11 Egg substitutes: how to bake without eggs

What to use instead of eggs when baking

Eggs can provide baked goods with the moisture, structure and leavening they need to become mouthwatering confections, but a handful of egg substitutes can achieve similar results when eggs aren't an option.

Pay close attention to your recipe to determine how eggs contribute to the final product. If the recipe lacks liquid ingredients, eggs are likely intended to add moisture. Recipes without leavening agents like baking soda or baking powder may rely on eggs to rise, and those without much flour, nuts or breadcrumbs probably use eggs to help bind ingredients.

As you consider which egg substitute is best for your recipe, keep in mind that egg-heavy recipes requiring 3 or more eggs per batch may not turn out as intended when using egg substitutes. See the list of 11 egg substitutes below to find the right one for the recipe you’re whipping up.

1. Mashed banana

You can use about half of a medium banana (or ¼ cup mashed banana) to replace each egg in recipes like three-layer carrot cake with cream cheese frosting and blackberry cupcakes. Bananas can add a hint of sweetness and flavoring to the final product, so steer clear of substituting bananas for eggs in savory dishes.

Substituting with banana is most effective when the banana is thoroughly mashed and free of noticeable chunks. You can use a KitchenAid^® stand mixer equipped with the Flat Beater accessory to prep bananas for baked goods. Simply peel ripe bananas, add them to your KitchenAid^® stand mixer bowl and beat using the Flat Beater accessory on speed 2-4 until you reach a creamy, lump-free consistency.

2. Applesauce

About ¼ cup of applesauce can work as an egg replacement in baking for dense baked goods like brownies or cookies. While you can use applesauce in sweets like cakes and cupcakes, you may need to add an extra ½ teaspoon of baking powder to your dry ingredients to create a light and airy final product.

You can transform apples into homemade applesauce using a KitchenAid® stand mixer with the KitchenAid^® Fruit and Vegetable Strainer and KitchenAid^® Food Grinder attachments.¹ Start by quartering apples and discarding the core and seeds, then add apple slices with some water to a stock pot to simmer and steam until they become soft and mushy. Feed the apples through the strainer for a bowl full of fresh, homemade applesauce.

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3. Silken tofu

Replace eggs in dense baked goods like pumpkin pie tarts, carrot kale muffins, pumpkin apple bundt cake or quick breads by blending ¼ cup of silken tofu per egg until it’s completely smooth, then adding it to your recipe. You can seamlessly prepare silken tofu for egg substitution by blending it with a KitchenAid^® blender, hand blender or food processor to reach a creamy consistency.

4. Ground flaxseed or chia seeds & water

You can combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed or ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water to create a thick, gelatinous mixture for baking without eggs. This replacement works best in dense baked goods like fudge raspberry mocha brownies, chocolate chip cookies or banana bread, and should sit for several minutes to thicken before you add it to a recipe. Keep in mind that you may notice a slightly earthy flavor in finished baked goods.

Process whole flaxseed or chia seeds into a finely ground powder using the KitchenAid^® Coffee and Spice Grinder. Simply fill the spice grinder with whole seeds, then use the one-touch operation to press down on the lid and begin grinding until the contents reach your desired consistency.

5. Yogurt

Substitute each egg for ¼ cup of plain yogurt to help compensate for the moisture eggs add to dense baked goods. Yogurt substitutes are ideal for things like coconut lime bars, cheddar cheese and chive muffins or fudge brownies with walnuts and dark chocolate glaze and work best when it’s thoroughly whisked before adding it to a recipe. It doesn’t assist with leavening recipes the way eggs do, so you may have to compensate by adding extra baking powder or baking soda in recipes meant to be light and fluffy.

6. Buttermilk

Replace each egg with ¼ cup of buttermilk to help create rich and decadent cakes and brownies. Buttermilk can help add moisture and structure to recipes but doesn’t assist with leavening, so only use this substitute in recipes like naked pumpkin cake with caramel buttercream that already have leavening agents on the ingredients list.

7. Sweetened condensed milk

Substituting ¼ cup of sweetened condensed milk per egg can help bind ingredients and add structure to recipes like mango curd or Mexican hot chocolate cookies. Sweetened condensed milk is rich and packed with sugar, so you may need to alter the amount of sugar you add to your recipe accordingly.

8. Arrowroot powder or cornstarch

Starches like arrowroot powder and cornstarch are ideal egg substitutes for light, fluffy baked goods like mixed berry and almond cake, but can also work in custard, curd or pudding recipes that typically rely on eggs as a thickening agent. Replace each egg with 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder or cornstarch combined with 3 tablespoons of water.

9. Vinegar & baking soda

Combining vinegar and baking soda creates a chemical reaction that releases carbon dioxide, replacing the leavening typically achieved with eggs to produce light and airy baked goods. You can combine 1 tablespoon of vinegar with 1 teaspoon of baking soda to replace each egg in fluffy confections like strawberry shortcake cupcakes, mini lemon cake or homemade pancakes.

10. Oil, water & baking powder

You can whisk 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons of water and 2 teaspoons of baking powder together to replace each egg in baked goods like cookies, brownies or quick breads. This substitution won’t impact a recipes’ flavor profile the way egg substitutions like mashed banana or flaxseed might.

11. Aquafaba (canned chickpea liquid)

Aquafaba is the liquid additive found in canned chickpeas and can add moisture and flavor to a variety of dishes. Use 3 tablespoons of aquafaba for each egg in baked goods like pistachio sour cream coffee cake. Leverage it to create an aquafaba whipped cream topping or whip up a melt-in-your-mouth homemade meringue.

How do I bind food without using eggs?

Binding food gives a recipe structure, helping ingredients combine thoroughly and preventing the final product from crumbling. You can bind ingredients for savory recipes like meatloaf or mini spiralized sweet potato casseroles by substituting each egg with ¼ cup of pureed silken tofu or 1 tablespoon of soy lecithin. Recipes using soy lecithin may require additional liquid additives.

For sweet recipes like soft and chewy lemon lavender cookies or chocolate coconut custard pie, try substituting 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder combined with 3 tablespoons of water—or 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed combined with 3 tablespoons of water—for each egg. Allow the flaxseed combination to sit for about 10 minutes or until it appears gelatinous, before you add it to the recipe.

Can I substitute egg whites for whole eggs in baking?

Egg whites and yolks serve unique purposes in a recipe, but you can replace whole eggs with egg whites in recipes that primarily use eggs to bind ingredients. Each whole egg produces about ¼ cup of volume in a recipe, so try using two egg whites for every whole egg to replace the total volume.

Egg whites include proteins that help baked goods hold their shape and structure while egg yolks contain fats that contribute to a soft texture, richness and browning. Keep in mind that you may have to compensate with other ingredients in a recipe to produce the moisture and softness that egg yolks foster.

What substitute is best to use instead of eggs in cake?

Substitutes like vinegar and baking soda, plain yogurt or buttermilk can help keep cake light, airy and structurally sound. Replace each egg with 1 teaspoon of baking soda combined with 1 tablespoon of vinegar, ¼ cup of plain yogurt or ¼ cup of buttermilk.

Desserts like vanilla butter cake and peppermint crunch bundt cake primarily rely on eggs to create a fluffy texture, so it's best to avoid egg substitutes like ground flaxseed, chia seeds or silken tofu that are better suited to dense baked goods like brownies or cookies.