The Many Options for Eggs in Cooking and Baking

There comes a time in every chef or baker’s kitchen journey when you find yourself needing an egg substitute. Perhaps you are cooking for someone with an egg allergy or plant-based diet preferences, or perhaps you simply dropped and cracked the last egg. Luckily for you, there is no shortage of options!

Understanding Eggs as Binders, Leaveners, and Moisturizers

Before you pick your substitute, it’s crucial to understand the role the egg plays in the dish you are preparing. Eggs can act as leaveners, binders, or moisturizers.

Leavening is a process used in baking that makes the dough or batter softer and lighter by producing gas bubbles that expand the mixture. Eggs facilitate this process by trapping air when egg whites are beaten, forming gas bubbles, or by creating steam that causes air cells and, consequently, the dough to rise.

Binders in cooking are exactly as the term suggests: they are ingredients that hold other ingredients together to maintain a food’s structure and texture. The protein in eggs makes them excellent binders in dishes like meat patties, pancake batter, and certain sauces.

Humectancy is the fancy term that refers to the moisture of a food product. Eggs enhance a baked good’s humectancy by binding to water, trapping moisture in the final product, and preventing drying.  

Substitutions for Sweet and Savory Dishes

Once you understand the role of the egg, you can pick a suitable alternative. Let’s look at options for baked goods and cooked foods.

Top Egg Alternatives for Baked Goods

Fruit Purées: Applesauce, Mashed Banana, Pumpkin: Fruit purees make for great binders and humectants. Choosing a fruit puree depends on the dish's flavor profile and what you have on hand. It is important to note that adding fruit will enhance the sweetness of your baked goods, so you may wish to adjust the amount of added sugar accordingly.

Flax and Chia Seed "Eggs": For recipes that specifically call for egg whites, you can create your own “egg” using flax or chia seeds. Simply combine 1 Tablespoon of the seed of your choice with 3 Tablespoons of water. This will form a gel-like consistency that can now be used in your product as a binder.

Aquafaba: Another egg white substitute is aquafaba, which is the liquid that remains after soaking or cooking chickpeas. It can be used in desserts that have a meringue-like texture. When left unwhipped, it can act as a binder. When whipped, it can be used as a leavener.  

Choices for Cooking and Savory Dishes

Starches and Flours: Chickpea flour, cornstarch, and potato starch can be combined with water to form a slurry. The ratio is the same as the chia seed “egg”: 3 tablespoons of water to 1 tablespoon of flour or starch. This makes for a great binding agent in meat products, sauces, or gravies.

Silken tofu: Due to its mild taste and ability to blend, it is a great option for adding moisture, thickness, and structure to recipes. It works especially well in patties, sauces, and creams, and can also be used in some baked goods, such as pies.

Arrowroot powder: A lesser-known option for making a slurry. It does not have a strong flavor and helps create a smooth texture in your finished product.

Have you had any luck experimenting with egg substitutes? Tell us your egg-substitute successes (or failures!) in the comments below so we can learn from one another. Let’s get cracking!