With the rising price of eggs, we’ve been getting creative with egg substitutes and had the chance to share them on Minnesota live! Check out the recipes below for eggless cupcakes, quiches, scrambled ‘eggs’, bagels, and cookies. You can also watch our segment with Chef Mary on Minnesota Live!
Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes
Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 20 minutes Total Time: 35 minutes (Servings: 12)
Ingredients
- 1¼ cups All-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- ⅛ teaspoon Salt
- ¾ cup Sugar
- ¼ cup Unsalted Butter or oil
- ½ cup Milk
- ¼ cup Unsweetened applesauce
- 1 teaspoon Vanilla essence or Almond essence
- ½ cup Yogurt
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large mixing bowl, sift together all-purpose flour, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
Combine sugar and butter in a separate mixing bowl. Beat the two until butter turns pale yellow, light, and fluffy. Add milk, yogurt, and vanilla essence to the sugar mix. Mix to combine. Add in the sifted dry ingredients and beat until a smooth batter forms. Do not over mix the batter. Add in the applesauce. Gently fold the applesauce until incorporated. Be careful not to over mix the batter.
To prevent liners from sticking to cupcakes, spray them with nonstick cooking spray or brush with a little melted butter. Scoop cupcake batter to the lined cupcake pan. Fill each mold 2/3 of the way up with the batter. After filling the cupcake liners with batter, tap the pan on the kitchen counter a couple of times. This tapping will help get rid of air bubbles.
Bake for about 18-20 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Do not overbake. Overbaking will result in dry cupcakes. Remove from the oven and allow the cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pan. After the resting time is over, remove the cupcakes from the pan. Cool them on a cooling rack. Allow the cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.
Chocolate Chip Chia Cookies
Prep Time 15 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Total Time 25 minutes (Makes 36 cookies)
Ingredients
- 2 Chia Eggs
- 1 cup Butter
- 1 cup Sugar
- 3 cups Flour
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- ¼ teaspoon Salt
- 1 cup Chocolate Chips
Instructions
Heat oven to 375F and line a cookie sheet with baking paper.
Make chia eggs by stirring 2 tablespoons chia seeds with 6 tablespoons of water. Let sit for 10 to 15 minutes until a gel forms.
Meanwhile, cream vegan butter together with sugar. In a different mixing bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add sugar mixture and chia eggs to flour. Carefully mix together with a wooden spoon and add chocolate chips.
Drop cookie dough (tablespoon size) on cookie sheet. Bake for 10-13 minutes.
Scrambled “Eggs”
Prep Time: 5 minutes Cook Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 15 minutes (Servings: 4)
Ingredients
- 16 ounces firm tofu
- ¼ cup dairy free milk
- ½ teaspoon sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ¼ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric, optional for color
- Drizzle of oil for cooking if not using nonstick pan
Instructions
Press the tofu, optional for less watery result. If you don’t have a tofu press then you can wrap in a paper towel and stack some heavy books on top.
As it is pressing, whisk together the rest of the ingredients (except the oil). Once tofu is done, use a fork to get it into scrambled like pieces.
Add the tofu to the pan, with the oil if using, and cook over medium heat. Once it is just starting to brown, add in the milk mixture and mix into the tofu. Cook until heated. Turn down the heat if it starts to brown too much or gets too dry. You can add another tablespoon of milk if you want it to have an “eggier” texture.
Easy Bagel Recipe
PREP TIME: 5 mins COOK TIME: 25 mins REST TIME: 15 mins TOTAL TIME: 30 mins (SERVINGS: 4)
Ingredients
- 1 cup unbleached all purpose flour, whole wheat or gluten-free mix ((5 oz in weight))
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup Greek yogurt
- ¼ cup milk for the “egg-wash” alternative, (non-dairy milk works here too)
- optional toppings: everything bagel seasoning, sesame seeds, poppy seeds, dried garlic flakes, dried onion flakes**
Instructions
Preheat oven to 375F. Place parchment paper or a silpat on a baking sheet. If using parchment paper, spray with oil to avoid sticking.
In a medium bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt and whisk well. Add the yogurt and mix with a fork or spatula until well combined, it will look like small crumbles. Lightly dust flour on a work surface and remove dough from the bowl, knead the dough a few times until dough is tacky, but not sticky, about 15 turns (it should not leave dough on your hand when you pull away).
Divide into 4 equal balls. Roll each ball into 3/4-inch-thick ropes and join the ends to form bagels. (Or you can make a ball and poke a hole in the center then stretch it slightly). Top with milk wash and sprinkle both sides with seasoning of your choice. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 25 minutes. Let cool at least 15 minutes before cutting.
Spinach Eggless Quiche
Prep Time 10 mins Cook Time 30-40 mins Servings 1 each 9” Pie or 6 ea. 4” mini quiches
Ingredients
Quiche Crust
- 1 ½ cup ritz cracker crumb (about 1 ½ sleeves)
- 1/3 cup butter , melted
- 2 tbsp non-dairy cream optional to brush the pie crust
- Spinach mixture
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 4 scallions, or 1 regular onion
- 12.3 oz fresh spinach, optional frozen spinach
Tofu filling
- 12.3 oz silken tofu, drained
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- ¾ tsp garlic powder
- 4 oz feta cheese, or other shredded cheese (optional)
Instructions
Prepare Crust
In a large bowl, add in the cracker crumbs. Add melted butter. Mix until starts to clump together. Transfer crumbs into a 9-inch lightly greased pie dish. Press into the pan. and prick the bottom a few times with a fork.
Preheat oven to 350°F
Spinach mixture: In a large pan, heat the oil. Add in scallions, and sauté for about 3 minutes until lightly browned and softened. Add the spinach, and continue cooking until wilted, about 2 minutes (or simply thaw frozen spinach). Transfer into a colander and drain. Then wrap in paper towels and squeeze to remove any excess liquid.
Tofu filling
Blend the tofu, cornstarch, and seasonings until smooth and creamy. Add spinach mixture and mix to combine. Then, stir in crumbled feta cheese. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. (If the filling seems too thick, add a bit of non-dairy cream, or if it seems too watery, stir in a bit of flour.) Fill the filling into the prepared crust, smoothing out evenly.
Bake for further 30-40 minutes until filling is set and light golden brown on top. (*If the crust seems getting too dry during baking, brush with a little non-dairy cream for a shiny golden color, and if it’s getting too dark, cover loosely with aluminum foil or baking paper).
Allow the quiche to cool slightly before slicing.
Eggs Substitutes and Tips
Baking Soda + Vinegar
1 egg = 1 tsp baking soda + 1 tbsp vinegar
Method: Unless you are confident in making changes to recipes, I would only use this substitute in recipes which have been specifically developed using it. These types of recipes are easy enough to find by googling!
Best for: chocolate cakes, other fluffy layer cakes and cupcakes, pancakes
Benefits: most people will have these already to hand, cheap
Ground Flaxseed (Linseed)
1 egg = 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp (45g) warm water
Method: Mix the flaxseed and water together in a small bowl and set aside until the mixture becomes slightly thick and gelatinous (around 5 minutes). You can now use it in your recipe as you would an egg.
Works best for: Muffins, cakes, quick breads, cookies, cornbread
Benefits: high in fiber, high in omega 3 fatty acids, neutral taste, easy to find
Chia Seeds
1 egg = 1 tbsp whole chia seeds + 3 tbsp water
Method: Mix the chia seeds and water together in a small bowl and set aside until the seeds have formed a gelatinous goop around them and thickened up a lot
Works best for: muffins, quick breads, cookies (& sometimes brownies)
Benefits: high in fiber, high in unsaturated fats, high in protein, no need to grind before using
Mashed banana, applesauce, pumpkin puree
1 egg = 1/4 cup (60ml) mashed banana or applesauce or pumpkin puree
Method: mash/blend banana until very smooth (use smooth, unsweetened applesauce/pumpkin puree) and mix into recipe as you would an egg.
Works best for: heartier bakes such as pancakes/waffles, muffins, quick breads
Benefits: easy to access and use
Greek Yogurt
1 egg = 1/4 cup (60ml) Greek yogurt (or thick soy yogurt)
Method: use as you would an egg in your recipe.
Works best for: quick breads, muffins, pancakes
Benefits: easy to access, provides some tenderness, high in protein, helps with browning
Chickpea Flour (Gram flour)
1 egg = 1 tbsp chickpea flour + 3 tbsp (45ml) water
Method: Place the flour in a small bowl and mix with the water until you get a smooth paste.
Works best for: cakier products like cakes, quick breads, muffins, deep frying (egg substitute for when you’re breadcrumb-coating things), French toast batter, crepes/pancakes, scrambled ‘eggs’/ ‘omelets or quiche (in combo with silken tofu), meatballs / meatloaf
Benefits: high in protein, high in fiber, imparts a golden color to bakes, has a neutral flavor once cooked
Aquafaba (Chickpea Water)
1 egg = 1/4 cup (60ml) aquafaba
Method: either use straight from the can or reduce (as described above) if needed before using. Can mix straight into batters/doughs or whip it up in a stand mixer (with or without sugar, as you would meringue) until you get thick, white fluffy foam just like whipped egg whites.
Best for: things where egg whites are used like meringues, mousse, Swiss meringue buttercream. Also, can be used for cookies, waffles/pancakes, deep frying (egg sub. for breadcrumb coating things), and cakes.
Benefits: uses something you’d usually throw away, can be frozen for use in the future, light fluffy texture.
Oats
1 egg = 2 tbsp oats + 3 tbsp boiling water (fine/instant/porridge oats work best here – not old-fashioned oats)
Method: Place the oats in a small bowl, cover with the boiling water and set aside until thickened and cooled. This mixture can then be blended into a smooth paste if having a slightly oaty texture in the finished bake isn’t desired.
Best for: cookies, muffins, quick breads, pancakes/waffles
Benefits: common pantry ingredient, cheap, high in fiber
Silken Tofu
1 egg = 1/4 cup (60ml) blended silken tofu
Method: blend with a hand blender, food processor or blender until smooth. Measure and then mix into your recipe as you would an egg.
Best for: cakes, muffins, quick breads, quiche (in combo with chickpea flour), scrambled egg
Benefits: provides a light texture so good for cakes, high in protein, shelf stable
Cornstarch (corn flour)
1 egg = 1 tbsp cornstarch + 3 tbsp (45ml) water
Method: mix in a small bowl to form a slurry. If using in something that gets baked (like a cake), just stir straight into the batter/dough. If using for custards/pie fillings, mix with the remaining liquid in the recipe and then cook on the stove over a low heat, stirring until thickened.
Best for: custards (ice cream, creme patisserie, pudding), pie fillings (e.g. pecan pie), lemon curd
Benefits: easy to use, accessible & cheap
Bonus: Egg wash substitutes
- 1 tbsp maple syrup + 1 tbsp soy milk
This egg wash does provide a slight sheen & darkening but not super effectively (although will do in a pinch)
- 1 tbsp maple syrup + 1 tbsp non-dairy milk + pinch of bicarbonate of soda + pinch of xanthan gum
Whisk together until combined.
- 1 tbsp maple syrup + 3 tbsp non-dairy milk + 1 tbsp cornstarch
The cornstarch here helps to thicken up the glaze so it adheres but can make the glaze appear more matte.
