Substituting eggs in dishes like quiche or omelet is actually quite easy. Tofu does its magic especially if you add some turmeric; you will get a similar color to eggs. Chickpea flour also works great. However, when it comes to baking, replacing eggs is a bit trickier. Eggs play an important role in everything from cakes and cookies to meringue and pastry cream, they don’t provide much in terms of flavor but they help the baked good to rise – they act as a leavening ingredient, they also provides richness, make the baked goods moist and provide structure by holding the ingredients together.
If you’re trying to “veganize” existing recipes and replace eggs, whether you are vegan, allergic to eggs, or you simply want to try new baking method, you can use multiple substitutes. Unfortunately, none of them works perfectly with all recipes. When I started baking vegan goods, I tried egg-replacer, which you can find in supermarkets, but it doesn’t work with everything and I also didn’t really fancy the idea of using powder so I started researching and experimenting with other substitutes.
Here’s a list of Egg substitutes that I tested and was happy with the outcome, there may be a lot more but I haven’t yet tested them all.
1. Flax egg :
you might see this term in a lot of vegan recipes. it’s actually just ground flax seed and warm water. If you mix 1 tbsp of ground flax seed with 3 tbsp of water and let it rest for 10 minutes, it will thicken and form a gel that binds ingredients together and provides structure like eggs. The only thing that I noticed, is that flax eggs do not act as leavening agents, so you may use them with recipes that have baking powder/baking soda to make the goods rise.
2. Baking soda and Vinegar:
Try mixing baking soda and vinegar; you will see bubbles… so that is a perfect way to add some fluffiness and air to the baked goods. To replace 1 egg, mix 1 tsp of baking soda with 1 tsp of white vinegar (apple vinegar works too).
3. Bananas :
That’s my favorite alternative to eggs and what I use the most because they have flavor and they make the baked goods moist. They also add extra sweetness in cakes, donuts and muffins. I usually use ½ mashed banana to replace one egg, but that varies depends on how moist I want the baked good to be. How I add the bananas… exactly as I would add the eggs. They have to be well mashed. The only thing you need to know is to add slightly more the leavening agent that you are using (baking powder or baking soda). When making a cake with banana vs eggs, they don’t rise as much and they take longer to bake
4. Applesauce:
If bananas are not your thing, you can bake with applesauce. That is my second favorite replacer of eggs. You can either buy applesauce or make your own. Applesauce may be also used to replace oil. Generally, to replace one egg, you can use 1/3 cup applesauce.
5. Aquafaba:
It’s the liquid leftover from cooked chickpeas, you can either obtain it from a can of chickpeas or cook your own chickpeas and reserve the leftover liquid (I prefer the first) ; Aquafaba has the ability to be whipped and act as a binder. Generally, 3 tbsp water from a can of unsalted chickpeas can be used as substitute for one egg. I’ve tried aquafaba once with cupcakes, it worked ok, not really the best. From my own experience, aquafaba is the best when you want to do vegan macaroons or meringues, or vegan Swiss meringue buttercream. When you whip it, it has the exact same texture as egg white.
Have you tried any other egg replacer? Let me know your thoughts!
Elly xxx
Ellys Treats 