Most baking recipes are easy to veganize by using a vegan egg replacer and non-dairy milk product. However, a lot of new vegans get tripped up when it comes to finding a cheap vegan egg substitute that is easy to use and will meet their baking needs. To help remedy this, here are 11 vegan egg substitutes that are easy to throw together and made from stuff you probably already have in your pantry. And keep in mind that these aren’t just good for vegans; anyone trying to watch their cholesterol or move towards healthier eating habits can use these ideas.
11 Vegan Egg Replacers to Get You Started Down the Road to Vegan Baking Bliss
1. Ener-G Egg Replacer
This is a go-to commercial egg substitute that is widely available and easy to use. This versatile product can be used for vegan cakes, cookies, breads, muffins and more, and is a convenient option, since all you have to do is whisk one tablespoon of Ener-G Egg Replacer with four tablespoons of warm water to get the equivalent of two eggs. The downside is that it is fairly expensive, which will likely make it less appealing once you see how easy it is to whip up a vegan egg substitute for pennies from other products that you likely already have on hand.
2. Bob’s Red Mill All-Natural Egg Replacer
This is another commercial product that is easy to use as an egg replacement for vegan baking. Simply whisk one tablespoon of this substitute with three tablespoons of water per egg required, and you are good to go. It’s easy and convenient, but it is still more expensive than the homemade options you will find below.
3. DIY Commercial-Like Egg Replacer
You can make your own egg replacer that is very similar to the two mentioned above by mixing together these simple ingredients to get the equivalent of two eggs:
1 tablespoon of corn starch
1 tablespoon of potato starch
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4. Corn Starch
You can make an even easier corn starch egg replacer by whisking together two tablespoons of corn starch and two tablespoons of water to replace one egg.
5. Ground Flax Seeds
Flax seeds are best purchased whole, since you can find them cheap in the bulk section of your local grocer or health food store, and whole flax seeds keep longer than ground flax seeds. To grind your seeds, you can use a spice mill or a coffee grinder, making it easy to grind just what you need for the recipe you are making. To make an egg substitute out of flax seeds, mix one tablespoon of ground flax seeds with three tablespoons of water. You will end up with a gel-like concoction that can be used for making just about anything, including pancakes and muffins.
6. Bananas
Mash up about ½ of one ripe banana per egg needed for your recipe. I’ve used this for cookies and brownies, and it has worked out great. It will usually add a bit of a banana flavor to your end product, which also makes it perfect for pancakes. If you are concerned about the baked goods being too dense, you can always add ½ teaspoon of baking powder when using bananas or other fruits as an egg replacement.
7. Applesauce
Use ¼ cup applesauce to replace one egg. I usually use this one for brownies, and while it can add an apple flavor to some baked goods, I have not noticed this in the brownie recipes I have used. I love the added moisture from using applesauce, but -- again -- if you are concerned about density, just add ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
8. Silken Tofu
I use silken tofu in desserts all the time. I use it for making pudding, cakes, brownies, pudding pies, pumpkin pies, cheesecakes and anything else that can benefit from its smooth, creamy texture. To use silken tofu as a replacement for eggs, blend ¼ cup in your trusty blender for each egg needed. (This post is about baking, but you can also use silken tofu to make vegan omelets and such.)
9. Fruit Pulp
If you use a juicer for your juicing needs, you likely have plenty of leftover fruit pulp. I now use a blender for juicing, but back when I was using a juicer, I used fruit pulp as an egg replacement fairly regularly. You can even freeze the pulp for later use, making it easy to always have some on hand. About ¼ cup of fruit pulp will replace one egg for vegan baking recipes. Like with other fruit egg replacers, you can add ½ teaspoon baking powder to avoid an overly dense end product.
10. Agar-Agar
Use one tablespoon of agar-agar mixed will with one tablespoon of water to replace one egg. I usually don’t have agar-agar in my pantry, so I very rarely use this one, but it is a particularly good option for use as an egg white replacer.
11. Soy Flour
One tablespoon of soy flour mixed with one tablespoon of water is an easy way to get the equivalent of one egg. You can also use chick pea flour or tapioca starch, if you happen to have those on hand instead.
UPDATE (11/6/2016):
There is now a new product on the market that should definitely be added to this list: VeganEgg. Follow Your Heart's VeganEgg makes awesome omelets and scrambles and can also be used as a replacement for eggs in baking.
11 Vegan Egg Replacers to Get You Started Down the Road to Vegan Baking Bliss
1. Ener-G Egg Replacer
This is a go-to commercial egg substitute that is widely available and easy to use. This versatile product can be used for vegan cakes, cookies, breads, muffins and more, and is a convenient option, since all you have to do is whisk one tablespoon of Ener-G Egg Replacer with four tablespoons of warm water to get the equivalent of two eggs. The downside is that it is fairly expensive, which will likely make it less appealing once you see how easy it is to whip up a vegan egg substitute for pennies from other products that you likely already have on hand.
2. Bob’s Red Mill All-Natural Egg Replacer
This is another commercial product that is easy to use as an egg replacement for vegan baking. Simply whisk one tablespoon of this substitute with three tablespoons of water per egg required, and you are good to go. It’s easy and convenient, but it is still more expensive than the homemade options you will find below.
3. DIY Commercial-Like Egg Replacer
You can make your own egg replacer that is very similar to the two mentioned above by mixing together these simple ingredients to get the equivalent of two eggs:
1 tablespoon of corn starch
1 tablespoon of potato starch
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4. Corn Starch
You can make an even easier corn starch egg replacer by whisking together two tablespoons of corn starch and two tablespoons of water to replace one egg.
5. Ground Flax Seeds
Flax seeds are best purchased whole, since you can find them cheap in the bulk section of your local grocer or health food store, and whole flax seeds keep longer than ground flax seeds. To grind your seeds, you can use a spice mill or a coffee grinder, making it easy to grind just what you need for the recipe you are making. To make an egg substitute out of flax seeds, mix one tablespoon of ground flax seeds with three tablespoons of water. You will end up with a gel-like concoction that can be used for making just about anything, including pancakes and muffins.
6. Bananas
Mash up about ½ of one ripe banana per egg needed for your recipe. I’ve used this for cookies and brownies, and it has worked out great. It will usually add a bit of a banana flavor to your end product, which also makes it perfect for pancakes. If you are concerned about the baked goods being too dense, you can always add ½ teaspoon of baking powder when using bananas or other fruits as an egg replacement.
7. Applesauce
Use ¼ cup applesauce to replace one egg. I usually use this one for brownies, and while it can add an apple flavor to some baked goods, I have not noticed this in the brownie recipes I have used. I love the added moisture from using applesauce, but -- again -- if you are concerned about density, just add ½ teaspoon of baking powder.
8. Silken Tofu
I use silken tofu in desserts all the time. I use it for making pudding, cakes, brownies, pudding pies, pumpkin pies, cheesecakes and anything else that can benefit from its smooth, creamy texture. To use silken tofu as a replacement for eggs, blend ¼ cup in your trusty blender for each egg needed. (This post is about baking, but you can also use silken tofu to make vegan omelets and such.)
9. Fruit Pulp
If you use a juicer for your juicing needs, you likely have plenty of leftover fruit pulp. I now use a blender for juicing, but back when I was using a juicer, I used fruit pulp as an egg replacement fairly regularly. You can even freeze the pulp for later use, making it easy to always have some on hand. About ¼ cup of fruit pulp will replace one egg for vegan baking recipes. Like with other fruit egg replacers, you can add ½ teaspoon baking powder to avoid an overly dense end product.
10. Agar-Agar
Use one tablespoon of agar-agar mixed will with one tablespoon of water to replace one egg. I usually don’t have agar-agar in my pantry, so I very rarely use this one, but it is a particularly good option for use as an egg white replacer.
11. Soy Flour
One tablespoon of soy flour mixed with one tablespoon of water is an easy way to get the equivalent of one egg. You can also use chick pea flour or tapioca starch, if you happen to have those on hand instead.
UPDATE (11/6/2016):
There is now a new product on the market that should definitely be added to this list: VeganEgg. Follow Your Heart's VeganEgg makes awesome omelets and scrambles and can also be used as a replacement for eggs in baking.
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