Egg Equivalents: Bind Your Desserts and Make them Rise Allergen-Free
Eggs are a near-perfect food. But not if you have an egg allergy!
Unfortunately, commercial egg replacers (like Ener-G) contain soy protein and wheat gluten- two highly processed, allergenic ingredients that cause digestive discomfort for many people.
But there are natural, unprocessed allergen-free ingredients that can be used to replace eggs – and they’re probably in your pantry right now!
Before attempting an egg substitute, you need to determine the function eggs have in your recipe. Eggs can bind, leaven or moisturize.
If a recipe contains only one egg, but a fair amount of baking powder or baking soda, then the egg is serving as the binder. This is an easy replacement that can be achieved with almost any of the substitutes listed below.
But if a recipe contains many eggs – like a soufflé – eggs are acting as the leavener and the binder. And the substitution will be a flop.
As a general rule, the fewer eggs a recipe calls for, the easier they will be to substitute.
- 2 tbsp cornstarch = 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. arrowroot flour = 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. potato starch = 1 egg
- 1 mashed banana = 1 egg
- 1 Tbsp. milled flax seed + 3 Tbsp. water (set to gel) = 1 egg
- ¼ cup unsweetened apple sauce = 1 egg
- ¼ cup organic plain yogurt, whipped = 1 egg
- 2 Tbsp. water + 1 Tbsp. oil + 1 tsp. baking powder. Mix well. = 1 egg
- 1 tbsp agar agar powder + 1 tbsp water. Whip together. Chill. Whip it again. = 1 egg white
- ¼ cup cooked pumpkin or winter squash = 1 egg
- 1/4 tsp. xanthan gum + 1/4 cup of water. Let stand, then whip. 1 egg white
NOTE: For the fruit purees, add an additional ½ tsp. baking powder to reduce density.
Healthy baking, like any art form, takes practice and a little bit of patience. Be prepared to have some flops at first. But once you get the hang of using these healthy, all-natural ingredients, you’ll delight over brownies for breakfast too!
