Giving up meat and animal-based protein doesn’t mean you have to forgo your delicious baked treats. There are plenty of replacements for eggs in baking that work very well indeed. Here are some of the best substitutes for eggs in your cakes, desserts and sweets.
Mashed banana
We’re all familiar with banana bread. Mashing up a ripe banana can provide your cake and pancakes recipe with moisture and flavour. The other ingredients in your recipe should be compatible with the banana flavour as it can overwhelm some other more subtle fruit flavours. Ripe bananas can also make a delicious vegan ice-cream alternative if you add a splash of almond milk and freeze.
Apple sauce
Apple sauce can add moisture to your cakes and sweet breads. The addition of fruit puree to any baking recipe can make the end result a bit denser than usual, so you can counteract this by adding more baking powder to the mix.
Silken tofu
Silken tofu is different to black tofu because it is made by coagulating soy milk without curdling it. It makes a great egg alternative in eggy dishes like quiches and custards. It won’t replicate the fluffiness of eggs but it will provide a kind of eggy density to your finished dish.
Flax seed
You can replace egg in many of your baking recipes. To make one ‘flax seed egg’ add one tablespoon of flax seed meal to three tablespoons of water and allow to sit for 5-7 minutes. You can make flax meal by whizzing flax seeds in the food processor.
Yogurt
Not a vegan alternative, but natural or Greek yogurt can be used as an egg alternative. Just add a quarter-cup of yogurt to your recipe and you’ll add moisture. It works best for cakes, muffins and cupcakes.
Vegan yogurt
There are many vegan yogurt products out there, like almond milk yogurt and cashew milk yogurt, and they make a really good egg alternative to recipes for quick breads and cakes. Two tablespoons per egg you want to replace will add moisture and flavour.
Buttermilk
Cultured buttermilk is not vegan, but it has long been used in baking as an egg substitute. Try it in Irish soda bread, or add it to cakes and buns for the right about of moisture and a little bit of tang. Buttermilk is mild, unlike sourdough, it can go with sweet and savoury recipes, and its acidic nature breaks down gluten and helps your breads and cakes rise.
Condensed milk
Condensed milk – which is really just dairy milk that is reduced or ‘condensed’ by evaporating the water from it and with added sugar – can be used as an egg replacement. It works especially well in cheesecakes and chilled desserts. You can use evaporated milk, which is similar, only unsweetened, for savoury dishes.
Not only are these natural ingredients excellent for eggs in your cooking and baking, but there are increasingly more vegan egg alternatives on the market that work very well. There’s clearly no need to over-egg the pudding any more.
