Michaela Manioudakis – Wellbeing Coach (Nutrition) Bayleaf Wellness
With more people than ever before following a vegan lifestyle or living with allergies it can be helpful knowing how to replace eggs when called upon in recipes, without the need to buy highly-processed egg replacement products at the supermarket.
Below I will provide 10 simple substitutes that you can make from everyday ingredients in minutes and tips on when they are best used!
Flax Seed The Swap: 1 egg = 1 tablespoon flaxseed: 3 tablespoons water.
With many nutritional benefits, flax seeds are a great option to replace eggs in baking. While they don’t act as eggs in recipes like quiche, custards or faux egg scramble, they are great to add to baked goods like cookies, muffins, cakes, pancakes, quick breads & brownies. To use flax seeds as an egg replacement, first grind down 1 tablespoon in a mortar and pestle or coffee grinder then add to a small bowl with 3 tablespoons of water. Allow the mixture to sit for 15mins or until thickened. The mixture should mimic the consistency of a regular egg. Once thickened, add to your recipe as you would with a regular egg.
Once incorporated into the recipe the colour and taste of the flax seeds becomes unnoticeable.
Chia Seed The Swap: 1 egg = 1 tablespoon: 3 tablespoons water.
Much like flax seeds, another nutritional powerhouse, chia seeds, are a simple and discrete solution to egg replacement in baked goods. Add 1 tablespoon of chia seeds to 3 tablespoons of water and allow this to sit for 10 minutes, or until the mixture has become gel-like and thickened. Once thickened your ‘egg’ is ready to be added to your recipe.
Mashed Banana The Swap: 1 egg = ¼ cup mashed banana.
The great thing about using banana in place of egg is that there is no wait time! Simply mash your banana with a fork in a small bowl. Once smooth and lump-free, measure out ¼ cup for each egg and to your recipe. I’d personally recommend using banana in sweet and dense recipes like cookies, pudding, brownies, cakes, pancakes, muffins and of course banana bread. This is because the banana can be quite heavy and add slight flavour and natural sweetness to your recipe. With this in mind, it may be wise to cut down the sugar or sweetened you use when adding banana to recipes.
Aquafaba The Swap: 1 egg white = 2 tablespoons aquafaba.
An unexpected yet effective recommendation for egg replacement is aquafaba. Aquafaba is the water that legumes are cooked or stored in cans with. While I personally recommend using white bean or chickpea aquafaba because the colour is most like that of a regular egg, you can drain aquafaba from any legumes that you have on hand! One thing to keep in mind while using this method is the smell. While the scent can be discouraging, it is honestly unnoticeable once whipped and incorporated with other ingredients. Where your recipe calls for whipped egg whites, beat 2 tablespoons of aquafaba per 1 egg white. As the aquafaba takes a little longer to whip than a regular egg I’d recommend using a stand mixer if you have one. When beating you will notice that at 3-4 minutes the fluid appears similar to a cream. At around 5-6 minutes you should notice soft peaks forming and finally between 7-10 minutes you should notice firm peaks forming. Be mindful that peaks aren’t quite as stiff as that of a real egg so be gentle when mixing in sugar for meringue or folding faux egg white into other ingredients.
Tofu The Swap: 1 egg = ¼ cup blended silken tofu
Silken tofu can be quite heavy, and I would not recommend using this in recipes that call for more that 2 eggs. This said, it is a fantastic option for dense cakes, puddings, muffins & brownie recipes. To use silken tofu simply add to a food processer and blend until smooth. Measure out ¼ cup of tofu per 1 egg that your recipe calls for.
If you are wanting to make vegan scrambled ‘eggs’, then firm tofu may just be the answer. To use for vegan scrambled eggs simply crumble ¼ cup of tofu per egg using your fingers until you have your desired texture. I would recommend adding a touch of nutritional yeast to your faux scrambled eggs, not only as a source of B vitamins but also for its savoury flavour.
Yoghurt The Swap: 1 egg = ¼ cup yoghurt
This is my personal favourite egg substitute that I use in most of my baking! It is almost so simple that I don’t need to write this paragraph but I am going to tell you how I use yoghurt in my cooking anyway! Yoghurt is a great additive in quick breads, cakes and muffins and is something many of us always have in the fridge. While I’d recommend using a natural or plain yoghurt you can also use a plant-based yoghurt if you’re looking for vegan options. When using plant-based options, I’d recommend unsweetened almond or soy varieties. If you are making a sweet recipe however, coconut yoghurt is an option too. To use yoghurt simply measure out ¼ cup per 1 egg and add to your recipe. This makes cakes and muffins super moist and is worth a try. I promise you will not regret it!
Buttermilk The Swap: 1 egg = ¼ cup buttermilk
While ¼ cup of buttermilk can be used to replace each egg in many baked recipes it is an ingredient that many of us typically don’t stock up on. The good news is that to make your own doesn’t take much time at all! Simply mix 1 cup of milk with 1 tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice. For vegan options use unsweetened soy or coconut milk in place of regular milk. Once the milk and acid are combined allow the mixture to sit for 5 minutes and then your buttermilk will be ready! Use ¼ cup of this mixture per 1 egg that the recipe calls for. If you end up with left over buttermilk feel free to store in the fridge in an airtight container for a few days, or until your milk has reached its use by date if that comes first, or freeze for up to 3 months.
Avocado The Swap: 1egg = ¼ cup mashed avocado
In dense cakes, puddings, mousses, muffins, and brownies a great, rich option for egg replacement is avocado. Simply mash the avocado in a bowl with a fork until smooth and lump free. Then add ¼ cup of mashed avocado per 1 egg to your recipe. Due to its healthy fat content you could also use avocado in place of oil and butter in many baked desserts.
Tomato Paste The Swap: 1 egg = 2 tablespoons
I have your bases covered when it comes to egg replacements in baked goods, but what about savoury recipes? Well this is where tomato paste comes in handy! While tomato paste won’t act as a binding agent, it is a great choice to add moisture to meatballs, meat patties and veggie burgers. Simply add 2 tablespoons per 1 egg in your recipe.
Mashed White or Sweet Potato The Swap: 1 egg = 2 tablespoons
Unlike tomato paste, this savoury option will act as a binding when added to meat balls, meat patties and veggie burgers.
Simply prepare by boiling your potato until it is soft enough to slide off when poked with a fork. Once cooked, remove from water and mash until smooth. At this point measure out 2 tablespoons for each egg that the recipe calls for and simply combine with ingredients.
Sweet potato can be used not only in savoury dishes but is great when used in baked goods like brownies and dense cakes. It not only adds natural sweetness but also provides a fudgy and rich texture to desserts, not to mention a source of fibre!
While it is important for many people to avoid eggs for health, lifestyle, and environmental reasons, it is also important to understand what we are cooking with and consuming. With this said I truly hope these 10 simple egg replacements are useful to you when cooking for yourself and loved ones and that they minimise your need to use starchy, processed and store-bought egg replacements regularly.
Yours in Health and Happiness
Michaela
