Get your cake and eat it too with these simple egg substitutions
If you don’t eat eggs, there’s no reason to resign yourself to flat, lifeless cakes. There are plenty of healthy and affordable alternatives to eggs in baking, which will ensure that muffins stay fluffy and cookies won’t get crumbly.
According to healthyalberta.com, the two major roles of eggs in recipes are to bind ingredients together or to act as a leavening agent by incorporating air into the finished product. A recipe that calls for one will generally need that egg to act as a binder, while two to three eggs constitute leavening.
Binding
Half a mashed banana – can replace one egg in breads, muffins, pancakes and creamy pies, and adds moisture and sweetness.
1/4 cup of applesauce – equals one egg and can be used in moist cakes and breads.
Chia seeds – besides being loaded with Omega 3 fatty acids, protein and fiber, when mixed with water, chia seeds demonstrate a gelling property that makes them ideal for baking. Mix one teaspoon of chia seeds with three tablespoons of water and let the mixture sit for at least 10-15 minutes. Use the chia seeds in bran muffins, breads and veggie burgers. You can use them to make delicious chocolate pudding too!
Commercial egg replacers – Ener-G Egg Replacer is the brand I use most often. It can be used in anything, but I use it most commonly in cookies, pies and the occasional veggie burger. Depending on the ratio of water and egg replacer, they can act as leavening as well. The instructions are on the box.
Healthy U also offers the following egg replacers:Muffins can be fluffy, moist and delicious without the use of eggs. This recipe for banana muffins used Ener-G egg replacer.
Photo by: Silvia Pikal
1/4 cup pureed prunes
1 Tbsp apricot puree
1 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 Tbsp water
1/4 cup soft tofu
1/4 soy milk
Leavening (substitutions for 1 egg)
2 Tbsp carbonated water + 2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking powder + 1 Tbsp water + 1 Tbsp vinegar
1 tsp yeast + 1/4 cup warm water
1 heaping Tbsp soy flour + 1 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp bean flour + 1 Tbsp oil
1 Tbsp arrowroot powder + 3 Tbsp water
1 Tbsp cornstarch + 3 Tbsp water
2 Tbsp ground flaxseed + 1/2 tsp baking powder + 3 Tbsp water
So if you afraid that you can’t bake without eggs, whip up some of our muffins or cookies!
Try out these other recipes for some egg-free fun: