Are you out of eggs with no time to go shopping or have someone in your family with an egg allergy? Not to worry! With these Egg Substitute ideas you can bake and cook with ease.
Check out my FULL Baking Substitutions chart I made for you! You can even print it out!
Egg Substitute for Baking and Cooking
In most baking recipes, eggs are an essential ingredient. This can be problematic for those with an egg allergy, or if you simply find yourself out of eggs in your kitchen. Even in cooking some dishes will call for an egg and most of these subs work great. From simple replacements like applesauce or mashed banana, to options like aquafaba and chia seeds I am going to cover it all. But not all egg substitutes are created equal, though, and I will cover all that below!
Why Would You Need an Egg Substitute
Good question. You could find yourself in need of an egg substitute for a couple of reasons. As mentioned above, you may have run out of eggs, or dropped the carton (don’t feel bad, we’ve all done it). You also might want to bake up a batch of vegan brownies, or ensure that your baked goods are food-allergy safe.
What Do Eggs Do in Baked Goods
Eggs play a pretty big role when it comes to baking. They help your treats rise and add richness, moisture, and flavor, but they also act as a thickening, binding, and leavening agent, depending on what you’re making. Eggs affect the tenderness of your baked good, as well as adding color to name a few.
In Cakes/Cupcakes…
Eggs aid in the structure and texture of a cake. Too few eggs you will have a dense, dry cake. Too many eggs will leave your cake wet and rubbery.
In Cookies…
Eggs add moisture, flavor, and protein to the cookie dough. The liquid in the eggs bonds with the starch and protein in the flour giving them that chewy texture.
In Waffles and Pancakes…
Eggs bind the dry ingredients along with the milk you use in pancake batter. They add structure, flavor, and also richness. Pancakes happen to be one of the easiest recipes to substitute eggs!
7 Easy DIY Egg Substitute Ideas to Try
Without any further ado, here are 7 easy suggestions for a DIY Egg Substitute to try! These substitutions are listed to replace 1 whole egg. *Note that the substitutions may slightly change the texture and taste of your baked goods, but the end result should be more or less the same as usual.
Aquafaba
Aquafaba is the starchy, viscous liquid found in a can of chickpeas (Garbanzo beans). Actually aquafaba is found is the liquid from most beans, but in chickpeas it mimics eggs best due to its color as well as being reliable in its thickness/consistency. Before you turn up your nose, you should know that it doesn’t impact the flavor of what you’re baking at all! It’s a great egg substitute for vegan recipes, especially if you’re making something that requires egg whites, like meringue. 3 tablespoons of aquafaba is about equivalent to 1 large whole egg. This egg replacement is very popular in vegan baking. Try this substitute in my Perfect Vanilla Cake Recipe!
Ground Flax Seed
Also known as a flaxseed egg or flax egg this mixture of ground flaxseeds and water is an easy substitute for regular eggs. You can buy ground flax seed from the store if you want, or you can grind it by yourself with a coffee grinder. After that, combine 1 tablespoon with 3 tablespoons of water, then let it sit for 5 minutes. It should have a gel-like texture when it’s ready, which you can then incorporate into anything from cookies to brownies! Try this substitute in my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies.
Chia Seeds
Using chia seeds is very similar to using flax seeds, and they even use the same ratio of seeds to water! (1 tablespoon chia seeds to 3 tablespoons of water.) Milled (ground) chia seeds can also be found at your local grocery store, or you can use the coffee grinder again. “Chia eggs” are best used in dense desserts like cookies, brownies or some homemade bread. Try this substitute in my Perfect Fudgy Brownies.
Arrowroot Powder
Arrowroot powder is a starch that, when combined with water, can easily be substituted for eggs. It is generally used as a thickening agent that will work nicely in muffins, cakes, and breads. Use 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder with 3 tablespoons of water for every 1 large whole egg. Try this substitutes in my Homemade Crescent Rolls.
Nut Butters
This might be one to avoid when dealing with egg substitutes for allergies, but in a pinch you can do use most nut butters, like almond butter, peanut butter, or sun butter if that’s not the issue. It can change the flavor a bit, which most other alternatives won’t, but I love peanut butter, so it’s usually not an issue! Simply sub in 3 tablespoons for every egg.
Applesauce
You’ve probably got some sitting in your fridge or pantry right now! Time to put it to use. Unsweetened applesauce works best, and it is used as a binding agent, which also provides moisture. If making something vanilla-based the apple flavor will be noticeable, but it works great in cookies, cakes, quick breads, you name it! Just swap out 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce for 1 large whole egg. Try this substitute in my Honey Wheat Muffins.
Mashed Banana/Pumpkin Puree
Mashed banana or pumpkin is another awesome fruit substitute that you can use in your baked goods. If you’re not big on bananas, you may want to stick to one of the previous choices, but a little subtle banana flavor can be totally delicious – especially in muffins! This will also require 1/4 cup for every 1 large whole egg. Try this substitute in my Perfect Chocolate Cake recipe.
Avocado
1/4cup of mashed avocado will work great as an egg substitute in recipes like brownies or quick breads. Recipes that produce a denser crumb is best for avocado, as it imparts more fat which will alter the texture of lighter cakes or pancakes.
Silken Tofu
Silken tofu is a great binding agent to use if you want to avoid extra flavors in your baked goods. Just take some tofu, blend it up until it’s silky-smooth, and add it to your favorite fudgy brownie recipe! You’ll need 1/4 cup per large egg. Try this substitute in my Pumpkin Blondies.
Yogurt/Buttermilk
Sub in 1/4 cup of plain yogurt or buttermilk for each egg. This works best when baking cakes, cupcakes, muffins, or even pancakes. It won’t work great for cookies as it will thin out your batter a little too much and also make your cookies very cakey. Try this substitute in my Buttermilk Pancakes!
Commercial Egg Substitutes
If you don’t want to use any of these homemade egg substitutes, that’s okay! You can totally use commercial egg replacements that you’ll likely find in the dairy section of your grocery store. If you’re wondering what brand to use, consider Ener-G or Bob’s Red Mill.
