The best egg substitutes for cooking and baking amid worsening egg shortage

Tofu. Picture: Pexels/Polina Tankilevitch

Tofu. Picture: Pexels/Polina Tankilevitch

Published Sep 27, 2023

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Amid an ongoing egg shortage in the country, countless people in need are scrambling for alternatives.

If you are searching for egg substitutes, here are seamless, easy swaps that will work just as well.

Tofu. Picture: Pexels/Polina Tankilevitch

Firm tofu

Replace hard-boiled eggs in salads and sandwiches with extra firm tofu. This type of tofu has a similar texture and protein content to eggs.

Buttermilk

Buttermilk is best for recipes that use eggs for moisture and binding; tender baked goods. If you are baking a cake or whipping up muffins, buttermilk will do the trick.

This fermented dairy drink adds moisture to baked goods and helps bind ingredients in recipes that already include a leavening agent (baking soda or baking powder, for example).

For this swap, use a quarter cup of buttermilk for every egg the recipe calls for.

Mashed banana is another popular replacement for eggs. Picture: Pexels/Charlotte May

Mashed banana

Mashed banana is another popular replacement for eggs. The only downside to baking with bananas is that your finished product may have a mild banana flavour. Other puréed fruits like pumpkin and avocado work too and may not affect the flavour as much.

Whichever fruit you choose to use, you can replace each egg with a quarter cup of purée. This substitution works best in cakes, muffins, brownies, and quick breads.

Aquafaba

This is a fancy term for the liquid that is left behind when you cook beans or legumes, or that thick watery fluid in your can of chickpeas. It has a similar texture to egg whites and whips up nearly as well.

Use three tablespoons to replace one egg when making meringue or macaroons.

Ground flaxseed, or flax meal, is a popular egg substitute in vegan baking. Picture: Pexels/Vie Studio

Flaxseed

Ground flaxseed, or flax meal, is a popular egg substitute in vegan baking. When substituting flaxseed for egg, the general rule is one tablespoon of flaxseed and three tablespoons of water per egg.

Simply mix the two ingredients together, then let the mixture sit in the refrigerator until it becomes gelatinous, about fifteen minutes. The consistency will help bind ingredients together, just like an egg.

Flaxseed adds a mild, nutty flavour to recipes, which is great for pancakes, brownies, and cookies.

Yoghurt

If dairy can be added to the recipe, regular or Greek yoghurt is an excellent egg substitute due to the protein and fat. You can use yoghurt when baking muffins, quick bread, pancakes and waffles.