Megan KerryHave you ever been stuck wondering what substitute you can use instead of eggs in vegan baking?? With all the choices available for egg-free baking, it’s no wonder this can stump a lot of people.
How do vegans skip eggs in baking? Today I’ll be sharing with you which vegan egg substitutes are best for every baking situation.
To make things ultra-easy, I’ve made a menu you can use to jump to different sections in the post, depending on what purpose the eggs hold in the recipe you’re trying to swap.
If you aren’t sure what the purpose of the eggs are in your recipe, then I’ve also included common swaps for specific things like cookies vs quick bread etc.
As you’ll learn vegan egg swaps are not all equal. Each one will have a different effect on your recipe.
Read on to learn everything there is to know about swapping eggs out in recipes.
I’ve been at this for over 6 years now, and as a food blogger, I’ve definitely experimented my way around these swaps.
To save you the time and effort of figuring this all out on your own, I’ve created the perfect tool for you!
It’s my vegan swaps checklist.
Not only does it include swaps for eggs as you’ll see in this post, but it has absolutely everything you’ll need to swap out when you’re going vegan.
From meats to yogurt to cheese-this checklist has it all.
Use this list to jump to the section that interests you most, then come back and read the rest!
- Egg replacement for the lift in recipes
- Egg replacement for moisture in recipes
- Egg replacement for the binder in recipes
- Egg replacement for flavor and color in recipes
- Commercial Egg Substitutes
- Aquafaba Egg Substitute
- Egg substitute for Baking Cookies
- Baking Powder as a Vegan Egg Substitute
- Apple Sauce as a Vegan Egg Substitute
- Flax as a Vegan Egg Substitute
Check out this quick reference chart to help you understand which vegan egg substitutes have what properties:
Would you rather watch it? Check out this video tutorial here:
What About Replacing Eggs at Breakfast?
Before we get into how to replace eggs in baking, I wanna let you know that if you’re interested in learning about how you can use a vegan egg substitute for breakfast, I’ve got you covered!
For a vegan scrambled egg substitute, you can use tofu to make a classic tofu scramble. It’s really easy to come together and actually less expensive than using eggs.
If you’d like a vegan omelet, then go ahead and make one out of chickpea flour!
Chickpea Flour omelets are incredibly delicious, and when you use a hint of black salt (more on that in a minute) you can’t tell the difference between the faux omelet and the real deal.
Looking for that big Sunday breakfast? You have got to give this vegan “eggs” benedict a try!
It’s gone wild over on Pinterest, and I know it’ll knock your socks off!
For delicious pancakes, try these fluffy whole wheat vegan pancakes Bonus-they don’t call for bananas (bc let’s be honest, almost every eggless pancake recipe does!) So, if you aren’t a fan of bananas, this pancake recipe is for you.
Alright, now that we’ve got the eggs for eating out of the way, time to get into how we can bake all of our favorites without using eggs.
Egg Replacement for Lift in a Recipe
Eggs add air to many baked goods. If this is the primary purpose of eggs in your recipe, then here are the substitutes I’d use instead.
Commercial egg substitute
This is usually the safest bet when you are needing lift in a recipe.
Commercial egg substitute can be used for cakes, muffins, cookies, and brownies.
The cool thing about the commercial egg substitutes is that they perform multiple functions.
Not only do they provide lift, but they also will act as a binder in your recipes.
What is eggless egg substitute?
Eggless substitute is usually a combination of starches and a leavener like baking soda, mixed in the perfect combination to make using the two easy.
Typically, you’ll mix a certain amount (1-2 tbsp) of the dry egg substitute with water, then let it sit for a quick minute to thicken up before adding it to your recipe.
Some of the most popular brands are:
- Follow Your Heart Vegnegg Egg Replacer. This one you can actually use to make scrambled eggs and omelets as well (don’t try this with the next two tho!)
- Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer. Tried and true, this one is my go-to when I need an easy no-fuss egg substitute for baking.
- Ener-G Egg Replacer. This is another really popular egg replacer brand that a lot of people have trusted for years.
I’ve used egg replacer when texture is important in my baking.
For my vegan butter tart recipe, I chose to use a commercial egg replacer because I needed the caramel center to be ultra-smooth and I needed the egg replacer I chose to bind my ingredients together.
Aquafaba Egg Substitute
I can see you scrunching up your face right now going, “Megan, what the hell is aquafaba?”
I know. It’s weird, right?
Aquafaba is the water that comes from beans, most commonly chickpeas when they are cooked.
It’s thick, and full of flavor!
Aquafaba can be whipped just like egg whites! So, if you’re needing a lot of height in a recipe, this is your best option.
You can even make meringues and whipped cream with it.
If you’re wondering where to buy aquafaba I’ve got some pretty sweet news!
You probably already have it in your pantry.
The water that we typically drain from a can of chickpeas is aquafaba!
So the next time you open a can of chickpeas, simply pour the liquid into another container and save it for your next recipe.
You can save the liquid if you’re cooking your beans from scratch like I show you here.
The only problem with this is that the concentration of aquafaba may differ week to week, depending on how much water you use to cook the chickpeas.
This is why when I’m using it for baking I always use the brine from a can of chickpeas instead of my own.
Wait, what?
If you’re sitting there right now thinking this is all a little overwhelming and you’re not sure you wanna figure it all out on your own, I’ve got you!
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And this is the only program of it’s kind to address the social and communication issues you’ll face when you decide to go vegan.
You can learn more and jump on the waitlist here.
Earlybirds get exclusive pricing and bonuses before the program is offered to anyone else.
So if you have that excited feeling that this could be a game-changer for you, get on that list!
Vegan Egg substitute for Baking Cookies
Both commercial egg replacers and aquafaba are excellent egg substitutes for baking cookies.
Check out these chocolate chip cookies I made using aquafaba.
I used a quarter cup of aquafaba whisked which equals about 1 egg.
Baking Powder as a Vegan Egg Substitute
You can use baking powder all on its own in your recipes without needing to use a commercial egg replacer.
This is especially true if you have other ingredients that will act as a binder, like flour.
I like to pair my baking soda with vinegar to add a little extra oomph!
Just be sure to keep the baking soda with the dry ingredients, then add the wet, and lastly stir in that vinegar so all the bubbles don’t pop too early.
Egg Replacement for Moisture in Recipes
Both eggs and fat contribute to moisture in a recipe.
If you are looking to make a recipe both egg-free and fat-free then this is the section for you!
Apple Sauce as a Vegan Egg Substitute
Apple sauce is a classic swap for both eggs and oil or butter.
It acts as a sponge to hold onto moisture in the baking process.
But, don’t think you need to stick to just applesauce for this purpose.
In fact, a lot of fruit can be used to add moisture to a recipe.
If you are looking to substitute applesauce you can use bananas, avocados, mashed potatoes, or even sweet potato.
How much applesauce to replace 1 egg
¼ to 1/3 of a cup of applesauce is what I generally use to swap out an egg in a recipe.
The same is true for the other fruit and vegetables I mentioned above.
Egg Replacement for Binding
Binding is very important, especially when you are looking at replacing eggs in recipes like breads, meatloaf, and burgers.
The great thing about using egg replacements for binding is that they tend to add a lot of moisture to your recipe as well.
So you get a 2 for 1 deal here!
Flax as a Vegan Egg Substitute
Flaxseed is probably my most used egg replacement in my vegan kitchen.
It’s economical, incredibly health promoting (lots of omega 3’s!), and above all else-so so so easy to use!
How to Make a Flax Egg
To replace 1 egg in baking you’ll use 1 tbsp of ground flax and 2-3 tbsp of water.
Making a flax egg couldn’t be easier.
- Start with ground flax. Whole flax seeds will not gel up like ground flax does.
- Add 1 tbsp of ground flax to 2-3 tbsp of water
- Stir and set aside for 3-5 minutes
- Once the flax has thickened, add it to the recipe at the same time you would add the eggs
You can see how I used flax in these recipes here:
- Wanna Eat Dessert for Breakfast? Try these HEALTHY Cranberry Orange Muffins Now!
- Vegan Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies-With Cinnamon and Clove
- Vegan Banana Nut Muffins
Egg substitute for flavor and colour
My secret sauce when it comes to anything egg flavored is using kala namak, or black salt.
I’ve created a tutorial that I’ll link here for you that talks all about what this magical ingredient is and why vegans love it so much.
This video is also super helpful
It’s really high in sulfur and so replicates the flavor of eggs quite well.
I also love using nutritional yeast to replicate the eggyness in recipes.
Nutritional yeast has a delicious cheesy umami flavor and I just love using it in tofu scrambles, my Hollandaise sauce, and my chickpea omelet.
Turmeric is my go-to for creating a beautiful golden colour in your recipes. Not only is it a plant (which is way better than using chemical colorants), but turmeric is really high in antioxidents and it has strong anti-inflammatory properties.
I used turmeric to color the inside of these Ultimate Easter Dessert Vegan Creme Egg Cupcakes.
Well, that post was packed full of all the info you need to know when it comes to baking vegan using egg substitutes.
If you made it to the end give yourself a pat on the back!
Now you can take what you learned and apply it to your own baking.
I can’t wait to see all the goodies you come up with!
If you haven’t joined the party yet on Instagram, make sure to follow me and tag me in your baking!
Don’t forget to grab your free Vegan Swaps resource. I’ve included a bonus chart for you in that download that outlines all of the egg substitutes we just talked about.
Print it our and keep it on your fridge so you don’t have to pull out your phone every time you need a swap.
Pin it
As always, here’s a pin for your board! Share it with a friend!
And if you’d like even more inspiration you can find me there at Megan Kerry-Vegan Recipes.
Read this next:
Vegan Meat Substitutes Explained
Disclaimer: Some of the links contained in this post are affiliate links. When you make a purchase, I may make a small commission. This in no way increases the cost to you (and it’s a great way to support the free content I bring you, Thanks!!)
