If you’re dealing with an egg allergy or are trying to avoid animal products, you need a good egg substitute! Let’s take a look at some easy, vegan egg substitutes you probably already have in your pantry.

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If I had to guess, I’d say the #1 question I get on my recipes is “what’s a good egg substitute?” There are A LOT of you who need and want to know what you can use instead of eggs.

That’s why I put together this guide for you. Whether you’re out of eggs or can’t/won’t use them in your baking, here are my best suggestions on what to use for an egg substitute. Before I get to the substitutions, it helps to understand WHY eggs are used in baking in the first place.

The Role of Eggs in Baking

Eggs play a number of different roles in baked goods, which is why it’s difficult to replicate them exactly. Here are the main reasons why we use eggs in baking.

STRUCTURE. Eggs provide structure to our baked goods, and act as a binder, holding the ingredients together.
LIFT. Eggs act as a leavening agent, helping our baked goods rise.
MOISTURE. Eggs are a liquid, and they help add adequate moisture to your baked goods.
RICHNESS. Eggs have fat, which can add richness to baked goods.

Now that we have a better idea of why eggs are used in baked goods, let’s talk about exactly how to use some of your staple pantry ingredients as vegan egg substitutes!

The Best Vegan Egg Substitutes

In general, it’s best to limit your egg substitutions to replacing 1-2 eggs. You can try 3 eggs at the maximum. If a recipe calls for 4 or more eggs, it becomes very difficult to substitute and get satisfactory results.

Flaxseed as an Egg Substitute

RECIPE: 1 Tablespoon ground flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons water = 1 egg (let sit for a few minutes to gel)

PROS: Ground flaxseed meal is a great vegan egg substitute when you need a binder. When you mix ground flaxseed meal with water, it creates a gel that binds ingredients together in a way similar to eggs.

Using a flax egg won’t alter the taste of your recipe.

CONS: Recipes made with flax eggs will not rise the same as those made with eggs. The results are usually flatter baked goos with less lift.

Chia Seeds as an Egg Substitute

RECIPE: 1 Tablespoon Chia Seeds + 3 Tablespoons water = 1 Egg (let sit for a few minutes to gel)

PROS: Chia seeds act very similarly to flaxseeds as an egg substitute. They work well as a binder because of the gelatinous consistency when mixed with water.

Chia seeds also won’t alter the taste of your recipe.

CONS: Chia seeds are not an leavening agent, and therefore don’t provide the same life and rise as eggs, resulting in flatter baked goods.

Chia seeds will also make your baked goods a darker color.

Applesauce as an Egg Substitute

RECIPE: 1/4 cup Applesauce = 1 egg

PROS: Applesauce is great for adding moisture in a recipe and has a high pectin content that helps with binding.

CONS: Applesauce adds sweetness to a recipe, even if you use unsweetened applesauce. You may need to adjust the recipe accordingly. Also, applesauce will not give recipes the same lightness as an egg provides. The results when using applesauce will be more dense and less fluffy.

Banana as an Egg Substitute

RECIPE: 1/4 cup Banana = 1 egg

PROS: Banana is similar to applesauce in that it adds moisture in a recipe and has a high pectin content that helps with binding.

CONS: Banana lends a strong flavor, so whatever you are using it in will become banana-flavored. Bananas will also not give recipes the same lightness as an egg provides. The results when using banana as an egg substitute will be more dense and less fluffy.

Pumpkin as an Egg Substitute

RECIPE: 1/4 cup canned pumpkin puree= 1 egg

PROS: Pumpkin is another fruit purée that adds moisture in a recipe and has a high pectin content that helps with binding.

CONS: Using pumpkin as an egg substitute can alter the color and flavor of the recipe. I’ve also found that pumpkin yields the most dense results of all the fruit purées I’ve used as an egg substitute. The results when using pumpkin are considerably more dense and less fluffy than when using eggs.

I know there are other egg substitutes out there, but these are the ones I’ve tried over and over and am confident of the results. If you have some you’ve tried and love, please leave them in the comments!

Recipes using Vegan Egg Substitutes

Here are some recipes for you to try out that use some of these suggestions!

Vegan Egg Substitutes from your Pantry

The Role of Eggs in Baking