There’s No Exact Baking Substitute For Eggs — But These Are Close In A Pinch

Flaxseed and chickpeas are only just a couple ingredients you can use to mimic the properties of eggs.

The high price of eggs has many home chefs reeling, up a whopping 53% compared to the same time last year. This has many at-home bakers rethinking how they use eggs.

If you don’t want to give up your favorite baked goods while you wait for the price of eggs to come down, you don’t have to. There are some simple ways to recreate recipes that call for eggs with tried-and-true substitutes. However, to get the best results, it’s important to select the right substitute.

“There are all sorts of charts online that talk about different egg substitutes, and most get things wrong or lack so much context that the chart is essentially useless,” said Kathlena Rails, founder of the food blog ”The Allergy Chef” and author of several egg-free cookbooks. For example, Rails has seen charts recommending peanut butter or tomato paste instead of eggs. While these may work well for binding or adding moisture, they aren’t good choices for most recipes because they change the taste and texture of baked goods too much, she explained.

How to choose the right egg substitute

It’s important to recognize the role of eggs in baking. While many good egg substitutes can replicate the function and texture of eggs, if you are trying to mimic the flavor of eggs in a recipe, you are out of luck.