With the current egg situation happening, you may be looking for easy egg replacers for baking. Even if you eat eggs, you may find yourself starring into the refrigerator and wondering is that egg really worth cracking open just to brush it on top of your bread or pie.
You may be thinking, I could eat that egg for breakfast instead of using it in cookies – but ooh, ah, I really want some cookies! So, I am here to tell you that you can use easy egg replacers for baking and you do not have to use your precious eggs for something as simple as brownies, cookies, or egg wash.
If you have my most recent book, Effortless Eggless Baking, then you know there are so many easy egg replacers for baking that are insanely delicious and make baking incredibly easy! If you don’t have my new book yet, I highly suggest you pick up a copy for amazing eggless recipes that only require ingredients that are probably already in your pantry or fridge.
And I’m sure you may be thinking – but I’m not vegan (while tears are slowly starting to roll down your face). You may be thinking – I don’t want to have to go out and buy flax seed or chia seed or any other seed that makes a weird paste that is supposed to taste good but doesn’t.
This is where I stop you, because you can use simple egg replacers for cookies, easy egg replacers for brownies, and delicious egg replacers for egg wash! And I’m positive that these easy egg replacers for baking are things you probably already have in your pantry or fridge, and they are not vegan! So today I’m sharing easy egg replacers for baking – cookies, cakes, pies, brownies, and even egg wash. Because not all eggless baking has to be vegan.
As I talk about in my book, replacing eggs is all about replacing them with something that does what eggs do in that recipe. Whether that is providing fat, flavor, moisture, structure, or fluffiness – eggs can play a big role in baked goods. But you can also replace them with delicious ingredients that will provide the recipe with the things that eggs bring to it.
Easy Egg Replacers for Cookies
Baking cookies without eggs is probably going to be your easiest eggless bake. Cookies are easy to make and they are even more delicious eggless! I know you may be thinking, what? Cookies are even more delicious without eggs, how?
Eggs are made up of the egg white and the egg yolk. The egg white is made up of mostly water, so when you add the whole egg into your cookies (like pretty much all typical soft and chewy cookie recipes say to do) you are really adding water to your baked goods. And water dries out baked goods!
So when you bake cookies without eggs, like my Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies or my Eggless Sea Salt Dark Chocolate Honey Cookies – you are actually baking a chewier cookie! Yes! So, if you really like chewy cookies, then I highly suggest you start baking eggless cookies!
I will preface this by saying that not all cookies that contain eggs can use these egg replacers. Cookies like French Macarons, Meringues and other cookies that use egg whites are out. But, if you are baking classic soft and chewy cookies, sandwich cookies, or even some shortbreads, then these easy egg replacers for cookies are all you need to make chewier cookies that are insanely delicious!
Heavy Whipping Cream
Heavy whipping cream is a great egg substitute for soft and chewy cookies! I love using heavy whipping cream as it provides fat and flavor to cookies. Replace 1 egg with 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream in your cookies.
Milk
Milk works just like heavy whipping cream, but with a little less fat. If you are dairy free, you can use coconut milk, almond milk, pistachio milk – all the milks work the same way here and they can even provide different flavors to cookies like coconut, almond, and pistachio! Replace 1 egg with 2 tablespoons milk in your cookies. Milk is what I use my Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies, and they are consistently one of the top recipes on my site!
Cream Cheese
Cream cheese is a great egg replacer as it provides fat, flavor, and structure to cookies. You can even use a combination of cream cheese and milk in cookies as well. I love doing this as it really gives cookies even more of a chewy factor to them! For 1 egg replace with 57 grams (1/4 cup) cream cheese. Try my Sprinkle Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies as they use a combination of cream cheese and milk!
Coffee Creamer
Coffee creamer is an amazing egg replacer for cookies! Most coffee creamers are made up of heavy whipping cream, milk, or a combination, plus a little extra flavor like vanilla or hazelnut. So, these can add amazing flavor to your cookies as well. Replace 1 egg with 2 tablespoons coffee creamer. Try my Coffee Creamer Cookie recipe to see what it’s all about!
Nut Butter
Nut butter is an amazing egg substitute as it provides fat, structure, and flavor. If you are looking for a neutral flavor, try using cashew butter. But you can also use peanut butter, almond butter, walnut butter, sunflower butter – any kind of nut butter you like. For 1 egg replace with 57 grams (1/4 cup) nut butter. If your cookies seem a little drier than normal, try adding in 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk until the consistency is accurate to your recipe.
Sourdough Discard
Sourdough discard is an amazing egg replacer as it provided flavor and structure! Obviously, it will make cookies babe a sourdough undertone, but sourdough cookies are so good! If you are gluten free, this isn’t an option for you, but if you aren’t it’s a great way to use up sourdough discard while baking amazing sourdough cookies, like my Eggless Sourdough Molasses Cookies. For 1 egg, replace with 2 tablespoons (28 grams) sourdough discard.
Cornstarch, Tapioca Starch, or Irish Moss Powder
Cornstarch, tapioca starch, and Irish moss powder are all natural thickening agents. You can use these in place of eggs in cookies. They aren’t my favorite as I just usually prefer milk because it has more flavor. But, if you don’t do milk of any kind – then these work really well and are a great option!
You can use whichever one you prefer, as they are all very similar. I always use organic cornstarch and just recently found Irish moss powder. All of these are vegan and gluten free, but the Irish moss powder has health benefits that the other two don’t have! This ingredient also contains Vitamin B2, calcium, magnesium, and zinc.
To replace eggs with either cornstarch, tapioca starch or Irish moss powder, use 1 tablespoon of the thickening agent plus 3 tablespoons of water for 1 egg. Mix it up into a separate bowl, then add it into the cookie dough. Add flour and continue with the recipe like normal.
Easy Egg Replacers for Brownies
Brownies can be a tricky bake in general. Brownies are one of the most finicky things to bake, yet also one of the easiest. It really depends so specifically on the recipe, in my opinion. But it is really easy to replace eggs in brownies or blondies, the results may vary depending on the recipe, so take this with a grain of salt and test it out for your favorite brownie recipe. But I always recommend using a brownie recipe that was developed without eggs as your best bet, like my Eggless Chocolate Ganache Brownies.
Bananas
Bananas are an amazing egg replacer in brownies because they provide moisture and fluffiness. You can replace 2 eggs with 1 large banana. The downfall of this ingredient is that you will ultimately have banana brownies. But, if you like banana flavor then that’s no issue! Plus, making a peanut butter and banana brownie is really good!
Heavy Whipping Cream & Cornstarch
Heavy whipping cream is also a great egg replacer for brownies. Heavy whipping cream provides fat and flavor, something that eggs do in brownies as well. Cornstarch provides structure and to brownies. You can also use tapioca starch or Irish moss powder in place of cornstarch. To replace 1 egg, use 2 tablespoons heavy whipping cream and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. If you prefer a cakey brownie, leave out the cornstarch.
Milk & Cornstarch
Milk is the perfect egg replacer for cakey brownies. To replace 1 egg, use 2 tablespoons of milk plus 1 teaspoon cornstarch. You can also use chocolate milk if you are baking brownies, something I like to do all the time as it provides even more chocolate flavor! And, you can also use tapioca starch or Irish moss powder in place of cornstarch as well. If you prefer a cakey brownie, leave out the cornstarch.
Sour Cream
Sour cream is a great egg replacer as it provides fat, flavor, and structure. Be sure you are using a sour cream that is thick. I really like Organic Valley Sour Cream or O Organics Sour Cream. I find that Straus is always too runny for baking with, so keep that in mind. Replace 1 egg with 57 grams (1/4 cup) organic sour cream.
Yogurt
I love using yogurt as an egg replacer in brownies. I love yogurt because it provides fat, flavor and structure. Use 50 grams (3 1/2 tablespoons) of yogurt for 1 egg in your brownies. They will be extra moist and soft when you use yogurt. One of my favorite yogurts for baking is Stoneyfield Organic Vanilla. Greek yogurt and dairy alternatives like coconut also work great!
Applesauce
Applesauce can be a good egg substitute for brownies, but it can make them on the cakey side. If you are using applesauce in brownies, the applesauce will add a little more sweetness to your brownies that will shine through, and they can be more cakey. If using applesauce, replace 1 egg with 50 grams (3 1/2 tablespoons) applesauce.
Nut Butter
Nut butter is so good in brownies as it provides fat, flavor, and structure. I mean who doesn’t want peanut butter brownies or almond butter brownies? I do! But, for a more neutral flavor try using cashew butter. To replace 1 egg, use 57 grams (1/4 cup) organic nut butter.
Sourdough Discard
Just like cookies, sourdough discard can be used in brownies for an amazing egg replacer that also provided some great flavor to brownies! For 1 egg, replace with 2 tablespoons (28 grams) sourdough discard.
Cornstarch, Tapioca Starch & Irish Moss Powder
If you find that your brownies are becoming cakey after replacing the eggs, then try adding cornstarch, tapioca starch or Irish moss powder. These are all natural binding agents, and they will holds things together. Try adding 1 to 2 teaspoons of cornstarch, tapioca starch or Irish moss powder to your brownies for chewier brownies that don’t contain eggs. Make sure to use something else to replace the eggs and add cornstarch in addition to whatever that is.
Honey or Corn Syrup
Honey is also a great ingredient to add into brownies if you are looking to for a chewier brownie without eggs. You can add 2 to 3 teaspoons of honey into any brownie recipe in addition to whatever you are replacing the eggs with. This will also add some amazing flavor to your brownies! If you don’t like honey, and still want this benefit, use corn syrup instead.
My favorite egg substitute for brownies is heavy whipping cream with cornstarch. And I also like to combine nut butter and honey in blondies. Try them out!
Easy Egg Replacers for Cake
Cake may be one of the hardest things to make without eggs. Eggs do so much for cake, they provide fat, flavor, fluffiness – with fluffiness being the most important ingredient. Cakes without eggs can become denser and they can also take longer to bake.
Why do cakes without eggs take longer to bake? Because eggs are made up of mostly egg whites, which are mostly water. And water dries out baked goods as I mentioned above. So, removing eggs from your cake recipe actually means you are removing water from them. And you are probably replacing it with fat, which will take longer in the oven to bake. So, if you are wondering why your eggless cake doesn’t seem done – it probably just needs more baking time, so don’t be afraid to bake it longer!
Cakes without eggs are also moister, going back to that whole egg white and water thing that I explained above. The same thing applies here. So, if you like moist cakes, then baking cakes without eggs may just be your thing!
These egg replacers are great for easy sheet cakes, snack cakes, or layer cakes where the recipe calls for the whole egg. These are not intended to be used for recipes that call for egg whites only, they will not work. All cake recipes are different, and while I’m giving you some options here, I always recommend using a recipe that was developed to be eggless like my Eggless Mini Chocolate Chip Banana Bread or my Eggless Birthday Cake.
Yogurt
I love yogurt as an egg replacer in cakes! It works so well because yogurt provides fat, flavor, and structure to your cakes! I also love using vanilla yogurt as it provides a little extra sweetness. Whenever using yogurt in replace of eggs, be sure you are using whole milk yogurt, don’t use low fat or fat free. We need that fat in baked goods!
You can use vanilla, plain, Greek, coconut, cashew – any of these options will work. The only thing to make sure to look for is that your yogurt is somewhat thick. If your yogurt is very runny, then it won’t be the best substitute, and you should try another kind. My favorite yogurt for replacing eggs in cakes is Stoneyfield Organic Vanilla Yogurt. And my favorite vegan option is So Delicious. For every 1 egg, replace with 50 grams (3 1/2 tablespoons) yogurt.
Sour Cream
I love using sour cream as an easy egg replacer for cakes! Sour cream is full of fat, flavor, and structure. Just be sure that you are using a sour cream that is thick. I like Organic Valley Sour Cream or O Organics the best, I find that Straus is too runny to bake with. To replace 1 egg, use 57 grams (1/4 cup) sour cream.
Applesauce
Applesauce is a great egg replacer for cakes. I love using applesauce as it provides moisture and fluffiness to a cake. It also provides a little bit of sweetness that I love! If you don’t want the flavor to shine through in your recipe, then opt for yogurt instead. For every 1 egg, replace with 50 grams (3 1/2 tablespoons) applesauce.
Nut Butter
Nut butter is a great egg substitute for cakes as it provides fat, flavor, and structure. You can use cashew butter for a neutral flavor in cakes. But you can also use peanut butter, almond butter, or sunflower butter as well for a little flavor too!
To replace eggs with nut butter, for 1 egg replace with 57 grams (1/4 cup) nut butter. Sometimes you may find that you need a little more moisture when using solely nut butter, and if that’s the case you can add some applesauce, heavy whipping cream or milk (as most cake recipes already call for milk). I use a combination of applesauce and peanut butter in my Eggless Peanut Butter Sheet Cake.
Bananas
Bananas are a great egg replacer in cake as well because they provide moisture and fluffiness. The downfall is that they will give your cake a banana flavor. But, if you’re making a banana cake, then adding a little more banana is no big deal. To replace 2 eggs you can use 1 large banana.
Easy Egg Replacers for Egg Wash
If you bake pie often, then you know that brushing egg or egg mixed with water on top of your pie can really create that golden brown and shiny crust. And that is ideal for baking a perfect pie! But what are you do when eggs are almost $10/dozen and you just need a small portion of the egg for this silly egg wash, but it is so crucial for the recipe?
My advice is to ditch the eggs and use something else! There are so many amazing easy egg replacers for egg wash that are easy to find, delicious, and still give your pie that golden brown crust. You can also use these easy egg replacers for egg wash on top of challah bread or any other type of bread or roll that calls for egg wash!
Heavy Whipping Cream
This is one of my favorite egg replacers for egg wash. Heavy whipping cream provides fat and flavor, just like eggs do on top of a pie. This will also give you the most similar taste and color to traditional egg wash. You brush it on top of your pie, rolls or bread, just like you would egg wash using a pastry brush. For a standard 9-inch pie or loaf of bread, start with 2 tablespoons of heavy whipping cream and go from there.
Milk
Milk works the same way as heavy whipping cream. But, with its lower fat content, it does not provide as dark of a color as heavy whipping cream. But it definitely works! So, if you don’t have heavy whipping cream and you have milk, go ahead and use it! You can also use dairy alternative milks like coconut milk or almond milk, but they also don’t provide as much color as heavy whipping cream. For a standard 9-inch pie or loaf of bread, start with 2 tablespoons of milk and go from there.
Butter
Melted butter is a great option to brush on top of pies, rolls, or bread! It tastes amazing and it browns well in the oven. For a standard 9-inch pie or loaf of bread, start with 2 tablespoons of melted butter and go from there.
Honey & Water
This is my absolute favorite egg replacer for egg wash if you are baking something sweet. I use this all the time, even when I have eggs to spare! Bakes like apple pie, blueberry pie, challah bread – all of these are delicious with my honey and water combo. Just add together equal parts of honey and water and microwave it for a few seconds to melt the honey. If you don’t microwave it, the honey and will not combine with the water, so that part is key.
For a standard 9-inch pie or loaf of bread, start with 1 tablespoon of honey plus 1 tablespoon of water and microwave for less than 10 seconds. Brush on with a pastry brush like normal. Your baked goods will have the sweetest flavor! I use this egg wash substitute on so many of my pies, like my Honey Lemon Apple Pie and my Orange Blossom Honey Pie.
Check out these recipes and see the color of the crust! This gets you the darkest crust of any of these options, but it does taste sweet. So I only recommend this for sweet desserts or a sweet bread like dinner rolls or Challah that you don’t mind if there’s a little honey flavor to them.
Bottom Line When Baking without Eggs
Every single recipe is different. So, while some egg replacers may work for some recipes, they also may not work for others. Your best bet is to always bake a recipe that is developed to be eggless, because most of the time baking isn’t a one size fits all anything! So, if you want to bake without eggs, I highly recommend getting my book, Effortless Eggless Baking! Or checkout my Eggless Recipes here. But, if you just have to try your grandma’s cookies without eggs, then go for it!
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