Healthy Vegan Egg Substitutes – JennifersKitchen

Are you looking for a substitute for eggs in a recipe? Whether for baking or other types of recipes, here are some handy, healthy, vegan egg substitutes with tips on how and when to use them.

There are various reasons why you may need a substitute for eggs.

Maybe you want to take eggs out of your diet to help lower cholesterol, improve your heart health, or lose weight. Perhaps you have an allergy to eggs. Or you may have ethical reasons for avoiding eggs. Or maybe you’ve decided you’d like to follow a vegan or plant-based diet. Or maybe you just forgot to pick some up last time you were at the grocery store. Ooooorrr … maybe there’s an egg shortage.

Whatever the reason, here are some handy vegan egg substitutes for you.

What to Use in Place of Eggs

Looking to replace eggs in a recipe? Here’s how.

(Be sure to see “What Eggs Do in a Recipe” below for help in knowing when to use which egg substitute.)

Please note:
No egg substitute acts or tastes the same as do eggs. Nor do egg subs behave the same in every recipe, but if you are willing to do some experimenting to find out which solution works best for your particular recipe, you can usually come up with a satisfactory finished product.

Again, be sure to see “What Eggs Do in a Recipe” below these egg replacement ideas.

Healthy Vegan Egg Substitutes

Agar Powder Egg Substitute

Agar is a sea vegetable that also functions as a strong gelling agent. It works especially well in recipes that call for just egg whites.

How to:
Mix 1 tablespoon agar powder with 1 tablespoon boiling water. Whip together, chill, and then whip it again to make 1 “agar egg”.

Applesauce Egg Substitute

The pectin (a fiber) in applesauce serves as a binder and adds moisture. My homemade applesauce recipe is naturally extra high in pectin so it works even better than store-bought applesauce.

Take note that applesauce can make baked goods dense.

How to:
Use 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce to replace 1 egg. I don’t recommend trying to substitute more than one egg with applesauce.

Arrowroot Egg Substitute

Arrowroot powder binds ingredients.

How to:
Mix 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder and 3 tablespoons water. Use to replace one egg in baking.

Banana Egg Substitute

Mashed banana serves as a binder and adds moisture. The final product will have a banana-y taste.

How to:
Thoroughly mash one very ripe, small banana OR one half of a very ripe, large banana (about 1/4 cup). Use as a replacer for one egg. Keep in mind that adding banana to a recipe will give the final product a banana flavor.

> I use banana as an egg substitute in these Banana Date Breakfast Cookies.

Bean Liquid (Aquafaba) Egg Substitute

Aquafaba is bean liquid or “bean juice” – the liquid found in cooked chickpeas or beans. This liquid works especially well in recipes that call for just egg whites. In fact, if you whip aquafaba with an electric mixer, it will whip up just like egg whites. Pretty neat!

How to:
Use 3 tablespoons of aquafaba to replace one egg.

> I use aquafaba instead of eggs in this yummy Kale White Bean Pizza recipe.

Bread Crumbs

Bread crumbs work great in place of eggs as a binder for veggie patties or loafs.

How to:
Mix homemade or store-bought bread crumbs with other dry ingredients in the recipe before mixing with other ingredients.

> I use bread crumbs instead of eggs in this recipe for No-Meatballs (a reader favorite!)

Chia Seed Egg Substitute

When you mix chia seed with liquid, it becomes quite stretchy and gelatinous.

Chia + liquid, or “chia eggs”, will give whatever you are making a slightly nutty flavor.

How to:
Use whole chia seeds or grind them in blender or coffee grinder. Whisk together 1 tablespoon chia meal or whole chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water to make one “chia egg”. Allow to rest for a couple minutes before using.

> I use chia seed as an egg substitute in this recipe for Coconut Orange Breakfast Bars.

Chickpea Flour Egg Substitute

Chickpea flour works both as a binder and a leavener. It also coagulates when heated with a liquid. Chickpea flour has a strong taste that can be detected in most foods. (I personally don’t like the flavor it gives to recipes, even though I love chickpeas.)

How to:
Thoroughly whisk together 3 tablespoons of chickpea flour and 3 tablespoons of water to make 1 “chickpea egg”.

Coconut Milk Egg Substitute

Coconut milk can be used to replace the rich creaminess that egg yolk lends to some recipes.

How to:
1/4 cup coconut milk equals one egg yolk.

Flax Seed Meal Egg Substitute

Finely ground flax seed – or flax seed meal – is one of the best performing healthy vegan egg substitutes. When combined with liquid, flax meal becomes gelatinous and serves as as a binder and an emulsifier in baking.

“Flax eggs” will give whatever you are making a “nutty-earthy” flavor.

How to:
Grind whole flax seeds in blender or coffee grinder until it becomes a very fine meal. Whisk together 1 tablespoon flax meal with 3 tablespoons water to make one “flax egg”. Allow to rest for a couple minutes before using.

> I use flax seed meal to replace eggs in this delicious Quinoa Lentil Loaf.

Flax Gel Egg Substitute

Flax gel is one of the most common egg substitutes, but it is a little bit time consuming to make.

How to:
In a saucepan, combine 1/4 cup flax seeds with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat and cook at a low boil for 10 minutes.
Strain through a fine mesh strainer.
One quarter cup of the jelly-like substance that filters through the strainer is used to replace one egg.
(Makes 3/4 cup total.)

The leftover flax seeds can be added to homemade waffles.

Mashed Potato Egg Substitute

Mashed potatoes work well as a binder when baking savory items. I especially like to use mashed potatoes in bread dough as it makes the bread soft and tender.

How to:
Use 2 tablespoons mashed potatoes per egg to give softness to dough.

Nut Butter Egg Substitute

Creamy cashew butter or creamy almond butter can also be used to substitute eggs in some recipes because they add fatty richness likes eggs do. Nut butters also act as a binder.

This egg sub is best used in cookies or brownies. The type of nut butter you choose depends on the recipe as it may affect the flavor of your finished product.

How to:
To replace one egg, use 3 tablespoons of nut butter.

Oatmeal Egg Substitute

Oats work great as a binder.

How to:

Use 1/4 to 1/3 cup to replace one egg.

> I use oats as an egg substitute in this recipe for Vegan Chickpea Loaf.

Okra Liquid (aka Okra Slime) Egg Substitute

Okra is a vegetables that oozes out a somewhat slimy liquid when you cut it. This liquid can be used in place of eggs in certain applications. I like to use it as an “egg dip” or “egg wash” to help breading stick to food.

> I use the okra slime in the okra to help the breading to stick to this Vegan Oil-Free Breaded Okra.

Soy Flour Egg Substitute

Soy flour has a very slight leavening effect and can be used as an egg substitute when you need to add a bit of lightness.

How to:
Combine 1 1/2 tablespoons soy flour with 2 tablespoon water. Mix well. Use to replace one egg.

Sweet Potato Puree Egg Substitute

Sweet potato puree works similar to how applesauce works as an egg replacer. It works well as a binder and adds moisture.

Note that sweet potato can make the final product turn out moist and dense.

How to:
Mash baked or steamed sweet potato. Use 3 tablespoons of puree to replace one egg.

Tofu (Firm) Egg Substitute

If you want to make scrambled eggs without eggs, this Scrambled Tofu recipe is a delicious option. It tastes really good when combined with black salt. (Black salt imparts a bit of an egg flavor.)

Tofu (Silken) Egg Substitute

Tofu will make the final product dense, so it works best for dense cakes, pies, and brownies.

How to:
Place 1/4 cup silken tofu in blender with some liquid from recipe and blend until creamy. Use to replace one egg.

What Eggs Do in a Recipe

The egg substitute you should choose depends on what you are making. You need to know what the purpose of the egg is in the recipe you’re using in order to know which egg substitute to use.

Keep in mind that replacing one egg in a recipe is usually not a problem. But replacing 2 or 3 eggs is a bit more challenging.

Here’s are the functions eggs serve in recipes:

1. Eggs bind ingredients.

In some baked goods, eggs serve as a binder, helping the ingredients to hold together. Replacing eggs as a binder is one of the easiest substitutions.

2. Eggs add moistness and/or richness.

In other recipes, eggs add moisture or fatty, richness to the finished product. This is usually also an easy switch.

3. Eggs leaven foods

In some recipes, eggs leaven the food (cause it to rise).

Some dishes, like meringues, soufflés, and angel food cake, use a lot of eggs and the eggs help the food to rise a lot. The eggs give the baked goods volume and light airiness. Replacing eggs in these cases is quite difficult, if not impossible.

But if you just need a little bit of leavening, some of the above egg substitutions, such as chickpea flour or soy flour, could work.

4. Eggs as the main ingredient

And then in some recipes, like scrambled eggs, well … eggs are the star. The main ingredient. You obviously can’t use banana or flax gel as an egg substitute in these types of recipes. No matter how creative or imaginative you are, flax gel sunny side up just doesn’t work.

In the case where eggs are the lead character, I recommend tofu. For example, this delicious scrambled tofu recipe doesn’t taste exactly like scrambled eggs, but it does a remarkably delicious job of trying.

Which Egg Substitute to Use When

Here is a quick guide for which egg substitute to use in what recipes. Refer to the instructions above for the description of each egg substitute, information on how to prepare each substitute, and how much to use.

PLEASE NOTE:

Replacing eggs is not a simple, mathematical equation. It’s more like an art.

I often need to experiment with different ratios of ingredients and different combinations of egg subs 6 or 7 times before I can figure out how to replace an egg in a particular recipe.

Here are some general guidelines for what egg replacement can be used in which recipes. (Note: It is often helpful to combine 2 or more egg subs to replace an egg.)

Bread

What egg substitute(s) to use in bread:

flax meal egg
mashed potatoes

Brownies

What egg substitute(s) to use in brownies:

flax meal egg + applesauce
silken tofu

Cakes

What egg substitute(s) to use in cakes:

silken tofu + flax gel + extra flour

Note: I have not personally tried this sub since I don’t eat cake because I don’t eat baking powder (and it’s quite difficult to make cakes without baking powder). But I have read that this sub works. Try at your own risk. : )

Cookies

What egg substitute(s) to use in cookies:

applesauce
aquafaba
banana
chia egg
flax meal egg + applesauce
flax meal egg (especially good in oatmeal cookies)

Custard

What egg substitute(s) to use in custard:

arrowroot + agar

Note: Custards are made through the coagulation of egg proteins, so a custard without eggs isn’t really custard, but with some experimenting, it can still be just as good.

Egg Salad

What egg substitute(s) to use in egg salad:

Eggless egg salad is surprisingly easy to make with tofu. Mix crumbled firm tofu with one of my delicious vegan salad dressings. Add onion and pickles if desired. Season with black salt.

Frittata

What egg substitute(s) to use in frittata:

tofu + a little hummus

French Toast

What egg substitute(s) to use in French toast:

cashew cream
coconut milk
aquafaba
flax meal egg
oats
Here’s our favorite egg-free French Toast recipe.

Ice Cream

What egg substitute(s) to use in ice cream:

coconut milk + thicken other liquids with arrowroot powder

Omelets

What egg substitute(s) to use in omelets:

tofu
chickpea flour

Quick breads

What egg substitute(s) to use in quick breads:

bananas (if you don’t mind a banana flavor)
chia egg
flax meal egg + applesauce
sweet potato puree

Quiche

What egg substitute(s) to use in quiche:

tofu + a little hummus

Pancakes

What egg substitute(s) to use in pancakes:

banana
chia egg
flax meal egg
flax meal egg + applesauce

Pies (like pumpkin pie)

What egg substitute(s) to use in pies:

silken tofu
silken tofu + agar egg

Sponge cake

What egg substitute(s) to use in sponge cakes:

Uh-oh. Sorry, sponge cake uses a lot of eggs and relies on those eggs for structure. I haven’t found any good substitute for the real deal when making a sponge cake.

Waffles

What egg substitute(s) to use in waffles:

chia egg
flax meal egg
OR use this simple and delicious waffle recipe. This recipe use the heat of the waffle iron to leaven the waffles instead of eggs and baking powder.

Veggie Burger or Loaf

What egg substitute(s) to use in veggie burgers and loafs:

flax seed
potatoes
oats
tofu
Here are my super yummy, wonderfully healthy, veggie burger recipes.

Benefits of Healthy Vegan Egg Substitutes

One of the main benefits of using a healthy vegan egg substitute is, well, its healthier.

Eggs are very high in cholesterol. And they contain no fiber whatsoever. On the other hand, most of the egg substitutes in this post are very good sources of slimming fiber. And none of them contain any cholesterol.

Most of the subs here are also a lot less expensive than eggs.

And, of course, all of them fit in a vegan diet.

Remember:

Egg substitutes don’t behave the same from one recipe to another. In order to figure out what egg substitute works well in your recipe, it is necessary to do some eggspirimenting!

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