Don’t know how to replace eggs? Here’s the complete guide to Egg Substitutes in Baking and Cooking: when to use which vegan egg substitute and how much to use! The perfect guide for vegans, those with an egg allergy, or if you just ran out of eggs and need a quick replacement.

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Chocolate vegan cupcakes with vegan frosting and chocolate shavings on top.
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What do eggs do in baking?

In order to know how best to replace eggs, we must first understand what they do.

Eggs play several key roles in cooking and baking. They help to bind ingredients, add moisture and stabilize the overall structure of the final baked good. If you’re vegan, allergic to eggs, or have just ran out and can’t wait to start baking, this is your one-stop shop to replacing eggs.

With a degree in Bakery Science, I can tell you that the purpose of eggs varies greatly depending on the product. This means that different egg replacements will be better suited for different situations.

When it comes to vegan baking you need to consider what the eggs purpose is in each situation. Does it act as a binding agent? Does it help to leaven? Keeping those in mind will help you decide which egg substitute is best.

Luckily for you, with 5 years of vegan baking under my belt, I have tested several egg alternatives that you most likely already have in your pantry.

Today I’ll share with you which ones work best for different baking needs and extra tips to get the best outcome.

Ready? Let’s start!

Egg Substitutes for Baking

The following have been broken down into the best vegan egg substitutes for different types of baked goods. You’ll find the full list of suggestions at the end of this post in the recipe card.

Each baked good requires eggs for a different purpose. In some cases the egg helps leaven, in others it helps to bind. I’ll show you which egg substitute is best and whether additional ingredients are needed to achieve results as some egg replacers are good for one action but not the other.

Each recommendation is equivalent to the replacement of one large egg.

Cookies

Baked snickerdoodles laying on parchment paper.

Egg’s role: Contributes moisture and rigidity to the crumb and assists the gluten in holding volume attained.

Best egg substitutes for cookies:

  • Flax egg—1 Tablespoon ground flax meal + 2.5 Tablespoons water. Combine and allow to thicken for 10 minutes before adding.
  • Chia egg—1 Tablespoon ground chia seeds + 2.5 Tablespoons water. Combine and allow to thicken for 10 minutes before adding.
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, pumpkin puree or mashed avocado + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 3 Tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) whisked until foamy.

Notes: Fruit purees tend to make the final product denser so they’re better for things like cookies, muffins, and pancakes. Adding an extra 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder can help with the leavening. If you can’t find unsweetened applesauce you can decrease the amount of sugar/sweetener slightly in the recipe.

Try these Vegan Snickerdoodle Cookies pictured above, or these Cookie Fries which are a fun dippable version of the classic cookie made using flax eggs.

Layer Cakes

Vegan carrot cake cut into squares with frosting and chopped pecans.

Egg’s role: Binding action, leavening, and moisture.

Best egg substitutes for cakes:

  • 2 teaspoons baking powder + 2 Tablespoons water + 1 Tablespoon oil
  • 1/4 cup carbonated water (club soda)
  • 1 Tablespoon vinegar + 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/4 cup non-dairy yogurt + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup silken tofu + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Notes: Add these to the batter last, then place the cake in the oven quickly once mixed as the leavening power dissipates quickly with these replacements. For silken tofu, blend until smooth before adding or else you may end up with lumps in the batter.

Try this healthy Vegan Carrot Cake that uses mashed banana with baking powder instead of eggs.

Tip: Did you know you can turn any layer cake recipe into cupcakes? Just shorten the time in the oven to about half. Try these gluten-free vegan chocolate cupcakes!

Brownies

A slice of brownie blondies sitting on a parchment.

Egg’s role: Binding ingredients and leavening.

Best egg substitutes for brownies:

  • 3 Tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) whisked until fomay
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, pumpkin puree or mashed avocado + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 cup silken tofu + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • Flax egg—1 Tablespoon ground flax meal + 2.5 Tablespoons water. Combine and allow to thicken for 10 minutes before adding.
  • Chia egg—1 Tablespoon ground chia seeds + 2.5 Tablespoons water. Combine and allow to thicken for 10 minutes before adding.

Notes: Brownies usually include an additional leavening agent such as baking powder. If you prefer denser brownies you can omit the extra 1/2 teaspoon baking powder suggestion for the egg substitute. For cake brownies, include the extra 1/2 teaspoon baking powder.

These chewy brownie blondies are the perfect combination of fudge-y brownies and caramel blondies using aquafaba to achieve that glossy, crackle-y top!

Muffins

One vegan chocolate chip muffin with a bite missing sitting on top of another muffin.

Egg’s role: Structure, volume, and body.

Best egg substitutes muffins:

  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, pumpkin puree or mashed avocado + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder + 2 Tablespoons water + 1 Tablespoon oil

Notes: Muffins typically use baking powder for leavening but because fruit purees are denser than eggs, an extra 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder is suggested.

Want extra fluffy muffins? Use 1/4 cup fruit puree of choice plus 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda, and 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar. The double leavening action from the baking powder and baking soda achieves a lovely dome shape on top of the muffin!

Try these chocolate chip vegan muffins to see that extra fluffy egg substitute in action!

Want more egg-free muffins? Try these Savory Vegan Muffins, Lemon Raspberry Vegan Muffins, and Blackberry Muffins.

Quick Breads

Vegan soda bread slices on a cutting board.

Egg’s role: Binding ingredients and moisture. Also acts as an emulsifier to make the batter smoother, contributing to texture and volume.

Best egg substitutes for quick breads:

  • 1 Tablespoon vinegar + 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • Flax egg—1 Tablespoon ground flax meal + 2.5 Tablespoons water. Combine and allow to thicken for 5-10 minutes before adding.
  • Chia egg—1 Tablespoon ground chia seeds + 2.5 Tablespoons water. Combine and allow to thicken for 5-10 minutes before adding.
  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, pumpkin puree or mashed avocado + 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Notes: Quick breads are very forgiving so many egg substitutes can achieve great results.

This Strawberry Banana Bread uses a couple flax eggs. It is made into bars but there is a variation for baking it into a loaf as well.

This easy Soda Bread uses vinegar and baking soda as the egg replacement.

Meringue

Egg’s role: Egg whites are the main ingredient, it allows for aeration to increase volume and provide structure (stiff peaks).

Best egg substitute for meringue:

  • 3 Tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) whipped with an electric mixer until peaks form + 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar. Use as you would whipped egg whites.

Notes: Adding cream of tartar can act as a stabilizer once the aquafaba is whipped and prevent it from breaking down just as you would with whipped egg whites.

Add about 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar for the amount of aquafaba in one 15-ounce can of chickpeas (about 1/2 cup). If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can use 1/4 teaspoon lemon juice or white vinegar per egg white.

These Almond Meringue Cookies use aquafaba to achieve egg-free meringue that’s so good, you’d never know the difference!

Egg Substitutes for Cooking

Eggs in cooking are mostly used for binding or moisture. It is a bit simpler to replace eggs in cooking than it is for baking but there are still of course some replacements that work better than others in different situations. Read on for the best substitutes.

Breading

A plate of crispy baked zucchini chips

Egg’s role: Acts as a glue to hold breading.

Best egg substitute for breading:

Use any unsweetened non-dairy milk. Dip the food first into the milk just as you would an egg, then dip into the breading.

Check out these baked Zucchini Chips which use unsweetened almond milk instead of eggs.

Pancakes

A stack of pancakes on a plate with fresh berries and a drizzle of maple syrup

Egg’s role: Acts as a binder to hold the batter together, provides moisture and stabilizes the air bubbles.

Best egg substitute for pancakes:

  • 1/4 cup applesauce, mashed banana, pumpkin puree or mashed avocado

Notes: Pancakes typically call for a leavening agent along with the eggs such as baking powder so no other ingredient is needed except for the egg substitute to achieve results.

Try these incredible Easy Vegan Pancakes that use applesauce to replace eggs or these Pink Beet Pancakes for some fun color!

Egg Scrambles

Chickpea flour scramble on a plate with toast, black beans, avocado, and lime slice.

Egg’s role: Main ingredient.

Best egg substitutes for scrambles:

  • firm tofu crumbled with spices and seasonings (also referred to as tofu scrambles)
  • chickpea flour—made into a batter with spices and seasonings and scrambled in a skillet

Notes: Adding kala namak (also known as black salt) gives it an incredibly eggy flavor!

Try these Vegan Scrambled Eggs made with chickpea flour.

Frittatas and Quiches

Chickpea flour frittata slice on a plate with a fork

Egg’s role: Main ingredient.

Best egg substitutes for frittatas and quiches:

Notes: Once again, adding kala namak (black salt) can provide a great egg-like flavor to the dish!

There are several commercial egg replacers you can buy but I have only tried Just Egg. It makes a great substitute for cooking such as breading, quiches, scrambles, french toast and more! Here are several easy Just Egg recipes to check out.

Want to try your hand at chickpea flour? Try this Baked Chickpea Flour Frittata that is so convincing it could fool omnivores!

Burgers, Meatballs, and Meatloaf

Easy Gluten Free Vegan Lentil Loaf Recipe

Egg’s role: Serves as a binder to hold the ingredients together.

Best egg substitutes for burgers, meatballs and meatloaf:

  • Flax egg—1 Tablespoon ground flax meal + 2.5 Tablespoons water. Combine and allow to thicken for 10 minutes before adding.
  • Chia egg—1 Tablespoon ground chia seeds + 2.5 Tablespoons water. Combine and allow to thicken for 10 minutes before adding.
  • 2 Tablespoons arrowroot powder or cornstarch + 3 Tablespoons water
  • 3 Tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) whisked until foamy.

Notes: Starchy ingredients like bread crumbs can also aid in holding veggie burgers together.

Check out this crowd-pleasing Vegan Lentil Loaf which uses flax and bread crumbs instead of eggs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you leave out eggs in baking?

If you choose to leave eggs or egg replacements out completely you may be disappointed with the final result. Although eggs don’t affect flavor much in baking, the texture and structure of the baked goods will appear different. It may spread too much resulting in flat cookies, or not have enough structure to rise properly like in cakes and quick breads.

What if you don’t have enough eggs or enough of one egg substitute?

If you run out of eggs or one egg substitute, you can use multiple together. It’s completely ok to use several egg replacement options in one recipe such as one chia egg and one flax egg if the recipe calls for two eggs.

How to make vegan egg substitutes taste like eggs?

If you’re trying to impart an eggy flavor to a dish all you need is kala namak (also known as black salt). Its high sulfur content provides that egg-like flavor that is often missing from vegan egg substitutes. Replace some of the salt in a recipe with Kala Namak.

What is a good egg wash substitute?

Water, milk (almond or soy milk), or oil or vegan butter can all be used as a replacement for an egg wash. An egg wash helps with browning and giving a sheen to pastries and rolls but can also add flavor. Use one of these suggestions instead when a recipe calls for an egg wash.

So there you have it— the best at home replacements for eggs that you probably already have on hand!

If you are new to cooking and baking without eggs and want to get on the fast track to enjoying vegan food, head over to our Meal Planner where we have all your favorite foods made vegan!

No need to calculate egg replacements, the recipes are already tried and tested without eggs, or any other animal products. Just delicious, simple recipes to make a plant-based diet ridiculously easy. Check out the Health My Lifestyle Meal Planner!

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chickpeas strained over a measuring cup to capture the liquid aka aquafaba.

Best Vegan Egg Substitutes for Baking and Cooking

4.75 from 4 votes
Author: Rachel
Don’t know how to replace eggs? Here’s a guide to Egg Substitutes in Baking and Cooking: when to use which vegan egg substitute and how much to use! The perfect guide for vegans, those with an egg allergy, or if you just ran out of eggs and need a quick replacement.
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1

Ingredients  

For baking:

  • ground flax seeds
  • ground chia seeds
  • unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, pumpkin puree or mashed avocado
  • silken tofu or non-dairy yogurt + baking powder
  • vinegar + baking soda white or apple cider vinegar
  • aquafaba liquid from canned chickpeas
  • carbonated water
  • baking powder + water + oil

For cooking:

  • firm tofu
  • chickpea flour
  • arrowroot powder or cornstarch
  • unsweetened non-dairy milk

Instructions 

Ground Flax (Flax Egg)

  • 1 Tbsp ground flax meal + 2.5 Tbsps water = 1 egg. Combine and allow to thicken for 10 minutes before adding.
  • Best used in cookies, brownies, quick breads or as a binder in veggie burgers/meatloaf.

Ground Chia Seeds (Chia Egg)

  • 1 Tbsp ground chia seeds + 2.5 Tbsps water = 1 egg. Combine and allow to thicken for 10 minutes before adding.
  • Best used in cookies, brownies, quick breads or as a binder in veggie burgers/meatloaf.

Applesauce, Mashed Banana, Pumpkin Puree or Mashed Avocado

  • 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, pumpkin puree or mashed avocado + 1/2 tsp baking powder = 1 egg
  • Best used in cookies, brownies, muffins, pancakes, and quick breads.

Silken tofu or Non-Dairy Yogurt + Baking Powder

  • 1/4 cup silken tofu blended until smooth or non-dairy yogurt + 1/2 tsp baking powder = 1 egg
  • Best used in cakes and brownies.

Vinegar + Baking Soda

  • 1 Tbsp vinegar + 1 tsp baking soda = 1 egg
  • Best used in cakes and quick breads.

Aquafaba

  • 3 Tbsps aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas) whisked until foamy = 1 egg
  • Best used in cookies, burgers/meatballs/meatloaf
  • 2 Tbsps aquafaba whipped with an electric mixer until peaks form = 1 whipped egg white Add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar per 1/2 cup aquafaba to stabilize the foam. See above post for more details.
  • Best used in meringues.

Carbonated Water

  • 1/4 cup carbonated water (club soda) = 1 egg
  • Best used in layer cakes.

Baking Powder + Water + Oil

  • 2 tsp baking powder + 2 Tbsp water + 1 Tbsp oil = 1 egg
  • Best used in cakes and muffins.

Unsweetened Non-Dairy Milk

  • 3 Tbsps non-dairy milk = 1 egg
  • Best used for breadings.

Arrowroot Powder or Cornstarch

  • 2 Tbsps arrowroot powder or cornstarch + 3 Tbsps water = 1 egg
  • Best used in burgers/meatballs/meatloaf.

Firm Tofu

  • Crumbled, seasoned, and scrambled in a skillet.
  • Best used for vegan egg scrambles, frittatas, quiches.

Chickpea Flour

  • Mixed into a batter with seasonings.
  • Best used for vegan egg scrambles, frittatas, and quiches.

Nutrition

Calories: 37kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg
Course: Ingredient
Cuisine: American
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Don’t know how to replace eggs? Here’s a guide to Egg Substitutes in Baking and Cooking: when to use what egg substitute and how much to use! The perfect guide for vegans, those with an egg allergy, or if you just ran out of eggs and need a quick replacement. How to replace eggs in baking | vegan egg substitutes | egg replacements | flax egg substitute | applesauce egg replacer | how to cook without eggs #eggsubstitutions
4.75 from 4 votes (1 rating without comment)

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5 Comments

  1. 4 stars
    I very much appreciate this!
    We have many allergies here including eggs gluten, dairy, to name a few, makes cooking and baking rather frustrating!
    Unfortunately I did not see the two items I was really hoping you might have here. Namely the best egg replaces for pumpkin pie and for pecan pie?

  2. 5 stars
    This was so helpful, thank you!! I used your suggestion of ground flax seeds to replace the eggs in muffins and it turned out great!

  3. 5 stars
    This is by far THE most helpful guide in the topic I have found. Not just the egg-replacement recipes, but the explanations of what to use when and WHY. Thank you so much!!!!!