Vegan Egg Replacements for your Vegan Recipes

Veganism is booming and with it an appetite for new and exciting dairy substitutes, especially when it comes to the diverse world of vegan egg replacements.

Eggs can be substituted with success in both sweet and savoury cooking, where their job of binding, leavening, locking in moisture and adding colour can be mimicked by a list of other non-dairy ingredients, from seeds to fruit purees.

Finding a sub for eggs in baking depends on the desired end result, from moist and gooey dense chocolate brownies to light and fluffy meringues. It just requires a little adaptation and experimentation.

So, the good news is going egg-free doesn't mean giving up favourites like cakes and cookies or even scrambled eggs.

Vegan Egg Replacements

Here's a list of vegan egg replacements that will serve you well, whether you're vegan or simply out of eggs:

1. The Vegan Egg

First up, if you haven't yet heard about it there's a new substitute vegan egg on the market. It's a plant-based alternative that looks and more importantly 'behaves like eggs'. They're called 'Les Merveilloeufs' were created by two French women, and have both an egg yolk and an egg white.

Read all about the vegan egg here.

2. Flax Egg

This simple egg substitute, consists of flax meal mixed with hot water, otherwise known as the 'flegg'. The resulting gel-like texture works wonders in baked goods like cakes, cookies and other treats.

Discover how to make flax egg vegan alternative here.

1 egg = 1tbsp flax meal + 2.5 tbsp of water

3. Chia seeds

These mild flavoured small seeds act like a "glue" when mixed with water, perfect for binding ingredients together in baking.

Discover all the ways you can use chia seeds.

1 egg = 1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water

4. Chickpea water (aquafaba)

If your recipe calls for egg whites, try out the magical ingredient, aquafaba, or chickpea water, which is the water left in the can after you drain chickpeas.

It's perfect for making eggless meringues, marshmallows, macaroons or nougat, or wherever egg whites are called for.

Discover how to use aquafaba here.

5. Commercial egg substitutes - from the supermarket

If you want to eliminate trial and error in your baking, there are a variety of commercial egg replacers that are available on the market, usually made from potato starch, tapioca starch or leavening agents

Each brand comes with its own instructions, but usually, it's a simple case of mixing the powder into a paste with water.

6. Silken tofu

Silky soft tofu can be blended into a smooth and creamy puree, lending itself perfectly to binding baked goods.

It's also a great substitute for scrambled eggs. Simply add turmeric to amp up a golden colour.

1 egg = ¼ cup of silken tofu

7. Nut butter

Nut butters, like cashew, hazelnut and peanut, serve as great binders for savoury cooking like veggie burgers, falafel and quinoa patties.

1 egg = 3 tbsp

8. Mashed banana puree

Bananas add both moisture and richness to home-baked goods like cookies, muffins, bread and pancakes, where the sweetness adds to the flavour of the finished product.

1 egg = 1/2 overripe banana mashed

9. Vegan yoghurt

Again, vegan yoghurt is another great method of adding moisture to baked goods. If you want your goods to rise as well add a touch of baking powder to the mix.

1 egg = 1/4 cup vegan yoghurt

10. Unsweetened apple sauce

You can easily substitute apple sauce for eggs in recipes like muffins, loaves and pancakes. The apple adds moisture and binds the dry ingredients together, while also being much less sweet than its counterpart, mashed banana.

Puree such as avocado pumpkin and sweet potato can also all be used just as successfully, as they add both sweetness and flavour.

1 egg = 1/4 cup of apple sauce