Whether you’re baking for someone with an egg allergy or just forgot to add “eggs” to your grocery list, these 5 simple egg substitutes are sure to “save the day”. I’ve used all 5 of them with much success over the years and I’m confident they will work for you too!
Now, before I get ahead of myself… I should mention that no one in our family has any issues with eggs (that we know of).
We eat TONS and TONS of eggs every week!
Not only do I make a hot breakfast every morning, but I also regularly make quiche or other breakfast foods for dinner, we enjoy hardboiled eggs for a quick snack, and of course, I do quite a bit of baking.
It’s not uncommon for us to go through 4-7 dozen eggs every week!
Thankfully, eggs have a very long “shelf life” (we buy most of our eggs from friends at church who raise chickens… and we learned that farm-fresh eggs do not need to be refrigerated, as long as they haven’t been washed!?!) so it’s easy to keep lots of eggs on hand.
However, there have been a select few times in my life when I’ve run out of eggs while baking — or I’m baking for someone with an egg allergy.
In those situations, I have a handful of simple egg substitutes I turn to.
While I don’t plan to stop buying or eating eggs any time soon, I do get quite a few questions regarding egg-free baking and cooking… so I figured this post could be helpful!
Here are 9 of my favorite Simple Egg Substitutes:
- 1 tbsp. flaxseed meal + 3 tbsp. water (let sit for 5 minutes)
- 1 tbsp. chia seeds + 3 tbsp. water (let sit for 15 minutes)
- 1 tbsp. water + 1 tbsp. vinegar + 1 tsp. baking soda
- 1/4 c. warm water with 1 tsp. yeast dissolved into it
- 1/4 c. unsweetened applesauce
- 1/4 c. pumpkin or sweet potato puree
- 1/4 c. mashed banana
- 1/4 c. mashed avocado
- 1/4 c. plain yogurt
If you’d like a visual, feel free to save, print, or share the image below! 🙂
It’s always amazing to me that these ingredients can replace an egg — but I’ve used them all with much success!
Have you tried any of these simple egg substitutes?
photo credit: WoodleyWonderWorks on Flickr
Lisa says
One egg substitute I’ve been using since I heard about it in the 1990’s by way of Amy Dacyczyn (I think it’s pronounced ‘decision’) and The Tightwad Gazette, is 1 T. soy flour and 1 to 1 1/2 T water for every egg in baking.
I’ve used this successfully when the recipe calls for 1-2 eggs. Sometimes I need to add more water.
I just keep a small container of soy flour in the fridge and freeze the rest until I need it.
THANKS for all you do. I LOVE your posts.
Andrea says
wow — I’ve never heard of this egg substitute before! thanks for sharing (and for your encouraging words!)
Olga says
What about the main egg substitute?!!
It’s a chickpeas water, or if called fancy–aquafaba. This thing is simply amazing –you can whisk it into foam , as eggs! Thankfully, we can eat eggs, but we have vegans in the extended family, so i learned some tips and tricks of vegan cooking and baking. 🙂
Andrea says
I saw this listed on a different website… but I’ve never tried it so I didn’t put it on my list 🙂
Thanks for sharing!
Jenny says
Interesting! Some I have heard of and some are new to me. I always have a couple of dozen eggs in my refrigerator. When I’m down to less than 6 or 12, depending on my plans, I add eggs to my list and get more. That way I never run out and have at least the ability to make a meal and bake something! I wish I could get fresh eggs around and may look harder into that. But the “fancy” eggs at the store are $5 a dozen and “regular” are less than a dollar, so not sure I want to up my egg budget by 500% either.
My boss is very allergic to eggs- but it turned out that she can eat duck and turkey eggs! Who knew?!? So she made arrangements with a farmer and does fine. She said those eggs are bigger so she uses about 2 T to1/4 cup of whisked poultry egg to replace 1 large chicken egg in recipes. Those who avoid eggs due to allergies may be able to do this. She said she just tried a little bit at first to make sure she was OK with it, but it seems wise to check with your allergy MD or a dietitian to be safe.
Andrea says
interesting about the duck and turkey eggs — I’ve never seen those for sale in a traditional grocery store though 🙂
Karen says
Yep, I’m plant based so use the flax seed and the veggie/fruit alternatives. Oh! Here is a DELICIOUS pudding!
Easy Chocolate Pudding
4-6 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups cooked sweet potatoes
1 1/4 cups unsweetened plant milk (or regular milk)
1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
4-6 pitted dates
Directions:
Blend all ingredients together in a high speed blender until smooth
Chill in refrigerator for a least 1 hour
Andrea says
thanks for sharing!
Leah says
Thanks Andrea! And, on a completely unrelated note, I love how you’ve moved up the time on your emails being sent out.
Andrea says
haha — thanks! I changed the time because the later time frame wasn’t going through reliably. So I bumped it up and now the emails are going through again 🙂
Kim Fontaine says
You just need heat lamps, we’re in Vermont! It’s not a lot of work. You don’t have pets, this could be as close as you’d need to get!
Andrea says
Yes, Dave and I have actually talked and thought a lot about getting chickens — we’re just not sure about the logistics yet. We don’t want them eating our plants or vegetables, we don’t want them around our pool, etc. etc.
BUT, you are right that they might be fun “pets” for the kids.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we got chickens at some point in the future — You’ll certainly know if/when we do though! I can’t keep that type of news from the blog for any period of time!!
Kim Fontaine says
You should get chickens! Fresh eggs are the best. In a million years I never thought I’d be a
chicken owner for eggs, but honestly the eggs are so fresh and yummy. And the chickens are amusing.My husband and daughter are the primary care takers, but they are pretty low maintenance.
Andrea says
haha — maybe! Everything I’ve heard and read states that chickens are a pain! We have lots of friends with chickens (which is where we buy our eggs from) and they all claim the chickens are a lot of work (especially in the freezing cold winter months!)
I think we’ll stick to buying eggs from our friends for now!
Beth says
Your idea about the water, oil, baking powder substitute is good. Do you think it would work well in a recipe that called for several eggs? I had a brownie recipe once that instead of eggs, you made a cooked paste out of flour, water, and butter I believe, and it was gooey enough to “stick” the brownies together. It was surprisingly good.
Andrea says
I honestly don’t know Beth. I’ve only used these substitutes for 1 or 2 eggs — but it couldn’t hurt to give it a try if you’re in a pinch!
linda says
I love eggs but this is a great substitution. Thanks for posting!
Luba @ Healthy with Luba says
Andrea, these are great to know. We don’t do well with eggs and bananas are always a better option for my husband.
Thank you!
Andrea says
oh yeah — these would be helpful if you don’t do well with eggs!
Debbie says
I had no idea you can make these substitutions! Thank you!
Andrea says
you learn something new every day 🙂
Linda T says
I often have chia seeds in the house. They are quite very good for you, but don’t really taste like anything. I hide them in smoothies. You can use a tablespoon of ground chia seeds mixed with 3 tsblespoons of water. Let it sit for 5 minutes and you’re good to go!
Veneta | Becoming Life Smart says
Thank you so much, Andrea! I’ve been stuck many times not being able to make a recipe because I didn’t have eggs and I couldn’t head to the store at that moment. This is very helpful! 🙂
Andrea says
yay — glad to help!
Johanna says
Thank you very much, you seem to be the only one to give me a recipe without having to download a toolbar. Thanks again, Johanna
Rachel says
Thanks for sharing these ideas. My son is allergic to eggs, so we are always trying different things. The consistency of recipes often changes with applesauce and banana. If you are making a cake, for example, make sure there is some rising agent in the recipe. Some recipes just don’t work well with substitutions. Others–particularly vegan recipes–turn out great.
Kirsten says
Perfect timing! I found out a month ago I have an egg sensitivity. But I love eggs! It’s so difficult to find vegan baking recipes tht sound appitispzing (no dairy either, it’s a sad life because I also love fairy). Now I know I can easily make some substitutions with things I already have on hand! Thank you!
Kirsten says
Love DAIRY. Wow, it’s already been a long week.
JJ says
Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownie mix using a 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce(for 2 eggs) has been my go-to dairy-free/egg-free dessert recipe! And they actually taste better than with eggs!!!
Also our favorite pancake recipe that is dairy-free/egg free:
3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
3 Tbsp + 3/4 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
Slightly less than 1/2 cup vegetable oil
2-1/4 cups water
3 eggs(OR 6 Tbsp. WATER…yes, water!)
2 shakes of cinnamon
1/2 tsp vanillla
Mix all ingredients. Use a combo of vegan butter and vegetable oil to fry pancakes. I was SHOCKED how good these were without eggs!!!
Andrea says
Thanks for sharing this recipe!!
Diana says
JJ, you win the prize of the year for the brownie recommendation! I’ve been dairy and egg free for the better part of the last 3 years, and I’ve come a long way in finding recipes that we love. But brownies are kind of my last frontier. 🙂
If I woke the kids up, went to the store right now to buy the DH brownie mix, would that kind of defeat the purpose of this post?! 😉
Great substitutions, Andrea. They do work well. In my opinion, you have to consider the nature of your recipe instead of blindly substituting. You probably don’t want banana-flavored chocolate chip cookies or yeasty muffins. And in items where eggs are vital, like pudding or Dutch Baby pancakes, they don’t quite work either. (I’m sure you know that–just wanted to say it for someone new to baking who might be reading comments!
Kirsten: dairy and egg free is tough! There is hope though–the longer you go, the more recipes you will find that work well for basically vegan baking. In fact, I have more luck googling “vegan ___ recipe” than “dairy and egg free __ recipe.” Betty Crocker has a great chocolate chip cookie one, muffins usually turn out fairly well, and that Wacky Cake (you poke 3 holes and pour in vinegar, oil, and vanilla) is close to box mix texture. Happy baking!
Andrea says
Yes, definitely consider the type of recipe before choosing your substitution! And yes, these won’t work for egg-heavy recipes 🙂
Thanks for your tips and clarifications Diana!
Tragic Sandwich says
These are great suggestions! I’ve been baking this season, and have one egg remaining.
Theresa says
One of my boys has a severe egg allergy. We usually use the flaxseed substitute. But some of these that you mentioned are new to me, so I will be trying these in the future.
A word of caution, when making egg substitutes, the less eggs you have to substitute the better the recipe turned out.
Thanks for sharing.
Marga says
A friend of mine is allergic to eggs. Because of this she doesn’t eat too many baked goods or pasta. Even some cocktails will send her into a life threatening emergency. I have used these substitutions before with great success. I especially like to substitute an over ripe banana or applesauce for the egg. It still keeps my baked goods moist and adds a touch of sweetness. Mash the banana well before mixing it in with the remaining ingredients. It blends easier this way.
Alice says
We make flaxseed eggs when we’re short on eggs or just want a healthier, vegan alternative.
http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/2011/10/how-to-make-a-flax-egg-for-vegan-baking-the-right-way/
Julie says
Thanks for the info. While I almost always have eggs on hand, there have been times… I know this isn’t a contest, but I find that people in the grocery store frequently asking me what I am doing with 8 dozen eggs. Yup, that’s right we go through 6-8 dozen eggs a week due to the nutritional program my kids are on and the fact that I have 4 growing and very hungry kids. I will definitely be using these at some point.