7 Best Egg Substitutes and Examples

You may ask “What can I use as egg substitutes for baking?”

That is a very good question!

In this time of COVID-19 it is hard to find all the ingredients you need to make a recipe.

It’s time to improvise.

Knowing these expert egg substitutes and they act in different recipes is key to success.

7 Best Egg Substitutes and Examples

Although adding eggs may give your dish a different taste, texture or look, it does not mean that you can’t have that dish.

Here is a list which comes in handy for me while I am making such a recipe.

How Much Egg Substitute do I add to Replace an Egg? What is the ratio?

1 egg is roughly 1/4 cup (the conversion is 4 tablespoons or 60g or 2oz. You will need to replace that volume in your recipe. Your egg substitute needs to equal the amount of egg you are leaving out.

Egg Substitutes for Cakes and Cupcakes

For each whole egg used you can substitute it with one of the following:

• ½ a medium Banana, mashed
• ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Apple sauce
• ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Silken Tofu
• ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Buttermilk

Egg Substitutes for Cookies

For each whole egg used you can substitute it with one of the following:

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoon water
• ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Sweetened Condensed Milk

Egg Substitutes for Brownies

For each whole egg used you can substitute it with one of the following:

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoon water
• ½ a medium Banana, mashed
• ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Apple sauce
• ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Silken Tofu
• ¼ cups (4 tablespoons) Yogurt (vegan or regular)
• ¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Buttermilk

Eggs leaven to help baked goods rise and give body to meringues. They whip up into mayonnaise. They’re needed in everything from meatloaf to muffins.

Fruit Puree

Fruit puree adds moisture to baked goods, but it also works well as a binder. Applesauce and mashed bananas are the ones most commonly used as egg substitutes, but you can also use pumpkin puree or mashed avocado. Fruit egg substitute adds flavors to your dish, so use the sweet purees for quick breads and cakes, and the less-sweet purees for veggie burgers or salad dressings. Need an example to start? Here are two: Applesauce Fruit Cake or Apple Cinnamon Muffins

How to Substitute:
Use 1/4 cup of fruit puree in place of each egg. If you are baking bread or cake and want a little extra leavening power, add 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder for every egg.

Heart Healthy Flax Seeds

Flax seeds aren’t just for salads and smoothies. When ground and combined with water, the mixture thickens and acts like eggs. A lot of flax can add a nutty flavor to your finished dish, so this one’s best used for pancakes, brownies and muffins. The mixture can also be used for savory meals, like meatballs, where the other flavors are strong enough to overpower that nuttiness. Here are two: Hershey’s Best Brownies or Italian Meat Loaf

How to Substitute:
Use 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoon water = 1 egg
Grind the flaxseed in a coffee grinder and mix with water. Allow it to rest till it becomes gelatinous, then use.

Nut Butters

Nut butters make an excellent egg substitute because they are full of healthy fats, just like eggs. The pureed nuts bind the ingredients together just as well as eggs. Here are two: Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake or Butter Cake Cherries Jubilee

How to Substitute:
Use 3 tablespoons of creamy nut butter in place of each egg. Don’t use crunchy nut butters, as they affect the texture of the baked good as well as its ability to bind with the ingredients.

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed potatoes add instant moisture to anything that calls for an egg, and they make for an airy texture in breads and rolls. Here are two: Slow Cooker Irish Soda Bread with Raisins or Traditional Stollen Bread

How to Substitute:
Substitute 1/4 cup mashed potatoes for each egg. You can also use 2 tablespoons of instant mashed potatoes, rehydrated.

Tofu

If you’re not a fan of eating tofu plain, using it as an egg substitute might just turn you into a believer. Tofu adds a great texture to your dish, and it works well in recipes that call for lots of eggs. It’s denser than eggs, though, so it’s better suited for thick items like brownies or chocolate pie. Here are two: Patriotic Brownie with a Pretzel Crust or Hot Fudge Pie Deluxe

How to Substitute:
Use 1/4 cup silken tofu, mashed or whipped, for each egg.

Water + Vegetable Oil + Baking Powder

This tried and true egg replacement combines water, oil, and baking powder to leaven baked goods like cookies and cakes. It’s important to remember our rule of thumb with this one. If your recipe has more than three eggs, this substitute will result in a very oily cake. Here are two: Chocolate Crinkle Cookies or Banana Chocolate Chip Cake

How to Substitute:
For each egg, combine 2 tablespoons of water with 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 2 teaspoons baking powder.

Baking Soda and Vinegar

What happens when you mix a base (baking soda) with an acid (vinegar)? Bubbles! This carbonated reaction helps leaven baked goods such as bread, resulting in a fluffy dough that rises beautifully. Experiment with our non-scary bread recipes anyone can bake. Here are two: Apple Cinnamon Pull Apart Rolls or Grandma Lydia’s Ice Box Cookies

How to Substitute:
Replace each egg with 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon white vinegar.

Research Bigger Bolder Baking, Taste of Home

Most images in my Tip Friday Series use free stock photos. This article is part of the Tips That Help in the Kitchen Series, Tip Friday.

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