8 Effective Egg Substitutes for Cooking and Baking (2024)

Food
Baking

If you've run out of or can't find eggs, these egg replacements will do the trick. Bonus: Most are vegan, so they're perfect for baking for someone with egg allergy or dietary restrictions.

Betty Gold

Betty Gold is the former senior digital food editor at Real Simple.

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Lisa Milbrand

Lisa Milbrand has more than 20 years of experience as a lifestyle writer and editor, writing thousands of articles on topics that help people live better and healthier lives for Real Simple, Parents, and dozens of other top publications.

Real Simple's Editorial Guidelines

Updated on January 23, 2023

8 Effective Egg Substitutes for Cooking and Baking (3)

We've all been there: You're in the middle of baking a birthday cake or batch of pancakes only to realize you're out of eggs. Without them, your batter won't bind together, your pancakes will fall flat, and they'll all lack structure and moisture.

But you can save yourself from an unnecessary extra trip to the grocery store—or save yourself a little extra money, with an egg shortage and rising egg prices making eggs an expensive or hard-to-find ingredient. Just try one of these easy, effective egg replacements instead in your next baking project.

The Ultimate Guide to Baking Substitutions

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Pureed Fruit

You have a few solid options: applesauce, mashed bananas, ripe avocados, and pumpkin puree. Baked goods made with fruit purees in place of eggs will be super moist and dense but may reveal some of the sweet flavors of the fruit you choose.

If you're looking for a more neutral-tasting replacement, choose apples, avocado, or pumpkin—banana will lend a stronger flavor to your final product. As a rule of thumb, use unsweetened versions of fruit purees (like unsweetened applesauce) and sub in 1/4 cup of puree for every egg. This substitution works best in cakes, quick breads, muffins, and brownies.

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Ground Chia or Flaxseed

If you have either of these omega-3-rich seeds on hand at home, you can use them in place of eggs. Grind the flax or chia in a food processor until it forms a meal, then whisk 1 tablespoon with 3 tablespoons of water until it forms a thick, uniform paste. This will replace one egg in your recipe. Chia and flax seeds will each lend a nutty flavor and dense, heavy texture to baked goods, so opt for this egg replacement with non-delicate quick breads and desserts, like waffles, pancakes, muffins, and cookies.

Silken Tofu

Silken tofu is tofu that has a slightly higher water content, which makes it lighter and creamier in consistency than firmer tofu. It also has almost no flavor. Nonetheless, tofu adds a denser texture to baked goods, so it's also best used in desserts that aren't meant to be airy: brownies, breads, cookies, and quick breads. Substitute a 1/4 cup of pureed tofu for each egg.

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Baking Soda With Vinegar

Here's an option that you can use in desserts meant to be light and delicate, like cakes and cupcakes. Simply stir 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of vinegar for each egg in the recipe. The resulting chemical reaction will produce carbon dioxide and water (hence airiness).

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Aquafaba

Our personal favorite: aquafaba. This is a fancy term for the liquid that's left behind when you cook beans or legumes, or that thick watery fluid in your can of chickpeas. It has a similar texture to egg whites and whips up nearly as well. Use 3 tablespoons to replace 1 egg when making meringue, macaroons, or angel food cake.

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Milk or yogurt

Using a 1/4 cup of milk or yogurt in place of eggs is perfect for baked goods where moisture is key, such as cakes or muffins. (Vegans can use plant-based milks or yogurt in its place.

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Carbonated water

If you're looking for light, airy baked goods, 1/4 cup of carbonated water can be an excellent (and extremely cost-effective!) egg substitute.

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Mayonnaise

Eggs are a key ingredient in mayonnaise, so it makes sense that it can be a perfect substitute when you're out of eggs. Use 3 tablespoons of mayo as an egg substitute.

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