The Affordable Egg Substitute That's Actually Better Than Eggs
Susan Choung
February 20, 2025 at 7:38 PM
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Who would have thought that the humble egg -- once a staple of budget-friendly meals -- would become a luxury commodity in 2025? Shoppers are scaling back on egg consumption or looking for egg alternatives amid safety concerns about bird flu and the subsequent all-time-high prices. Consumers are paying nearly double for a carton of eggs in recent weeks. We're dealing with the rising costs in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen, too. One recipe tester had to shell out $12 for a dozen, while another cook exclaimed, "I've been out of eggs for over a week! I'm never out of eggs!"
Even if you're determined to continue buying eggs, you may find stores have bare shelves or limits on how many cartons each customer can purchase. Why? People are stockpiling eggs, similar to toilet paper during COVID, for fear that prices will continue to skyrocket.
If you're not among those panic-buying eggs, you can easily find suitable egg substitutes for baking, whether due to allergy concerns, scarcity or you're simply priced out. Another silver lining: Most of the replacements are ingredients you probably already have on hand, and are likely more affordable than eggs.
First, do you actually need to replace egg in a recipe?
Baking is a delicate web of ingredients -- removing one would be like recklessly pulling out the lynchpin in a Jenga tower -- and eggs are incredibly important for a number of reasons. An egg, in particular, has several roles that are crucial to a recipe's success. It adds richness and moisture, like in a brioche. It can serve to thicken and emulsify, as in a cheesecake. The oven heats up the egg's protein, creating structure for cakes, muffins and bars. When beaten, eggs provide leavening fluff -- case in point: a soufflé. If you've ever forgotten to add eggs to a cake batter, then you know all too well the end result is a dense, structureless puck that crumbles faster than a house of cards. So if you don't or can't use egg, you definitely need a substitute.
How we tested egg substitutes
We wanted to compare the different types of egg substitutes side-by-side, so we fired up the ovens in the Good Housekeeping Test Kitchen. To eliminate variables, we used the same boxed brownie mix to test each egg alternative. We also baked one batch with a real egg as the control to compare with the other versions. We kept all other conditions the same, including the type of baking pan, oven temperature and cooling time. We did adjust the baking time per the package directions, which cued to remove the brownies from the oven "when the center is set and edges have begun to pull away from sides of pan." The bake time for our control brownies was 40 minutes.
We judged the results of each bake based on the following criteria:
Appearance
Texture
Taste
Baking time
Testing results
For all tests, we started with a box of Ghirardelli Double Chocolate Brownie Mix, which called for one egg and yielded chewy, fudgy brownies when baked according to the package directions. Noticeable right away was the appearance of all the egg substitute brownies. They were much darker and shinier than the control, which had a matte finish and a more reddish chestnut brown color. Some versions were crustier or had deep crags or serious caving -- things to keep in mind for your own baking trials.
While we tried this for brownies specially, our experts say these substitutes should work for cakes, cookies, muffins and pancakes too!
1/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt
Appearance: Pleasingly crinkled top and deep mahogany color
Texture: Crustier edges with fudgy interior
Taste: Similar to the control, the chocolate flavor shined through
Baking time: 35 minutes
By far, the closest to the control brownies in terms of color, flavor and texture. One taste tester even said, "I kind of like these brownies better than the ones made with egg."
3 tablespoons aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
Appearance: Espresso color with the shiniest, most crackled top; did not rise as high as the control
Texture: A noticeable crunch on top
Taste: Muted sweetness but no discernable "bean" flavor
Baking time: 42 minutes
Aquafaba was our second favorite replacement. It was also the least expensive, considering it's an upcycled ingredient that most people would toss after draining a can of chickpeas. However, it did not rise as high as the control and was among the shallowest of the brownies.
1/4 cup applesauce
Appearance: lightly crackled on top and coffee brown color
Texture: wetter, less crumbly interior
Taste: a little sweeter
Baking time: 35 minutes
Applesauce was our middle of the road substitute for egg. Tasters noted that this version didn't crumble the way the other brownies did and resulted in brownies that were wetter. "It's a little claggy and getting stuck to the roof of my mouth in not a great way," commented one, while another said, "It's almost like you don't have to chew it." Since applesauce lacks the protein found in the other replacements, it likely wasn't able to provide adequate structure for the brownies. It also yielded sweeter brownies, which makes sense, since applesauce has more sugar than an egg.
1/4 cup silken tofu
Appearance: serious cratering with a color similar to the Greek yogurt brownies
Texture: edges were not as crisp and interior lacked chewiness
Taste: less sweet
Baking time: 38 minutes
Ranking number four on our list, silken tofu resulted in brownies that were claggy (though not as much as the ones made with applesauce). "It just falls apart, like mush," noted one taste tester. Another said, "This one's not my favorite, it tastes less sweet and lacks crisp edges."
Flax egg (1 tablespoon golden flax meal mixed with 3 tablespoons water)
Appearance: Drastic caving and cracking; did not rise as high as the control; similar in color to the applesauce brownies
Texture: Oily and left a greasy coating in the mouth
Taste: Bitter aftertaste
Baking time: 35 minutes
These flax egg brownies were the least successful in every criteria. Taste testers were aghast at the appearance, noting how shallow the brownies were. "It looks the worst," said one commenter, about how sunken and caved the results were. Another tester remarked, "When I was breaking it open, it was very greasy and oozing all over my hands."
What's the best egg substitute for baking?
All the replacements technically "worked" in that there was an edible baked good at the end. How much you'd want to eat the brownies is another story. The Greek yogurt substitution was so successful, you may want to use it even when eggs are plentiful. If cost is a concern, aquafaba is your best bet. The flax egg replacement, on the other hand, was the most disappointing in all aspects for our boxed brownie test.
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