As COVID-19 continues, more and more people are preparing their meals at home and baking. Some bake to find some semblance of comfort, routine, and some bake out of necessity. Whatever the lot, it likely means that your latest ventures to the grocery store have left you empty handed on baking essentials like eggs.
Eggs perform distinct roles in different recipes, and it’s important to make sure you use the correct replacement for your baked goods. Baking requires more accuracy than cooking does, but luckily, there are plenty of ingredients available that you can use as egg substitutes. Plus, they’re all vegan-friendly alternatives.
Here are six egg substitutes that you should know about, and how you can use them in your baking endeavours.
Flaxseeds are a great egg substitute to be used in recipes where the egg is used to bind or firm the ingredients together (think cookies and pancakes).
In place of one egg, use one tablespoon ground flaxseeds with three tablespoons water and wait for mix to form a slight gel – it will leave your baked goods with a slightly nutty taste.
Unsweetened applesauce is an extremely popular egg substitute in baking where the eggs is used for moisture, like banana bread, muffins and cakes.
Use 1/4 cup of of applesauce with 1/2 a teaspoon baking soda mixed in to compensate for the thick consistency.
Oil is used in place of eggs for recipes where the egg is included as a Leavening Agent to make the baked goods rise.
To make the replacement, mix 1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil mixed with 1-1/2 tablespoons water and 1 teaspoon baking powder per egg.
Haven’t heard of aquafaba?
Don’t worry, it’s a relatively new egg replacement. But its popularity is on the rise, because it works very well when used in place of egg white. It’s the perfect substitute for eggs when making meringue, pancakes, waffles, or even mayonnaise.
Aquafaba is the liquid you find when you open a can of chickpeas. To replace one egg worth of egg white, whip up 3 tablespoons of aquafaba, just as you would an egg white.
As with applesauce, 1/4 cup of mashed banana (used per egg) is a great egg substitute when the egg is required in baking for moisture. This substitute works perfectly for brownies, banana bread, or even cake. Keep in mind that there will be a slight banana flavour added in.
Silken tofu is perfect when an egg is required to make a baked good more solid and dense, so it’s best used in things like brownies and cakes.
Use 1/4 cup of puréed tofu for 1 egg. Don’t worry, the tofu is basically flavourless, so no strange tastes will be popping through.
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Text: bauersyndication.com.au, Additional reporting: Farisia Thang
This post was first published on July 27, 2018, and updated on March 17, 2022.