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8 Effective Egg Substitutes For Cooking and Baking

Almond Cake with Vanilla Meringue Buttercream
Chocolate Tiered Cake with Ganache

Whether you have an egg allergy or are looking for ways to eat healthier, there are plenty of substitutes to try.

Eggs are a staple in every kitchen—except for us vegans. From pies and cakes to breakfast sandwiches and French toast, and everything in between, eggs are important in many recipes. Eggs are primarily used to create structure, stabilize batters and doughs, provide texture and moisture to recipes, and serve as a thickening agent for sauces and desserts.

In a world striving to live healthier, many plant-based alternatives have already made their way into our fridges and pantries. Following are eight easy-to-find and simple-to-use options.

Why do recipes call for eggs?

Typically, eggs are used to bind, leaven and add moisture to recipes. They essentially keep ingredients together and trap air pockets, which allows dough to rise.

Although learning what type of egg replacements that work best in recipes can be tricky, its always fun experimenting with new products, ingredients, or homemade alternatives! To understand what works best, having an idea of the consistency of the recipe will help determine what type of egg replacer you’ll want to use.

Coffee-Banana Marble Bread - The Vegan Rhino

  1. Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer

My favorite substitute for baking is Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer–yes, store-bought, folks! It does the trick, acting as the perfect alternative to eggs. Whether it’s for pancake batter, stuffing, cookies or cakes, this egg replacer gives any recipe the moisture and level of binding the egg would have provided. It’s perfect in recipes like potato latkes!

  1. Vinegar + baking powder

Perfect for quick breads, cakes and cupcakes, this combo will surely encourage your desserts to leaven or rise. You can use either white distilled or apple cider vinegar. I’ve noticed the apple cider vinegar tastes better, but this is entirely up to you. Check out this recipe, Easy Vegan Apple Cake, for example.

Fluffy Dinner Rolls - The Vegan Rhino

  1. Flax or chia seeds

These powerful little seeds are the perfect alternative for binding ingredients together or emulsifying. Simply use a coffee grinder to grind the seeds into a powder. Add water and set aside until it thickens. Use this method to bake brownies, pie crusts, bread or muffins. Keep in mind that flax seeds have a nutty flavor, so try to use that alternative in recipes where you’ll enjoy that flavor profile.

  1. Silken or firm tofu

Looking for an egg scramble alternative? Tofu is one of those universal ingredients that could be used for stir-fry, mousses, soups, and breakfast egg scramblers (Southwest Tofu Scramble). If you press a block of extra firm tofu, crumble it up in a pan with turmeric and other seasonings, you can mimic scrambled eggs perfectly. Another example is using soft tofu as an emulsifier in stabilizing vegan mayonnaise. It helps by giving the texture you need. A new alternative called Just Egg has hit the markets and has paved the way for vegan omelets and non-tofu scrambles.

  1. Bananas

This alternative is best for recipes that use egg for moisture, like banana bread. This is perfect for cakes and brownies also! Just take one ripe banana, mash it up, and voila, you have the equivalent of one egg. Check out this delicious looking Banana Tea Bread!

  1. Apple sauce

If bananas aren’t your thing, you can use apple sauce instead and still give your baking the moistness it needs, like in these Chocolate Cupcakes. When shopping, make sure you purchase organic and unsweetened apple sauce. This way, you can add the sugar you’d like and not make what you’re making too sweet.

French Macaron Shell

  1. Aquafaba

Aquafaba liquid is the water in which chickpeas were cooked in. When whipped for 5-10 minutes, it can mimic egg whites in cooking or baking, including meringue, mousse, icings, vegan marshmallows, or this Oven Baked Chickpea Veggie Burger. Make sure to opt for an organic and unsalted chickpea, allowing you to remove any unnecessary salt.

  1. Nut butter

Almond, peanut, or cashew butter can be great alternatives when substituting eggs. This method is excellent for cookies (Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies), pancakes, or brownies and can affect the flavor overall.

For The Vegan Rhino by Ryan Shepard

Coffee-Banana Marble Bread

Coffee-Banana Marble Bread - The Vegan Rhino

Coffee-Banana Marble Bread - The Vegan Rhino 

This awesome banana bread is a mixture between coffee cake and marble loaf, two of my favorite things! Banana bread is the best when you have some bananas that are a bit too brown and mushy. Usually when I make a loaf, I always add an extra banana to the mixture for extra flavor and moistness. This is a great breakfast idea or mid-afternoon snack for busy days.

Coffee-Banana Marble Bread - The Vegan Rhino

Yields 10 slices

Ingredients

4-5 ripe bananas, mashed

1-1/2 cup Organic King Arthur All-Purpose Flour

1 cup organic cane sugar

1/2 cup dairy-free butter

2 Tbsp. Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer + 4 Tbsp. water

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. Vitacost Himalayan Pink Salt

1-1/4 tsp. coffee extract

1 Tbsp. Cocoa powder

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In small bowl, prepare egg replacers according to package directions.
  2. In mixing bowl, combine butter and sugar until creamy. Slowly add egg replacers, one at a time, and mix well. Add bananas and stir to combine.
  3. In separate mixing bowl, sift flour, baking soda and salt.
  4. Slowly combine dry and wet ingredients until fully incorporated. Add coffee extract and stir until just combined—do not overmix.
  5. Remove 1 cup of batter and place into a small bowl. Add cocoa powder and mix until smooth.
  6. Pour batter into greased starting with the vanilla batter. Alternate layers between the two until all the batter is gone. Using a knife, give a few swirls to move the batter around.
  7. Bake for 1 hour or until golden brown. When ready, remove from oven and let cool completely.
  8. Serve immediately or store in an air tight container.

 

Chef’s tip: Like your banana bread on the moist side? Add 1-2 more bananas to the batter and bake for an extra 5-10 minutes.

Coffee-Banana Marble Bread - The Vegan Rhino

Blueberry-Maqui Nice Cream

Blueberry-Maqui Nicecream
Blueberry-Maqui Nicecream

Although many of you know what “nice cream” is, there are some of you who probably have no idea what in the world this is- and that’s okay! Taking bananas that have been frozen overnight and blending them until it reaches a soft serve “ice cream” consistency is a great treat for anyone who is dairy intolerant, or looking for a healthier breakfast, after gym re-fuel, or even dessert! This nicecream however is blended with Maqui berry powder and naturally sweetened with dates. Thats right.. no added sugar or unwanted sweetness- its all natural! Feel free to give this recipe a change and add your own favorite fruits to the top.

Blueberry-Maqui Nicecream

Yields 1 serving

Ingredients

4 frozen banana, diced

1/4 cup frozen blueberries

1/3 cup plain almond milk

2-3 tsp of Navitas Naturals organic Maqui powder

2 medjool dates, pitted

1/4 cup granola

1-2 fresh apricots, sliced

1 kiwi, sliced

1-2 Tbsp. nut butter of choice

Directions

  1. In your Vitamix blender, combine the chopped bananas, almond milk, and dates. Using the tamper, turn your vitamix up on high, pushing and stirring the mixture until it is smooth.
  2. Add the Maqui berry powder and give it one good blend till mixed.
  3. Scoop the mixture into a bowl and top with granola, apricots, kiwi, and nut butter.
  4. Serve and enjoy.

Chef’s tip: The great thing about this recipe is you can substitute the powder for spiraling, gogi, açaí, and many others to create different Superfood Nice creams!