Vegan egg replacements for baking
Vegan chocolate brownie pancakes
Are you looking for perfect egg substitutes for your baking?
Well, look no further. I have compiled a guide that will help you achieve your baking dreams. Move over, Mary Berry! There's another cook in town!!
An egg allergy or intolerance is only one of the reasons people are looking for egg substitutes. You may be vegan or avoid eggs for health reasons.
Either way, coming to terms with a new diagnoses and a different way of eating ( & living) can be a minefield. I remember as a chef over 10 years ago learning I had 15 intolerances to food. It became a challenge for me to learn how to use entirely different ingredients than I was used to and many I had never heard of before.
I did not want to compromise on taste, that was my biggest driver. I wanted to create recipes for myself like a decadent chocolate fudge cake, or be able to eat a trifle or a cream cake without looking like the elephant man ( my face swells up if I eat too much foods I’m intolerant too.).
The swaps that I have included in this article are my favourites and ones I use all the time. I have also included some recipes to show you what can be created by using these swaps. Happy baking!!!
What is the role of eggs in baking?
If you have multiple allergies or intolerances and are trying to replace most of the ingredients in a recipe, it might not turn out very well. Trying to substitute eggs, dairy, and gluten in one recipe is probably not the best place to start!
Baking is a science; changing too much at once often results in a mess. If you are trying to replace more than two eggs, you might be better off finding a new recipe. Some recipes are specially created that are indeed gluten-free & vegan, so it would be better to use those recipes that have been designed by considering the structure, texture, properties, density and flavours of all the ingredients.
Generally, in baking, eggs are used as a binder, leavening agent, thickener, and emulsifier and provide moisture, richness, colour, flavour, structure and strength to finished dishes.
No one substitute can match up to an egg's performance, and for that reason, when looking for baking substitutes for eggs, you need to try and understand their role in the recipe. To me, eggs are the "glue that binds all the ingredients together" There are many egg substitutes available, but they don't all work in the same way.
The trick to having success with egg substitutes is to determine the purpose of the egg (s) in the recipe. You might even need to test a few alternatives or combine a couple of substitutes before finding the correct result for each recipe.
Study the recipe to find out the role of eggs in that recipe for example;
If the recipe has no other liquids, then the eggs are most likely to be used to add moisture.
With no leavening agents (such as baking powder/soda), the eggs are most likely combined with acidic ingredients to help make the recipe rise. ( like lemon, apple cider vinegar)
Has enough liquid and leavening agents but no "glue" that holds the mixture together (flour/breadcrumbs etc.), then the egg is likely to be used to bind the ingredients together.
Banana, chocolate chip & walnut muffins made using linseeds instead of eggs
Flaxseed - Linseeds
When ground flaxseed or otherwise known as linseeds are mixed with water, it produces a stick gloopy and gelatinous mixture. Flax eggs are fantastic in recipes where the egg is used to bind ingredients together. It will, however, give your baked goods a slightly nutty taste and works best in recipes that complement that. NOTE – Use ground flaxseed as whole seeds will not work as effectively.
Substitution – To replace one egg, mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal (ground flaxseed) with 2.5 tablespoons of water until fully absorbed. It will take at least 10 mins, almost by magic. The texture of the mixture will resemble an egg white and be like a thick gel.
Role in baking - Good emulsifier and binder.
Recommended uses – Try using in;
Pancakes - Try my chocolate brownie pancakes
Waffles - Try my sweet potato & buckwheat waffle platter
Muffins - Try my ginger, oat & rhubarb breakfast muffins
Cookies - Try my amazing hob nob cookies
Mousse - Try my 3 ingredient berry mousse
Cakes - Try my chocolate & avocado cake
Chia seeds
You can use chia seeds to replace eggs in baking, called flax eggs. Made the same way as flax eggs, the chia seed and water mixture turns thick and gelatinous. It is a suitable binder, but I recommend using them in recipes where the black seeds won't be detected, as you may not want black specs in your baked goods. Recipes like chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake, and pancake recipes use darker flours like buckwheat.
Substitution – To replace one egg, mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds with 2.5 tablespoons of water until fully absorbed. It will take at least 5-10 mins and becomes thicker and gel-like, similar to flax eggs. I use flax eggs for white baked goods and chia seeds for darker baked goods.
Role in baking - Good emulsifier and binder.
Recommended uses – Try using in
Pancakes - Try these chia seed pancakes
Waffles - Try these blueberry & chia seeds waffles
Muffins - Try these blueberry chia seed muffins
Cookies. - Try these lemon & chia seeds cookies
Fruit puree’s
Fruit purees are great for adding moisture to recipes but can also help with binding. Mashed banana and apple puree are most commonly used. Still, other suggestions include pumpkin puree ( mainly in America, they bloody love the stuff), sweet potato puree, pear puree or mashed avocado.
They will add flavour to your baking, especially bananas, which should be considered when used as a replacement. Depending on the recipe, the end product may be wetter, denser and sometimes claggy in texture.
Substitution – Use 1/4 cup (approx 65g) of fruit puree for one egg. It is often recommended to increase your leavening to compensate for the thicker consistency. If you want a little extra raising power, add 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder.
Role in baking – Adds moisture and can help to bind
Recommended uses – Try using in
Banana bread - Try my chocolate chip banana bread
Muffins - Try these pumpkin & chocolate chip muffins
Cakes - Try my chocolate & avocado cake
Pancakes - Try these pumpkin pecan pancakes ( yes they are American lo!! l)
Brownies - Try these vegan sweet potato brownies
Avocado is great for brownies, muffins and chocolate mousse. Try my chocolate & avocado cake below, click on the picture to go straight to the recipe.
Chocolate cake using mashed avocado’s
Aquafaba
If you're looking for baking miracles, here's a great one!
Aquafaba is the water you find in canned chickpeas. Its popularity in vegan cooking has exploded! It's the new trendy thing, and everyone and their aunt is jumping in on this trend! And after using it a lot in my cooking, I can see why.
The liquid can be whisked to produce a white foam that looks just like whipped egg whites ( who knew). The trapped air in the aquafaba helps to give structure and height. You can also use the liquid, without whipping, as a binder.
Substitution – To replace one egg, use 3 tablespoons of the liquid. Whip as you would an egg white. Add about ⅛ teaspoon of cream of tartar to the amount of aquafaba in one 15-ounce can of chickpeas (about ½ cup). If you don't have cream of tartar, you can use ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice or white vinegar per egg white
Role in baking – Can be used as a binder (unwhipped) or adds structure and height when whipped.
Recommended uses –
Cookies (unwhipped) - Try these vegan chocolate chip cookies.
Meringue - Try this recipe for meringue, why don’t you whip some coconut cream, and serve with berries, chia jam and coconut cream. Similar to an eton mess but healthier.
Icing ( frosting) - Try this Italian meringue ‘buttercream’.
Mousse - Try this chocolate mousse recipe.
and recipes that call for just whipped egg whites. Or try my vegan mayo using aquafaba.
Silken tofu
Silken tofu has high water content and creamy custardy texture. It is perfect when an egg is required to make a baked good denser, richer and to add moisture. I would recommend only using organic tofu here as most soy unless organic is genetically modified. Plus soy has gotten a bad rep due to its questionable effects on health. Do the research and decide what resonates with you about eating soy.
Read more about GM soy here, article 1
Read more about GM soy here, article 2
Here's my go-to brand of silken tofu when I use it.
Substitution – For 1 egg, use 1/4 cup (60g) silken tofu, blended until smooth and creamy.
Role in baking - Adds density and moisture.
Recommended uses -
Cheesecakes - Try this vegan lemon cheesecake recipe.
Creamy tart - Try this coconut silken tofu tarts.
Brownies - Try these yummy chocolate brownies.
Chestnut & dark chocolate cookies made using chia seeds instead of egg
Dairy-free Yoghurt
Yoghurt can be a suitable egg replacement as it provides good moisture. Use plain yoghurt like this brand.
Substitution – Substitute 1/4 cup (65g) of plain yoghurt for one egg.
Role in baking - Adds moisture.
Recommended uses –
Muffins - Try this recipe vegan blueberry & lemon muffins.
Cakes - Try this recipe for vanilla sponge
Icing or (frosting in the US).
I use Greek-style coconut yoghurt for a really quick icing for cakes. Add a drop of vanilla extract and enough icing sugar to sweeten, preferably not runny sweeteners like honey or agave, as it will make the yoghurt thinner, which won't cover or ice a cake. Well! I have used this many times in cake recipes, and you would never guess the difference. Click here for my summer berries cake recipe pictured below.
Vegan summer berries cake using dairy free yoghurt as the ‘icing’ & in the middle of the cake
Baking soda
Baking soda and acid react with each other to form bubbles that expand during cooking to provide lift and a light, airy texture.
Substitution – To replace one egg, mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar (white or apple cider works best)
Role in baking – leavening ( rising)
Recommended uses –
Cakes - Try this lemon blueberry cake
Cupcakes - Try these vegan lemon lavender cupcakes.
Quick breads - Try this Chia spiced quick bread recipe.
Arrowroot, cornflour and chickpea flour
It can all be used in place of eggs to bind and thicken.
Substitution – For arrowroot/cornstarch, use 2 tablespoons mixed with 3 tablespoons water for 1 egg. Chickpea flour - Mix 3 tablespoons with 3 tablespoons of water.
Role in baking – binds and thickens
Recommended uses - Meatballs and nuggets, and cookies - Try these chickpea chocolate chip cookies.
FAQ's
Can you leave out eggs in baking altogether?
If you leave eggs or egg replacements out, you may be disappointed with the final result. Although eggs don't affect the flavour much in baking, the texture and structure of the baked goods will appear different. It may spread too much, resulting in flat cookies or insufficient structure to rise properly in cakes and quick breads.
What if you don't have enough eggs or enough of one egg substitute?
If you run out of eggs or one egg substitute. It's completely ok to use several egg replacement options in one recipe, such as one chia egg and one flax egg, if the recipe calls for two eggs.
How do make vegan egg substitutes taste like eggs?
If you're trying to impart an eggy flavour to a dish, all you need is Kala namak (also known as black salt). Its high sulfur content provides an egg-like flavour often missing from vegan egg substitutes. Replace some of the salt in a recipe with Kala Namak. Read more about black salt here, as its benefits and uses are fascinating.
What about packaged egg replacers?
Examples include Egg Replacer, The Vegg and The VeganEgg
These are commercial powdered products specifically developed as a substitute for eggs in baking, or it may be an ingredient or combination of ingredients that work to replicate the action of eggs in a recipe.
I have used them many years ago and found that my baked goods were dry, cracked, dense and just awful. Plus after studying nutrition and the effects of synthetic processed ‘food like’ products on your health. I choose to avoid these commercially produced in a lab product. And quite frankly think the best use for them is in the garbage not in your body.
What is a good egg wash substitute?
Plant-based milk (almond or coconut), oil or vegan butter can all be used as a replacement for an egg wash. An egg wash helps with browning and giving a sheen to pastries and rolls but can also add flavour. Use one of these suggestions when a recipe calls for an egg wash.
How can I make a quiche or omelette without eggs?
Yes, you can, and there are ways to make it taste more 'eggy' like adding black salt ( Kala Namak). Indian black salt or Kala namak is Indian volcanic rock salt. It is known by many names, including Himalayan black salt, sulemani namak, and Kala loon. The sulphur compounds cause the salt to smell like hard-boiled eggs. Read more about black salt here, as its benefits and uses are fascinating .Here's an excellent recipe for chickpea scrambled eggs.
Firm organic tofu crumbled with spices and seasonings (also referred to as tofu scrambles) are a great egg substitute. Try heating 1 tsp of olive oil and sweat 1/4 diced onion, then add 1/4 tsp turmeric, 1/2 tsp garam masala, 1/4 tsp ground cumin and 150g firm tofu and break up the tofu whilst mixing together. Fry this for a few minutes, and you have a really yummy Indian-style vegan scramble. Add chilli or coriander to the recipe if you prefer.
Try this recipe for a vegan quiche. Or this recipe for mini quiches.
Apple and Cinnamon buckwheat pancakes with caramelised maple walnuts using linseeds instead of eggs
When baking and replacing key ingredients, be aware of your expectations of the finished recipe. Using swaps is excellent, and some are better than others, so It's worth experimenting with. Many recipes you create or try to create will NOT taste like the original recipe.
You're never going to get a different ingredient like chick pea flour and black salt to taste EXACTLY like real eggs, so please bear that in mind
Many of the swaps I have mentioned are really close to the real thing, and in some recipes, I would prefer not to use eggs as my swaps taste better. Just enjoy the journey of discovering how to use substitutes in your free from cooking and baking.
Need some more baking inspiration? Look at my recipes on my website and my Pinterest account with LOTS more content for you to sink your teeth into.
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