The Top 10 Egg Replacers for Cooking & Baking!
While going vegetarian or vegan can be a difficult process for some, the availability of mock meats and dairy-free products can really help in the transition. These days you can buy just about anything from coconut milk ice cream to seitan-based steaks!
However, for those who enjoy the taste of eggs, or are accustomed to using them in baking, the options may seem more limited. But that could not be further from the truth!
With the announcement of so many eggless egg products on the market, the Clearly Veg staff were inspired to do a ‘Top Egg Replacers’ list for everyone looking to incorporate some substitutes in their daily cooking or baking! The top ten choices are:
1- Flax seed powder
You can mix about one tablespoon of flax seed powder to 2-3 tablespoons of water for the binding effect of eggs. This is a very popular choice and mimics the properties of eggs very well in baked goods. However, as flax seed powder contains Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs), it is not ideal to heat the powder too much, as it causes these oils to become rancid as they are sensitive to both light and heat.
2- Mashed bananas
One ripe mashed banana acts as the substitute for one egg in most baking recipes. It is a great option and completely natural, however, just note that ripe bananas always have a stronger taste, so use this option as long as your recipe can handle a slight banana flavor!
3- Applesauce
Another great natural option for baking, applesauce acts as a perfect egg substitute, and binds to flours very well too! Again, there may be a slight flavor depending on how much you use (one tablespoon is roughly equivalent to one egg), but with most baked goods, this should be a fine addition!
4- Baking Soda/Vinegar
Vegan chef Chloe Coscarelli recently shared four baking tips, and one of them focused on replacing eggs in cake recipes. She recommends that you “replace each egg in a cake recipe with about 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1 tablespoon vinegar,” since the “acid and baking soda react and bind the cake together in place of eggs.” You can check out the rest of Coscarelli’s tips right here.
5- Tofu
For the standard “scrambled egg” taste and look, tofu coupled with turmeric, nutritional yeast and black salt can really satisfy your egg-cravings! The turmeric adds some flavor and actually makes the color of the tofu seem more egg-like, the black salt provides that “sulfury” taste associated with eggs, and the nutritional yeast adds a delicious cheesy flavor. When you crumble the tofu with your hands, the texture also is very similar to that of a scrambled egg dish!
6- The Neat Egg
The Neat Egg is an all-natural plant-based egg substitute that is very simple to use. Made from chick pea flour and chia seeds, it is gluten, soy, and GMO-free! You can simply mix this powder with some water and use it in any recipe that uses eggs as a binder, rather than on its own, making it ideal for vegan baked goods!
7- Ener-G Egg Replacer
Ener-G Egg Replacer is a popular pre-packaged option that works as an all-purpose egg substitute. You can mix different amounts of this gluten, dairy, yeast, soy and nut-free powder to mimic a full egg, egg whites, or just egg yolk! The products main ingredients are potato starch and tapioca powder and it is also low in sodium!
8- The Vegg
The Vegg is advertised as the world’s first vegan egg yolk. What sets this product apart, however, is the company’s commitment to actually mimic the taste and texture of eggs themselves! What is the Vegg? It is a plant-based egg alternative that is cholesterol-free, high in B12 (thanks to the nutritional yeast!), high in vitamin A, and is gluten, soy, and fat-free, while being kosher and non-GMO. You can buy the scramble mix, the french toast mix, the baking mix and more to suit all of your needs, and they also have a cookbook available!
9- VeganEgg
While this product just came out in October, it seems to be the real deal in the sense of an all-purpose egg replacer! The Follow Your Heart website claims it is ideal for scrambles, quiches, frittatas, as well as a binding/leavening agent in baking! It is also non-GMO and allergen free, and is packed with fiber, while having less calories and fat than eggs.
Each package, which will be selling for $6.99-$7.99, will be equivalent to a dozen eggs. For those who already love Follow Your Heart’s vegan products such as Vegenaise or their wide selection of dairy-free cheeses, you can expect the same quality and high standards for taste with their latest product, according to the president and CEO of the company, Bob Goldberg. He states:
“We have been working toward VeganEgg™ for over a decade now, and there were many challenges that we overcame before developing a products that could truly replace eggs.”
You can check out our review of the VeganEgg right here.
10- Just Scramble
While JUST’s (formerly Hampton Creek) Just Scramble is currently only available in San Francisco and Hong Kong, it will be heading to “additional locations and cities in 2018.” According to a review by Business Insider, Just Scramble:
“[T]astes like egg, is free of antibiotics and cholesterol, and its ingredients require less water and emit fewer carbon emissions than conventional eggs. The product, which has already won acclaim from notable chefs and food enthusiasts, is made from a 4,400-year-old legume called a mung bean that scrambles like an egg.”
You can read the review by Business Insider here.
The above homemade or packaged suggestions are all popular substitute ideas that will definitely make your desserts and savory breakfast dishes hit the spot-while being completely egg-free!
I think your article is broken. The last bit I can see is “The top choices are:”. What are the top choices?
Hi, Thanks for letting us know! We were in the midst of updating the post, it should be available in its entirety now. It has been modified to include 10 replacers rather than the original 8. Enjoy! 🙂
[…] will be replaced by “ingredients such as kale.” Perhaps some of the options from our Top 10 Egg Replacers for Cooking & Baking list and chef Chloe Coscarelli’s plant-based baking tips can provide some […]