7 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking Recipes & How to Use Them
Save RecipeMy egg substitutes chart has all the information you could ever need for baking egg free treats!
Hi Bold Bakers!
Hands down, the most common request I get is “What can I use as egg substitutes for baking?” I get that question on a daily basis now, so much so that it made me rethink am I catering to this audience enough? I try to make my baking and recipes accessible to everyone but because there has been such a demand for vegetarian baking, egg substitutes for baking and egg free recipes that I want to give you the tools and information you need so you can bake happily without eggs and still get Big & Bold results. Plus, I even show you how and when to use them. Watch my new video below and get a FREE Downloadable Conversion Chart further below.
Many want to avoid eggs for a lot of reasons: health, culture/religion, dietary restrictions, etc. Although adding eggs makes for a different end product, it does not mean that we cannot do without it. There might be a change in taste and texture but for the most part the end result is still pretty similar. Here is a list which comes in handy for me while I am making such a recipe.
How much egg substitute do I add to replace an egg?
1 egg is roughly 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons/60g/2oz) so you need to replace that volume in your recipe. Your egg substitute needs to equal the amount of egg you are leaving out.
Most commonly used egg substitutes for baking are:
Mashed Banana
Silken Tofu
Ground Flax Seed mixed with water
Yogurt (dairy free or regular)
Egg Substitutes for Cakes and Cupcakes
For each whole egg used you can substitute it with one of the following:
½ a medium Banana, mashed
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Apple sauce
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Silken Tofu
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Buttermilk
Egg Substitutes for Cookies
For each whole egg used you can substitute it with one of the following:
1 tablespoon ground flax seed + 3 tablespoon water
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Sweetened Condensed Milk
Egg Substitutes for Brownies
For each whole egg used you can substitute it with one of the following:
1 tablespoon ground Flax Seed + 3 tablespoon water
½ a medium Banana, mashed
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Apple sauce
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Silken Tofu
¼ cups (4 tablespoons) Yogurt (vegan or regular)
¼ cup (4 tablespoons) Buttermilk
Notes about using Flax Seed as an egg substitute
1 tablespoon ground Flax Seed + 3 tablespoon water= 1 egg
Grind the Flax Seeds in a coffee grinder, and mix with water. Allow it to rest till it becomes gelatinous, then use.
Notes about using Silken Tofu as an egg substitute
1/4 cup blended Silken Tofu = 1 egg
Process in a blender until completely smooth and creamy, leaving no graininess or chunks. Now it is ready to use as an egg substitute in your recipes.
CLICK HERE FOR A FREE DOWNLOADABLE CHART
Don’t Miss a New Recipe! Sign up for My FREE Weekly Email Newsletter.
Get more Bold Baking Basics!
Follow Bigger Bolder Baking on Pinterest for more baking ideas!
Meet Gemma
Hi Bold Bakers! I’m Gemma Stafford, a professional chef originally from Ireland, and I’m passionate about sharing my years of experience to show you how to make game-changing baking recipes with over-the-top results! Join more than 1 Million other Bold Bakers in the community for new video recipes every week!
Have you made a recipe? Share photos on my website or across social media with the hashtag #boldbaker.
And don't miss my NEW Bold Baking recipes and tips. Sign up for my weekly email newsletter.
Hi Gemma,..
I’m planning on making your pizza cupcakes and would like to know which substitute works best for that dough.
I’d think buttermilk, same as cake batter egg substitute.
Hi Preeti,
yes! buttermilk, yogurt, flax egg will all do a good job in this recipe,
Gemma 🙂
Hi what is substitue for butter thank you.
Hi Frances,
it depends on the recipe. For some recipes like a pastry, for instance, hard baking margarine works well. Coconut oil can work here too, and Crisco if are in the USA. Soft tub style margarine and oils can work well for spong type cakes, but you do need to adjust the amount as butter is more than fat, so about 1/4 the amount of butter suggested in the recipe if replacing with oil. Use a light oil too, vegetable oil/seed oil/nut oils work well, but it is always recipe dependent.
I hope this helps.
Gemma 🙂
Hi, I’m planning on making a cathedral fruit cake, which is very dense and full of dried fruit and nuts. A friend of mine is vegan. I wonder if the tofu substitute would work best? I’m afraid to experiment as the fruit and nuts cost a fortune! Thanks so much!
Hi Mich,
yes, fruit and nuts certainly cost a fortune. That is like a Christmas cake, the traditional one we had in Ireland. (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/irish-christmas-cake/) like this one. A large cake which stores really well and is usually made well ahead of Christmas, at least a month ahead for best flavor.
I think the best alternative to eggs in this type of recipe is going to be flax egg. Chia egg too will work in the same way. I am not so sure about the tofu, but it really depends on the exact recipe and the size of the cake too. In a small cake, the tofu could work really well. Do not over bake this type of cake, burnt fruit is nasty!
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma,
I tried your crazy cupcake recipe and replaced the eggs with buttermilk, but it didnt turn out good. It had a funny smell , was very wet and peeling away from the liner. Should I have used another substitute?
Hi Miriam! if your cupcakes were very wet, they still needed more time in the oven then. Give it another go! Gemma 😊
Do we have to boil the flax seeds and water mixture to make gelatine ?
I have not made flax seeds as a gelatin. I would have to look into that. I am so sorry I am not much of help here. Thanks for asking!
I’m loving the egg substitute. Can you please tell me what can I substitute for egg in your best ever banana cake recipe
Hi Taronish,
I would say applesauce for this, it will bring a nice lightness to the batter and work well with the banana. you may like to reduce the sugar a bit as the apple will be naturally sweet.
I hope you like this recipe,
Gemma 🙂
My grandson has an egg and nut allergie, what should I use instead of eggs for his 1st birthday cake?
Hi Lisa,
poor lamb! happy that you found this out before he is too much older, he will get used to a different diet easier than you or me!
Applesauce would be my first choice for a sponge cake for a child. The alternative is a flax egg, which is a great general-purpose alternative for baked goods. Yogurt works really well for pancakes.
I hope this little man has the happiest of birthdays,
Gemma 🙂
Please help.
If I use sweetened condensed milk instead of eggs in cookies.. Will it not make my cookie extra sweet?
YUP! Really condensed milk is a sugar – if you use it in a recipe you need to take account of it by reducing the sugar quantity in ratio to the condensed milk, that is, remove one tablespoon of sugar for every tablespoon of the condensed milk.
You need to take account of it being a liquid sugar too, and that it has a different effect in a bake, you will get a crisper, more caramelized result.
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
I was wondering which egg substitute i should use if I want to bake a lemon loaf? Can I use yogurt?
Hi Lina,
it depends on the loaf – the other ingredients.
For a sponge type recipe, you can use applesauce, chia seeds, flax egg. Yogurt will work reasonably well too if you cannot find the others.
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma, planning to make the no yeast donut recipe today. Just wanted to know can I substitute the egg with milkmaid(and if yes how much) , since I donot have bananas or applesauce handy. I have a lot of milkmaid from trying the chocolate chip cookie recipe which was amazing. Thankyou xx
I’m thrilled to hear that! Thanks for trying it and letting me know 🙂
Best,
Gemma.
Hi Gemma!!
Excellent suggestions..
Will the flax seed substitute for eggs give the brackish colour to the vanilla cup cakes which ought to be beautiful cream colored?
Hi,
No you will be fine with the color. It will be such a small amount. For cupcakes apple sauce and banana are a good substitute.
Best,
Gemma.
Hello Gemma I was wondering if I could use evaporated milk instead of condensed milk. And if so would I need to follow any extra steps. Thanks for your help.
Hi there,
not so much evaporated milk, though if you added a little white vinegar to this it would help. (https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/homemade-buttermilk/) see here for the method. Remember that this is a liquid ingredient and you may need to accommodate that in the specific recipe. Sometimes a little extra baking powder will also work well as an egg sub, but it depends on the purpose of the eggs in a recipe. Eggs create structure in a batter, they thicken, emulsify sauces and add moisture to cakes and other baked goods. They also hold the mix together, working as a binding agent. This is what you need to ask yourself before you sub them out of a recipe ‘what are they bringing to the party?’
I hope this is helpful.
Gemma 🙂
Hi!
I had a small query. If we use condensed milk as a substitute, what quantity of sugar should we be using? It needs to be reduced because condensed milk itself is sweet, right?
Hi Neha,
yes, exactly right. This will be recipe dependent too as it is a liquid ingredient in a different way to an egg.
In general, you will reduce the sugar to the weight/measure of the condensed milk. If you use 1 tablespoon of the milk then remove at least one tablespoon of the sugar, some recipes will tolerate a further reduction of the sugars too. Same applies if there is honey in a recipe and you are subbing that out for a dry sugar.
I hope this helps, it is worth getting to grips with this,
Gemma 🙂
Hi! Gemma
Thanks for sharing such great tips. Could you please help me sort a dilemma? I have recently come across an egg based cake recipe which i want to convert into an egglesss one. Now the dilemma is since 3/4 cup of buttermilk is already used in the recipe along with 2 whole eggs, what should i replace them with…? 1/2 cup of yoghurt or increase the quantity of the buttermilk to 1 1/4th cup? I do not wish to use other options such as applesauce, banana, flax seed gloop or condensed milk. Sorry for being so picky but i find the first three have an aftertaste and not a big fan of the fourth one. It will be great if u could guide me. Thank you 😊
Hi there,
the best ones to use in this case are the fruit purees or flax egg. Applesauce, in particular, should work well for you, and should not have an aftertaste.
The big issue is that these recipes are designed to use egg, and the purpose of an egg in a recipe is important to figure out. In a sponge cake, the purpose will be twofold. 1. to enrich. 2. to assist with the leavening.
adding a little extra baking powder can also help, but it tends to be recipe specific.
I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
Hi again, Gemma. I have few questions
– for cake there are 4 options for egg substitute and cake in a mug you gave the options to use condensed milk. Is there a reason for this or i could use condensed milk for both.. And for your rainbow cake there is already white and brown sugar, so if I add condensed milk wouldn’t it be so sweet. (i was planning to use buttermilk for the substitute)
– for churros and the cornbread, which category do i check under. will it be under cake for the substitute
I did not bother to bake before but now that you have given few tips for egg replacer i would like to try it…
Thank you so much.
Hi Hema! Thanks for dropping a line! A lot of Bold Bakers do not eat eggs. Hence, this guide.
These are general guidelines, but there will be times that they will be recipe dependent. I do specify which substitutes work best in particular recipes or if they won’t. One of those recipes is the churros. My recipe, in particular, will need eggs. But if you look into the traditional churros, which are fried, they do not use eggs.
For cakes, best to use bananas, applesauce, silken tofu or buttermilk.
For cornbread, you can use flax or chia eggs instead. They will work well.
Feel free to explore the comments section of each recipe. A lot of Bold Bakers will ask questions, which you may have in mind as well.
Happy Baking!
Gemma 😊
Thank you so much..
Hi, Gemma. Thank you for this wonderful tip. Which of this egg replacement do I use if I want to make your donuts recipe. Thank you so much. Have a wonderful day.
Hi there,
I am not too sure which donut recipe you mean. For cake donuts let it be applesauce or flax egg.
For Yeast baking the purpose of the egg is to enrich the dough, you can omit it. Replacing the liquid in yeast baking with milk will also enrich the dough and would be good for a yeast donut bake. You can experiment a little. Milk and butter, either melted or rubbed into the flour will also give a lovely light result.
Gemma 🙂
Gemma i love that you do eggless recipes i am allergic to eggs and have a hard time with recipies thank you for your egg substitute chart. I am now baking more and enjoying it again.
Awesome! Glad to know this has helped you a lot. Gemma 😊
Hey Gemma can u please let me know the recipe of pineapple cake plz
Hi Vaishali! I do not have a pineapple cake recipe just yet, but that’s been on the list. This one, the carrot bundt cake, while it is a carrot one, it also has a little pineapple. Hope this will do in the meantime https://www.biggerbolderbaking.com/carrot-bundt-cake/
Hi Gemma…….just bought a toaster oven and came across your You Tube Channel & Website. I really liked you mug meals recipes. Can these be made in the toaster oven/regular oven. Do i need to make any changes in the recipe/temperature/duration or container when doing it in the toaster/regular oven.
If your Mug Meals Recipes cant be made in the toaster oven, would request you to add some recipes which can be done in toaster oven as well.
Thanks in Advance!
Hi Sanish,
this is a great little appliance for sure, but there are so many varieties that it is difficult for me to give a simple response.
Your instruction book for your oven will tell you a lot. That said, if you bake these in an oven then it will be best to use a muffin pan and bake more than one at a time. Bake at 180c/350f for about 15 minutes but you will need to monitor this, it really does depend on your particular oven,
Gemma 🙂
Hi Gemma, I have joined newly to your site and enjoy recipe’s available, want to know if these egg substitutes will help in raising the cake as the egg so
I generally make banana cake very often and my eggless cake does not rise as required
Hi there,
yes, and there you have hit the nail on the head, so to speak. This type of recipe, even with egg, is quite dense and moist, as it is meant to be. More like a bread than a sponge cake. for a better rise, I suggest you add an extra one teaspoon of baking powder, or buttermilk/yogurt and 1/4 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda. That may help a lot with this recipe.
Do let us know how you get on,
Gemma 🙂
Hi there,
this is a good question. These are substitutes, and in some cases, they work really well, in sponge cakes and cookies for instance.
In bakes which rely on eggs for the rise, then these may not give a satisfactory result. This will include a no fat sponge cake, meringue, etc.
Aquafaba, is worth knowing for meringue type bakes and mousse. You can google this one.
Eggs play an important role in baking. In cakes, cookies, meringue, custards and pastry cream — they create structure and stability within a batter, they help thicken and emulsify. They add moisture and richness to cakes and other baked goods and can be the glue which holds the bake together, depending on the other ingredients, it is a bit magical!
So, the point being it is important to ask yourself the purpose of the egg in the recipe you are considering, and then which sub will work best for that particular one. I hope this is of help,
Gemma 🙂
Can you use flax seed as an egg substitute in cakes as well?
Hi Maya,
yes, this is commonly used in sponge cakes. It needs to be ground flax seed, soaked until it becomes gelatinous.
I hope this helps,
Gemma 🙂
Hii gemma love your channel and all the recepie.
I have a question can you tell me the substitute for egg yolks in a scones recepie?
Hi,
Great question! Buttermilk would be your substitute there 🙂
Best,
Gemma.
Hi Gemma, I am absolutely loving your mug cake recipes. I am using condensed milk to replace eggs. You can say condensed milk is my new favourite thing. I want to try your mug cookies as well but they call for egg yolks and I can’t figure how much condensed milk that would be. Can you please help me with that.
Thank you
Yes sure, so you would need around 1 tablespoon of condensed milk for the egg yolk.
That will work well,
Gemma.
Gemma,
Thank you for you knowledge.
Best regards,
Carmenza
Hi Gemma ia 11years old and I love to cook but I do not eat egg so can I use flax seed in a cheesecake
Hi Ria,
I am delighted to have you baking with us. It is great to start baking when you are young, you learn a lot by doing!
When you substitute eggs in any recipe you have to stop and ask yourself ‘what is the purpose of the egg in this recipe?’.
That is how you learn. for a baked cheesecake there are two purposes for the egg. 1. to build air into the mix, 2. to set the mix.
Beating the cheese and cream will be a big help where the air is concerned, cornflour/cornstarch will set the mix. The amount of cornstarch will depend on the amount of other ingredients in the recipe. for a 9 inch cheesecake you would need about 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, blended with 3 tablespoons of water.
I do not know what recipe you are using, so this may not be be exactly right for you. Let me know,
Gemma 🙂
I have been told one can substitute “unflavored geliten” for egg substitute also. I have not tried it yet. Don’t know if it is vegan though.
Hi, that’s interesting i’ll have to try that!
Hi Gemma,
Thank you for your wonderful recipes. We are vegetarians and refrain from eating eggs. My kids usually never get to eat baked goodies outside, since it is hard to find eggless treats in stores in our small town. I have tried quite a few of your recipes, and they have always been a hit 🙂 I tried your cookies recipe with condensed milk as egg substitute from the chart given on your website and they turned out great!
My daughter wants me to make donuts and cinnamon rolls this week, during spring break. She has never tasted these yet, as I mentioned the reason above. Can you please guide me with ratio and type of egg substitute that can be used in your baked donuts and cinnamon rolls recipe? I could not find these in the egg substitute chart. I would love to bake these two goodies at home for the kiddos. Thanks in advance.
Poorvi
Thank you so much for the lovely message! I am delighted to hear that! You can use a chia or flax egg here in a 1:1 ratio. Enjoy!
Hi Gemma. What can we use as an egg substitute in choux pastry?
For that kind of dough there is no egg sub. I’m sorry about that.