Allergy, intolerance, vegan diet or beliefs? Whatever the reason, if you want to eat fewer eggs or cut them out of your diet, there are plenty of solutions. Choose your substitute to easily replace eggs!
For each function its egg substitute!
In cooking, eggs are versatile: depending on the recipe, they take on different roles, from binder to leavening. To replace the eggs without making mistakes, it is better to understand their role in the intended recipe.
A leavening in leavened pastries
In a recipe for brioche, bread, cake or with an airy texture, the eggs are primarily used to make the dough rise. They are most often replaced by chia or flax seeds with added liquid, or even by diluted starch, sometimes with a greater quantity of yeast.
In addition, you can add 1 tsp of baking soda and 1 tsp of lemon juice or cider vinegar to help the dough rise better.
On the cooking side, lower the temperature of the oven, for example from 180 to 170°C or from 200 to 180°C, and extend the baking time by 15 or 20 minutes. Whatever happens, do not open the oven door before the end of cooking!
A humectant or binder in other pastries
For pastries that do not have a soft and airy dough, such as biscuits and cookies, eggs serve this time as a humectant or binder. This is also the case for muffins or pancakes. Depending on the recipe, eggs can sometimes be omitted, or simply replaced with fruit or oilseed puree, oil or yogurt.
A binder in savory dishes
Quiches, cakes, terrines or savory flans are partly based on eggs. Their role? Bind the preparation to "stick" the ingredients together, in order to give hold and texture to the preparation. The most common substitutes are vegetable purées, silken tofu and yogurt.
An emulsifier or thickener in creams and sauces
This time, the eggs act as a thickener thanks to the proteins which swell the liquid, or as an emulsifier by homogenizing the ingredients. In sauce recipes, they are primarily used to give volume; in creams, they also provide hold. They are usually replaced by flour or starch. For creams and mousses, agar-agar also improves the hold of an egg-free dessert.
Can eggs be removed from a recipe?
Yes and no. If the recipe contains only one egg, its removal is sometimes inconsequential, especially in a recipe containing gluten, yogurt, compote or tofu, which play the same role. If the ingredient list contains more than one egg, on the other hand, it is better to focus on substitutes.
What to replace eggs with: the right dosage
The quantities are for one egg, do not forget to multiply by the number of eggs to be replaced!
In a sweet or savory mix
With their neutral taste, these ingredients can replace eggs in most preparations without changing the flavor of the recipe.
- 2 tbsp ground flax or chia seeds + 3 tbsp. tablespoons of hot water, mixed and left to stand for 10 minutes
- 1 tbsp of cassava, corn or potato starch + 30 ml of liquid
- 50 g of yoghurt, if possible whole or Greek
- 50 g of plain vegetable yoghurt
- 2 tbsp baking powder + 2 tbsp. water + 1 tbsp. oil soup
- 1 tbsp of agar-agar + 1 tbsp. tablespoons of hot water (mousse and dessert creams)
- 50 g of silken tofu
- 5 cl of chickpea juice (aquafaba)
- 1 tsp of vinegar or lemon juice + 6 cl of vegetable soy beverage
- 1 tsp of oil + 4.5 cl of liquid.
In a sweet recipe
Because they are naturally flavored, these substitutes change the flavor of the recipe. For fruity, naturally sweet versions, it is usually necessary to reduce the amount of sugar provided in the ingredients.
- 50 g of thick compote: apples, pears, peaches…
- 50 mashed banana (as in banana bread!)
- 50 g of prunes soaked in water and mixed
- 3 tbsp oilseed puree (to replace egg yolks)
- 1 tbsp of oilseed puree + 4.5 cl of liquid
In a savory mix
Preparations with a salty taste, on the other hand, can allow you to revisit certain dishes with more or less added flavors.
- 50 g thick vegetable purée: potatoes, carrots, squash…
- 50 g of mixed smoked tofu
What liquid to add?
For mixtures, the liquid used can be water or vegetable drink. With sweet recipes, it is possible to opt for sweet and fragrant plant-based drinks, adjusting the amount of sugar if necessary.
Replacing eggs as the main ingredient, is it possible?
Yes ! Vegan cuisine is full of ideas to reinvent traditional dishes without chicken eggs. Small anthology of the most unexpected tips.
Browning with egg without eggs
To obtain a nice golden color on cakes, brioches or puff pastries, replace the egg yolk with vegetable drink or vegetable cream on the salted side. For sweet recipes, use agave or maple syrup diluted in a little water.
Whip egg whites without egg
Well known to vegan cuisine, the trick is as stunning as it is unexpected: the whipped chickpea juice turns into egg whites that are more real than life. This water called aquafaba is found in canned chickpeas. Drain the peas over a container, whip the juice with an electric mixer, you will obtain a firm foam with a neutral flavor.
Cooking scrambled eggs or omelettes without eggs
This time, the miracle ingredient is silken tofu. Mix it with herbs, spices or cooked vegetables, or even chickpea flour for a thicker texture. To boost the flavor, incorporate malted yeast flakes.
The taste of hard-boiled eggs without the hard-boiled eggs
Replace boiled eggs with salt? Amazing, but true. Kala namak, or Himalayan black salt, is known for its strong hard-boiled egg taste. It will not replace texture, but can add flavor to salads. And contrary to what its name suggests, it is not black, but pink!
The case of powdered substitutes
There are ready-to-use egg substitutes, in the form of a powder to be mixed with water to replace the eggs: 1 spoon + liquid = 1 egg. It is composed of a mixture of thickeners, emulsifiers, cornstarch and starch.
It is possible to make a homemade version to keep in a dry box, for example by mixing 50 g of potato starch, 50 g of tapioca starch, 12.5 g of guar gum and 10 g of baking soda.