How to use 10 Pantry-Staple Vegan Egg Substitutes in Baking & Cooking (2024)

This is the ultimate guide to cooking and baking vegan with these easy and approachable vegan egg substitutes! After years of testing, I’ve rounded up the perfect vegan replacements for eggs- that actually work. FINALLY make your favorite desserts and recipes vegan!

What do vegans use instead of eggs?

So if you’re new to vegan baking and cooking (or maybe you have an egg allergy!), then you might be stumped as to what you to do for swapping out eggs! It can be tricky, I will admit. Eggs even on a molecular level are just vastly different from anything that we’re going to use that’s vegan.

But once you know what to use, vegan baking will be as good as – if not, BETTER – than your traditional baking 😉

And the swaps these days are REALLY good. We’re going to go over all of the simple, plant-based (often fruit, nut, and bean based!) vegan ingredients that you can easily find at any grocery store (and may even have in your pantry right now!). I go over many of these swaps in myvegan cookbook, and many are used there as well.

But below are my Top 10 FAVORITE vegan egg swaps for you to use that are so easy, you’ll wonder why you haven’t used them before 😉 No store-bought egg substitute mixes, like ener-g egg replacer or bob’s red mill egg replacer- just straight forward swaps for all of your baking needs!

1. Dairy-Free Yogurt

1 egg = 1/4 cup (62 g) yogurt

This is my all time favorite vegan egg substitute. Using vegan yogurt, or dairy-free yogurt, such as soy milk yogurt, coconut yogurt, cashew yogurt, and more, is such a great way to swap out the full egg- yolk and white! I LOVE the texture this yields for any of myvegan cakes, especially myvegan vanilla cake, andvegan bread recipes.

It’s alsowonderfulinvegan cookies, especially myvegan chocolate chip cookies. Because of the high fat content and acidity level in the yogurt,

2. Applesauce

1 egg = 1/4 cup (62 g) applesauce

Using unsweetened applesauce is my favorite vegan egg replacement for vegan pancakes, breads, and if I don’t have yogurt, then cakes as well! I actually prefer applesauce to yogurt in brownie recipes as well. Applesauce is a wonderful way to lock in moisture in cakes and cookies.

You can make your own applesauce, or just buy a jar from the store! Keep in mind that unsweetened applesauce is preferred in most recipes- the added sugar in sweetened applesauces can alter the intended end result and flavor of the recipe!

3. Ground flaxseed

1 egg = 1 tbsp (10 g) + 1/4 cup (60 mL) water

Ground flax seed is my third favorite vegan egg replacement, and I MUCH prefer it to chia seeds. Actually, I never recommend using a “chia egg” in recipes because you can REALLY taste the chia seed. That’s honestly the only reason because other than that, it’s a great substitute. But that’s why I then suggest using a “flax egg” instead.

My two caveats with using flax eggs (or chia eggs) is that a) they’re homemade, so there’s a bit more risk for variation here. You really have to be measuring this properly because the flax to water ratio for replacing an egg. My other caveat is that you can sometimes see the flecks of flaxseed in the bake. However, to fix this issue, I recommend using ground upgolden flax seed. It works great!

For savory cooking, flaxseed is also wonderful to add as a binder, such as invegan lentil burgersandvegan lentil meatballs. Another tip- a touch of oat flour works just as well there!

4. Pumpkin puree

1 egg = 1/4 cup (62 g) pumpkin puree

I absolutely adore using pumpkin puree in recipes as the vegan egg replacement. It’s fantastic when used in chocolate recipes, like vegan brownies or vegan chocolate cake. It’s also the reason why myvegan pumpkin cinnamon rollsare just so dang fluffy! Pumpkin puree is naturally so moist, and helps to lock in the overall moisture to the cake, bread, or cupcake that you’re baking.

Pumpkin puree does give a bit of an orange color to the over all bake, so that’s why I typically stick with using it in chocolate recipes (or this amazingvegan pumpkin pie😉 ). You can also use mashed/pureed sweet potato just as you would pumpkin puree!

5. Banana

1 egg = 1 medium (118 g) banana, mashed

Mashed banana acts much like pumpkin puree, sweet potato puree, and applesauce. However, unlike the former substitutes, it definitely has much more of a flavor in baking. I really just reserve using bananas for baking if it’s myvegan banana bread(which is pretty awesome because banana is both the flavor profile AND the egg replacement!) orvegan banana cake.

6. Aquafaba (Chickpea Brine)

1 egg = 1/4 cup (62 mL) aquafaba (plus 1 tbsp chickpea flour for a full “egg”!)

One of my absolute favorite vegan egg replacements to use is aquafaba. Now, aquafaba is very similar to egg whites, rather than a full egg (but I use a tablespoon of chickpea flour, almost as the egg yolks, mixed in for a full egg effect!). However, it still really does the trick.

One of my all time favorite uses for just aquafaba is invegan French toast– it’s much preferred over using flaxseed! The aquafaba is such a wonderful way to create that custard-like texture. You really won’t regret it.

Another favorite is in my brownies. Egg whites are responsible for creating the crinkle top on top of brownies, so aquafaba is a must-have for baking fudgyvegan brownies. More on how to use aquafaba for vegan egg whites down below!

And of course, we’ve finally got a vegan angel food cake ready that’s made with- you guessed it- aquafaba!

7. Baking soda + Vinegar

1 egg = 1/2 tsp baking soda + 1 tbsp vinegar

This is actually theonlyegg substitute found in several of myvegan cupcake recipes. Apparently, cupcakes really don’t need eggs! Just a touch of vinegar with baking soda releases carbon dioxide, which helps to rise the baked good, and the high sugar content helps to stabilize it.

I personally like using apple cider vinegar for the best flavor overall. It’s also a great trick if you run out of baking powder! I often use it for rising cakes, brownies, and cookies when baking just for Jared, since he’s allergic to corn.

8. Arrowroot Starch (or Cornstarch)

1 egg = 1 tbsp (10 g) arrowroot starch

Arrowroot starch (or cornstarch) is another wonderful way to swap out eggs in baking. I often use arrowroot starch in combination with another vegan egg substitute, like yogurt. I particularly love this in cake and cookie recipes (especiallygluten free cookie recipes!).

Not only that, but arrowroot starch is also AMAZING in vegan custard and vegan custard-based recipes, like thisvegan chocolate puddingandbaked vegan cheesecake, especially if aquafaba and chickpea flour are unavailable to you.

9. Almond Butter (or Nut-Free Alternative)

1 egg = 1/4 cup (62 g) almond butter

This is a great substitute for eggs in vegan baking if you don’t have a nut-allergy! I like using almond butter for the most neutral of flavors. Cashew butter is another great alternative as well, and definitely swap in peanut butter if you want that flavor to come through! This is great in brownies and cheesecakes, which thrive in a higher-fat bake. For a nut-free alternative, you can use sunflower seed butter!

10. Medjool Dates

1 egg = 1/4 cup (62 g) dates, pureed (about 3-4 medium dates)

Pureed dates are another wonderfully delicious vegan egg replacement that’s wonderful in sweet recipes, like cakes, quick breads, cupcakes, and more. They are a bit more work to achieve, however, as you have to soak the dates to soften them. Additionally, medjool dates are preferred.

Once you puree them, though, they create such a wonderful caramelized flavor in your baked goods, as well as binding them! Pureed dates are great inraw vegan cheesecakesfor the crust, and also in thisvegan sticky toffee pudding recipe!

11. BONUS: Chickpeas for scrambled eggs!

1 egg = 1/3 cup chickpeas, mashed

One of my favorite ways to enjoy savory vegan egg recipes is using chickpeas! Many vegan recipes like to swap in silken tofu, which is a wonderful substitute. However, for a soy-free variation (that is a bit more cost-effective!), I would suggest trying chickpeas.

Myvegan chickpea scrambleandvegan quiche made from chickpeasare two of my favorite veganized egg recipes that are just delicious!

Which vegan egg replacements are best for what types of recipes:

How do I replace egg whites in vegan baking?

Aqufaba is my favorite way to replace egg whites in vegan baking. It’s not quite the same as egg whites, however, as it does not contain the same amount of protein as anegg whitedoes. Protein is actually crucial in baking, as protein is responsible for stabilizing the height and structure of the baked good.

This is why it’s so hard to find a good vegan angel food cake recipe (but don’t worry- I’m working on it!). However, you can still make an AWESOMEvegan meringuethat bakes perfectly into cookies. And a wonderfulvegan lemon curd(that’s great in myvegan lemon meringue pie!) using aquafaba and chickpea flour that mimics an actual egg in baking.

What do vegans use instead of eggs for breading?

I would recommend using aquafaba and chickpea flour for breading items, like tofu, for frying or baking.

What should I use for a vegan egg wash?

For any recipe that requires a vegan egg wash, such asvegan dinner rollsorvegan pie crust, I recommend mixing maple syrup with a touch of soy milk or almond milk.

What is the best vegan egg substitute for cake?

Personally, I love using dairy-free yogurt as a vegan egg substitute for cakes, cupcakes, muffins, and cookies. Because of the fat content andaciditythat reacts with baking soda found in yogurt, vegan cakes and cupcakes (and even cookies!) turn out so much fluffier and almost velvety in texture. That’s why often, you might read reviews that say that even non-vegans said this was their favorite recipe! Yogurt truly does create a lovely texture in baking, and it’s quite neutral in flavor as well.

The next best substitute I’d recommend is applesauce- it’s more neutral in flavor than banana, and more neutral in color than pumpkin puree for vanilla-based bakes.

How do I get an egg-y flavor in vegan cooking?

If you’re looking for how to add actual eggy flavor to your cooking, I recommend kala namak, or black salt. It adds that sulfur flavor that you might be missing if you’re vegan and are really craving eggs!

Bonus: 5 Secrets to transform your vegan baking!

I hope this guide is helpful for you as you embark on vegan baking and vegan cooking. You might like my guide on room temperature butter here- yes for vegan butter!

For even more vegan baking tips, check out my vegan baking tips section, as well as myvegan baking guidehere!

It truly is such a fun way to live and cook- at first, it’s overwhelming, yes, as is anything though. Once you learn the basics, you can really make anything as delicious as the traditional counterpart- or better!

What’s your favorite vegan egg substitute to bake with? I want to know below!​

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