6 Best Egg Substitutes for Baking (With Exact Ratios)

Why Eggs Are Hard to Replace

Eggs do more in baking than almost any other ingredient. Depending on the recipe, an egg is doing one or more of these jobs:

1. Binding — holding the crumb together so cookies and muffins don't crumble apart
2. Leavening — trapping air and steam to give cakes lift
3. Moisture — contributing liquid to the batter
4. Richness — fat from the yolk gives tenderness and flavour

No single substitute does all four. The trick is matching the substitute to the job the egg is doing in your recipe — binding in a cookie, lift in a cake, moisture in a brownie.

The 6 Best Egg Substitutes

All ratios below replace one egg.

1. Applesauce (Best for Moisture)

Ratio: ¼ cup (60 g) unsweetened applesauce per egg

Applesauce adds moisture and a little binding with almost no flavour change. Reduce the sugar slightly if you only have sweetened applesauce. Because it adds no lift, add an extra ¼ teaspoon of baking powder if the recipe relies on eggs for rise.

Best for: Muffins, quick breads, brownies, dense cakes Flavour: Neutral — undetectable in most bakes

2. Mashed Banana

Ratio: ½ medium banana (about 60 g), well mashed, per egg

Works the same way as applesauce but with a noticeable banana flavour — which is either a bonus or a problem depending on what you're making. Bakes slightly denser and chewier.

Best for: Pancakes, banana-friendly muffins, chocolate bakes (cocoa masks the flavour) Flavour: Distinctly banana — embrace it or avoid it

3. Flax Egg (Best All-Round Vegan Binder)

Ratio: 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water per egg

Stir together and rest for 5-10 minutes until it turns gel-like — that gel mimics the binding structure of egg white. The most reliable substitute for cookies and anything that needs to hold together. Chia seeds work identically at the same ratio.

Best for: Cookies, muffins, pancakes, veggie burgers Flavour: Faintly nutty; adds tiny brown flecks

4. Plain Yogurt

Ratio: ¼ cup (60 g) plain yogurt per egg

Yogurt brings moisture, fat, and a slight acidity that reacts with baking soda for extra lift — the same trick that makes buttermilk substitutes work. Use full-fat for the best texture. Plant-based yogurt works the same way.

Best for: Cakes, muffins, quick breads Flavour: Mild tang, softens in baking

5. Silken Tofu (Best for Rich, Dense Bakes)

Ratio: ¼ cup (60 g) silken tofu, blended smooth, per egg

Blend it first — unblended tofu leaves white flecks. It adds protein and structure with zero flavour, and is the substitute that behaves most like egg in rich, dense recipes. Don't use firm tofu; only silken has the right texture.

Best for: Brownies, cheesecake, dense chocolate cake, custard-style fillings Flavour: Completely neutral

6. Aquafaba (Best for Lift and Meringue)

Ratio: 3 tablespoons aquafaba per whole egg (2 tablespoons per egg white)

Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas, and it's the only substitute that genuinely whips like egg white — soft peaks, stiff peaks, the lot. For cakes that rely on beaten egg for lift, whip the aquafaba to soft peaks before folding it in.

Best for: Meringue, macarons, mousse, light sponge cakes, royal icing Flavour: Neutral once baked — no chickpea taste

Which Substitute to Use When

What you're baking	Best choice
Cookies	Flax egg
Muffins or quick bread	Applesauce or yogurt
Brownies	Silken tofu or applesauce
Light sponge cake	Aquafaba (whipped)
Meringue or macarons	Aquafaba — nothing else works
Pancakes	Mashed banana or flax egg
Rich chocolate cake	Silken tofu

What Egg Substitutes Can't Do

Be realistic about the limits:

• Recipes with more than 3 eggs (chiffon cakes, genoise, frittatas) depend on egg structure itself — substitutes will noticeably change the result
• Custards and curds need egg proteins to set; silken tofu gets close in baked fillings, but stovetop custard needs cornflour-based thickening instead
• Meringue is aquafaba-only territory — none of the other five whip

If a recipe is essentially about eggs, it's usually better to find a recipe developed egg-free from the start than to substitute.

Find Substitutes for Any Ingredient

Eggs are one of hundreds of ingredients that can be swapped in a recipe. KitchenConvert suggests substitutes for any ingredient in your recipe — with exact ratios, dietary flags, and notes on how each swap changes the final dish.

Open any saved recipe, click Substitutions, and tap the ingredient you want to replace.

Out of buttermilk too? See our guide to the 5 best buttermilk substitutes.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best egg substitute for baking? For binding (cookies, muffins): a flax egg — 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water, rested for 5 minutes. For moisture (brownies, quick breads): ¼ cup applesauce. For lift and meringue: whipped aquafaba. Match the substitute to the job the egg does in your recipe.

How much applesauce replaces one egg? ¼ cup (60 g) of unsweetened applesauce replaces one egg. Add an extra ¼ teaspoon of baking powder if the recipe relies on eggs for rise, since applesauce binds and moistens but doesn't lift.

Can I replace eggs in any recipe? Most recipes with 1-2 eggs substitute well. Recipes with 3 or more eggs — or where egg is the main structure, like chiffon cake, custard, or frittata — will noticeably change. For those, use a recipe developed egg-free from the start.

Does aquafaba really whip like egg whites? Yes — it's the only egg substitute that does. Use 2 tablespoons per egg white, whip to soft or stiff peaks exactly as you would whites. A pinch of cream of tartar helps it stabilise. It works for meringue, macarons, and mousse.