Egg Substitutes for Baking: 12 Easy Swaps (and When to Use Them)

You are halfway through a batch of muffins when you crack the carton and find one lonely egg where you needed two. It happens to everyone, and it almost never means stopping. Most baking calls for eggs to do one of three simple jobs, and your kitchen is already full of things that can stand in for them.

Eggs bind ingredients together, add moisture, and help baked goods rise. Once you know which job the eggs are doing in a recipe, picking the right substitute is easy. Below are 12 egg substitutes for baking that actually work, how much to use for each egg, and what each one is best for.

Quick Answer: What Replaces One Egg in Baking?

As a rule, one egg equals about 1/4 cup of a moist substitute like applesauce or mashed banana, or one flax or chia egg (1 tablespoon ground seed plus 3 tablespoons water). Substitutes work best in recipes that call for one to three eggs. Egg-heavy recipes like custards, angel food cake, and meringues rely on eggs for structure and do not substitute well, with aquafaba being the one exception for whipped recipes.

12 Egg Substitutes for Baking

Match the Substitute to the Job

The trick is to swap like for like. If the eggs are mainly binding a dough, reach for a flax egg, chia egg, silken tofu, or nut butter. If they add moisture to a cake or muffin, use applesauce, mashed banana, yogurt, or buttermilk. If the recipe needs lift, baking soda with vinegar or a splash of carbonated water adds air, and aquafaba whips up for the lightest results. When in doubt, a commercial egg replacer is the safe all-rounder.

This is the same swap-it-with-what-you-have thinking behind our cream of mushroom soup substitute and cream of chicken soup substitute, which save a trip to the store when a recipe calls for a can you do not have.

The moisture swaps, applesauce, banana, yogurt, and buttermilk, shine in cakes, muffins, and quick breads where a tender, damp crumb is the goal. Because they add water and a little sweetness, cut back slightly on other liquids and do not lean on them for more than two eggs, or the center turns dense and gummy.

The binding swaps, flax and chia eggs, silken tofu, and nut butter, hold doughs together in cookies, pancakes, and denser bakes. Let a flax or chia egg sit for about 5 minutes to gel before adding it, and blend silken tofu smooth first so it does not leave lumps.

For lift, baking soda plus vinegar creates the fizz that raises a cake, the trick behind old wacky and depression cakes, and a splash of carbonated water folds in air for a lighter crumb. Aquafaba, the liquid from a can of chickpeas, is the standout for anything that would normally use whipped egg whites, since it whips into stiff peaks for meringues, macarons, and light cookies.

When Egg Substitutes Do Not Work

Substitutes have limits, and it helps to know them before you commit a whole batch. They work best in recipes that call for one to three eggs, where the eggs are helping rather than doing all the structural work. In recipes where eggs are the main event, custards, quiche, angel food cake, meringues, and popovers, most swaps fall flat because there is nothing else to set the filling or trap the air that beaten eggs provide. Aquafaba is the one exception for light, whipped recipes. If a recipe leans on three or more eggs for its structure, expect a denser, flatter result, and it is usually better to find a recipe built for fewer eggs than to force a swap.

The Best Egg Substitute by Baked Good

If you would rather skip the theory, here is the quick match for the most common bakes.

Frequently Asked Questions About Egg Substitutes

What is the best egg substitute for baking?

There is no single best one, because it depends on the job. For all-purpose use, a flax egg or a commercial egg replacer works in most recipes. For moist cakes and muffins, unsweetened applesauce is the easiest and most reliable swap.

Can I substitute eggs in any recipe?

Substitutes work best when a recipe calls for one to three eggs. Recipes where eggs are the main structure, like custards, angel food cake, and meringues, do not substitute well, though aquafaba can replace whipped egg whites in some of them.

How much applesauce replaces one egg?

Use 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce for each egg. Because it adds moisture and a little sweetness, reduce other liquids slightly and do not replace more than two eggs this way or the texture turns gummy.

Does a flax egg really work?

Yes. Mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for about 5 minutes until it thickens into a gel. It binds well in cookies, pancakes, and denser baked goods, though it does not add lift.

What can I use instead of eggs in a cake?

For most cakes, 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, or plain yogurt per egg keeps the crumb moist and tender. If the cake needs extra lift, use 1 teaspoon of baking soda with 1 tablespoon of vinegar per egg, which reacts to raise the batter. Keep egg replacements to two eggs or fewer for the best texture.

How do I replace two eggs in a recipe?

Double the single-egg amount: 1/2 cup of applesauce or mashed banana, or two flax eggs (2 tablespoons ground flax plus 6 tablespoons water). Replacing two eggs is usually reliable, but going beyond two often leaves baked goods dense, so pick recipes designed for fewer eggs when you can.

Are these egg substitutes vegan?

Most are. Applesauce, mashed banana, flax and chia eggs, silken tofu, aquafaba, nut butter, carbonated water, and the baking soda and vinegar swap are all plant based. Yogurt and buttermilk are the only dairy options on the list, so skip those for a fully vegan bake.

The Bottom Line

Running out of eggs does not have to end your baking. Figure out whether the eggs are binding, adding moisture, or providing lift, then pick the matching substitute from the list above. Keep ground flaxseed and a jar of applesauce on hand and you will rarely be stuck. For more make-it-yourself kitchen swaps, see our homemade cracker recipe and other from-scratch basics.