From banana and chia seeds to flaxseed and vegan egg replacements, there are so many vegan egg substitutes to choose from. Our guide to vegan eggs will help you to choose the right one for your recipes.
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Traditionally one of the most difficult to master areas in cuisine, vegan egg substitutes are now more prevalent than ever.
Over the years, bakers and cooks have been experimenting with ingredients to create vegan eggs for cooking and baking.
Using ingredients found in our kitchen cupboards, fridges, and fruit bowls, they’ve used everything from bananas to seeds to see what works best as a replacement for eggs.
You may be surprised at some of the ingredients you can use as vegan egg substitutes, including seeds, fruit and beans to name a few.
In terms of achieving the right texture in both savoury and sweet recipes, the following list gives you a good reference of what vegan egg substitutes to use, how much to use and which recipes they are best suited for.
How to add colour to vegan egg recipes
If you are looking to add that egg colour to your recipes (think egg mayonnaise, scrambled egg etc) – turmeric is your go-to ingredient to get that perfect yellow/orange colour. Make sure you use sparingly though as it has a slightly spicy taste.
How do you replicate egg flavour in vegan recipes?
Black salt, also known as kala namak is volcanic and has a very strong sulphuric, egg-like flavour. This egg flavour makes it perfect for recipes like vegan egg salad, fried egg, quiche, omelette, and even vegan French toast.
As kala namak does have quite a strong aroma, make sure you use sparingly so it doesn’t overwhelm the other flavours of your dish. A quarter of a teaspoon is the most you want to use when following recipes to make vegan egg mayo for example.
Both Pret and Marks and Spencer now offer vegan egg mayonnaise sandwiches that use this very useful ingredient.
You can give vegan dishes an eggy flavour by using kala namak - a sulphurous salt with an egg-like flavour. Image © Olena Rudo via Adobe Stock
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1. Banana
As well as giving you a little boost of energy amongst many other health benefits, ripe banana mashed up makes an excellent egg replacer in cakes, bread, muffins and brownies.
Check out this yummy recipe for banana cream cupcakes.
How to replace eggs with bananas
To replace 1 egg with bananas use 1 ripe banana.
Mashed banana makes a great vegan egg substitute in sweet vegan baking recipes.
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2. Flaxseed
One tablespoon of milled flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons of water (warm is best) creates what some refer to as the “flax egg”. Flax is also a rich source of vegan fibre which can help maintain a healthy digestive system.
Flax also featured on the Great British Bake Off when vegan week was featured on screen. All you need to do is mix the water and flax together then let it stand for a few minutes whilst it turns into a thicker, gloopier consistency.
It can be used in anything from cookies, bread, and pancakes right through to the more savoury options like nut roasts. It can have quite a strong nutty/bran like taste so bear that in mind when selecting recipes.
How to replace eggs with flaxseed
To replace 1 egg with flaxseed use 1 tablespoons of chia seeds mixed with 3 tablespoons water.
Mix one tablespoon of ground flaxseed with with 3 tablespoons of water to create a vegan flax egg.
3. Apple
As well as adding a slight sweet taste, apple puree makes for a good egg substitute. Just add 4 tablespoons of puree to half a teaspoon of baking powder (useful as a raising agent).
Applesauce is mostly suited to the moist end of the baking spectrum to make recipes like cakes, cookies, and breads. It’s not suitable if you are trying to make anything more hard or crispy.
How to replace eggs with apple
To replace 1 egg with apple use 4 tablespoons of apple puree.
Applesauce is a healthy egg replacer that can be used in baking recipes like cakes, cookies, and breads.
4. Chia seeds
Well known as a nutritional powerhouse, chia seeds also make a great egg replacer. One tablespoon of chia seeds mixed with 2.5 tablespoons of water creates a “chia egg”.
Once mixed, let it stand just for a few minutes until it turns into a thicker substance. It’s most suited to the staples of baking – cookies, biscuits, bread, crepes and pancakes.
How to replace eggs with chia seeds
To replace 1 egg with chia seeds use 1 tablespoon of chia seeds mixed with 2½ tablespoons water.
Mix one tablespoon of chia seeds with 2.5 tablespoons of water to create a chia egg.
5. Tofu
The super-soft silken version of tofu makes a great vegan egg replacement in vegan desserts. You need 4 tablespoons and just mix that with half a teaspoon of baking powder.
Like applesauce, silken tofu works best in recipes that require moisture and binding, such as custards, vegan quiches, and baked goods like cheesecakes, muffins and bread.
Why not give this delicious vegan blondies recipe a go that uses tofu brilliantly.
It doesn’t end with sweet recipes for tofu either. You can also make a superb tofu scramble or tofu egg patty breakfast sandwich too using firm tofu when looking for something to start your day off.
How to replace eggs with tofu
To replace 1 egg with tofu use 4 tablespoons of silken tofu.
Silken tofu makes a great replacement for eggs in baking. Alternatively, firm tofu makes a very tasty vegan version of scrambled eggs. Try it in a vegan fry up!
6. Chickpea flour
Chickpea flour (also known as gram flour or besan) is a staple in Indian cuisine and can also be used as a vegan egg substitute.
Take two tablespoons of chickpea flour with about 300-350g of plain flour and mix together to create the equivalent of one egg. If it becomes lumpy, use a sieve.
Using chickpea flour in place of eggs works very well in savoury items like burger and onion bhajis, nut loaves and is really good to use in pancake mixes.
How to replace eggs with chickpea flour
To replace 1 egg with chickpea flour use 2 tablespoons of chickpea flour mixed with 300-350g of plain flour.
Chickpea flour is high in protein and is great for replacing eggs in savoury recipes such as burgers and nut loaves. Image © chandlervid85 via Adobe Stock
7. Aquafaba (water from a can of chickpeas)
You can also use the water from tinned chickpeas (known as Aquafaba) to make vegan eggs. Aquafaba is a great egg alternative to use when replacing egg whites in recipes as it can be whisked like egg whites. Plus, it’s an affordable option as you can simply use the water from a can of chickpeas when making a vegan curry recipe.
To make aquafaba, the water from a can of chickpeas needs to be whisked in a high-speed mixer until it starts to form peaks like egg whites.
This is the option most bakers use when making vegan macarons, meringue, mousse, vegan marshmallows, ice cream, butter icing, and when making vegan cheese recipes.
Check out these delicious recipes here made using aquafaba to give you some more inspiration.
How to replace eggs with aquafaba
1 egg is the equivalent of 3 tablespoons of aquafaba.
Got some leftover chickpea water? Don't throw it away - use it to make aquafaba
8. Yoghurt
Yoghurt isn’t just great a tasty breakfast, it can also be used as an egg replacement in vegan baking recipes.
Ideally use natural yoghurt but you can use flavoured such as strawberry, vanilla or chocolate if you want to enhance the flavour of cake for example.
Vegan yoghurt is a great vegan egg substitute for cakes, cupcakes, and muffins. However, it shouldn’t be used when trying to create anything hard like cookies or biscuits.
This is because the yoghurt can make the mix too heavy so the cookies will not bake to a harder consistency.
How to replace eggs with yoghurt
4 tablespoons of yoghurt is the equivalent of one egg.
Dairy-free yoghurt makes a fantastic vegan egg substitute in cakes as it gives them a lovely, moist texture.
9. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar
Baking soda isn’t just great for cleaning your kitchen, it also makes perfect cakes, muffins, and breads when combined with apple cider vinegar.
When these two ingredients are combined, a chemical reaction takes place that produces carbon dioxide and water. It’s particularly suited for use in baked goods when you want to achieve a light, airy texture.
How to replace eggs with baking soda and apple cider vinegar
One teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one tablespoon of cider vinegar can be added to any baking recipe as a substitute for one egg.
Add one teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one tablespoon of cider vinegar to any baking recipe as a vegan egg replacement.
10. Soy lecithin
If you want to replace egg yolks in a recipe, soy lecithin is a good option thanks to its binding properties. Soy lecithin is derived from soybeans and is commonly used in food manufacturing as an additive to improve the texture and stability of processed foods.
When used as an egg replacement, a small amount of soy lecithin can emulsify ingredients in place of eggs.
For example, it can be used as a binding agent in some baked goods or as an emulsifier in recipes that require a smooth and creamy texture, such as vegan mayonnaise.
Soy lecithin is sold in powder form and can be found in health food stores and online.
How to replace eggs with soy lecithin
1 tablespoon of soy lecithin powder is the equivalent of one egg or one egg yolk.
Soy lecithin is ideal for replacing egg yolks in recipes and is sold in powder form. Image © Professor25 via Getty Images
11. Arrowroot powder
Arrowroot powder is similar to cornstarch and is used as a thickening agent and binder and so can be used as an egg substitute in vegan recipes that require a light and delicate texture.
When used as an egg substitute, arrowroot powder helps bind ingredients together and provides structure to baked goods like cakes and cookies.
However, it’s important to note that arrowroot powder doesn’t provide the same leavening or moisture-retaining properties as eggs, so it may not work well in recipes that heavily rely on these characteristics like custards or cheesecakes.
Available in powder form, it’s widely available in supermarkets and health food stores.
How to replace eggs with arrowroot powder
To use arrowroot powder as an egg replacement, mix 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder with 3 tablespoons of water to replace one egg.
Image © Supreed Arya via Getty Images
12. Potato starch
Potato starch works well in vegan recipes that require thickening such as soups, sauces, custards, and gravies.
It can also be used in certain baked goods, like cookies and cakes, where you’re looking for a dense and moist texture.
However, for recipes that require more structure or leavening, such as bread or muffins, you might need to combine potato starch with other egg substitutes to achieve the desire texture.
How to replace eggs with potato starch
Mix 2 tablespoons of potato starch with 3 tablespoons of water to replace one egg.
Potato starch can be used to thicken recipes like sauces and custards in place of eggs. Image © Sea Wave via Adobe Stock
13. Store-bought egg replacers
For anyone short on time, you may also just prefer to buy ready to use mixes. Vegan egg substitutes are also now available in abundance in health food stores and in the vegan sections of most supermarkets.
In fact, at major supermarkets, you can now find brands such as Orgran, Crackd, Free and Easy, Follow Your Heart and Oggs to name just a few.
Pin this handy guide to vegan egg substitutes to use later! Image © Vegan Food & Living
Have you ever wondered whether vegan eggs are healthy?
Get the facts with our complete guide to vegan eggs.
