Having some ideas for egg replacements in your back pocket can come in handy for many reasons these days. Whether it is due to a shortage in them. The rising cost of eggs because of the shortage might be another reason. Some people may be avoiding them because of an allergy or preference if they are vegan. Although my main concern is always avoiding gluten, there are many times when I have needed egg replacements. Once again, this isn't a straight-forward 1-to-1 type replacement. However, we can break it down to make it fairly simple to figure out based on what you are trying to make.
How Much "Stuff"
An average large egg contains about ¼ of a cup of amazing stuff inside the shell. This is one of the basics you will come back to regularly when calculating replacements. Other factors to consider are: whether you are making something sweet or savory, and whether the whites, yolks or both are essential to the recipe you are making.
Four Things Eggs "Do"
The first thing- egg whites act as a leavener and provide lift to baked goods. This translates to the sponge of a cake being light and airy. This can be replicated with baking soda and vinegar. Which is commonly used as a leavener in many recipes for baked goods. The one property that baking soda and baking powder lack is the structure an egg white provides.
Think of meringue. No matter how much of the bubbly chemical reaction you get from baking soda and vinegar, it won't whip into stiff peaks like egg whites because it lacks structure. However, there is a solution to this problem and it is called aquafaba. It is the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas. This magical stuff can be whipped into light and airy stiff peaks, just like egg whites. Add sugar and you have a meringue.
The Second Thing
The egg yolks provide fat and moisture to recipes. This translates into rich and tender cakes and muffins. There are many replacements for this part of the egg. First consider if you are making a sweet or savory item. Then choose from options like apple sauce, mashed overripe banana, avocado, butter, or cooking oil.
The Third Thing
The egg yolk and white together create a binder to make things stick or thicken. Think of recipes like meatloaf or crab cakes that include an egg to hold (bind) the ingredients together. For binding crumbs and coatings, see number four's suggestions below. Puddings, custards, and pie fillings will often begin with an egg base to thicken a large amount of flavorful liquids to create a more pleasing consistency.
Another option to bind ingredients together is to combine chia or flax seeds with water. The seeds absorb the water and it turns into a gel-like consistency. This can be pureed smooth if you'd like, which creates a pudding-like consistency that has minimal flavor and works well with savory and sweet recipes. See it in action in this Barbecue Meatloaf recipe.
Egg replacements for thickening sauces, custards or puddings is very easy. Simply dissolve cornstarch (or agar agar) in a small amount of water or any liquid you are using for the recipe. Add this slurry to the larger quantity of liquid required for the recipe and cook following the recipe instructions.
Last but not Least
The fourth thing that eggs "do" is provide flavor. They are a breakfast staple for their taste. Fortunately there are countless plant based egg substitutes on the market that have a very similar taste and texture to eggs. They may not be able to replicate all aspects/properties of an egg in all recipes, but they are great for an eggless quiche, omlette, casserole, French toast or using to bind a coating to something. Just Eggs and Vegan Egg have been used in many of my recipes, you can find a selection of egg-free recipes here.
Cheat Sheet
Things to Consider
When making egg replacements it is important to decide which of the 4 things above you are trying to accomplish. It is also important to remember the other things that eggs do. For example, if you replace a whole egg in a recipe for a cake with only baking soda and vinegar, it may turn out too dry. It still needs the moisture and fat from the yolk, therefore adding a small amount of oil would help to balance out the replacement.
The reverse is also true. If you were to replace a whole egg in a muffin recipe with only applesauce or a mashed banana it might bake up too dense. A little extra leavener like baking soda or baking powder would be helpful.
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