Egg is, of course, a staple in many diets, being high in protein and relatively low calorie. It’s a common ingredient in sweet and savoury dishes, serving as a flavour enhancer, binding agent or thickener. Helpful if you’re vegan however, is to know what you can use instead of egg so that you don’t have to completely avoid egg-containing recipes you might like to try! There are plenty of choices depending on whether you need a sweet or savoury alternative. Read on below for 5 Great Egg Substitutes!
1. Banana
Bananas are cheap and readily available. What’s more, they function very similarly to egg in sweet bakes – think brownies, cakes, muffins. For every egg the recipe calls for, simply swap for one banana. It couldn’t be any easier!
2. Chia Seeds (or Flaxseed)
Chia seeds are incredibly versatile, and their excellent nutritional profile makes them one of the great egg substitutes. For chia seeds (or flax seeds) to function like an egg, mix one tablespoon of chia seeds with 2 ½ tablespoons of water. Let this mixture sit for 5 minutes to thicken and become gel-like – this is your ‘egg’ ready for use in pancakes, quick breads, muffins and cookies.
3. Chickpea Brine (aka Aquafaba)
Upon opening a can and removing the chickpeas, you’re left with a liquid known as aquafaba. This clever liquid can substitute for egg in mousse desserts, cakes, cookies and meringues.
If you’re using it as a binder (for cakes, or quiche), then the liquid needs to be lightly whisked until it becomes foamy (think consistency of egg white). It should not be whipped. If you’re using it to make meringue, however, it will need to be whisked for 10-15 minutes until it does thicken and become whipped. In terms of quantities, 3 tablespoons of aquafaba is equivalent to one whole egg. For the egg white only, reduce this to 2 tablespoons.
4. Tofu
Tofu isn’t an exact replica, but it can still be used in savoury egg recipes. Substitute your scrambled egg for tofu scramble by crumbling and frying firm tofu in a frying pan with nutritional yeast, sautéed onion, spinach and turmeric for colouring. This creates a nutritious meal, with a similar mouthfeel and texture to scrambled egg.
The different texture forms of tofu means it can also be used in quiche, for example. Just opt for silken tofu and blitz together with water (or hummus for extra creaminess).
5. Avocado
Among the other good egg substitutes is avocado which may take some experimenting with, as the softness and low protein content means it will not function the same in all recipes. However, a good starting point is anywhere in the range of 2-4 tablespoons of mashed avocado per egg.
Just be cautious with the green colouring as it may tinge your baked goods. Otherwise, try using it in brownies, cakes and muffins for a gooey texture.
