Egg Substitutes in Cooking and Baking

Whether you’re egg-free by choice or by allergy, here’s 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 I’m pretty well versed in gluten-free stuff, nut-free and low carb/low cal/ low fat but egg substitution I’m still learning. 

I’ve 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 they’ve 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 I’ve 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.

However, sometimes eggs play both roles at once. What you need to do with going with an egg substitute is determining which purpose the eggs primarily held in the recipe. Once that is figured out it will help you determine what options for a replacement you might have.

Basic Egg Substitutions

Peanut butter     

1. 3 tablespoon of peanut butter = 1 egg

Ground Flax

1. 1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoon water. Whisk until gelatinous and creamy.

Chia Seed

1. 1 tablespoon + 3 tablespoon water. Stir and allow to rest for 15 minutes.

Soy Protein

1. 1 tablespoon soy protein + 3 tablespoon water. Mix and use immediately.

Banana

1. 1/2 cup mashed banana = 1 egg

Applesauce

1. 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce = 1 egg

Agar agar

1. 1 tablespoon + 1 tablespoon water. Mix and use immediately.

Egg substitutions in Cooking

Tofu

Tofu is great for egg substitutions in recipes that call for a lot of eggs, like quiches or custards. To replace one egg in a recipe, purée 1/4 cup soft tofu. It is important to keep in mind that although tofu doesn’t fluff up like eggs, it does create a texture that is perfect for “eggy” dishes.

Egg substitutions in baking as a binder

For recipes which use eggs primarily as a binder (such as drop cookies), possible substitutions for one egg include:

1. 1/2 of a medium banana, mashed
2. 1/4 cup of applesauce (or other pureed fruit)
3. 3 1/2 tablespoon unflavored gelatin blend: 1 cup boiling water and 2 teaspoon gelatin.  You will have a bit leftover so only use 3 1/2 tablespoon!
4. 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons warm water
5. Commercial egg replacement products

Substituting Xanthan Gum for Eggs

Xanthan gum can be added to egg-free cakes and cookies, as well as milk-free ice cream, to bind and add texture. Use about one teaspoon per recipe. Xanthan gum is a white powder derived from the exoskeleton of a bacterium. It is cultivated on corn sugar.

Egg Substitutions As a Leavening Agent

For recipes which use eggs primarily as a leavening agent you can try a commercial egg replacement product (see above) or the following mixture:

1. 1 1/2 tablespoon vegetable oil mixed with 1 1/2 tablespoon water and 1 teaspoon baking powder (not baking soda!) per egg.

Additional Egg Substitution Replacement Tips

1. If a recipe calls for three or more eggs, it is important to choose a replacer that will perform the same function (i.e., binding or leavening).
2. Trying to replicate airy baked goods that call for a lot of eggs, such as angel food cake, can be very difficult. Instead, look for a recipe with a similar taste but fewer eggs, which will be easier to replicate.
3. When adding tofu to a recipe as an egg replacer, be sure to purée it first to avoid chunks in the finished product.
4. Be sure to use plain tofu, not seasoned or baked, as a replacer.
5. Powdered egg replacers cannot be used to create egg recipes such as scrambles or omelets. Tofu is the perfect substitute for eggs in these applications.
6. If you want a lighter texture and you’re using fruit purées as an egg substitute, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon baking powder. Fruit purées tend to make the final product denser than the original recipe.
7. If you’re looking for an egg replacer that binds, try adding 2 to 3 Tbsp. of any of the following for each egg: tomato paste, potato starch, arrowroot powder, whole wheat flour, mashed potatoes, mashed sweet potatoes, instant potato flakes, or 1/4 cup tofu puréed with 1 tablespoon flour.

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Please feel free to leave a comment on other egg substitutes you use for eggs in baking and cooking!