8 Safe And Easy Ways To Replace Eggs When You’re Intolerant

Dr. Alan Glen Christianson,

Why do eggs cause such a problem for so many people? Sometimes it’s a matter of a true anaphylactic reaction, when the body has built up antibodies against the protein components of the egg itself, and the person with the egg allergy cannot tolerate any exposure at all. This scenario is a true food allergy. Other times, it has more to do with gut health and the immunity built up in the body’s intestinal tract, a scenario more in line with an egg intolerance or sensitivity. The good news is, just because someone has a food sensitivity now, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s a life sentence. To figure out which scenario fits you, along with ways you can potentially beat your food sensitivities, please reference this post for some suggestions1.

Egg Intolerant Does Not Equal Boring Food

Eggs are so popular in recipes that it may seem impossible to avoid them when you have an egg allergy or intolerance. While it may be hard to believe, there is a way to enjoy “eggs,” and recipes that call for them, with some genius stand-in egg replacements. In fact, the ones I will share with you here are all delicious and easy vegan egg options too.

Since we avoid eggs in our own kitchen, I figured you might find it helpful to take a peek at the healthy replacements we use and how we use them. Whether you’re looking for a scrambled egg or a way to bake up something delicious, these eight replacements should spark some ideas about how you can easily replace eggs in your own kitchen.

My Top 8 Vegan Egg Option Substitutes

  • Tofu
  • Baking powder with oil
  • Applesauce
  • Bananas
  • Flaxseed
  • Egg Replacer
  • Aquafaba
  • VeganEgg

Some of these substitutes work great as a scrambled egg replacement while others are best used for baking. Some are even being used to make mayonnaise, butter and meltable cheese2.

Each egg replacement has unique nutritional properties and it’s own best use as well as special circumstances to consider. Be sure to review all these details before deciding which egg substitute will work best for you.

I know the majority of the egg substitutes I’ll be sharing today are best used in baked goods. Even when using gluten-free flour to bake, I encourage you to use it only on occasion. When grain is processed to become flour, many of the wholesome nutrients contained within it, especially the fat soluble ones, are drastically changed in the process. This causes the nutrients to absorb much more quickly which can negatively affect your gut flora.

About Baked Goods: I’m not a huge fan of using any gluten-free flour to replace healthy produce in the diet. Just because there’s no gluten doesn’t mean it should make up the bulk of your calories. Always support your thyroid and your body with the most nutrient dense and diverse foods possible.

Tofu

One of my favorite scrambled egg replacements is silken tofu. I know we’ve talked many times about eating soy when it comes to your health, especially in regards to autoimmune disease. Of course, if soy is on your list of food allergies or intolerances, I would say to pass on this egg substitute. If you suspect you may have an issue with soy, you can look at some of the common symptoms of food intolerance in this post to see if you might be onto something3.

If you can tolerate soy and you truly miss eating scrambled eggs for breakfast, add some salt, pepper, a little turmeric or some soy sauce and saute the tofu in a pan. You can also add some chives or garlic to the oil for a nice added flavor. While it will be obvious these are not eggs to anybody who eats this dish, it’s still a decent approximation to fulfill that scrambled egg craving.

Here are my top takeaways when considering tofu as your egg allergy replacement:

  • No soy allergies
  • Common choice for vegans
  • Best for scrambling
  • Less binding for baking purposes than other egg substitutes
  • Contains all eight essential amino acids, high in iron and calcium4

Baking Powder and Oil

A perfect way to replace eggs in baked goods for the moisture and volume content is by using baking powder and oil. This is a common choice when baking cornbread, cookies, and muffins. To replace one egg, whisk together one teaspoon of vegetable oil, two teaspoons of baking powder and two tablespoons of water5.

Because the nutrient make up of oil is strictly fat, no protein will be added to any recipe using this substitute as it would be when using an egg. I would use a good quality organic canola oil for this method to keep the taste of the oil from competing with the flavor of the finished baked product.

Although it’s not meant to replace a meal of scrambled eggs, oil on its own also makes a great substitute for moisture in many baked goods. As long as you’re not replacing more than one egg with more than ¼ cup of oil, the flavor is so subtle it will likely go undetected6.

When using oil with baking powder, key points to remember are:

  • Too much will taste greasy
  • Whisking with water helps with volume
  • No protein component
  • Good for moisture not for binding

Applesauce

Another great contender to replace eggs in baked goods is applesauce. This is an especially good choice when you are baking something sweet and want added moisture to boot.

Being made from fruit, applesauce will not contain the protein value of an egg when used in recipes. It does have little fiber and it contains carbohydrate based calories. Use unsweetened applesauce and rely on the naturally sweet flavor of the apples to boost the taste of your finished breads, cakes or muffins.

To replace one egg in any recipe, use ¼ cup of applesauce. Some also say combining ½ teaspoon of baking powder with the applesauce will help with leavening and prevent excess moisture in your finished baked goods7. Beyond sweetness, applesauce will add the flavor of the fruit to your recipe, so be sure to consider how the other ingredients will hold up to the mild taste of apples.

Best tips to consider using applesauce in place of eggs include:

  • For sweet baked goods
  • Will have a mild apple flavor
  • Mostly carbohydrates with a little fiber
  • Can be excessively moist
  • May need to reduce other sweet components in recipe

Bananas

Bananas are one of the best replacements for eggs in sweet baked goods. They provide moisture and fullness, offering density and natural sweetness to breads. On top of that, there aren’t too many people who report a banana allergy, which makes it a perfect choice.

Just like it’s cousin the apple, bananas are made up of mostly carbohydrates with a bit of fiber, so they won’t contain the protein content an egg does when used in a recipe. When replacing one egg, use ¼ cup, or roughly half a mashed banana for the proper volume replacement8. Using the banana substitute will also give your finished treats a mild banana flavor.

Another way to use a banana, if you don’t have an egg allergy or intolerance, is to make the world’s easiest, and in my opinion, most delicious pancakes. Simply take eggs or egg whites and mix with a mashed banana and gluten-free rolled oats to pancake batter consistency, then saute in a pan. Oats are naturally gluten free of course. Just be sure to check that the oats you purchase were not processed in a facility that also processes wheat products so you can put your mind at ease.

Using bananas in place of eggs, observe these pointers:

  • Moist and dense component
  • Best for sweet dessert breads
  • Mostly carbohydrate makeup
  • Not as good at binding as others
  • Retains flavor of the fruit

Flaxseed

Flaxseed is another egg replacement that has a mild, mostly undetectable flavor. It’s a great alternative to use when baking anything, including savory dishes. On top of that, its mucilaginous consistency makes it a great binder, much like an egg.

Being mucilaginous, or slimy has its benefits for the digestive tract too. Mucilaginous compounds naturally coat and sooth the upper intestinal tract and help leaky gut issues when they are ingested. While flaxseed isn’t the source of protein an egg is, it does have plenty of fiber and is a very good source of essential fats.

In order to get the flaxseed to just the right consistency, mix three tablespoons of water with one tablespoon of freshly ground flaxseed. Let the mixture sit until all the water is absorbed and use in place of one egg for your recipe9.

Things to consider when using flaxseed for egg replacement include:

  • Great binder in all baked goods
  • Undetectable flavor
  • Helps coat the digestive tract
  • Must soak before use
  • Excellent source of essential fats

Egg Replacer

Another clean egg substitute free of allergens for most people is Ener-G Egg Replacer. Made up mostly of resistant potato starch, fiber, and some baking powder, it’s an excellent choice for use in baked goods.

Egg Replacer doesn’t impart much of a flavor on most things, but most folks seem to use it for savory baked goods more often than not. With a small amount of carbohydrates as it’s only caloric component, you won’t be getting the boost of protein you would by using an egg.

To properly use this product in place of one egg, mix 1 ½ teaspoons of dry mix to two tablespoons of water10. Interestingly enough, you can adjust this mix to mimic the consistency of an egg white or an egg yolk also.

Some special considerations when using Ener-G Egg Replacer are:

  • Free of corn, soy, dairy, yeast, nut, wheat, and casein11
  • Only for baking
  • No noticeable flavor
  • Great for binding
  • No protein content

Aquafaba

Aquafaba is one of my favorite egg substitutes. It’s readily available or easy to harvest just by opening a package of beans and draining them or by saving the water when you’re done boiling your dried beans.

What makes aquafaba so great is the resistant starch and other immune enhancing polysaccharides it contains as a byproduct from cooking the beans. There’s no real flavor to it either, which makes it great for baking in either sweet or savory dishes. Some have gone so far as to make meltable cheese, butter, meringues or dairy-free foam for their drinks from it as well, so it’s highly versatile12.

The amount of aquafaba you will need to replace an egg will depend on the recipe you want to create. For example, to make a vegan mayonnaise, you would use about three tablespoons of it, roughly the equivalent of an egg yolk13.

A few things to consider when choosing aquafaba to replace eggs are:

  • Readily available
  • No discernable flavor
  • Gelatinous and binds well in baked goods
  • Makes dairy products, desserts, and spreads

VeganEgg

By far, VeganEgg is the product that most closely mimics a real egg. Because of that, it’s one of my absolute favorites. I can use it to replace scrambled eggs for breakfast, or I can use it in baked goods if I chose to make them.

One of the cool things about VeganEgg is how they are packaged. They come in cute little containers packed inside a six-pack egg container and resemble a whisked egg. The color and texture is really on point too. If you cooked them up in a pan with a little salt and pepper and served them to someone, it’s possible those who ate it would believe they were eating the real thing.

VeganEgg is made from algae which is broken down into algal flour and proteins14. Because of this, the protein content is much higher than any other substitute I’ve discussed. VeganEgg contains all the essential amino acids plus fiber, which is something the genuine article lacks. It also contains a lower fat content than a traditional egg.

Production of this egg replacement follows a highly sustainable and environmentally friendly model, which just makes you feel good about buying it. To use this product in place of one egg, whisk two tablespoons of VeganEgg with ½ cup of ice water15.

When deciding if VeganEgg is right for you, some points to consider include:

  • Not available everywhere yet
  • More expensive option
  • Use for baking or scrambling
  • Closest performance and resemblance to real eggs
  • Great source of healthy lipids, fiber, micronutrients and all essential amino acids

This article was republished from DrChristianson.com.

Dr. Alan Glen Christianson (Dr. C) is a Naturopathic Endocrinologist and the author of The NY Times bestselling Adrenal Reset Diet. Dr. C’s gift for figuring out what really works has helped hundreds of thousands of people reverse thyroid disease, lose weight, reverse diabetes, and regain energy. Learn more about the surprising story that started his quest at drchristianson.com.

See also:
Fermented Vs. Unfermented Soy: Which Is Better?
Healthy Cooking: Keen for Quinoa

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