How to Substitute Eggs in Baking?

Whether you’re baking a fancy birthday cake, wanting to adapt your family’s muffin recipe, or just looking to make pancakes for Sunday brunch, eventually you’ll want to know: how can I replace the eggs in this? 

If you’re new to vegan baking, you might want to start out with a tried-and-true recipe, so you get a feel for how egg-free baked goods behave. Some of our favorite easy recipes include Super Simple Chocolate Cake, Blueberry Muffins with Streusel, Puffy Pillow Pancakes, and Red Velvet Cupcakes. If you have another specific recipe you’re looking for, let us know – we’re sure to have one we can share with you!

One important thing to remember when you’re baking egg-free is to not overmix your batter; without eggs, flour mixtures can sometimes turn tough and rubbery. Mix your wet and dry ingredients together until the dry is just incorporated, and you’ll be turning out light, fluffy goodies every time. 

Luckily for us, there are so many things we can use to replace eggs, from flax ‘eggs’ to a banana! And many of them you probably have in your kitchen already. Each has its place and each will mimic a different property of eggs, so which to use where? Below you’ll find a handy chart to help you, with a suggested recipe for each, but feel free to experiment. We’d love to see your results, even if we can’t taste them for ourselves!

Replacement for one egg:	Works best in:
1 Tbs ground flaxseeds + 3 Tbs water	Muffins Cakes Brownies
1 Tbs chia seeds + ⅓ cup water	Cakes Brownies
1 overripe banana	Quick breads Muffins Cookies Pancakes
¼ cup fruit or veggie purée (esp. applesauce)	Quick Breads Muffins Cookies
Mashed potatoes or sweet potatoes	Nut loaves
¼ cup silken tofu	Quick breads Pound cakes
¼ cup vegan yogurt	Cakes Pound cakes Quick breads Muffins
¼ cup aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas or other beans)	Meringues Macarons Mousse Brownies Yorkshire puddings Breads
2 Tbs cornstarch + 3 Tbs water	Custards Pies Cheesecakes Brownies
2 Tbs arrowroot or potato starch + 3 Tbs water (especially useful in gluten-free baking)	Cakes Muffins Pastry
Baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) + an acid (apple cider vinegar, white distilled vinegar, lemon or lime juice)	Cakes Muffins Quick breads
Commercial vegan egg replacers (Ener-G, Orgran, Bob’s Red Mill, etc.)	Cakes Muffins
Chickpea flour	Omelette Frittata Scramble
Breadcrumbs or oats (as a binder)	Burgers Nut loaves
Firm regular tofu	Tofu scramble Frittata
Silken tofu	Custard Fried ‘eggs’ Mousse

One final thing, if you need to do an ‘egg wash’ on your pastry or bread, instead use aquafaba, non-dairy milk, or vegan butter, or thin some light corn syrup with hot water.

For more recipes and tips from experienced mentors and certified dietitians, join Challenge 22 for free!