Vegan Egg Replacements 101
Whether you've run out of eggs or you're trying to add more vegan foods to your diet, egg replacements are v useful in any kitchen. In this post, I'll give you the DL on all my favorite egg replacements for baking.
How Eggs work
In baking, eggs provide recipes with moisture, a stick-together texture and leavening (AKA "rise"). Most of the replacements below are great at adding structure and moisture, but only aquafaba has the potential to add rise also. This means that most egg replacements work best in recipes that have other sources of leavening, like baking powder, baking soda or yeast, and that have a low ratio of eggs to other ingreidents.
To make up for lost leavening, some bakers add additional baking powder or baking soda when they ditch eggs. However, I find that this can give recipes a chalky or metallic taste. I prefer to leave out the extra leavening and stick to the replacement ratios below. Although this sacrifices the texture ever so slightly, it preserves the flavor.
Flaxseed meal
Flaxseed meal is my all-time favorite egg replacement. It's a great binding agent in recipes with few eggs and additional leavening agents. To make “flax eggs,” combine 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water per egg and let sit for about 15 minutes. The mixture will thicken and become a little sticky. Then, use it as you would a normal egg. Flaxseed meal can add a nutty taste and a heartier texture to baked goods, so avoid using it if you want a delicate final product.
ground Chia seeds
Chia seeds have a similar binding potential to flaxseed meal. They're perf in recipes with few eggs and other leavening ingredients. Combine 1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water per egg and let sit for about 15 minutes, or until thickened. Chia seeds taste mildly nutty and have a dark color, so keep that in mind before adding them to lightly colored or delicate baked goods.
Applesauce
Since apples have high levels of pectin (the stuff that makes jam sticky), applesauce is great for adding both moisture and binding to baked goods. Add 1/4 cup applesauce per egg in recipes with a low egg count and other sources of leavening. Since applesauce is slightly sweet, avoid using it as an egg replacement in strictly savory recipes. Even in sweet recipes, unsweetened applesauce is ideal. If you only have sweetened sauce, it can still work as an egg replacement — just add less sugar than you normally would.
Mashed banana
Like applesauce, mashed bananas are great at adding moisture and they contribute to binding. In recipes with only one or two eggs and another source of rise, add 1/4 cup mashed banana per egg. Keep in mind that bananas have a pretty strong flavor, so you should avoid this substitute if you don't want your finish product to taste like nanners.
Aquafaba
Aquafaba is the juice leftover from canned chickpeas. I know this sounds weird, but trust me — aquafaba is a game-changer. Aquafaba works well as a binding ingredient, but can also add leavening to light baked goods when whipped to stiff peaks. Add 1/4 cup aquafaba per egg for binding power only, or 1/4 cup aquafaba whipped to stiff peaks with 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar for both binding and leavening.
Whipped aquafaba is super versatile and welcomes experimentation. A lot of recipe developers make super creative things with it, like meringues and brioche bread, so don't be afraid to let your freak flag fly.
Silken tofu
Silken tofu works well as a binding agent and can miraculously turn into a vegan scramble. To use silken tofu as an egg replacement in baked goods, blend it in a blender until smooth. Then, use 1/4 cup blended silken tofu per egg. To create scrambled silken tofu, saute it in a bit of oil, breaking it down to form scramble-like chunks as it cooks. Season to taste.
Silken tofu has almost no flavor so it's perfect for lightly flavored baked goods. However, its texture can make baked goods slightly heavy, so avoid using it in light and delicate recipes. Stick to using silken tofu in recipes that are meant to be slightly dense like brownies, blondies, or some quick breads or muffins.
Soy or Coconut Yogurt
Vegan yogurts are great at adding moisture and some binding power to recipes. Simply use 1/4 cup vegan yogurt per egg in recipes with few eggs and other sources of leavening. Like silken tofu, vegan yogurts don't have any rising potential and can even make baked goods dense. If you want to use yogurt as an egg replacement, use it in already dense recipes, like brownies or quick breads for A-plus results.