Egg Substitutions: Which to Choose?

Another baking substitution post, and again, a substitution that I'm needing this month. I'm down to 2 dozen eggs to get through the end of the month. That sounds like a lot, but we have a couple of family holiday brunches coming up and lots of holiday baking to do yet. So, I'm considering where I can substitute eggs and where I should follow recipes exactly. So how do I decide which recipe merits an egg or two and which recipe can take a substitute, plus what substitute to use? Basically, I consider the function of the egg in each recipe.

In baking and cooking, eggs have 3 functions, to add moisture, add leavening, and act as binding ingredients. In most recipes, eggs will fill a couple of these functions. In cookie dough, eggs both bind the dough together, and they add leavening. In cakes and muffins, eggs add leavening and moisture. In meatballs, eggs serve as binding agents, but also can add moisture.

To give you an idea of why having just one all-purpose, egg substitute won't give you the best results every time, here are examples of different substitutes and how they can and can't work:

• applesauce as egg substitute. Applesauce will add moisture to muffins and quick breads, but it has no leavening power of its own.
• flax seed meal or soy flour, plus water. Both are great binding ingredients, but neither can leaven. 
• baking powder. It leavens doughs and batters, but has no ability to add moisture, in fact it can dry out some baking.

So, to simplify which to use, here's my list -- the general functions of eggs and which substitutes work best. 

***Important -- For most recipes, the best results will come from doubling up on your substitutes (2 substitutes from different categories, such as -- add a moisture sub and a leavening sub for muffins, or, add a binding sub and a moisture sub for meatballs).

Adding moisture (like for muffins, cakes, quick breads, pancakes, waffles, meatballs)

To add moisture to a recipe, for each egg, substitute 

• pureed fruit/veg like applesauce, pumpkin or banana (about 1/4 to 1/3 cup for each egg), or
• yogurt (1/4 cup) or
• silken tofu (1/4 cup) or
• 1/4 cup of mayo  

Adding leavening (muffins, breads, pancakes, cakes, cookies)

To add leavening to a recipe, for each egg, add

• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of baking powder. For cookies, 1/2 teaspoon is generally sufficient -- but see the cookie recommendation below*. For muffins, quick breads, and cakes, 1/2 to 1 teaspoon baking powder or the equivalent substitute of baking soda and vinegar. Using a moisture substitute in addition to the baking powder will compensate for the missing liquid from the egg.

In a 1-egg muffin recipe, you might substitute 1/4 cup of applesauce plus 1 teaspoon of baking powder. This would satisfy both the leavening power and moisture addition that eggs give to muffin batter.

For cakes, you'll have the best results if you use a 2-egg, or more, cake recipe, and only substitute baking powder for 1 of the eggs.

Adding a binder (meatloaves, cookies)

To add a binding agent to recipes which normally call for eggs, for each egg, add

• 1 heaping tablespoon soy flour, plus 2 tablespoons of water
• 1 tablespoon of flax meal, plus 3 tablespoons of water
• 1/4 cup silken tofu

All-purpose flour can also have binding properties, especially when used in conjunction with other egg substitutes, see below.

*I found with baking cookies, the following formula worked very well, for each large egg, whisk together:

• 2 tablespoons flour, 
• 2 tablespoons water, 
• 1/2 tablespoon oil and 
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 
• In addition, for cookies that we like slightly moist, like chocolate chip cookies, I substituted 1 tablespoon of applesauce for 1 tablespoon of the butter called for in the recipe.

Baking Substitution: Homemade Sweetened Condensed Milk

With holiday baking in full swing, I thought I would share this substitution recipe. I first stumbled upon this recipe when my kids were small and our grocery budget was smaller. I was perusing a Parenting magazine at the library when I came across a recipe for 7-Layer Magic Bars. I had had them once before, so I knew they would thrill my husband and kids. However, I didn't have some of the ingredients. This substitution recipe made the Magic happen in my house that year. I posted this recipe a few years ago, in 2019. It was useful to me then, and is now once again.

Homemade sweetened condensed milk works:

• in those bar cookie recipes (like Magic Bars) where ingredients are layered, then the milk is poured over all 
• in Tres Leche cake, a yummy south-of-the-border fruit and cream cake
• in homemade ice cream -- very quick and easy ice cream if you have some of this in the fridge)
• to make your own seasonal coffee creamers, just add spices and/or extracts 
• in candy-making, such as fudge 
• or for use in caramel sauce

While this recipe yields just over 3/4 cup of finished product (about 8 to 9 ounces), larger batches can be made to keep in the refrigerator for up to 10 days for use in many different baking/cooking recipes.

The savings -- about half the cost of commercial 

For a price comparison, Walmart's Great value brand of SCM is $1.94/14 ounces at my local store, or 13.9 cents per ounce. This year (2022), that's my best price locally. My homemade version cost me about 55 cents in ingredients (in 2022) for 8.75 ounces, and about 5 cents for the gas stove, for a total of about 60 cents, or 7 cents per ounce, about half the cost of the commercial product.