12 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking - A Complete Guide

By Senior Pastry Chef Michelle Peris

"The biggest challenge of being a pastry chef is that unlike other types of chefs, you can't throw things together at a farmer's market. When you are working with baking powder and a formula, you have to be exact. If not, things can go wrong." - Carla Hall

There is a large bunch of people who do not consume eggs because of varied reasons - choice, allergies, culture or religion, dislike towards the taste or a particular diet like veganism.  Therefore, a need to convert every egg-based recipe into an eggless one is inevitable for a chef.

Eggs form an important part of a recipe. They create structure and stability within a batter and help in providing sufficient moisture to hold the ingredients together. Be it the whole egg or just egg yolks or egg whites, they add a lot to the recipe. Given the significance of eggs in a recipe, there are some places we just cannot replace them. For instance, if a recipe requires more than 4 eggs, substituting eggs may give you a completely different product.

Before you decide to replace an ingredient, do understand its role around the following four categories:

1. Binding
2. Moisture
3. Leavening
4. Emulsifying/Thickening

 

Following are the ingredients that can be used as a replacement for eggs.

1.      Fruit Purees

Pureed fruits like pumpkin sauce, apple sauce, mashed bananas and avocado with high pectin content are a great option as pectin enhances the binding effect and also, adds moisture to baked goods. Sweet purees can be used for quick breads and cakes, muffins, and brownies. You can use it in the ratio - ¼ cup of puree for every 50gms of egg / 1 egg.

 

2.      Flax Seeds/Chia Seeds

Flax seeds are an amazing ingredient. The substance works as a great emulsifier and binder. You can make it according to the following directions:

 

For flax egg – Mix 1 tbsp of flax seeds in 3 tbsp of water and leave aside for 10-15mins to gelatinize. It replaces 1 egg / 50gms egg.

For flax meringue – Simmer 1/3rd cup flax seeds in 3 cups of water till slimy. Now, strain, let it cool and whip. It can be used as a meringue in mousses, buttercream, purees, puddings to lighten and add airy textures.

 

 

3.      Silken Tofu

This is creamier and lighter than regular cotton tofu. It works great as a substitute in pancakes, custards, brownies, pies, and quick breads.

Before using, you need to beat it until creamy. To ensure moistness, you can mix it with a little water or liquid. For custard in a quiche, blend it with milk or cream till smooth.

Ratio: ¼ cup silken tofu for every 1 egg/ 50gms egg.

 

4.      Nut Butter

Nut butter is full of healthy fats, just like eggs. It adds fibre and protein to the baked goods and works great as a binding agent. To make nut butter, roast the nuts and blend it with a little sugar and oil. You can use any nut.

Ratio: 3tbsp of nut butter for every 1 egg/50gms egg.

 

5.      Yoghurt

Use either greek yoghurt or hang regular yoghurt for a while. It adds moisture and activates baking soda.

Ratio: 1/4th cup yoghurt for every 1 egg/ 50gms egg.

 

6.      Starches

Starches like arrowroot, corn starch, tapioca powder, potato starch and custard powder are used for thickening.

Ratio: 2tbsp of any powder dissolved in 3 tbsp of water for every 1 egg/ 50gms egg.

 

7.      Baking Powder

Baking powder works great for leavening. One can use 2tbsp baking powder mixed with 1tbsp oil and 3tbsp of water as a replacement for 1 egg.

 

8.      Baking Soda

Baking soda requires an acidic medium to get activated. One can use buttermilk, lemon juice, yoghurt, brown sugar, molasses, vinegar etc.

As baking soda is 3x stronger than baking powder, use 1/4tsp per cup of flour. 1tbsp baking soda + 1tbsp vinegar works best for 1 egg.

 

9.      Egg Replacement Powder

Egg replacement powders are commonly available in the market and instructions to use are mentioned on the packaging.

 

10.  Buttermilk

Buttermilk can help in binding and add moisture to a cake. One can use 1/4^th cup of buttermilk + baking soda for 1 egg.

 

11.  Xanthan Gum

Xanthan is a gummy substance, ground into a powder. It is used for binding, as a stabiliser and to add texture.

Ratio: ¼ tsp xanthan gum in 1/4th cup of water.

 

12.  Aquafaba

Aquafaba is a great substitute for egg whites, whips up well and is bake stable. It usually takes 3tbsp to replace 1 eggwhite.

To summarize, one can use the following ingredients for different categories:

 

Binding	Leavening	Moisture	Thickening
Flax egg, milk, cream, buttermilk, yoghurt, oil, fruit purees, condensed milk	Baking soda, baking powder, carbonated soda, flaxseed water, aquafaba	Fruit puree, yoghurt, tofu, dairy products, flax gel	Pectin, agar, xanthan gum, cornflour, tofu for quiche, starches