easier than you’d think!

By Madeleine Kates

Spring baking season is upon us, but for those with a special diet, allergy, or who are looking for an alternative to eggs, the task can be a bit daunting. Successful substitutions achieve the correct texture and rise in a baked item when the right egg replacement is used. Eggs perform different jobs, so replacements need to do the same, including helping with rise, binding other ingredients together, contributing to taste, and providing texture and moistness. Here is a variety of easy alternatives to try:

Binding
Nobody wants a loose or separated batter. To help bind other ingredients together, such as in a pancake, muffin, or waffle, try ground chia seeds or flax meal. Both of these options help soak up excess water to create a thicker texture that can be poured or spooned without being a watery mess. Arrowroot powder is another option that you may already have in your pantry for thickening sauces and gravy, and it works similarly to corn starch. In some recipes, you may need to hydrate the seeds or arrowroot powder before use if not enough liquid is produced by the other ingredients. 

Moisture
Applesauce and bananas tend to be the most fool-proof egg replacements that are well-loved in breads, muffins, and pancakes. For a milder flavor and lighter loaf, go with the applesauce, but for a dense texture and sweeter flavor, banana is the better option. For fall recipes, swap in canned pumpkin instead of a banana for a similar texture, but a more delicate and seasonal flavor. 

Rise
There’s nothing worse than when an alternative ingredient takes a great recipe and turns it into a dense brick. To remedy this, think about using an alternative such as plain carbonated water that will create air bubbles that mimic those that give texture and height to recipes. For a fluffy meringue or a recipe that calls for the marshmallow-like texture that comes from an egg white, consider aquafaba, which is the leftover liquid inside a can of chickpeas. While carbonated water already has bubbles that help a cake or muffin rise, aquafaba can be whipped and flavored to make a frosting, or bake it into a crunchy meringue cookie. 

For the best results, think about the recipe as a whole, and see where adaptations need to be made. Experiment with using multiple replacers to replicate multiple egg functions, such as texture or height, but also for flavor or moisture. 

See https://healthline.com/nutrition/egg-substitutes for more ideas and exact measurements to replace eggs in a recipe. Check out a great eggless recipe for baked banana oatmeal cookies at https://buffalohealthyliving.com/banana-oatmeal-cookies-gluten-free-healthy-and-kid-approved. 

Madeleine Kates is a Senior at Niagara University studying Life Sciences, Psychology, and Environmental Science.