Egg substitutes - what are they and which one to use?
Eggs are commonly used in baking, so what do you do if you’re a vegan, allergic to egg or don’t want to use it for some other reason?
The general rule of thumb is that the fewer eggs there are in a recipe, the better the chance of success if you need to use substitutes.
There is no single egg substitute that would work in all recipes. Here’s a list of potential egg substitutes:
- Shop-bought egg replacers
- Fruit purées
- Honey or sweetening syrups
- No-added-sugar fruit spreads (sugar-free jams) – if sugar is not a problem for you, you can of course use ordinary jams
- Tofu (however, this is not an option if you can’t eat soya)
How to choose?
To choose which one of the options is the most appropriate, you need to determine the function egg plays in the recipe:
- Is the egg used to make a cake light and fluffy? If so, try a shop-bought egg replacer
- Is it used to bind ingredients together (for example when making pancakes)? If so, try a shop-bought egg replacer, fruit purées, sweetening syrups or no-added-sugar fruit spreads (sugar-free jams).
- Is it used to bind the ingredients together as well as to add moisture (for example when making cookies, muffins and denser cakes)? If so, try fruit purées, honey, sweetening syrups or no-added-sugar fruit spreads (sugar-free jams).
- Is it a central ingredient a in a recipe (for example when making a quiche or egg sandwich)? If so, try tofu.
To narrow down your choice, determine whether the flavour of the egg substitute matters:
- Does the egg substitute have to be flavourless? If so, choose a shop-bought egg replacer.
- Does it matter if the egg substitute had a strong flavour? If not, try fruit purées or no-added-sugar fruit spreads (sugar-free jams).
- Can the egg substitute have a mild flavour (but not as overpowering as the fruit-based purées or spreads)? If so, try honey or sweetening syrups.
Using an egg substitute is not necessarily straightforward as you may have to modify the amount of other ingredients in the recipe. Click on the links below to find out more about substitutes and how to use them in cooking and baking:
Shop-bought egg replacers
Fruit purées as egg substitutes
Sweetening syrups and honey as egg substitutes
No-added-sugar fruit spreads (sugar-free jams) as egg substitutes
Tofu as an egg substitute
Copyright © Tarja Moles 2013. Photograph © cukmen | 123rf.com.
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Tarja Moles is the author of No Naughties: Sweet Treats without Sugar, Wheat, Gluten and Yeast. Visit www.nonaughties.com for free recipes and information on special diets and living with multiple dietary restrictions.
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