Egg substitute

What It Means

Egg substitute has two meanings. (1) A packaged product sold refrigerated or frozen to use in place of shell eggs, which USDA describes as egg whites with added color and other non-egg ingredients. (2) Any ingredient that takes the place of eggs in a recipe, such as ground flaxseed mixed with water or aquafaba, the liquid drained from a can of chickpeas. Only the second kind can be egg-free.

How It Sounds at Home

• "Grab the carton of egg substitute next to the milk."
• "I used a flax egg in the pancakes."
• "Save the chickpea water, it's for the meringue."

The Breakdown

Making a flax egg (for one large egg)

1. Stir or shake 1 tablespoon of flax meal with 3 tablespoons of cold water.
2. Wait. After 1010,000 stepsA popular daily step goal that began as the name of a 1960s Japanese pedometer; later studies find health benefits begin well below it. See more to 15 minutes the flax has soaked up much of the water, and in about 15 minutes more it has thickened quite a bit.
3. Use it in place of the egg in pancakes, soft cookies or bars.

Using aquafaba

1. Drain a can of chickpeas and keep the liquid.
2. Measure ¼ cup (57 g) for each whole egg, or 2 tablespoons (28 g) for each egg white.
3. Whip it when the recipe calls for whipped whites. King Arthur Baking notes it adds no flavor or color, and very little structure.

Try it today. If you have flax meal, mix one flax egg now and watch how long it takes to thicken, so you know the wait before you need it.

The two kinds side by side

Where It Comes From

USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service says no-cholesterol refrigerated or frozen egg substitutes first became available to consumers in 1973.

Good to Know

Because USDA describes carton egg substitutes as made from egg whites, they aren't a choice for someone avoiding eggs because of an allergy; ask a doctor or allergist what's safe. All egg products sold in the U.S. must be pasteurized under federal law, and USDA says they're best used in cooked dishes, especially for infants and young children, pregnant women, older adults and people with weakened immune systems. Keep cartons at 40°F or below, don't freeze an opened carton, and use it within 3 days of opening.

Related Terms and Categories

• Ingredient substitutions

  Replacing an ingredient you don't have with another in a measured amount, such as all-purpose flour and cornstarch in place of cake flour.

• Buttermilk substitute

  A stand-in for buttermilk: 1 tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar plus milk to make 1 cup, left to stand 5 minutes before you use it.

• Baking powder vs baking soda

  Baking soda is a base that needs an acid in the recipe to make it rise; baking powder is baking soda already mixed with its own acid.

• Recipe scaling

  Changing how much a recipe makes by multiplying every ingredient by one conversion factor: the yield you want divided by the yield it makes.

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