How to Replace Eggs in Your Cooking
Decide if the eggs are used for moisture or richness., Decide if the eggs are used to help the food rise., Decide if the eggs are used to bind., Decide if the eggs are used to emulsify the ingredients., Decide if the eggs are used for taste or...
Step-by-Step Guide
-
Step 1: Decide if the eggs are used for moisture or richness.
Read through the recipe and notice if it calls for many liquids.
If there is very little liquid (in the form of milk, water, oil, etc), then the egg is probably being used to keep the finished product from drying out.Egg whites actually dry out baked goods and do not provide any moisture.
If your recipe calls for all egg whites, then it is unlikely they are being used for this purpose.Cookies, muffins, flat foods like pancakes, and brownies are examples. -
Step 2: Decide if the eggs are used to help the food rise.
Also known as leavening agents, look for ingredients like baking powder, baking soda, or baker's yeast in the recipe.
If you don't see any of these ingredients but the recipe calls for an acidic ingredient like buttermilk, vinegar, or citrus juice, then the eggs are likely necessary to help the dish rise.Egg yolks don't assist in leavening (they contain too much fat), so if the recipe calls for yolks only, then the eggs are serving some other purpose.Keep your end product in mind.
If you are making a custard, which doesn't rise, it's unlikely the egg is being used to leaven.
If you are baking a cake, which rises considerably as it bakes, then egg may be present as a leavening agent.Cake and cupcakes are examples of baked goods that uses eggs add rise, volume, and fluffiness. , Eggs are often used to hold a product together and prevent crumbling.
Dishes like meatloaves, casseroles, quick breads (like pound cake or zucchini bread), and cornbread all use eggs to provide structure.
As the eggs are heated during baking, they change from a liquid mixture to a solid and hold the other ingredients together.Cookies, muffins, and savory dishes like burgers, vegetable loaves, meatloaves, and quick breads are examples.
Often recipes that use eggs to bind also use eggs to add moisture to the dish, especially if they call for breadcrumbs or flour.
You may want to add a little more liquid or use a moist egg replacement (such as fruit puree) to keep your dish from drying out., Emulsifying is another way of binding ingredients, but it is specifically used to blend things that would not normally mix, like oil and vinegar.Egg yolks will thicken a product and add stability by allowing fats to become soluble in water and water to be soluble in fats.This makes baked goods creamy, smooth, and moist.
If the recipe calls only for egg whites, then the egg is not being used to emulsify any ingredients, as the white lacks enough fat to do so.Notice if the recipe calls for water-based liquids and a large amount of oil or butter (such as mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce).If so, the egg is likely being used as an emulsifier. , If the eggs are part of a wash, or to glaze baked goods like pies and pastries, you can easily remove them from the recipe.
If the eggs are clearly part of the taste of the recipe (like scrambled eggs), you may be able to replace them if the finished product isn't a baked good.Quiches, custards, pudding, chocolate pies, egg salads, and scrambled eggs are examples. , When eggs make up the basis of a dish, such as Angel Food cake or sponge cake, it is unlikely an egg substitute will give you the results you want.
The taste and texture will be compromised and the recipe will likely fail.
Look for a recipe for something with a similar taste and doesn't call for quite so many eggs. -
Step 3: Decide if the eggs are used to bind.
-
Step 4: Decide if the eggs are used to emulsify the ingredients.
-
Step 5: Decide if the eggs are used for taste or color.
-
Step 6: Notice if the recipe calls for three or more eggs per batch (one cake
-
Step 7: one loaf of bread
-
Step 8: etc.).
Detailed Guide
Read through the recipe and notice if it calls for many liquids.
If there is very little liquid (in the form of milk, water, oil, etc), then the egg is probably being used to keep the finished product from drying out.Egg whites actually dry out baked goods and do not provide any moisture.
If your recipe calls for all egg whites, then it is unlikely they are being used for this purpose.Cookies, muffins, flat foods like pancakes, and brownies are examples.
Also known as leavening agents, look for ingredients like baking powder, baking soda, or baker's yeast in the recipe.
If you don't see any of these ingredients but the recipe calls for an acidic ingredient like buttermilk, vinegar, or citrus juice, then the eggs are likely necessary to help the dish rise.Egg yolks don't assist in leavening (they contain too much fat), so if the recipe calls for yolks only, then the eggs are serving some other purpose.Keep your end product in mind.
If you are making a custard, which doesn't rise, it's unlikely the egg is being used to leaven.
If you are baking a cake, which rises considerably as it bakes, then egg may be present as a leavening agent.Cake and cupcakes are examples of baked goods that uses eggs add rise, volume, and fluffiness. , Eggs are often used to hold a product together and prevent crumbling.
Dishes like meatloaves, casseroles, quick breads (like pound cake or zucchini bread), and cornbread all use eggs to provide structure.
As the eggs are heated during baking, they change from a liquid mixture to a solid and hold the other ingredients together.Cookies, muffins, and savory dishes like burgers, vegetable loaves, meatloaves, and quick breads are examples.
Often recipes that use eggs to bind also use eggs to add moisture to the dish, especially if they call for breadcrumbs or flour.
You may want to add a little more liquid or use a moist egg replacement (such as fruit puree) to keep your dish from drying out., Emulsifying is another way of binding ingredients, but it is specifically used to blend things that would not normally mix, like oil and vinegar.Egg yolks will thicken a product and add stability by allowing fats to become soluble in water and water to be soluble in fats.This makes baked goods creamy, smooth, and moist.
If the recipe calls only for egg whites, then the egg is not being used to emulsify any ingredients, as the white lacks enough fat to do so.Notice if the recipe calls for water-based liquids and a large amount of oil or butter (such as mayonnaise or hollandaise sauce).If so, the egg is likely being used as an emulsifier. , If the eggs are part of a wash, or to glaze baked goods like pies and pastries, you can easily remove them from the recipe.
If the eggs are clearly part of the taste of the recipe (like scrambled eggs), you may be able to replace them if the finished product isn't a baked good.Quiches, custards, pudding, chocolate pies, egg salads, and scrambled eggs are examples. , When eggs make up the basis of a dish, such as Angel Food cake or sponge cake, it is unlikely an egg substitute will give you the results you want.
The taste and texture will be compromised and the recipe will likely fail.
Look for a recipe for something with a similar taste and doesn't call for quite so many eggs.
About the Author
Catherine Roberts
Brings years of experience writing about pet care and related subjects.
Rate This Guide
How helpful was this guide? Click to rate: