You’re halfway through a recipe – a culinary masterpiece, no doubt – when you realize you’re missing one key ingredient: eggs. We’ve always been told that eggs are a cooking and baking staple, but oddly enough it turns out that you don’t really need them. Surprisingly, there are 5 simple substitutes that you can use in place of eggs in almost all of your cooking adventures! So the next time you find yourself egg-less in the kitchen, don’t panic. Instead, try one of these 5 simple egg substitutes.
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Applesauce
For a healthy, low-sugar egg replacement, applesauce might be just the thing. Not only is applesauce low on calories and sugar, but it’s a great source of fiber. Incorporating applesauce into your diet (as an egg substitute or otherwise) can help you maintain healthy blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
In most recipes, 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce will replace one egg. You can even mix in a 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder in to give the applesauce a thicker consistency. If you have sweetened applesauce only, try reducing the sugar in your recipe to balance it out. Applesauce can also act as an healthy alternative to oils (olive oil or vegetable oil) for most recipes.
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Banana
1/4 cup of mashed banana is a great replacement for eggs. While they’re mashed up the consistency is familiar to eggs, however, whatever you’re baking may end up with a bit of a banana taste…which may not be a bad thing! Bananas have out-of-this-world vitamins that are amazing for your eye health and complexion. Bananas are also champions of weight loss – if you’re looking to drop a few pounds, incorporating bananas into your diet is a great way to go.
Some experienced bakers even claim that replacing eggs with bananas purposefully produces lighter, fluffier baked goods! So if you’re finding your cakes are falling flat, opt for bananas over eggs next time you’re baking.
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Flax Seeds
Applesauce and bananas kind of make sense as an egg replace, but flax seeds? Definitely surprising! Mix 1 tablespoon of flax seed with 3 tablespoons of water. Let the seeds fully absorb the water so that they can act as a sufficient replacement (dry seeds won’t have the necessary moisture that an egg substitute requires). You can purchase pre-ground flax seeds or grind them yourself in a coffee grinder.
Not only do these seeds make a great cooking substitute in a pinch, but flax seed is amazing for you in so many ways! Flax is high in fiber, low in carbs, and has unbelievable nutrients that are fantastic for your hair, skin, cholesterol and for weight loss. And for our gluten-free friends, flax seed is a great GF option!
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Water, Oil and Baking Powder
This is a magical mixture. Whisk together two tablespoons of water, one teaspoon of oil (like corn or vegetable oil) and two teaspoons of baking powder. And there you have it! One serving of this mixture is equivalent to one missing egg. This fix works especially well in baking. These ingredients absorb well in baked goods like cookies and cakes – so well that you can’t even tell you didn’t use eggs! This is also a completely vegan substitute, so it’s a great substitute for all kinds of lifestyles.
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Cooking Oils
USDA via Flickr
To replace one egg when baking, spring for 1/4 cup of vegetable oil. It truly works like a charm. However, if you’ll need more than one egg per recipe you’ll want to try a different substitute for eggs. Using too much oil (even of the healthy variety) can make your recipe too oily or greasy.
Although vegetable oil was once considered a health hazard, recent studies have found that it’s actually a heart-healthy source of nutrients! Using canola oils, olive oils, sunflower oils and other vegetable oils are much more beneficial than cooking with animal fats – butter and eggs included. So try replacing these oils for eggs whenever possible.
Whether you’re fresh out of eggs or looking for a healthier, vegan-friendly substitute for them all together, any of these 5 replacements will get the job done. You might even see more delicious recipes and increased health benefits from these substitutions!
Have you tried any of these egg replacements before? Do you have other safe substitutes for eggs? Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section below!
