If you want to replace eggs in a dish like a quiche or an omelet, it is actually quite easy. You can just substitute in tofu in egg substitute cases. Add some turmeric and the tofu will even get a yellowish egg-like color. Chickpea flour also works great, especially for omelets and eggless scrambles.
When it comes to vegan baking though, replacing eggs can be a bit trickier. When baking, eggs don’t really provide much in terms of flavor. Eggs Provide Structure: Because eggs harden as they are heated, they hold the ingredients together. Eggs Act As a Leavening Ingredient: This means that they help baked goods rise. Eggs Provide Moisture and Richness: This is because eggs are a liquid and full of fat.
Unfortunately, there is not one single vegan egg substitute that can do everything that an egg does in baking. After all, eggs are incredibly complex structures! If you try to veganize an existing recipe by using an egg alternative instead of the egg, the recipe might not come out so well. Just mix 1 Tbsp flax meal with 3 Tbsp of hot water and use in place of the egg.
Note that you can NOT just throw some flax meal in the batter. You’ve got to mix the flax meal with the water separately! The reason that a flegg works so well is that the outer layer of the flaxseed hull is mucilage, which is a gooey layer found in virtually all plants which aid in food and water storage. Fleggs will not trap air as eggs do, so they won’t work well in recipes likes angel food cake or crepes.
Chia seeds work in the exact same way as flax seeds do to replace eggs in vegan baking. Just mix 1-2 Tbsp of chia seeds with hot water and let it sit a bit before mixing it in with the rest of the ingredients. See how chia seeds turn into a gel when you add water! This product has been around for a long time and has helped make going vegan easier for a lot of people. There are also a few other brands of vegan egg replacer now too, but I personally haven’t tried them so can’t attest to how well they work.
All egg replacer products are made up of a combination of starches and leavening ingredients, so it does a pretty good job of mimicking eggs in baked recipes. You know how baking soda and vinegar bubble up when you mix them together? Well, this is a perfect way to add some fluffy, airiness to your baked goods without relying on eggs. Mix 1 tsp of baking soda with 1 tsp of white vinegar to replace 1 egg. In some recipes, the eggs are only there to add moisture. The tofu not only adds moisture, but it adds protein to the food too!
How can you tell if silken tofu will work in place of the egg? AND the recipe already calls for baking soda and baking powder, then tofu will probably work. Silken tofu will also add protein to your bakes so you can shut down anyone who asks you where you get your protein from! Just like with silken tofu, you can use applesauce or banana in recipes where there is already a leavening agent since the eggs are just there for moisture. Unlike silken tofu, which is flavorless, these fruit-based egg alternatives add a great flavor to your food. Think banana-walnut pancakes or apple-cinnamon spice cake. Because of this, make sure you’re using it in a recipe that you don’t mind changing the flavor of.
Arrowroot powder is a starch, which acts as a binder in recipes for baked goods as well as foods like puddings. Keep in mind that arrowroot won’t leaven baked goods, so you will only want to use it in recipes that already call for baking soda and baking powder. For binding purposes only, use 2 Tbsp arrowroot powder in place of the egg. To bind and get the moisture properties of the egg, mix the arrowroot powder with equal parts water first. Aquafaba might sound completely foreign to the average person, but it’s actually really easy to get your hands on.
It’s the cloudy liquid you get in a tin of chickpeas and it serves as an amazing egg replacement. This egg substitute can be used in place of egg whites since the proteins and starches are very similar. Did you know you can also use a can of soda to replace the wet ingredients in boxed cake? Diane Vukovic is a vegan mom, health nut, and kitchen diva. When she’s not deducing veggie nutritional facts, she’s probably dancing crazily with her daughter or traveling somewhere in Europe.