Eggs have two functions in baking: Binding or thickening and leavening (leavening is what makes baked goods light and fluffy.) Identifying their function in a particular recipe will help you decide with how to replace them. Different egg replacers will work best in different recipes. Be prepared to do a little experimenting.
In cookies and muffins, no binding agent is generally needed. In quick breads and cakes both leavening and binding is needed. In custard pies, like pumpkin pie, eggs are mainly for thickening. You won't be able to make really light types of desserts that call for a very large number of eggs, but you will be able to make just about anything else that uses up to 3-4 eggs.
Leavening: For cakes, cookies, muffins, quick breads, etc
Soymilk with lemon: 1 egg = 1/4 cup soymilk + 1 Tblsp lemon
Optional: In cakes and quick breads, add 2 Tblsp of cornstarch to the dry ingredients for each egg being replaced. This will bind the ingredients and give a nice soft texture.
Thickening and Binding:
Finely ground flaxseeds whipped with water: 1 egg = 1 Tblsp ground flax seeds mixed with 1/4 cup water
The flaxseeds gel and bind with the other ingredients. 1 egg = 1T ground flax seeds mixed with ¼ cup water. Some people find that this works best with a little Ener G Egg replacer mixed in since flax seeds alone have no leavening effect.
Cornstarch and pureed soft tofu: 1 egg = 3 T pureed tofu + 2t cornstarch (Good for quiches and custard pies.)
Optional: In cakes and quick breads, add 2 Tblsp of cornstarch to the dry ingredients for each egg being replaced. This will bind the ingredients and give a nice soft texture.
Fat Free Egg Replacers: 1/4 cup applesauce, pureed banana, squash or pumpkin, will also work as egg replacers for binding. They are low in fat but will also add some flavor, which may or may not be desirable depending on the recipe.
1 egg = 1/4 cup puree.
Now that you know how to make all your favorite desserts into vegan delights, get baking!
Finally 9 Recomendations for Egg Replacement:
Work out what you want your egg replacement to do. Do you want to replace a whole egg, or just the yolk or just the white? This will help determine what to use in place of the egg product. Eggs have different uses - sometimes they are used for binding, sometimes for leavening as discussed in upper part of blog(making lighter/fluffier) or sometimes just for the taste. You should also try to be aware of which of these elements you are trying to replace.
1. Fruit makes an excellent replacement for eggs - try bananas, apple puree or any high pectin content fruit. Usually 1/4 cup of banana will replace 1 egg.
2. Tofu is fabulous as a replacement, as it will take on the flavour of whatever you are cooking it with. As a general rule, 1/4 cup of tofu will replace 1 egg. Whip or beat it before adding it to the recipe.
3. Put together 1 tbsp flaxseed (ground up) with 3 tablespoons of water to replace one egg. Make sure that the mixture has gelled before using it. Some people recommend simmering the two items together to thicken this mix.
4. For a replacement for just the egg white, mix 1 tbsp plain agar powder (available from health food stores/Chinese stores etc) with 1 tbsp water. Whip together, chill it and then whip it again.
5. Another egg replacement is 2 tbsp water mixed with 1 tbsp of oil and 2 tspn of baking powder. Mix together well before adding.
6. In savory recipes, such as a vegetarian loaf, try binding agents like mashed potato, tomato paste or rolled oats. These agents help to thicken and gel with the other ingredients. Also bread crumbs, cornmeal/flour, arrowroot and whole-wheat flour are good substitutions.
7. Apple sauce, canned pumpkin, mashed canned fruit of choice - all of these can be used as an egg replacement in baked goods. These will leave their own flavour of course, so be sure of the taste you want. Fruit can make the baked item heavier, so add a little baking powder if this concerns you. Try the blends of peach/apple; strawberry/apple etc for delicious muffins.
8. It is possible to make pancakes without eggs. In fact, any flat baked product that requires only 1 - 2 eggs can usually survive without an egg with no problems. The main thing is to substitute a little extra liquid ( 1 - 2 tbsp) to make up for the egg's removal. There are differing recipes (some just with flour, some with fruit such as mashed banana), so it is best to use a search engine to find a recipe you like. They do work, so try them out, just be sure the pan they are fried in is seasoned as you would with normal pancakes.
9. An egg sandwich? Yes! You can use tofu - use a search engine or a tofu/vegetarian cookbook for suggested recipes. It still tastes good, and curried tofu-egg sandwiches are a must.
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