[Apologies if you are receiving this twice in your RSS feed or email subscription: I had to fix the date this is posted on.]
In light of the massive eggs recall happening in the United States due to salmonella contamination, I’m sharing some tips today regarding egg alternatives in baking.
If you have eggs in your fridge, bought before the recall, this helpful articleexplains how to see if the eggs are involved in the recall by the egg carton’s “sell by” date and the two numbers below it. Note, however, that there is no way of telling if an egg is contaminated with salmonella or not; a salmonella-contaminated egg will look, smell, and cook just like an uncontaminated egg.
While the high temperatures required for baking would kill the salmonella, it’s better safe than sorry. Depending on the recipe, eggs can’t always be easily substituted but for those recipes in which they can be replaced by an egg replacer, here are three DIY egg replacers that you can make right at home, and most likely with ingredients you already have on hand.
1) Ground flaxseed Most often used in vegan and vegetarian cookery and baking, ground flaxseed is a wonderful egg substitute. (I know from experience, as my family and I used while we were vegetarian and afterward, although we stopped using it when we started following SCD (Specific Carbohydrate Diet) as it isn’t allowed.) Ground flaxseed as an egg substitute works best for things that use flours and don’t heavily rely on eggs for build and structure, such as pancakes, muffins, and other similar treats. Substitute 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons water for every 1 egg in a recipe. Make sure that you store your ground flaxseed in the refrigerator or freezer to prevent it from going rancid.
2) Baking Soda and Vinegar If you’re following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet and want to replace eggs in baking mix together 1 1/2 tablespoons water, 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 1 teaspoon baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar. This makes the equivalent of 1 egg. Use as needed. I find it best to make this one at the stage when the egg(s) would be added to the recipe so as to take advantage of the baking soda and vinegar chemistry, rather than making it in advance. This egg replacer only works in baking that needs rising, so it wouldn’t be suitable for things such as custards or recipes that rely on eggs for build and structure.
3) Gelatin Another suitable egg replacer if you’re on the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, gelatin is another possible egg substitute. This one I haven’t tried as of now but I hear that it works really well. Mix 1 envelope (1 tablespoon) of unflavoured gelatin with 1 cup of boiling water. For every egg called for in recipe, substitute 3 tablespoons of this liquid. Like the previous egg replacers, this one is only suitable for recipes that don’t heavily rely on eggs for build or structure.
The last two egg substitutes are from Pecanbread.com.
Note that I have made and posted recipes here that are already egg-free, including these honey cookies, marshmallows, and instant fruit “ice cream”, made by just blending frozen fruit. More egg-free recipes can be found here in the recipe index.
If you want more ideas for making egg-free (and vegan) baked goods and desserts, check out this list compiled by Carrie of Ginger Lemon Girl.
Thanks for leading me to this post! To answer your question about chia seeds, you can use them the same way you use flax, except you need much less chia: I use one teaspoon (5 ml) chia per 1 tablespoon (15 ml) water; let sit, then add as you would ground flax & water.
A recipe on my blog that uses chia is this one (though not GF). 
Wow! I never knew about those replacements before and it was so interesting to read about. What a great post. I also think with the egg recall it is a good time to remind people to give their support to local farmers and the farmers markets that spring up. The thing that amazed me about the biggest recall in US history with that many eggs is that is came from 2 companies only and it shows what big business it has turned into with no thought to the animals themselves or the environment. Support our farmers and local markets! *steps off soapbox*
Zoe, this is a great post. I, too, want to try the Chia seeds in place of flax. I love the health benefits of Chia. And I do not tend to use the gelatin version very often, though not really sure why. I do like the baking soda and vinegar though, because it reminds me of a science experiment. hehe
This is a great resource for people….
Wonderful post, Zoe. I have heard about all these substitutes and more, but have only used a few of them so far. So many folks need help with egg-free baking/cooking though; I’ll definitely point them your way.
Shirley