Vegan egg replacers

Whether you’ve just adopted a vegan diet and can’t wait to start baking or you’re a seasoned vegan that relies only on one or two egg replacements, here is a list of vegan-friendly egg replacers we found in the new (really cool) vegan cookbook The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Baking (Alpha, 2011) by Donna Diegel.
Whether you’ve just adopted a vegan diet and can’t wait to start baking or you’re a seasoned vegan that relies only on one or two egg replacements, here is a list of vegan-friendly egg replacers we found in the new (really cool) vegan cookbook The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Baking (Alpha, 2011) by Donna Diegel.

Eggs serve an important purpose in baking

Eggs are commonly used in baked goods as leaveners, binders, and for moistness. Diegel, a veteran vegan baker with over 25 years of experience in the food industry, recommends the following vegan egg replacers, ans assures that “with a little creativity and know-how, you’ll be whipping up unbelievably tasty cakes, breads, and other desserts for all your friends — vegan or not.”

Vegan egg replacers (for 1 large egg)

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• 1-1/2 teaspoons Ener-G Egg Replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons of water

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• 1 tablespoon Bob’s Red Mill All-Natural Egg Replacer mixed with 3 tablespoons water

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• 1/4 cup tofu blended with a little liquid in the recipe

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• 1/4 cup soy yogurt

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• 1/4 cup vegan buttermilk

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• 1/4 cup mashed banana or applesauce

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• 1 tablespoon soy flour mixed with 1 tablespoon water

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• 1 tablespoon agar-agar mixed with 1 tablespoon water

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• 1 tablespoon ground flax mixed with 3 tablespoons water*

*Diegel has a flaxseed egg substitute recipe in The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Vegan Baking, but I use this egg replacement recipe from FlaxUSA.com.

What egg replacement do you use?

For leavening, Diegel recommends commercial egg replacers, soft silken tofu, soy yogurt, or baking powder. “You can also get similar results by re-creating every kid’s favorite science project — mixing white or cider vinegar and baking soda to create a powerful chemical reaction that helps baked goods rise,” she adds.

For binders, the vegan baker suggests flax or blended tofu, or  arrowroot powder, cornstarch, or agar-agar powder mixed with water.

For moistness, Diegel says fruit puree, juice, or a little nondairy milk can do the trick when leavening isn’t as important as moist baked goods.

Diegel’s vegan baking cookbook is packed with over 15o recipes for cakes, muffins, pies, yeast breads, and desserts. The best way to learn how to replace eggs and other dairy items in baked goods is by baking vegan-specific recipes. Diegel gives you fail-proof vegan cooking tips and vegan recipes that will make you a pro vegan baker in no time.

More on vegan baking!