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Egg Substitutes
September 17, 2007 |
Eggs have two main functions in recipes, particularly in baking.
1. When whipped, they incorporate air and act as a leavening agent. They serve to make cakes and souffles airy and light.
2. They act as a binder to add moisture. On cooking, they thicken considerably, holding custards, casseroles and meringues together.
They are also used for glazing, drying, and sometimes to retard crystallisation.
As explained here:
The purpose the egg serves in the original recipe — as well as the amount of egg the recipe calls for — determines whether you need a substitute and, if so, which alternate ingredient will best serve the function of the egg in the recipe.
Flat foods such as pancakes and cookies don’t rely on eggs for lift. In fact, in many cases, you can eliminate the egg without noticeably affecting the final product. That’s especially true if the recipe calls for only one egg. If you do omit the egg, however, it’s a good idea to add a tablespoon or two of additional liquid — soymilk, fruit juice, or water, for example — for each egg omitted to restore the recipe to its original moisture content.
When a recipe calls for three or more eggs — as many cakes do — the eggs perform a vital function and need to be replaced with an ingredient that can deliver a similar effect.
![[image]](http://mowser.com/img?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjugalbandi.info%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2007%2F09%2Feggs1.jpg)
Egg whites are virtually fat free, while the yolk contains about 5 grams of fat. (Nutrition facts about eggs HERE)
While eggs cannot be replaced in recipes where egg whites or yolks are the central ingredient (angel food cake, creme brulee or zabaglione), they can be replaced in most baking with a variety of other ingredients.
Some tips:
** One egg usually refers to one large egg, which is about 1/4 cup in volume. Therefore, replacing an egg in a recipe would require replacing about 1/4 cup of moisture in the recipe with something else.
** Silken tofu is a great egg substitute in cakes, muffins, etc. Make sure to blend it to a smooth puree. (Check out our egg-free Chocolate Rum Cake )
** To replace moisture in a recipe and lighten it, use any of the following, depending on the recipe.
Any of these totalling 1/4 cup equals substitution for one large egg.
2 tablespoons cornstarch / arrowroot powder or potato starch dissolved in water
mashed potatoes
mashed banana
canned or cooked and mashed pumpkin
pureed prunes
applesauce
1 tbsp. ground flax seed mixed with water
1 tbsp agar agar dissolved in water
tomato puree
Most commercial egg replacement powders have a combination of dextrose, potato starch and leavening agents.
** If a recipe calls for an egg for leavening purposes (to make it rise and become airy), along with any of the substitutions mentioned above, it helps to add 1/2 tsp baking powder per replaced egg.
** If the recipe calls for the whole egg (the yolk adds texture and richness), it also helps to add 2 tsps oil/butter per replaced egg.
![[image]](http://mowser.com/img?url=http%3A%2F%2Fjugalbandi.info%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2007%2F07%2Firon5.jpg)
egg-replacement, Eggs, HOW TO, substitute, vegetarian recipes
Very very very useful and informative post. This goes into del.icio.us for ever.
Many thanks! :bow:
-altoid
that is really informative. but tomato purees, pumpkins and potatoes can not be used in cakes right?
thats a very informative post about egg replacement. gooto to try the silken tofu is this the smooth tofu which looks similar to our yogurt??
Bee & Jai, thanks for the info, very informative
Thanks a lot B & J…very informative post…will follow your tips and try out…nice of you to oblige.
That’s a really useful post, thanks.
Hi bee jay, great info there…I use malai/condensed milk in my eggless cakes… and beat them well to incorporate air into the batter… they give light and rich, yummy cakes…
and then… how about agar-agar…instead of eggs in creme brulee, and puddings??
Hi girls,
very interesting post. I dont eat eggs, so I always go for mashed bananas when cooking sweet or mashed potatoes when cooking savory. But you guys brought some real crazy ideas :bow:
Thanks B and J that is a new learning for me. I use curd as substitute due to the albumin content though lower than an egg. It satisfies the criteria of an airtap and binder really well. Every egg replaced by 2 tablespoons of curd is how all my cakes are made. Also cakes made with oil are more moist than any other fat. Good work!
great post. Though we don’t eat eggs I always add them in bakes as I’m not that confident of making eggless ones (though I must admit I have attempted couple of them from blog world and had success). thanks B&J!
Arvind wanted to try Egg substitute once(Carton in the store) and we really didn’t like it.We love Eggs, so we don’t need any other anyway, but helps lot of pure vegetarians though.Great list!:))
Lovely tips, silken tofu as egg substitute…that is neat
Thanks a lot. This is really useful for people like me who don’t eat eggs.
Though I have to be discreet, I am asking this. Do those substitutions work for every thing? I have tried using bananas and every thing I made seem to taste the same (like banana muffins)
That anonymous was me.
havent really had much experience with eggless baking - but i do know from some recipes that some of substitutes used include milk powder, condensed milk, curd and cooking soda. from the above list, i am somehow not so hopeful about tomato puree.
Very informative.. thank u so much!!
Cool information! I would love to try silken tofu too! I mostly use dahi (not sour) as a substitute in eggless cakes!
Nice informative post… :horn: thanks for all the tips and also for dropping by my blog… ;;)
You read my mind? Yesterday, I wanted to bake and was out of eggs. I had the first four replacers on hand but had no clue they’d work! Bookmarked this.
We use a lot of egg substitutes in my parents home as they don’t eat eggs. I even find things to taste too eggy after getting used to eggless cooking. Nice information, and great pictures!
Kanch
Nice tips and Info for egg substitutes for pure vegans… :yes:
What is the difference between white eggs and brown eggs? (like the kind in the photo)…they taste the same to me
What a wonderful post!!! I just give up on baking as soon as I see eggs listed as ingredients. Looks like I am in for some baking experiments
You guys rock!
gr8 ideas.always left the recipes with egg.think i wont do that now.would love to visit ur site to gather such info .thank u
:horn: :bow:
Anjali mentioned using curd in cakes and I just tried this in a nut loaf recipe and I guess because of the albumen it had a great effect, very firm and really just like I had used egg.
And curd is so easily available, just boil up some milk and then add lemon juice till it curdles and strain off the curd.
Talking of which it makes an excellent replacement for scrambled eggs, just take the curd as it is, add salt pepper, maybe a little grated cheese or anything for taste (a pinch of turmeric even makes it nice and yellow just like eggs). Have this on hot buttered toast. Really yummy!
Hiii Bee,
Thanks a lot for these tips…am happy :dance: that finally can try my hand in cakes without eggs (my hubby just doesn’t like eggs)will try with these tips very soon.
Thank you so much for this information. You have made the day for many of us who don’t want to use eggs while baking.
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