With egg prices hitting sky-high rates, many home cooks are looking for ways to reduce their reliance on eggs without sacrificing flavor or texture. Whether you’re baking a cake, making a savory dish, or preparing a quick breakfast, there are plenty of egg substitutes that can help cut down on costs.
The good news? You likely have a variety of affordable alternatives already sitting in your pantry or fridge. From pantry staples like applesauce and flaxseed to more unconventional options like aquafaba, this guide will show you how to make the most of what you’ve got—saving money while still creating delicious, egg-free dishes.
Tips:
When using the substitutions below, be sure to take a close look at your recipe to understand the role of eggs in the recipe. For example, if there aren’t many liquid ingredients, eggs are likely being used to add moisture. In recipes that lack leavening agents, eggs may be essential for helping the dish rise.
Recipes with three or more eggs might not work as well with a substitute, and the results could differ from the original dish.
Click the image to download
Flax Seed:
Allow the flax seed mixture to rest until it becomes gelatinous. It adds somewhat of a nutty flavor and is best for hardier recipes like pancakes, waffles, and muffins.
Applesauce:
Chia Seed:
Allow the chia seed mixture to rest until it becomes gelatinous. Chia seeds are darker in color and denser in texture than flax seeds, so it works best in darker, hardier recipes like waffles, dark quick breads, muffins, and brownies.
Banana:
Works best in sweet baked goods like breads, cakes, cupcakes, brownies, and muffins.
Peanut Butter:
Nut butters add a stronger flavor to recipes, so it’s best in nut butter cookies or pancakes.
Yogurt:
Best for dairy baked goods.
Aquafaba:
This works best as an egg white substitute. You can use it when making meringues, macaroons, and mousse.
Mashed Potato:
Works best in savory recipes like burgers, breads, rolls, and meatballs.
Baking Soda:
This is best for delicate and light baked goods such as cakes.
Baking Powder:
Because there is oil in this substitute, if your recipe calls for a good amount of eggs (and therefore a lot of oil), your recipe could result in slightly oily results. Make sure it’s used in a recipe that will hold up to more oil. Best for baked goods like cakes and cookies.
Brilliant!!!! I am on chabad shlichus in El Paso, Texas where food is very limited and especially with Covid so no I can make tons of recipes YAY