Major points:
- Eggs are used in baked goods as a binding agent (emulsifier) and also help the dough rise. They provide moisture and give the dough color.
- There are doughs like puff pastry, some yeast doughs, shortcrust pastry, strudel dough, and curd-oil dough that can be prepared without eggs.
- Apple sauce, aquafaba, bananas, chia seeds, flaxseeds, silken tofu, corn starch, and potato starch can be used as egg substitutes.
It is Sunday afternoon, and you are really in the mood to bake a cake. You start gathering the ingredients and then – no eggs in the house! You ring the neighbors’ doorbells, but no one is home. Or you want to consciously avoid consuming eggs. No matter why you cannot or do not want to use eggs, alternatives are needed. There are a whole range of alternatives that can replace eggs. However, it all depends on what you want to prepare. In this post, you will learn how eggs can be replaced in baked goods.
What can eggs do?
Eggs are used in baked goods as a binding agent (emulsifier) and also help the dough to rise. They provide moisture and give the dough color.
Not every substitute product is suitable for replacing every property of eggs. For example, it is impossible to make a nice meringue from flaxseeds. But first things first.
This article discusses products that you probably have at home and that you can easily stock up on at the supermarket. However, you might not find all the products in just one store.
Doughs that work without eggs
A little reassurance at this point. There are also doughs that do not require eggs. These include:
- Puff pastry
- Some yeast doughs
- Shortcrust pastry
- Strudel dough
- Curd-oil dough
Egg substitute in doughs
The following foods can replace eggs in doughs. Depending on the dough and final product, different alternatives come into closer consideration. The egg substitute can be added to the dough just as you would use the egg.
Apple sauce
1 egg = 80 g apple sauce
Use: Fruit cakes, sponge cakes, muffins, waffles, pancakes
Special feature: Apple sauce gives doughs moisture.
Aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
1 egg white = 30 ml aquafaba
Use: egg white substitute, meringue, macaroons
Special feature: To make egg white substitute, you need 100 ml of aquafaba, 2 tsp of lemon juice and ½ tsp of baking powder. Pour the ingredients into a tall container and whip them with a hand mixer on the highest setting for 3-4 minutes. For better stability, add 1 pinch of locust bean gum before whipping.
Bananas
1 egg = half a ripe mashed banana
Use: Banana bread, sponge cake, waffles, pancakes
Special feature: The cake tastes deliciously like banana and the amount of sugar can be reduced.
Chia seeds or flaxseeds
1 egg = 1 tbsp crushed chia seeds or flaxseeds with 3 tbsp water, leave to soak for about 10 minutes
Use: Sponge cakes, waffles, muffins
Special feature: Flaxseeds have a nutty taste. Chia seeds have to travel a long way to get to you. Flaxseeds, on the other hand, are usually regional, although it is worth looking at the country of origin if you value regional produce.
Silken tofu
1 egg = 50 g finely pureed silken tofu
Use: Cheesecake
Special feature: Silken tofu adds moisture to doughs. You may need to use a little less liquid for the batter.
Corn starch or potato starch
1 egg = 2 tbsp of starch mixed with 3 tbsp of cold water
Use: Sponge cakes, muffins, cookies
Special feature: Starch must be heated in order to work.
What does Neatic recommend concerning egg substitutes?
No matter why you cannot or do not want to use eggs. All the mentioned alternatives can be used in Neatic without hesitation. But be careful: Commercial egg substitute products are often flavored and should therefore be avoided in Neatic.
Bibliography
Eileen Pesarini (2021): NATURAL SWEETS – the baking book. Grünwald: PAPERISCH Verlag GmbH.
PETA Germany e.V. (2023): Egg substitute: The 20 best egg alternatives for cooking and baking. Available online at https://www.peta.de/veganleben/ei-alternativen/, updated on 9/28/2023, checked on 11/1/2023.