by Texas Homesteader ~
Remember a few years back when the bird flu caused an egg shortage & a significant increase in the price of eggs? Yeah, here we are again, and the price is expected to climb even higher! So I’m sharing some easy egg substitutes so you can keep baking.
Why Do You Need Substitutions For Egg With Your Baking?
There are many reasons you may be looking for a substitute for eggs in your baking.
-
- Egg allergy
- Price spikes due to supply disruptions
- Forgot to buy eggs when grocery shopping
- Looking for vegan options to replace eggs in your baking (most substitutions below are vegan!)
For whatever reason, following are some nifty replacements for eggs in your cooking and baking:
What Is The Purpose Of Eggs In A Recipe?
Eggs are included in a recipe for a variety of reasons:
Binding. To hold baked goods together and provide structure.
Leavening. A leavener causes air bubbles to create air pockets in dough, helping bread to rise & creating a more tender baked good.
Add moisture. Moisture is needed in baked goods to hydrate flour and other dry ingredients.
Egg Replacements For Binding:
Fruit puree, flax, seeds, etc can be used as a replacement for eggs to be used as a binder with baked goods such as with pancakes, cakes, muffins or cookies:
Flaxseed Meal – 1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 Tablespoons water = 1 egg (let sit for 5-10 minutes to hydrate) Best used in recipes that only require an egg or two.
Chia Seeds – 1 Tablespoon chia seeds + 3 Tablespoons water = 1 egg (let sit for 5-10 minutes to hydrate) Creates a binder for pancakes, quick breads or cookies.
Arrowroot Powder – 2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder + 3 Tablespoons water = 1 egg for binding in cakes, cookies or pie crusts.
Egg Replacements to Add Moisture:
For moist tender results in baked sweets such as cakes, muffins, brownies, sweet breads etc.
Pureed fruit. ¼ cup applesauce or mashed banana equals an egg. Adds moisture & a hint of sweetness, so it’s best to be used in sweet recipes. I particularly like to use unsweetened applesauce.
Nut Butter (such as peanut butter, almond butter, etc) – 3 Tablespoons nut butter = 1 egg. The stronger flavor of nut butters makes this a good solution for sweet baked goods.
Yogurt – ¼ cup yogurt = 1 egg. Best if your recipe includes a leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda. Good choice for muffins, cakes or cupcakes.
Buttermilk – ¼ cup buttermilk = 1 egg. Tangy so this works best for pancakes, cakes and quick breads.
Aquafaba – 3 Tablespoons aquafaba = 1 egg, just whip aquafaba until stiff peaks form. Use where whipped egg whites might be used such as meringues, marshmallows, etc.
What Is Aquafaba? It’s simply the juice from a can of chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
Egg Replacements To Add Leavening To Baked Goods
Leavening brings structure and tenderness to baked goods. Here are some easy egg replacements to add leavening:
Vinegar & Baking Soda – 1 Tablespoon vinegar + 1 teaspoon baking soda = 1 egg. Best for cakes, cupcakes and quick breads.
Oil – 1½ Tablespoons vegetable oil + 1½ Tablespoons water + 1 teaspoon baking powder = 1 egg. Best for cookies or muffins. Be sure to use an oil that doesn’t have a strong flavor of its own.
Purchased *Egg Replacer takes all the guesswork away.
Try Recipes That Don’t Require Eggs At All!
Of course you can enjoy recipes for sweets, bread & snack that don’t require eggs in the ingredients at all, such as:
Egg-Free Desserts:
Crazy Cake – Includes flavors such as chocolate (my fave), carrot cake, vanilla, lemon and MORE!
Egg-Free merengue cookies – Light cotton-candy texture.
Peach Cobbler – Made with canned peaches & baked in cast iron.
Blackberry Cobbler – Sweet Blackberries with fluffy sweet crust.
Blueberry Crisp – Lightly crispy oat crust with thick sweet blueberry filling
Instant Chocolate Pudding Mix – The perfect convenience food in your pantry
Fried Apples – Deliciously buttery and with a splash of spiced rum.
‘Nice’ Cream – Cold sweet treat with blended bananas & berries.
Egg-Free Snacks:
Homemade Hummus – Creamy, protein-packed, gluten free and delicious.
Homemade Yogurt – Stovetop or Instant Pot method.
Fresh Pico de Gallo – Chopped tomatoes, onions & peppers.
Pumpkin Granola – Crispy and sweet, I leave in large snacks for RancherMan’s snacking.
Egg-Free Breads:
Beer Bread – Mix-n-bake convenient & several flavors to choose from such as rosemary/cheddar or pesto.
No-Knead Rosemary Skillet Bread – Dense chewy texture.
Honey/Oat Sandwich Bread – A Favorite in my Homestead kitchen.
Cheddar Sour Cream Biscuits – No knead, just mix, form into biscuits & bake.
Wait The Egg Shortage Out
This egg shortage issue isn’t anything new. This too shall pass. In the meantime, enjoy these egg substitutes or recipes that don’t require eggs.
~ TxH ~
Other Snacks We Love
Crackers
- Homemade Honey-Graham Crackers
- Rosemary Crackers w/Olive Oil & Garlic
- MYO Pita Chips Using Flour Tortillas
Dips
Sweet Dessert Breads
Cake
Cookies
- Easiest 3-Ingredient Peanut Butter Cookie Recipe
- Cake-Mix Cookies – Only 3 Ingredients!
- Double Chocolate Banana Chunk Cookies
- Sugar-Free Chocolate No-Bake Cookies
- Simple Meringue Cookies Using Aquafaba
Ice Cream
- Healthier ‘Ice Cream’ Using Bananas & Fruit
- Easy Cookies-n-Cream Ice Cream Cake
- Rich & Creamy Fudgesicles
Other Snacks
- Crunchy Savory Roasted Chickpeas
- Rice Krispie Treats With A Chocolate Twist
- Mini Nest No-Bake Festive Treats Filled With Candy
- Triple Chocolate Truffles
- Getting Your Family To Snack On Healthy Veggies
- Watermelon Smoothie (or Daiquiri)
…And MANY MORE!
See All Recipe Posts
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Hi. I love your brownie recipe from “The Ultimate Rich Chocolaty Homemade Brownie Recipe”. It is my absolute favorite. You don’t mention brownies here, so I would like to know which of the egg substitutes you would use for the brownie recipe? Thanks much.
Hummmm… let me think. Any time you change a recipe, whatever you use is sure to at least subtly change the taste and/or texture of the final product. Thick applesauce would be my first thought, not too strongly flavored and applesauce is often my go-to for recipe substitutions. Peanut butter might be a nice option since peanut butter & chocolate flavors pair well. I think I’d probably be willing to try yogurt too since (to me) it would go well with the brownie flavor profile. ~TxH~