have used the Eg .. Love the stuff
Hope this helps!
Erin says
I'm making these cupcakes for a baby shower and the mama to be is severely allergic to eggs. Any thoughts on substitutions? Thanks!
http://www.annies-eats.com/2011/03/18/rum-punch-cupcakes/
Madhuram says
I would try 1/2 cup plain yogurt and 1/2 cup pureed silken tofu.
Michelle says
Chocolate Cake
1 box cake mix plus one 15 ounce can pure pumpkin. Nothing else. I use a wire wisk and mixing is easy. Bake 400 degrees 15-20 minutes. Very good and super moist.
Ujjawala says
Hi! I want to bake a bit dense chocolate cake with 5 eggs in the recipe. Here is the link of the recipe:
http://orangette.blogspot.in/2004/08/and-then-cake-came-forth.html?m=1
How do I replace the eggs? Also, I can't use tofu. Will yogurt be more than enough?
Madhuram says
This recipe is not possible without eggs because it's basically a flour less cake. You may try it with pureed silken tofu and see. But I cannot tell anything positively without trying it out myself.
Vaishnavi says
Hi Madhu,
I am looking at receipes that use eggs - but want to try them replacing the eggs with Ener -g . What is the proportion of egg : egg replacer ?
For eg, if the receipe says 5 eggs, how much of the ener g to use ?
Would be great if you can provide me a relation. Thanks!
Madhuram says
Replacing 5 eggs is a lot and I have not done it so far Vaishnavi. Also it depends on the recipe as to which egg substitute one can use. Ener-G is best suited for cookies. Let me know the recipe and I shall suggest something appropriate.
clouds says
Hi,
Looking to make this cake - http://allrecipes.com/recipe/black-forest-cake-i/detail.aspx
What should I replace the egg with?
Thanks so much!
Madhuram says
I would try 1/3rd of a cup of yogurt and pureed silken tofu each.