Perhaps you are recently vegan or are just wanting to find some egg replacements and alternatives for your diet. Whatever the reason, it’s a good reason to not to use eggs given their high level of cholesterol (185mg per egg of a recommended daily intake of 300mg), as well as for ethical reasons relating to animal rights. Chickens are considered one of the most abused animals on the planet, but luckily we can help by not participating and easily using various alternatives to chicken eggs.
Check out the amazing amount of dairy alternatives also.
Egg Alternatives
To determine the right egg alternative to use, first you have to know why the egg is in the recipe in the first place. Eggs can serve several functions, including:
- Binding: Eggs hold ingredients together and give food texture.
- Leavening: Eggs give lift to baked goods, which makes for a lighter texture.
- Moisture: When there are few or no other wet ingredients, eggs increase a recipe’s water content.
- Thickening: In recipes such as custards and crèmes, eggs lend density and creaminess.
- Colour and Flavour: Eggs contribute to the final taste and colour of certain breads, pastas, and pastries.
Once you figure out what function the eggs fulfill in your recipe, you can choose an egg replacer that does the same thing.
Egg Alternative Tips
- If a recipe calls for 3 or more eggs, it is important to choose an alternative that will perform the same function (i.e., binding or leavening).
- Trying to replicate airy baked goods that call for a lot of eggs, such as angel food cake, can be very difficult. Instead, look for a recipe with a similar taste but fewer eggs, which will be easier to replicate.
- When adding tofu to a recipe as an egg alternative, be sure to purée it first to avoid chunks in the finished product.
- Be sure to use plain tofu, not seasoned or baked, as an alternative.
- Powdered egg replacers cannot be used to create egg recipes such as scrambles or omelets. Tofu is the perfect substitute for eggs in these applications.
- If you want a lighter texture and you’re using fruit purées as an egg substitute, add an extra 1/2 tsp of baking powder. Fruit purées tend to make the final product denser than the original recipe.