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Baking Without Eggs!

Ioriginally wrote this post for the Food Talkseries of articles atThe Daring Kitchen. Baking without eggs and where this is notthat easy to do, baking with as few eggs as possible is something Ido on a regular basis.I often get mails from my readers asking me how I bake withouteggs and what substitutes could be used to replace eggs. There isno one substitute which will substitute for eggs in every recipe

simply because eggs can play a different role in every recipe.I am reposting this article here, and I hope it provides someanswers to those questions about baking without eggs.

In India, baking is not a traditional method of cooking. However,in certain parts of the country, some form of baking has become acustom over the years as a result of trade with other countries orforeign invasions. The naans (Indian flatbreads) and othertandoori breads of northern India came in from Persia, whilebakes like cakes, puddings and biscuits (as we call our cookies)are the legacy of the British, French, Dutch or Portugueseinflunces.

As I have explained in many of my earlier posts that though we doeat eggs, we are not very fond of them. Over the years, I have triedadapting baking recipes requiring eggs by either reducing the

eggs to the bare minimum, or not using them. I do bake with eggssome of the time, where they cannot be avoided and make adifference in my recipe.

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Spiced Eggless Avocado Cake

Here, Im sharing my experience about egg substitutes that haveworked in my baking.Eggs are such a large part of baking, that it is challenging tosubstitute or replace them. This was particularly true with mostDaring Baker challenges. I have been successful with some ofthem while I failed miserably with others, and Im still learning.

Some bakes, like angel food cakes, chiffon cakes, souffls andmeringues, are highly dependent on a large number of beateneggs/ whites for lightness and volume they provide. It is almost

impossible to substitute for eggs in these recipes.

The easiest way to bake without eggs is to use vegan recipes. Evenif you are not vegan but want to avoid eggs, you can adapt manyvegan recipes to suit your taste.However, I have found somevegan recipes excellent while others have been a disappointment.So I have, over time, got used to baking by adapting regularrecipes which use eggs.

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EgglessVegetable And Lentil Loaf

Substituting for eggs in baking is not difficult most of the time,provided one keeps three things in mind.

1.Understand the exact nature of the function the egg isperformimg in your recipe of choice. Then substitutionbecomes easier. Sometimes, you may have to use one or more

substitutes together to mimic the action of eggs in your bakes.

How does one figure out which function the egg is your recipe, isresponsible for?

- If egg is the main liquid in the recipe, it is adding to themoisture. Eggs can also add richness to the bake.

- If the recipe is asking for just one egg, a reasonable amount ofbaking powder/ and baking soda but no other binding agent likeflour or breadcrumbs, then the egg is acting as a binder. Here, it isnecessary to use a substitute which would mimic this property.

- If there are little or no other leavening agents in the recipe, theegg is the leavening agent and provides a light and airy texture. Inmany such recipes, the egg can be replaced with a substitute thatalso involves baking powder.

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2. Know that it is easiest to substitute for 1 (or at themost 2 eggs) egg in a recipe and this substitution willgive you the best possible results for an eggless bake. It isvery difficult, if not impossible, to substitute for 6 eggs!

In this case, the best option would be to substitute for about halfthe eggs in the recipe. If you do not eat eggs at all, then look for aneggless recipe rather than try to adapt one which uses eggs.

3. Remember that the eggs are in the recipe for aparticular purpose. If they are substituted for, do not expectthe same texture and taste as the original.

Thats not to say your eggless bake will not be good, just that itwill be slightly different from the original. Having said that, Ihave to admit that I have been disappointed with some bakeswhere I have substituted for eggs.

One egg substitute which most people reach for is commercial eggreplacer powders like Ener-G which, I understand, is a reasonably

good all-round replacement in most recipes as it works as aleavening agent as well as a binder.

I live in Goa where baking is a part of culinary tradition due toPortuguese influence, so the concept of eggless baking is a bitredundant and an Ener-G type of egg replacer is the last thing Ican expect to find on the store shelves here.So I tend to use other commonly available egg substitutes in my

bakes. Im listing as many substitutes as I know of, where theycan be substituted (in amounts equal to 1 egg), and what kind ofbakes these usually work well in.

Commercial egg replacers like Ener-G

I just mentioned this above and theyre to be used according tothe instructions on the package. I believe 1 1/2 teaspoons of Ener-G + 2 tablespoons of water substitutes for 1 egg.

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This is supposed to be good in most bakes, especially cookies,breads and cakes.

Baking Powder

A lot of the time, if you want to substitute for only one egg in arecipe where it is a leavening agent, increasing the baking powderby about a little over 1/2 teaspoon will suffice. Too much bakingpowder will lend a bitter taste.

Incorporating air into the batter by creaming the sugar and

butter, as well as whipping together the liquid ingredients (wherethe recipe allows this, as in muffins) also helps lighten the bake.

Chocolate Chip Covered Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes

In these Chocolate Chip Covered Eggless Vanilla Cupcakes, I leftout the eggs and increased the milk a bit. The creaming process

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and baking powder make the cupcakes light and airy and theseare my most popular cupcakes to date.

Powdered Flaxseed

Powder as fine as possible (will be a bit coarse), about 1/2 a cup offlaxseeds at a time, and store this in an airtight container in therefrigerator.

Mix 1 tablespoon of this powder with 3 tablespoon of warm waterand whisk well. Let it stand for a few minutes till it becomes

viscous. Whisk well before using in recipe.Powdered flaxseed lends a nutty flavour and is good in cookies(especially oatmeal), muffins, brownies, pancakes and waffles.You can replace up to 2 eggs though its best for 1 egg. Any moremeans the taste of flaxseed comes through.I have found my cookies becoming gummier in texture whenreplacing 2 or more eggs with flaxseed powder.

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Eggless Jam Doughnut Muffins

I use powdered flax seed as egg substitutes in myEggless Jam

Doughnut Muffins andPeanut Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies.

Unsweetened Applesauce Or Pured Fruit/ Vegetable

Unsweetened applesauce can be used in recipes where eggsincrease the moisture in bakes. Substitute 1/4 cup of it for 1 egg.

Applesauce works well in moist bakes like certain cakes,brownies, muffins and quick breads. Also use baking powder orbaking soda for some leavening or this substitution might notwork very well because fruit makes bakes dense.

However, applesauce can lend an apple flavour which might notbe desirable in certain bakes.

Healthy Low Fat Eggless Brownie

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MyHealthy Low Fat Brownies use applesauce, but the flavour ofapples doesn't come through.

Pured beets not only give myEggless Red Velvet Cupcakes theirglorious red colour but with baking powder made them light andmoist. I use fresh mango pure, yogurt and powdered flax seedinstead of eggs in myMango Ginger Muffins.

Ripe Bananas

Like applesauce, ripe bananas also add moisture to bakes. Theyalso act as binders so theyre a very good substitute for eggs. Onthe flip side, your bake will taste of bananas. Again, ensure therecipe uses baking powder for leavening to avoid a dense bake.

Eggless Chocolate Chip Banana Squares

1/2 a ripe banana, mashed or pured, can replace 1 egg. This

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works well in muffins and quick breads, some cakes, yeastedbanana bread and pancakes. Banana also helps in browning inbakes.These Eggless Chocolate Chip And Banana Squares are an all time

favourite.

Silken Tofu/ Creamcheese (or Paneer)

Tofu is quite flavourless, and excellent at taking on other flavours.Silken tofu has the creamiest texture and is an excellent eggsubstitute in puddings, mousse and cheesecake.

I have used firm/ regular tofu successfully but silken tofu doesproduce a much better texture. I have found that creamcheese/paneer (fresh Indian milk cheese) works well in egglesscheesecakes instead of eggs.

Run 1/4 cup crumbled tofu in the blender or food processor tillvery smooth and creamy and use in place of 1 egg. The wetingredients in the recipe can be added to the tofu while blending,

for best results.

Tofu makes bakes a bit dense so it is best in moist cakes,brownies, pie fillings and quiche. In recipes where eggs are usedto make a custard type filling or as a binder as in cookies, tofuwould have to be used with a binder like cornstarch.

Commercially Available Custard Powder/ Cornstarch

In India (and some other countries including the UK andAustralia), we get something called custard powder in our stores,which is somewhat like a vanilla pudding mix. Custard powder ismade from cornstarch to which organic colouring and flavourshave been added.

This is good to make custard without eggs. Custard powder iscooked with milk and sugar till thick and can be used to make

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creamy sauces, thick set fillings for tarts and caramel custard.Use this according to instructions on the packet. If you cannotfind custard powder, cornstarch and flavouring agent of yourchoice will also work just as well.

Making ice-creams is not baking, but I thought I would mentionthat cornstarch is (sometimes custard powder) an excellentsubstitute for eggs in home-made ice-creams. Be careful howmuch of it you use, or else the taste of cornstarch/ custard powderwill come through.

Vinegar (or Buttermilk) And Baking Soda

A combination of vinegar and baking soda mimics the leaveningability of egg. Many people also add a bit of oil as well. Bakingsoda reacts with the acid in vinegar to bubble up and introduceair, making bakes fluffy.

1 teaspoon baking soda + 1 tablespoon white or apple cidervinegar can replace 1 egg in quick breads, cupcakes and cakes.

This substitution is good for 1 egg as sometimes replacing 2 eggswith this can result in some gumminess.

MyOrange And Chocolate Zebra Cake, SnowflakeCookies and Spiced Eggless Avocado Cake are baked using bakingsoda with vinegar/ buttermilk.

Yogurt

Where egg adds moisture to a bake, 1/4 cup yogurt can besubstituted for every egg. This is good in some cakes, bars,muffins and quick breads. Yogurt would need to be used withbaking powder to avoid a dense/ gummy bake.

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Eggless Zucchini Chocolate Bread

MyEggless Chocolate Zucchini Bread and Eggless Carrot CakeWith Chocolate Ganache both use yogurt with a combination ofother substitutes for eggs.

Agar Powder

Agar is a seaweed extract that has properties similar to gelatin.Agar is a good substitute in recipes requiring 1 or 2 egg whites(not for meringues and similar recipes). Dissolve 1 tablespoonagar powder in 1 tablespoon warm water to substitute for 1 egg.Whisk well, and then chill. Whisk again and use.

For Egg Wash

Egg wash is beaten egg which is brushed on breads or pastrybefore baking to obtain browning and a shine. The same effectcan be achieved with milk, oil or butter.I never use egg wash on my breads and rolls. Milk (and/ orcream) works very well for me.

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Other Egg Substitutes (for 1 egg)

The following egg substitutes have also worked for me as you can

see by the links I have included

1. Day old bread slices/ breadcrumbs and/ or chickpea flourwhere eggs act as binders. This is something I use in recipes likepatties, cutlets, and thisVegetable And Lentil LoafI madesometime back.2. Sometimes, condensed milk (along with baking powder) canwork well in some cakes like this one.

3. 1/4 cup pured prunes. I have used pured strawberries (withbaking powder) to make a pretty good Eggless Fresh StrawberryCake.

4. 1/4 cup mashed potatoes (in savoury dishes where eggs arebinders) as in theseChickpea Vegetable Patties.

If you have wondered about baking without eggs, you can see thatit isnt impossible. I find that it just needs a bit of thought(alright, a lot of it!), and the willingness to explore variousalternatives.

I would be happy to hear from any of you, about your tried andtested egg substitutes that work in baking.

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