(New and Improved) Egg Substitutes

I wrote the original Egg Substitute article several years ago and have re-posted it a couple of times.  The following, however, is new and improved.  I conducted a bit more research for an upcoming book and decided it should be included here for you now.  We need all the help we can get when it comes to egg substitutes in baking.

With eggs in much of the country now running north of $5.00 per dozen, now seems like a great time to review various substitutes for eggs.  Eggs by and large are still available in most areas; however, due to avian flu and increases in feed costs and heating as well as transportation, costs are skyrocketing faster than for just about any other food.  Using an egg substitute may help reduce expenditures.  Even substituting one egg in those recipes that call for two or three eggs will cut costs and is less likely to be noticed by those with sensitive taste buds.

When you need an egg, you need an egg.  We really don't want to use a substitute if we don't have to.  That's why we prepare.  That's why we keep chickens.  And when those two options fail, when the hens go on vacation and our stores run out, we have powdered eggs.  At least, that's what I do.  And yet, what if the powdered eggs run out? 

What then?

Here are a bunch of options.  Eggs are used to bind ingredients together, to add moisture, to leaven, and to improve the taste, texture, and/or crumb of baked goods.  Depending on which function(s) the egg fulfills in a recipe, some of these substitutions will be better than others.  Unfortunately, none of these options work well for making scrambled eggs.  The same goes for any other egg-heavy recipe like soufflé, quiche, or angel food cake.  Custard pies are also problematic.

 

Egg Substitutes
First ingredient	Additional ingredient(s)	Comments
¼ cup oil		When the purpose is to add moisture.  Use in place of just 1 egg in a recipe, or the result will be too oily.  Use for cakes, cupcakes, muffins, quickbread.
1½ T oil	1½ T water + 1 t baking powder	When the egg is the only leavener, like in muffins or scones.  Excellent for cookies.
¼ cup buttermilk	Subtract ¼ cup liquid from recipe
3 T mayonnaise
¼ cup plain yogurt		Use for binding and moisture.  Best in quick breads, muffins, or snack cakes where there is another leavening agent at work.  It also lifts and sets.
¼ cup pureed fruit	½ t baking powder	Fruit purees listed below do not add any lift to recipes.  For a lighter texture, add ½ t baking powder.
¼ cup mashed banana		To add moisture, especially to brownies, muffins, quick breads, pancakes, waffles.  Will add distinctive banana flavor.
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce	½ t baking powder	When there is already another leavener at work, for binding and moisture
¼ cup pumpkin puree		Works best in moist and dense recipes, such as brownies, muffins, quick breads, pancakes, waffles.  Will add distinctive pumpkin flavor.
¼ cup rehydrated and pureed raisins, prunes, dates		Will add sweetness.  May wish to reduce measurements of other sugars.
1 T ground flax seed	3 T warm water, + 10 minutes	Best for cookies, quick breads, yeast breads, brownies, muffins.
1 T chia seeds	1/3 cup water + 15 minutes	Best as a binder in quick breads and brownies.  Also good for cookies and yeast breads.  Baked goods will be slightly denser, as the “chegg” can’t trap air pockets like a real egg does.
1 T plain gelatin dissolved in	3 T boiling water, beaten until frothy	Use when the purpose of the egg is to bind.  Add ½ t baking soda (after beating) if the purpose is to enhance leavening.
3 T aquafaba		(This is the liquid from canned garbanzo beans.  Best for cookies, cakes, and quick breads.  Widely considered the best substitute in baking.  Batter may smell “beany,” but cooked result tastes just fine.
2 T aquafaba, whipped		Excellent egg white substitute
1 T aquafaba		Egg yolk substitute
1 T chickpea flour	¼ c water	Tastes terrible before cooking; much better afterwards.
2 T arrowroot flour	3 T water	Used more for binding and moisture.  Best in baked goods that already have another leavening agent, like cookies, muffins, and quick breads.  Good for puddings and custards.
2 T soy or garbanzo bean flour	2 T water
1 T soy protein powder	3 T water	Use for binding and moisture.  Best when there is another leavening agent in the recipe.
3 T nut butter		Use in any quick bread where the nut butter flavor will complement the quick bread.
1 T soy lecithin		Use to replace 1 egg yolk.  Good for stabilizing.
1 T cornstarch	3 T warm water + 1/8 t baking powder	For cookies and snack cakes.
Leavening
1T white vinegar	1 t baking soda	For cupcakes and quick breads
1 T lemon juice	1 t baking soda	For cakes
2 T instant potato flakes	3 T warm water	Not as reliable as subs listed further above.  If you have nothing else, this works best in cookies and snack cakes.
1½ t baking powder	1 T each water and vinegar	Only use for the equivalent of one egg in a recipe.  Too much vinegar will be detected in the final product.
2 t baking powder	2 T water+1 t oil

  T=tablespoon; t=teaspoon.

When deciding which egg substitute to use, consider what the egg’s function is in your recipe. What is the egg doing?

Binding:  Adding liquid to hold dry ingredients together.

Flavoring:  Eggs contain fat.  Fat makes just about everything taste better.

Leavening:  The protein in eggs lifts baked goods, letting air in to create a fluffier texture.

Structuring:  Egg protein, particularly in the whites, helps set the batter or dough as it completes baking.

Notes:  Fruit purees may impart cake-like texture to cookies.  They may make muffins and cakes more dense.

Flax and chia seed egg substitutes don’t build structure, so avoid using them for light, fluffy cakes.  They are good for yeast baking and soft, low-rising baked goods.