Egg Replacements

Egg replacements eggs on blue surface in white egg holder

NO EGGS?

Forget to buy eggs for the umpteenth time? Or perhaps you are baking for someone allergic to eggs. No sweat. We’ve cracked into a slew of smart egg replacements. For best results, use these in recipes calling for 3 large eggs (150 grams) or less, keeping in mind that end results may differ slightly from the original recipe.

Egg Control
Control Egg

SO, WHAT DO EGGS DO IN BAKING?

Flavor-packed multitaskers, eggs act as binders, emulsifiers, leavening agents, and more. They’re a hard act to follow, but handy substitutes exist when you’ve run out or are just baking sans eggs. Note that not all options are created equal. We baked a basic brown sugar muffin as our control to help talk demonstrate the differences.

Aquafaba
Aquafaba

AQUAFABA

1 large egg (50 grams) ≈ 3 tablespoons (45 grams) aquafaba

Aquafaba is the liquid left over after cooking legumes. But for our purposes, we’re talking chickpea liquid, the canned kind specifically. Besides binding powers, this starchy liquid can whip up and trap air. We lightly whisked ours until foamy before adding to our recipe. The chickpea smell and flavor dissipated post-bake, resulting in moist muffins, with structure, flavor, and height comparable to our control.

Pumpkin
Pumpkin

PUMPKIN

1 large egg (50 grams) ≈ ¼ cup (62 grams) canned pumpkin

More than a fall baking favorite, unsweetened pumpkin purée offers a perennial egg substitute. Often made from a mix of winter squash, this canned staple binds beautifully but boasts little leavening power. Note that it adds distinct color and some flavor to bakedgoods, too. Mixed into our muffins, pumpkin purée added great structure, moisture, and a slight vegetal sweetness, along with a deep amber hue.

Banana
Banana

BANANA

1 large egg (50 grams) ≈ ¼ cup (57 grams) mashed ripe banana

That forgotten brown banana can be the egg stand-in you’re searching for. Peeled and mashed, ripe banana binds like a champ. Expect it to add color and flavor to baked goods but little in the leavening department. Though shorter than our control, our test muffins were golden brown, moist, tender, and bursting with banana flavor. Not a banana fan? Applesauce offers a more neutral, though still fruit-flavored, option.

Tofu
Tofu

TOFU

1 large egg (50 grams) ≈ ¼ cup (59 grams) drained blended silken tofu

True to its name, silken tofu has a smooth, custard-like texture. It’s relatively flavorless and makes a suitable egg substitute once drained and puréed in a blender or food processor. Our tofu-infused muffins baked less brown than our control. Despite more height than our pumpkin or banana tests, they still had a moist, slightly dense texture.

Commercial Egg Replacement
Commercial Egg Replacement

COMMERCIAL EGG REPLACEMENTS

Follow package directions for how to replace 1 large egg (50 grams)

Commercial egg replacements are powdered products meant to mimic eggs’ role in bakingrecipes. Found in many grocery stores’ baking aisles, each brand has its own proprietary ingredient mix, so be sure to read labels before making your pick. Our egg replacement test yielded golden-brown results, with a height, flavor, and texture quite like our control muffins.

Flax Seed
Flax Seed

FLAX SEED

1 large egg (50 grams) ≈ 1 tablespoon (6 grams) ground flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons (45 grams) water

It’s a simple mix: ground flax seed and water. A quick 5-minute rest yields a “flax egg”—great for binding but lackluster when it comes to leavening. True to form, our flax muffins baked squatter and less golden than our control. Structurally, though, they remained moist and tender, with a lightly nutty flavor thanks to the omega-3-rich flax.

Chia
Chia

CHIA

1 large egg (50 grams) ≈ 1 tablespoon (10 grams) chia seeds + 3 tablespoons (45 grams) water

Combine chia seeds with water, and wait for 5 minutes. Like magic, the mixture turns viscous and thick, mimicking a beaten egg consistency. Chia seeds are grade-A binders, rich in omega-3 fatty acids. Leavening, however, is not their forte. In terms of height, moisture, and browning, our chia muffins baked like our flaxseed batch, with some added texture and earthy flavor from the crunchy seeds.

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