Find the right egg substitute
In cookies the egg mostly binds the dough and adds moisture, so a binder works best.
1.Flax egg
Best pick1 tbsp ground flaxseed and 3 tbsp water
Stir the flaxseed into the water and leave it 5 minutes, until thick and gluey like a beaten egg.
Binds well, with a mild nutty taste and brown flecks; bakes come out a little denser.
2.Aquafaba
¼ cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)
Open a can of chickpeas, pour the liquid into a bowl and whisk it for a few seconds until foamy, then use it like beaten egg.
The closest match in most bakes: King Arthur Baking found muffins made with it almost the same as the egg version.
3.Store-bought egg replacer
Egg replacer powder for 1 egg, mixed with water as the package says
Mix it with water exactly as the package says; brands use different amounts.
Reliable in cookies, cakes, muffins and pancakes; it cannot be scrambled or whipped into meringue.
4.Chia egg
1 tbsp chia seeds and 3 tbsp water
Stir the seeds into the water and leave them until they gel, about 5 minutes. Grind them first if you do not want to see seeds.
Binds like flax with no taste of its own, but the seeds show; white chia hides better.
5.Peanut butter
3 tbsp creamy peanut butter
Beat it in with the butter and sugar, and cut back a little on any other fat if the dough looks greasy.
Binds and adds richness, and the cookies or brownies will taste of peanut butter.
6.Applesauce
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce and ½ tsp baking powder (extra, for lift)
Use it straight from the jar, with the extra baking powder mixed into the dry ingredients.
Moist and a little sweeter and chewier, with a faint apple note.
Skip: Fruit purées make cookies soft and cakey; save them for a cakey cookie.
Swap the eggs in your recipe
Ranked for cookies. Pick something else above to change the list.
Chocolate chip cookies, without eggs
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 cup butter, softened
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup packed brown sugar
- 2 tbsp ground flaxseed and 6 tbsp water (instead of 2 eggs)
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 cups chocolate chips
- Stir the flaxseed into the water and leave it 5 minutes, until thick and gluey like a beaten egg.
Pick what you are making, set the number of eggs and tick anything it has to be, like vegan or peanut-free. The swaps come back ranked for that recipe, with the amounts already worked out. To change a whole recipe, paste its ingredients into the second box and it returns the list with the eggs swapped, ready to copy or save.
The short answer
- To replace 1 egg in baking, use 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed stirred into 3 tablespoons of water (a flax egg), ¼ cup of aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas), ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce or mashed banana, or 1½ tablespoons each of oil and water with 1 teaspoon of baking powder.
- Choose by what the egg does in the recipe: in cookies and meatballs it binds, so a flax egg works best; in cakes, muffins and pancakes it lifts, so aquafaba, sparkling water or the oil and baking powder mix work better.
- Aquafaba is the closest all-round match: in King Arthur Baking's test, muffins made with it were almost the same as the ones made with eggs.
- Swaps usually fail in recipes with more than 3 eggs and in sponge, angel food and chiffon cakes, custards and quiches. For those, keep some of the eggs or use a recipe written without them.
What can I use instead of eggs?
One large egg can be replaced by a flax egg (1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed in 3 tablespoons of water), ¼ cup of aquafaba, ¼ cup of unsweetened applesauce, mashed banana, plain yogurt or blended silken tofu, 3 tablespoons of peanut butter, or 1½ tablespoons each of oil and water with 1 teaspoon of baking powder. The amounts below come from N.C. Cooperative Extension, apart from aquafaba, where we use the larger amount King Arthur Baking settled on after testing.
| Substitute | For 1 egg | |
|---|---|---|
| Aquafaba | ¼ cup aquafaba (liquid from a can of chickpeas)Best in: cookies, brownies, cake or cupcakes, box cake mix | Cookies, Brownies, Cake or cupcakes, Box cake mix |
| Flax egg | 1 tbsp ground flaxseed and 3 tbsp waterBest in: cookies, muffins or quick bread, pancakes or waffles, cornbread | Cookies, Muffins or quick bread, Pancakes or waffles, Cornbread |
| Chia egg | 1 tbsp chia seeds and 3 tbsp waterBest in: cookies | Cookies |
| Applesauce | ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce and ½ tsp baking powder (extra, for lift)Best in: box cake mix | Box cake mix |
 Mashed banana | ¼ cup mashed ripe banana and ½ tsp baking powder (extra, for lift)Best in: muffins or quick bread, pancakes or waffles | Muffins or quick bread, Pancakes or waffles |
 Plain yogurt | ¼ cup plain or Greek yogurt and ½ tsp baking powder (extra, for lift)Best in: brownies, cake or cupcakes, box cake mix, cornbread | Brownies, Cake or cupcakes, Box cake mix, Cornbread |
 Oil, water and baking powder | 1½ tbsp vegetable oil, 1½ tbsp water and 1 tsp baking powder (not baking soda)Best in: cake or cupcakes, pancakes or waffles, bread or rolls | Cake or cupcakes, Pancakes or waffles, Bread or rolls |
 Sparkling water | ¼ cup plain sparkling waterBest in: muffins or quick bread, pancakes or waffles | Muffins or quick bread, Pancakes or waffles |
 Silken tofu | ¼ cup silken tofu, blended smoothBest in: pumpkin pie, custard or quiche | Pumpkin pie, custard or quiche |
| Peanut butter | 3 tbsp creamy peanut butterBest in: brownies | Brownies |
 Potato flakes or mashed potato | 2 to 3 tbsp instant potato flakes or mashed potatoBest in: meatballs, meatloaf or burgers | Meatballs, meatloaf or burgers |
None of these is a perfect copy of an egg. King Arthur Baking puts it plainly: eggs give structure, bind, lift and hold fat and water together, and nothing replaces all of that at once. That is why the best swap changes with the recipe.
Pick the swap by what the egg does in your recipe
Ask what the egg is doing before you pick a stand-in. In a cookie dough it mostly glues things together; in a cake or a pancake it mostly makes the batter rise. A swap that binds well can leave a cake flat, and a swap that lifts can leave cookies crumbling.
Flax or chia egg
- Binds
- Lifts
- Adds moisture
- Some
Aquafaba
- Binds
- Lifts
- Adds moisture
- Some
Applesauce or banana
- Binds
- Some
- Lifts
- Adds moisture
Plain yogurt
- Binds
- Some
- Lifts
- Adds moisture
Oil, water and baking powder
- Binds
- Lifts
- Adds moisture
- Some
Sparkling water
- Binds
- Lifts
- Adds moisture
| Binds | Lifts | Adds moisture | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flax or chia egg | Some | ||
| Aquafaba | Some | ||
| Applesauce or banana | Some | ||
| Plain yogurt | Some | ||
| Oil, water and baking powder | Some | ||
| Sparkling water |
- The egg binds (cookies, meatballs, meatloaf, veggie burgers): use a flax or chia egg, aquafaba, or a starchy binder like potato flakes.
- The egg lifts (cakes, cupcakes, muffins, pancakes): use aquafaba, sparkling water, or oil, water and baking powder.
- The egg adds moisture and richness (brownies, quick breads, box mixes): use yogurt, applesauce, mashed banana or aquafaba.
How much to use for 2 or 3 eggs
Multiply the one-egg amount by the number of eggs: 2 eggs take 2 tablespoons of ground flaxseed and 6 tablespoons of water, or ½ cup of aquafaba; 3 eggs take ¾ cup of aquafaba or applesauce. The finder above does this for any number, including half an egg.
| Substitute | 1 egg | 2 eggs | 3 eggs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flax egg | 1 tbsp ground flax and 3 tbsp water | 2 tbsp ground flax and 6 tbsp water | 3 tbsp ground flax and ½ cup + 1 tbsp water |
| Chia egg | 1 tbsp chia seeds and 3 tbsp water | 2 tbsp chia seeds and 6 tbsp water | 3 tbsp chia seeds and ½ cup + 1 tbsp water |
| Aquafaba | ¼ cup aquafaba | ½ cup aquafaba | ¾ cup aquafaba |
| Applesauce | ¼ cup applesauce and ½ tsp baking powder | ½ cup applesauce and 1 tsp baking powder | ¾ cup applesauce and 1½ tsp baking powder |
| Oil, water and baking powder | 1½ tbsp oil, 1½ tbsp water and 1 tsp baking powder | 3 tbsp oil, 3 tbsp water and 2 tsp baking powder | ¼ cup + 1½ tsp oil, ¼ cup + 1½ tsp water and 1 tbsp baking powder |
How to make a flax egg (and a chia egg)
A flax egg is 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water for each egg. It is the cheapest swap to keep in the pantry and the most reliable binder for cookies, muffins and pancakes.
1. Measure the flaxseed 
2. Stir in the water 
3. Wait 5 minutes, until gluey
- 1
Grind the seeds if they are whole
Whole flaxseed passes straight through a batter. Pulse it in a coffee or spice grinder, or buy flax meal, which is already ground. - 2
Stir 1 tablespoon into 3 tablespoons of water
Per egg. Warm water works well. - 3
Wait about 5 minutes
It is ready when it looks thick and gluey, like a beaten egg. Mix the rest of the batter while you wait. - 4
Add it where the egg would go
Beat it in with the butter and sugar, or with the wet ingredients, exactly as the recipe says to add the egg.
A chia egg is made the same way, with 1 tablespoon of chia seeds in 3 tablespoons of water. It has no taste of its own, but the seeds show unless you grind them; white chia hides better in a pale batter. Flax gives a mild nutty taste and brown flecks, and both make a bake a little denser. Neither works in brownies or in creamy fillings such as pumpkin pie.
Aquafaba, the closest match to an egg
Aquafaba is the liquid in a can of chickpeas. Use ¼ cup for each whole egg and 2 tablespoons for each egg white, whisked for a few seconds until foamy. When King Arthur Baking made the same muffins with four different swaps, aquafaba was the clear winner, with very little difference from the muffins made with eggs; sparkling water came second, then the flax egg, then mashed banana, which tasted of banana.
1. Drain the can 
2. Keep the liquid 
3. Whisk it until foamy
It whips like egg whites, too, into meringues and frosting. King Arthur Baking recommends the liquid from a can over homemade, which is less reliable, and warns against angel food cake, chiffon cake and macarons, which need the structure only real whipped egg whites give.
Egg substitutes for cookies, brownies, cakes and box mixes
The chart lists the best swap and the runner-up for each kind of recipe, for one egg. Cookies want a binder, cakes want lift, and brownies want something rich.
| Making | Best swap | |
|---|---|---|
| Cookies | Flax egg1 tbsp ground flax and 3 tbsp waterNext best: aquafaba | Aquafaba¼ cup aquafaba |
| Brownies | Aquafaba¼ cup aquafabaNext best: plain yogurt | Plain yogurt¼ cup yogurt and ½ tsp baking powder |
| Cake or cupcakes | Aquafaba¼ cup aquafabaNext best: plain yogurt | Plain yogurt¼ cup yogurt and ½ tsp baking powder |
| Box cake mix | Plain yogurt¼ cup yogurt and ½ tsp baking powderNext best: applesauce | Applesauce¼ cup applesauce and ½ tsp baking powder |
| Muffins or quick bread | Aquafaba¼ cup aquafabaNext best: sparkling water | Sparkling water¼ cup sparkling water |
| Pancakes or waffles | Oil, water and baking powder1½ tbsp oil, 1½ tbsp water and 1 tsp baking powderNext best: sparkling water | Sparkling water¼ cup sparkling water |
| Cornbread | Flax egg1 tbsp ground flax and 3 tbsp waterNext best: plain yogurt | Plain yogurt¼ cup yogurt and ½ tsp baking powder |
| Bread or rolls | Flax egg1 tbsp ground flax and 3 tbsp waterNext best: aquafaba | Aquafaba¼ cup aquafaba |
| Pumpkin pie, custard or quiche | Silken tofu¼ cup blended silken tofu | No second choice: use an egg-free recipe |
| Meatballs, meatloaf or burgers | Potato flakes or mashed potato2 to 3 tbsp potato flakesNext best: flax egg | Flax egg1 tbsp ground flax and 3 tbsp water |
Cookies
Use a flax egg or aquafaba. Applesauce and banana make cookies soft and cake-like, which is fine for a cakey cookie and wrong for a chewy one. Peanut butter, 3 tablespoons per egg, binds well when the cookie can taste of it.
Brownies
Aquafaba keeps brownies rich and fudgy; King Arthur Baking says its fudge brownies come out just as moist with it. Plain yogurt works too. Skip the flax egg here, and banana, which fights with the chocolate.
Cakes, cupcakes and box mixes
Use aquafaba, plain yogurt with a little extra baking powder, or the oil, water and baking powder mix. For a box mix, ¼ cup of yogurt and ½ teaspoon of baking powder per egg is the easiest swap, and the oil and water on the box stay the same. Single-layer and snacking cakes take a swap well; sponge, chiffon, angel food and pound cakes do not.
Pancakes, waffles, muffins and cornbread
These batters mostly need lift. For pancakes and waffles, whisk 1½ tablespoons of oil, 1½ tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of baking powder per egg, or stir in ¼ cup of cold sparkling water at the very end. For muffins and quick breads, aquafaba and sparkling water gave King Arthur Baking the closest result, and banana bread is happy with mashed banana. Cornbread does best with a flax egg or plain yogurt; sweet purées make it heavy.
Meatballs, meatloaf and breading without eggs
In meatballs and meatloaf the egg only holds the mix together, so almost any starchy binder works: 2 to 3 tablespoons of instant potato flakes or mashed potato per egg, a little tomato paste or whole wheat flour, or a flax egg. Add it gradually until a ball holds its shape.
For breading, the egg is the glue between the flour and the crumbs. Dip in flour, then in buttermilk or milk (or unsweetened soy or oat milk, or aquafaba whisked until foamy), then in the crumbs, and press them on. A thin batter of flour and cold water works the same way.
Egg wash substitute for pies and bread
- Milk or cream: a golden top; cream browns more than milk.
- Melted butter: a soft, rich, golden crust.
- Oil: a crisp crust with a light shine.
- Soy or oat milk with a splash of maple syrup: the egg-free and dairy-free option King Arthur Baking suggests for pies; the syrup helps it brown.
- Aquafaba: a glossy finish that also holds seeds and coarse sugar on top.
If you are baking for Thanksgiving, the pie crust is the easy part. Pumpkin pie filling is a custard, which is harder; see below. Our Thanksgiving dinner planner plans the rest of the meal.
When not to replace the eggs
Poor candidates
Good candidates
For a custard or quiche, ¼ cup of blended silken tofu per egg is the one swap that sets, according to N.C. Cooperative Extension, but King Arthur Baking calls egg-heavy recipes like these poor candidates for any swap. A pumpkin pie written to be egg-free from the start will beat a converted one. The same goes for gluten-free baking, where King Arthur Baking recommends recipes that never had eggs. Store-bought egg replacers are handy for cookies, cakes and pancakes, but Bob's Red Mill notes they cannot be scrambled or whipped into meringue.
Keep the egg-free version of the recipe
Once a swap works, write it down, or the next batch starts from scratch. Save to CookEase above keeps the swapped ingredient list as a recipe in your cookbook. You can also edit any saved recipe to note the swap, and add the flaxseed or chickpeas to a shopping list from it. Out of eggs halfway through? In cook mode, ask the Cooking Assistant "what can I use instead of eggs?" and it answers out loud for that recipe. To make half an egg's worth, our halving calculator covers eggs too, and the recipe converter resizes the whole recipe.
Keep every recipe the way you actually make it.
Save recipes from any link, video or photo, note your swaps, and cook from them step by step with the Cooking Assistant.
