Egg-Free Vegan Baking Tips

 What Can Replace Eggs in Baking?

Consider the egg. It does so much for baked goods: it’s an emulsifier (preventing the separation of ingredients like oil and water); a texturizer; a tenderizer; a strengthener; an aid in leavening and in moisture. Eggs help make your baked goods smooth and creamy, light, fluffy and moist.

But what if you cannot use eggs or choose a vegan lifestyle? For many people living gluten free, adding restrictions like no dairy or no eggs, puts them over the edge. No need to fret! You just need a quick primer in the best egg substitutes for baking!

(You might also like my post on dairy-free substitutes!)

My gfJules blog also has loads of gluten free recipes which are already vegan (egg-free) or may be made egg free with the substitutes given. Simply use the search bar and search egg-free or vegan or search for the recipe you need (for example, search “pizza dough” and you will see it calls for 2 egg whites or flaxseed meal and water as noted; or “vegan cake” and you’ll find my vegan apple butter cake recipe).

But for other recipes, you need to know what is the best egg substitute for baking.

 

General Vegan Baking Tips:

• One trick to transforming many recipes to egg-free is to choose the right pan. Many quick breads, muffins and cakes will not have the same structural integrity without real eggs, so cheat a little bit and give your recipe more support by using smaller pans or muffin tins.
• In any given recipe calling for more than two eggs, reconsider if you really must try it egg free.
• In recipes calling for 3 eggs or more, try not to use more than two recipes of the same substitute (e.g. replace 3 eggs in a recipe by using two recipes of egg substitute #1 plus one recipe of egg substitute # 6 – see below).
• Keep the fat and protein in your recipes to help stand in for the lack of eggs, especially in recipes calling for more than 2 eggs. Thus, in a recipe calling for 3 eggs and milk, use egg substitutes and milk like coconut or almond which have fat and give body to recipes, unlike skim dairy or rice milk.

A Guide to Egg Sizes (what’s the volume of a large egg?)

Most recipes using eggs call for large size eggs. So what’s the volume of one large egg? How much is in one egg white? How much is in one egg yolk? You need this information in order to use any egg substitute for vegan baking.

One egg = 3 Tablespoons / 48-50 grams

One egg white = 2 Tablespoons / 30 grams

One egg yolk = 1 Tablespoon (up to 1.25 Tbs) / 18 grams

What is the Difference in Egg Sizes?

• Small: 1.5 ounces 
• Medium: 1.75 ounces/3 Tablespoons
• Large: 2 ounces/3.25 Tablespoons/50-57 grams
• Extra-Large: 2.25 ounces/4 Tablespoons 
• Jumbo: 2.5 ounces/4.5 Tablespoons 

 

Best Ready-Made Egg Substitutes for Gluten Free Baking:

Like gluten free flours, there is no one-egg-substitute-fits-all for every kind of recipe.

Try some of my preferred substitutes in your gluten free baking to see which works best for you! With any egg substitute, if it doesn’t make the dough or batter moist enough, use your best judgment to add another tablespoon or two of your favorite milk or even water.
(Note: each substitute given will replace one large egg)

Best Store-Bought Egg Substitutes for: Cookies, Cakes and Quick Breads

Commercial egg substitutes are usually great for cakes, cookies and wet quick breads like banana bread, pumpkin bread, and zucchini bread. Make sure the egg replacer you’re using is gluten-free (Bob’s Red Mill, for example, has made one in the past that was NOT gluten-free).

Just Egg

The Neat Egg Substitute

Ener-G Egg Replacer

Orgran No Egg Egg Replacer For Baking

Namaste Foods Egg Replacer

The Vegg – Vegan Egg Baking Mix

Phoebe Egg Replacer

AcreMade Plant-Based Egg Substitute

Bob’s Red Mill GF Egg Replacer (note from the company: best for cakes, muffins, pancakes, and similar but it does not work well for custardy fillings, custards, ice cream, sauces, scrambles, or other recipes of this kind.)

When using any of these egg substitutes which don’t contain fat to replace just egg yolks in a recipe, try adding 1 teaspoon olive oil to improve the texture of your dish.

Aquafaba as Egg Replacer

One of the best egg replacers comes from an unusual place: the liquid in canned beans called aquafaba. 

Basically, the liquid from one can of beans equals 3 whole large eggs.

50 grams = 1 large egg.

A good rule of thumb for using aquafaba as an egg substitute is to follow these proportions:

• 1 Tbsp. to replace 1 egg yolk
• 2 Tbsp. to replace 1 egg white
• 3 Tbsp. to replace 1 large whole egg

And if you’re not into draining a whole can of chickpeas to get that magic chickpea liquid every time you need an egg replacer, this handy powdered version of aquafaba is for you! From personal experience, this product does not last long once opened, so plan on using it within a month or two after opening or it will become rock hard and unusable!

 

Best Egg Substitutes for: Casseroles, Dressings and Quick Breads

Egg-free mayonnaise dressing alternatives help bring lots of salads, baked goods and casseroles back to the table for those avoiding eggs.

Look for Just Mayo®, Follow Your Heart Vegenaise®, Earth Balance® Mindful Mayo  or Nayonaise® (mayo alternative or Miracle Whip sub) as reliable and readily available alternatives for these recipes. 3 Tablespoons = 1 egg.

 

Best Egg Substitute for Scrambled Eggs & Omelets:

Follow Your Heart® VeganEgg

Pepita Egg (made from pepita seeds)

Just Egg Folded

Just Egg (plant-based scramble)

Best Egg Substitute for Baking Brownies

To replace 1 large egg in brownie recipes, chose one of the following:

• Just Egg
• ½ a medium banana, mashed
• ¼ cup non-chunky applesauce or pumpkin purée
• ¼ cup silken tofu blended in a blender to smooth it
• ¼ cup yogurt (dairy or non-dairy)
• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoon water

Homemade Vegan Egg Substitutes for Baking

Homemade Egg Substitute #1
Best for: Quick Breads, Cakes, Brownies and Some Cookies:

• 1 Tablespoon milk powder (dairy, soy or Coconut Milk Powder)
• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 Tablespoons warm water

Homemade Egg substitute #2:
Best for: Quick Breads, Cakes and Some Cookies:

• 1 Tablespoon non-GMO canola oil
• 2 Tablespoons water
• 2 teaspoons baking powder

Homemade Egg substitute #3:
Best for: Quick Breads, Cakes and Some Cookies:

• ¼ cup yogurt (dairy, soy or coconut tend to work best)
• ¼ teaspoon baking powder

Homemade Egg substitute # 5:
Best for: Savory Dishes and Cheesecakes

• ¼ cup firm or extra firm silken tofu, blended in a food processor or blender
• ½ teaspoon baking powder

 

Homemade Egg substitute # 6:
Best for: Cookies, Quick Breads, Brownies and Pancakes/Waffles:

(*note: in fruit quick breads like banana bread, pumpkin bread, etc, do not use more fruit purée as an egg substitute or your quick bread will be too heavy and dense; choose another egg substitute)

• ¼ cup applesauce, apple purée, apple butter or canned pumpkin OR mashed, very ripe bananas
• ½ teaspoon baking powder (optional; don’t add for cookies and not necessary for waffles)

Homemade Egg Substitute #7:
Best for: Quick Breads, Yeast Breads, Batters and Some Cookies:

• 1 Tablespoon flaxseed meal or chia
• 3 Tablespoons very warm water

Once the flaxseed meal is added to the water, stir and allow it to gel and absorb all the water before adding to your recipe; you can speed this process along by heating over low heat until a viscous liquid is formed.

 

Homemade Egg Substitute #8:
Best for: Quick Breads & Yeast Breads

• ½ teaspoon psyllium husk powder
• ¼ cup water 

Whisk psyllium husk powder (not whole psyllium husk) into warm water and allow to sit for 5 minutes to “gel” before adding to your recipe.

To Replace TWO Egg Yolks:

Either blend 1/4 cup silken tofu in a food processor or blender, or add 3 Tablespoons egg-free mayonnaise (Just Mayo®; Earth Balance® Mindful Mayo; Veganaise®)

For more egg yolk substitutions consult my book, Free for All Cooking: 150 Easy Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy.

To Replace Egg Whites:

Remember aquafaba? It’s especially great at replacing egg whites. From the official Aquafaba website:

Aquafaba can be used to replace egg whites in many sweet and savory recipes. Its unique mix of starches, proteins, and other soluble plant solids which have migrated from the seeds to the water during the cooking process gives aquafaba a wide spectrum of emulsifying, foaming, binding, gelatinizing and thickening properties.

To replace 1 egg white, use 2 Tablespoons aquafaba 

or, if using powdered aquafaba (VOR), use 1/4 teaspoon + 2 Tablespoons water 

In my recipe experience, I have found that the best whipped egg white substitution comes from a combination of aquafaba and cream of tartar, rather than just aquafaba alone. Here’s the recipe I use:

Jules’ Favorite Vegan Substitute for 2 Egg Whites:

• 1/4 cup aquafaba
• 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar

Beat until stiff but not dry.

For more egg substitutes consult my book, Free for All Cooking: 150 Easy Gluten-Free, Allergy-Friendly Recipes the Whole Family Can Enjoy.