Find the best vegan egg substitute options for baking, how to use them, and more for the best taste and texture in all your gluten free, dairy free, vegan baked goods!
What Are Vegan Egg Substitutes
Vegan egg substitutes are exactly what they sound like! They are simply ingredient swaps that replicate a similar taste, texture, and structure of eggs in baked goods like bread, cakes, brownies, and more. While vegan egg substitutes can be used in most recipes and work well, it’s always more difficult to adapt a non-vegan recipe than to include these ingredients in naturally plant-based treats.
That said, we did our best to provide a comprehensive list of the best vegan egg substitutes for baking along with how to use them to ensure your vegan recipes turn out amazing every single time you make them!
Why Use Them
There are lots of reasons why someone might opt for a vegan egg substitute over a real egg. The most obvious answer is that they follow a plant-based or vegan diet, but it isn’t the only one! Vegan egg substitutes also come in handy to provide a boost of nutrients to recipes, help accommodate allergen needs, and more. Plus, they’re super budget-friendly and tasty, too.
The Best Vegan Egg Substitutes for Baking
Below you’ll find a simple list of the best vegan egg substitutes for baking to suit all your dietary and recipe needs!
Flax Meal Egg
What It Is: A flax meal egg is a combination of flax meal and water. Once combined and left to sit for a few minutes, the mixture thickens, becoming gelatinous like an egg. For the best results, we like to use 1 tablespoon of flax meal with 2 ½ tablespoons of water for every 1 egg.
How to Substitute: Once the flax meal and water have been combined and thickened, the flax egg can be added to your recipe just as you would a regular egg.
What It’s Best For: Flax meal eggs do not provide much, if any lift or rise to recipes like regular eggs do. As a result, they’re best used as a binding agent in more savory recipes like gluten free crackers, vegan burgers, muffins, and pancakes or waffles, etc.Â
Chia Egg
What It Is: A chia meal egg is a combination of chia seeds and water. Like flax meal eggs, chia eggs are made by combining the two ingredients and letting them sit for a few minutes to thicken. For the best results, we recommend using 1 tablespoon of chia seeds and 2 ½ tablespoons of water for every 1 egg.
How to Substitute: Once chia meal eggs are combined and thickened, they can be mixed into any recipe just like an egg. Adjust the ratios used to accommodate the number of eggs needed in any given recipe.
What It’s Best For: Like flax meal eggs, chia meal eggs are best in more savory recipes that require an egg for binding rather than lifting. As a result, we love to use them in quick breads, lentil loaf, cookies, and pancakes or waffles.
Applesauce
What It Is: ⅓ cup of pure homemade or store-bought unsweetened applesauce is all you’ll need for every 1 egg.
How to Substitute: Also sometimes used as an oil replacement in baked goods, applesauce provides a ton of extra moisture and acts as a binder. All you have to do is mix it into your batter, and it’s good to go!
What It’s Best For: Due to the high moisture content that lends to soft recipes, applesauce is best used in crepes, muffins, and recipes that require long baking times like bundt cakes or donuts.
Pumpkin Puree
What It Is: Very similar to applesauce but with slightly less liquid, ¼ cup of pure pumpkin puree can be used to replace every 1 egg in vegan recipes.
How to Substitute: Swap out eggs for pumpkin puree, and simply mix it into your batter as the recipe calls to achieve similar results.
What It’s Best For: We love to use pumpkin puree in recipes like quick breads, pancakes, and cupcakes.
Mashed Banana
What It Is: ½ of a ripped mashed banana can be used to replace every 1 egg in recipes. The riper the fruit the better as it will be easier to mash and blend and will have a sweeter flavor.
How to Substitute: Simply stir the mashed banana into your batter, and follow the recipe instructions as normal.
What It’s Best For: We’ve found that mashed bananas work best in sweet recipes in which you don’t mind a little banana flavor shining through. As a result, we love them in our protein breakfast cookies, muffins, quick breads, and waffles.
Aquafaba
What It Is: Aquafaba is the leftover brine found in a can of chickpeas. It can be used in its liquid form or as a whip to replace eggs and whipped egg whites in recipes. We go into detail about how to make and use it here.
However, in general, 3 tablespoons of aquafaba can be used to replace 1 egg or 2 tablespoons of aquafaba for 1 egg white.
Note: Aquafaba does not work well as an egg substitute in certain baked goods like gluten free breads, muffins, and cupcakes.
How to Substitute: Stir either the liquid aquafaba into the batter of baked goods or as egg replacement in condiments, like mayonnaise and salad dressing. Or, whip it into semi-stiff or stiff peaks.
What It’s Best For:Whipped aquafaba can be used in place of whipped egg whites in recipes by folding it into the batter. Alternatively, whipped aquafaba may be used by mixing ingredients into the batter, like with whipped cream and meringue cookies.
More Resources for Gluten Free, Allergy Friendly Baking
Whether you’re a long-time gluten free and allergy friendly baking pro or a novice, we could all use a little help in the kitchen. Take a look at more of our favorite guides and resources to help you achieve the best gluten free recipes!
Do you have questions, feedback, or tips about this post? Leave a comment below with any questions or feedback you’d like to share!
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