Eggs can be used as a binder and a leavening agent, as well as to add moisture to baked goods… But they’re not vegan! Chances are though that you can switch them out for vegan alternatives to eggs that you already have in your kitchen.
Depending on the purpose, there are many vegan alternatives to eggs. For baking, popular alternatives include using seeds (such as flax and chia) mixed with water, mashed fruit (such as banana) and aquafaba (the liquid from a can of beans). Popular scrambled eggs alternatives include tofu scramble and chickpea scramble. Ready-made egg alternatives are also appearing on the market.
I’ve been vegan for more than 6 years now, and while I still sometimes miss eggs, it’s great that there are so many options for replacing them!
Stick around as we’ll break down the 11 best vegan alternatives to eggs for baking, the 4 best scrambled eggs alternatives (including my favourite), as well as the best boiled egg alternative (is it even possible??).
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11 vegan alternatives to eggs in baking
The general rule of thumb for vegan baking is to use a quarter of a cup* (62.5 ml) of the alternative for every egg in the recipe. Check below for a list of vegan alternatives to eggs in baking.
| Egg replacement | Equivalent number of eggs | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed*, mixed with 2-3 tablespoons water | 1 | Pancakes, waffles, cookies, muffins, brownies |
| 1 tablespoon chia seeds*, mixed with 2-3 tablespoons water | 1 | Pancakes, waffles, cookies, muffins |
| 10g vegan powdered egg replacer*, mixed with water | 1 | Most recipes |
| 1 mashed ripe banana | 3.5 | Sweet recipes, quick bread |
| 1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce (approx. 62 grams) | 1 | Sweet recipes |
| 1/4 cup mashed sweet potato, butternut squash or pumpkin (approx. 38 grams, 51 grams, 56 grams respectively) | 1 | Recipes that benefit from added moisture, such as cake and brownies |
| 1 mashed avocado | 5 | Recipes with strong flavours, e.g. chocolate or coffee |
| 3 tablespoons aquafaba (the liquid from a can of lentils, chickpeas, beans, etc.) | 1 (egg white) | Anything you need egg whites for: meringues, pancakes, eggs |
| 1/4 cup silken tofu, blended | 1 | Custards, french toast |
| 3 tablespoons chickpea flour, mixed with 3 tablespoons of water | 1 | Cookies, muffins, quick breads |
| 3 tablespoons nut butters (peanut, almond, etc.) | 1 | Cookies, quick breads |
Flax and chia “eggs”
The flax and chia mixtures are often referred to as a “flax egg” or a “chia egg“. You can mix the tablespoon of seeds with 2 tablespoons of water if the recipe calls for a regular egg (or doesn’t specify) and 3 tablespoons if it calls for a large egg.
Depending on the country, flax seeds may also be known as linseeds. And ground flaxseed may be labelled as flaxseed meal or flaxmeal. All good, just whack some water on it, stir it up and let it rest for a few minutes and you have your flax egg!
Flax has a slightly nutty taste and chia has a bit of a gelatinous texture. I like it, but you could blend or grind the seeds for a smoother finish.
You can see how to make flax egg and chia egg in the video below, it’s pretty straightforward:
The video recommends not using more than two eggs’ worth of replacement in a recipe. If your recipe calls for more than two eggs, I’d recommend combining different vegan egg alternatives to get closer to what the original recipe intended.
Fruit-based alternatives to eggs
Regarding the banana, it’s best to use a ripe or overripe one as it will mash better. If your bananas aren’t ripe yet, you can pop them in the oven for 15-20 minutes to mimic the process of ripening before using them in your recipe.
Using banana will give the end product a distinct banana flavour, so choose something you don’t mind that happening to!
Apple sauce has a more neutral taste than banana. Use an unsweetened and unflavoured apple sauce, so that you can then add sugar or flavourings as appropriate to the recipe.
Legume-based alternatives to eggs
Both silken tofu and aquafaba have a pretty neutral taste, so they are an excellent alternative to eggs in many recipes.
Aquafaba is my mum’s egg replacement of choice and I love that it makes use of something that would otherwise go to waste! So make sure you keep the liquid from your canned beans next time! (Although it would probably only keep for a couple days.)
Bonus idea, suggested by Heather who’s an inclusive food consultant: black beans! They make for delicious vegan brownies and cake. I knew there was a reason they were my favourite bean! Just search for “black bean cake” and send the results my way haha.
A note of caution on chickpea flour: it’s extremely filling! I’ve cooked with it before, and even my partner who eats more than me at mealtimes reached saturation pretty quickly. You have been warned!
A lot of the ideas in the table (and their recommended recipes and proportions) are from the video below. Check it out for some extra creative ideas at the end:
4 vegan alternatives to scrambled eggs
There are quite a few vegan alternatives to scrambled eggs, some of which you can DIY at home. In the past couple years, there have also been ready-made alternatives appearing on the market, that you can just pour into a pan and scramble up!
But what you need to know first is the secret to making them taste (and smell!) like scrambled eggs…
The secret sauce to making vegan alternatives taste like real eggs is kala namak (also known as black salt, even though it’s more of a pink colour). It has a sulphurous, “pungent” smell, which will help your vegan egg-like creations be more realistic all-round.
It can be quite difficult to find it in mainstream supermarkets, so maybe look around your local organic / Indian shop or order it online*. You only need a tiny bit at any time (start with half a teaspoon), so it will last you ages!
Wholefood Earth – Fine Kala Namak Himalayan Black Salt 500g
Here’s a breakdown of the different scrambled egg alternatives:
| Vegan alternative to scrambled eggs | Servings | Cost | Cost per serving |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tofu scramble | 4 | $2.25 | $0.56 |
| Chickpea scramble | 3 | $2.28 | $0.76 |
| Just Egg | 8 on the packet (realistically 3) | $8 | $1 (realistically $2.76) |
| Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg | 12 (maybe 6) | $6.79 | $0.57 (or $1.13) |
Tofu scramble
Let me start with my current favourite: the tofu scramble, a vegan classic. You can actually use firm or silken tofu, depending on if you want a harder or softer texture. Our favourite brand of tofu is Tofoo – you don’t even need the press their firm tofu!
The super secret is to use both together – this will make a large portion, but you can stash leftovers in the fridge and they’ll taste great the next day. You can eat it on toast, as a vegan English breakfast, in a sandwich or in a bowl with veggies – it’s super versatile!
I don’t actually follow a recipe when I make this, but here are some general guidelines to get you started:
- Heat a pan over medium heat and add a bit of olive oil (chopped garlic optional, but recommended)
- Add your tofu: either crumble it with your hands if it’s firm tofu, or gently break it up with a spoon in the pan if it’s silken tofu
- Add a teaspoon each of turmeric (for colour) and kala namak (for taste)
- Optional, but recommended: add a generous amount of nutritional yeast (the sky’s the limit with nooch as far as I’m concerned haha), to add to the savoury taste
- Ensure the tofu is hot and well-coated with the seasonings (i.e. it’s all yellow!)
And that’s it, you’re done! Feel free to adapt the ratios as you go along. If it sticks to the pan or you like your scramble a bit “runnier”, add a bit of unsweetened plant milk to the pan.
Bonus points:
- You can season it with black pepper (never too much of this for me either!) or even curry powder
- Like with real scrambled eggs, you can add tomato, spinach, vegan cheese or any other “toppings” you fancy
- It tastes great with ketchup, barbecue sauce and hot sauce
I’m going to skip explaining how to make chickpea scramble, because to be honest, I’m personally not a fan. The texture is weird and it’s super heavy. It is affordable though, so if you want to give it a go, here’s a recipe.
Store-bought alternatives to scrambled eggs
These are the best-known ones and are hopefully available where you are:
Just Egg Plant Based Egg 12 fl oz
This one you just pour into the pan and scramble like you would do real eggs. If you’re in the UK, here’s an alternative:
Scrambled Oggs Plant Based Eggs Alternative 330ml
Whereas the Follow Your Heart Vegan Egg comes as a powder to mix with water. Follow the instructions on the packet and you’ll be golden.
Follow Your Heart Egg Vegan, 4 oz
Vegan alternatives to boiled eggs??
Boiled eggs are a tricky one to replicate, as the egg yolk and white have both different tastes and textures. I don’t believe that there are even any alternatives on the market for “just” vegan boiled eggs, but read on for a couple solutions, both homemade and store-bought.
The only method I’ve found for making vegan boiled eggs is this one below. You’ll need a food processor* and egg-shaped moulds*. You may have a lot of the ingredients already, other than agar agar* and black salt* (mentioned above).
The video does a better job of explaining it than I do:
If you’re in the UK, you might enjoy these vegan scotch eggs! I feel these would be great for a birthday treat or a party where you want to showcase all the possibilities of vegan food available today.
I’m still on the lookout for “just” vegan boiled egg (so not in a scotch egg), if you sell them or know of any, get in touch here or send me a DM on Instagram!
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