Replace Eggs in Your Cooking

If you're avoiding eggs for any reason--be it allergies, veganism, taste, or because you don't feel like trekking all the way to the store to buy some--you can still prepare many dishes that call for eggs without sacrificing too much in the way of taste or texture. The first step is identifying what purpose the egg serves in your recipe and then finding a suitable replacement. Read on and start experimenting with different egg substitutes to find that perfect replacement.

Steps

Understanding the Purpose of Eggs in Your Recipe

  1. Decide if the eggs are used for moisture or richness. Read through the recipe and notice if it calls for many liquids. If there is very little liquid (in the form of milk, water, oil, etc), then the egg is probably being used to keep the finished product from drying out.[1]
    • Egg whites actually dry out baked goods and do not provide any moisture. If your recipe calls for all egg whites, then it is unlikely they are being used for this purpose.[2]
    • Cookies, muffins, flat foods like pancakes, and brownies are examples.
  2. Decide if the eggs are used to help the food rise. Also known as leavening agents, look for ingredients like baking powder, baking soda, or baker's yeast in the recipe. If you don't see any of these ingredients but the recipe calls for an acidic ingredient like buttermilk, vinegar, or citrus juice, then the eggs are likely necessary to help the dish rise.[1]
    • Egg yolks don't assist in leavening (they contain too much fat), so if the recipe calls for yolks only, then the eggs are serving some other purpose.[2]
    • Keep your end product in mind. If you are making a custard, which doesn't rise, it's unlikely the egg is being used to leaven. If you are baking a cake, which rises considerably as it bakes, then egg may be present as a leavening agent.[2]
    • Cake and cupcakes are examples of baked goods that uses eggs add rise, volume, and fluffiness.
  3. Decide if the eggs are used to bind. Eggs are often used to hold a product together and prevent crumbling. Dishes like meatloaves, casseroles, quick breads (like pound cake or zucchini bread), and cornbread all use eggs to provide structure. As the eggs are heated during baking, they change from a liquid mixture to a solid and hold the other ingredients together.[3]
    • Cookies, muffins, and savory dishes like burgers, vegetable loaves, meatloaves, and quick breads are examples.
    • Often recipes that use eggs to bind also use eggs to add moisture to the dish, especially if they call for breadcrumbs or flour. You may want to add a little more liquid or use a moist egg replacement (such as fruit puree) to keep your dish from drying out.[1]
  4. Decide if the eggs are used to emulsify the ingredients. Emulsifying is another way of binding ingredients, but it is specifically used to blend things that would not normally mix, like oil and vinegar.[3] Egg yolks will thicken a product and add stability by allowing fats to become soluble in water and water to be soluble in fats.[3] This makes baked goods creamy, smooth, and moist.
    • If the recipe calls only for egg whites, then the egg is not being used to emulsify any ingredients, as the white lacks enough fat to do so.[2]
    • Notice if the recipe calls for water-based liquids and a large amount of oil or butter (such as mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce).[2] If so, the egg is likely being used as an emulsifier.
  5. Decide if the eggs are used for taste or color. If the eggs are part of a wash, or to glaze baked goods like pies and pastries, you can easily remove them from the recipe. If the eggs are clearly part of the taste of the recipe (like scrambled eggs), you may be able to replace them if the finished product isn't a baked good.[3]
    • Quiches, custards, pudding, chocolate pies, egg salads, and scrambled eggs are examples.
  6. Notice if the recipe calls for three or more eggs per batch (one cake, one loaf of bread, etc.). When eggs make up the basis of a dish, such as Angel Food cake or sponge cake, it is unlikely an egg substitute will give you the results you want. The taste and texture will be compromised and the recipe will likely fail. Look for a recipe for something with a similar taste and doesn't call for quite so many eggs.[3]

Replacing Eggs Used to Add Moisture

  1. Replace one egg with 1/4 cup of banana puree. Banana is one of the most popular choices for egg replacements in sweet recipes like muffins, breads, and cake. Use 1/2 banana to yield 1/4 cup puree.[4]
    • The banana will alter the taste of your baked goods, so make sure you like banana-flavored muffins, breads, etc. before you add it to your recipe. Otherwise, look for something with a milder taste.
  2. Use applesauce to add moisture, density, and sweetness. Applesauce or other fruit purees will make whatever you were cooking or baking heavy and dense, so if you want something lighter, you will have to add baking powder as well.[4]
    • Applesauce works great with recipes like brownies are chocolate cake, because the chocolate hides the flavor of the applesauce. It won't alter the taste of your brownies like banana or another fruit might.[4]
    • Use 1/3 cup puree to replace one egg or 1/4 cup puree with 1 Tsp baking powder for a lighter, fluffier product.[4]
  3. Use 1/3 cup pumpkin to replace one egg in muffins and breads. Pumpkin can also leave a distinct flavor in baked goods, so it's best to incorporate it in a recipe that works well with pumpkin. Bread, muffins, and spice cakes will all benefit from the moisture, binding properties, and taste of pumpkin.[4]
    • Make sure the pumpkin is pureed so that it is smooth and won't make lumps in your baked goods.
  4. Replace one egg with 1/4 cup vegan sour cream.[2] Sour cream will depth and richness to your dish while keeping it moist. Sour cream also makes an excellent binding agent.

Replacing Eggs Used to Leaven

  1. Use baking soda or baking powder to help your recipe rise. Baking soda and baking powder are different chemically, but work in much the same way (baking powder actually contains baking soda). Baking soda will react with acids in your recipe (like vinegar, buttermilk, cream of tartar) and release carbon dioxide, causing your baked goods to rise. Baking powder actually leavens twice--once when it becomes wet and a second time when it is heated.[5]
    • Substitute one egg with 1 Tbsp. vinegar plus 1 Tsp. baking soda, whisked together.[2]
    • Substitute one egg with 2 Tbsp. water plus 1 Tbsp. vegetable oil plus 1 Tsp. baking powder, whisked together.[2]
    • Baking soda will give your baked goods a warm, golden brown color. Baking powder will give you a lighter, fluffier product.[2]
  2. Substitute egg whites with Agar powder. Agar powder is also known as agar-agar, Kanten, Japanese isinglass, or Ceylon moss.[6] Mix 1 Tbsp agar powder in 1 Tbsp water. This is equivalent to one egg white, so increase as necessary for the recipe.[4] Whip the mixture, then let it chill in the fridge. Then whip it again and it will be ready to use.
    • Agar is vegan and can also be used to replace gelatin.
  3. Use 1 can of soda to replace eggs and oil in boxed cake mixes. A can of soda (12oz) is equivalent to adding three eggs to your recipe. This isn't exactly the healthiest egg alternative, but it will leaven your cake and can add an interesting flavor.[4]

Replacing Eggs Used to Bind

  1. Use finely ground flax or chia seeds to bind recipes and add healthy fats and fiber. The seeds should be ground in a coffee or spice grinder, as finely as possible. Flax seeds have a slightly nutty flavor and may affect the taste of your recipe, so use it in recipes that would benefit from this flavor or have other, stronger flavors that will cover the taste of the flax.[7] Chia seeds are darker and will deepen the color of your bake goods.[7]
    • Mix 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed and 3 Tbsp. water to replace one egg. Allow the mixture to sit for 30 minutes, until it thickens and has a jelly-like consistency.[7]
    • Mix 1 Tbsp. ground chia seed and 3 Tbsp. water to replace one egg. Allow the mixture to sit and after 30 minutes it should have a thick, gel-like consistency.[7]
    • If the eggs are meant to bind and leaven, add an additional 1/4 Tsp. baking powder.[3]
  2. Add 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 2 Tbsp. water to replace one egg. If there is a lot of liquid in the recipe already, you can omit the water and just mix in the cornstarch.[2] The cornstarch will act as a binder and thicken your food as well.
  3. Use starches like mashed potatoes, cooked rice, bread crumbs, or oatmeal to bind recipes.[3] These work especially well in savory dishes like meatloaf, a veggie loaf or burgers. You will probably need to experiment with quantities to find the right balance and really nail your recipe.
    • Add 2-3 Tbsp. mashed potatoes to replace one egg. Instant potato flakes or sweet potato can also be used.[8]
    • Add 2-3 Tbsp. rice to replace one egg. You can also try adding cooked rice to soups and pureeing them for thickness.[9]
    • Use 2-3 Tbsp finely crushed breadcrumbs to replace 1 egg.
    • Use 2-3 Tbsp cooked oatmeal or quick-cooking rolled oats to replace 1 egg in a recipe. This is a great for savory recipes and sweet baked goods like cookies, too.
  4. Use gelatin or Agar to bind sweet recipes like cookies and muffins.[3] These will not alter the flavor in things like cakes and cookies. They will both bind and leaven your product. Remember that agar is vegan, while gelatin is not.
    • 1 Tbsp. gelatin plus 3 tablespoons warm water will replace one egg.[4]
    • Whip 1 Tbsp agar powder in 1 Tbsp water, then allow it to chill in the refrigerator. Whip it again and it should be thickened and ready to use.[4]
  5. Use fruits like banana, applesauce, pumpkin or prunes to bind sweet recipes. Remember that adding fruits will make your dish dense and will usually alter the taste, so choose make sure you like the flavor combination before adding fruit puree to a recipe.
    • Use 1/4 cup mashed banana, applesauce, or puréed prunes to replace 1 egg.[8]
    • Add 1/2 Tbsp. baking powder for a lighter texture.[8]

Replacing Eggs Used to Emulsify

  1. Use soft tofu as an emulsifier in vegan mayonnaise, ranch dressing, or hollandaise sauce. Tofu contains lecithin, which acts as an emulsifier, and will thicken and stabilize your recipe. Make sure you use a soft, unflavored tofu, not firm, seasoned, or baked.[3]
    • 1/4 puréed tofu to replaces 1 egg.[2]
    • Add oil to your recipe very slowly if you are using tofu to emulsify oil and water (like in mayonnaise).[3]
  2. Grind flax seed or chia seeds and add them to your recipe to emulsify ingredients. Flax seed can impart a slightly nutty flavor to your recipe, while chia is mostly tasteless. Both will provide you with healthy omega fats and vitamins.[7]
    • Mix 1 Tbsp. ground flax seed and 3 Tbsp. water to replace one egg. Allow the mixture to sit until it thickens and has a jelly-like consistency, about 30 minutes.[7]
    • Mix 1 Tbsp. ground chia seed and 3 Tbsp. water to replace one egg. Allow the mixture to sit for 30 minutes or until it achieves a thick, gel-like consistency.[7]
    • Never buy pre-ground flax seeds, as they contain perishable oils that will oxidize, become rancid, and affect the taste of your food.[10]
    • Store ground flax seed in an airtight container for up to one year.[10]

Replacing Eggs Used for Taste or Color

  1. Use an egg replacer or vegan egg yolk for recipes that call for lots of eggs. Look for egg replacers, not substitutes, as these can sometimes still contain egg. Make sure you check the label, just to be sure. They can replace eggs in baking cookies in muffins or in dishes like scrambles.[11]
    • Follow the directions on the box for each product. Generally, you mix the egg replacer with water and add it to your recipe.[11]
    • Vegan egg yolks must be mixed with a blender--hand mixing is not vigorous enough to get the desired consistency.[2]
  2. Use tofu to replace eggs when they make up the majority of the dish, like a breakfast scramble, quiche or custard. Puree the tofu to make sure there are no lumps or chunks in your dish, and make sure you use silken or soft tofu--firm tofu won't blend very well.[8] Make sure the tofu is plain and neither baked nor seasoned.[8]
    • Use 1/4 cup tofu per egg.[8]
    • Tofu will not fluff like eggs, but the texture is otherwise very similar to eggs.
  3. Use turmeric to color your egg-free dish. If you are making vegan scrambled eggs and still want that golden color, turmeric will do the job.[3] It can also add a peppery, tart flavor to your dish.[12]
    • Use just a pinch of turmeric in your recipe to turn your tofu or other egg substitute yellow.[3]

Tips

  • The best thing to do is to try out different types of egg replacements on your favorite recipes until you find the one that suits you best for each recipe. There are no hard and fast rules.
  • Do not use gelatin as a substitute for eggs if you are vegan.

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 http://chefinyou.com/role-of-egg-baking-cooking/
  2. ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 http://rivelsandgrits.com/egg-substitutes/
  3. ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 http://chefinyou.com/tips-to-successful-egg-substitution/
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 4.8 http://chefinyou.com/egg-substitutes-cooking/
  5. ↑ http://sallysbakingaddiction.com/2015/06/11/baking-powder-vs-baking-soda/
  6. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agar
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 http://joythebaker.com/2014/09/baking-101-favorite-vegan-egg-substitutes/
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.5 http://www.peta.org/living/food/egg-replacements/
  9. ↑ http://www.emaxhealth.com/15/23970.html
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 http://www.veganbaking.net/recipes/egg-replacers/flax-seed-egg-replacer
  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 http://www.thekitchn.com/5-vegan-substitutes-for-eggs-in-baking-tips-from-the-kitchn-136591
  12. ↑ http://www.turmericinfo.com/turmeric_spice.html
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