Substitution guide

Egg Substitutes

1 tbsp (15 ml) ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp (45 ml) water = 1 large egg:

1flax egg per egg

Use US tablespoons (15 ml) — an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml. Works best in recipes that call for one or two eggs; substitutes generally fail in recipes calling for more than three.

An egg does several jobs at once — it binds, adds moisture and helps a bake rise — and no single substitute does all of them. Pick the swap for the job the egg is doing in your recipe: applesauce and mashed banana add moisture, flax and chia gels bind, and whipped aquafaba gives airy textures such as meringue. Every amount on this page replaces one large egg; double it for two eggs, triple it for three.

Count the eggs before you swap. America’s Test Kitchen tested egg replacers in muffins and found the best of them comparable to real eggs in recipes using one or two eggs — but none of the substitutes worked in a recipe calling for three: every batch came out dense and squat, because those recipes rely on eggs rather than baking powder for lift. NC State Extension agrees that substitutes generally don’t work when a recipe calls for more than 3 eggs, and that pound, sponge and angel food cakes don’t turn out well. Coconut-flour baking is the extreme case: King Arthur’s coconut flour cake uses six eggs, which it calls "crucial when baking with coconut flour". For recipes like these, look for a similar recipe that uses fewer eggs instead of swapping. The one exception is quiche and custard, where puréed tofu can stand in even for a lot of eggs.

Recipes assume a "large" egg, but large means different weights in different countries. In Australia, a dozen large eggs must weigh at least 600 g (most cartons are about 660 g), or roughly 50–55 g an egg. A US dozen large eggs weighs 24 oz — about 2 oz (57 g) an egg. UK eggs are graded one by one, and a UK large egg weighs 63–73 g. The amounts below come from US sources written for a US large egg, so for Australian large eggs they run slightly generous.

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Substitutes at a glance

Flax egg	1 tbsp (6.5 g) ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp (45 ml) water per egg
Chia egg	1 tbsp (15 ml) chia seeds + 3 tbsp (45 ml) water per egg
Aquafaba (chickpea liquid)	3 tbsp (45 ml) whipped aquafaba per egg
Unsweetened applesauce	1/4 cup (60 ml) per egg
Mashed ripe banana	1/4 cup (60 ml) mashed per egg
Silken or soft tofu, puréed	1/4 cup (60 ml) puréed per egg

Flax egg: The standard egg-free binder. Stir 1 US tbsp (15 ml) of ground flaxseed — about 6.5 g, going by Bob’s Red Mill’s 13 g per 2 tbsp — into 3 tbsp (45 ml) water and let it sit for 5–10 minutes to gel before adding. NC State Extension notes it doesn’t really work in brownies or creamy desserts.
Chia egg: Same ratio and 5–10 minute rest as a flax egg, and UW Extension lists it for the same breads, cookies and pancakes. Results are mixed, though: in America’s Test Kitchen’s egg-free muffin test, soaked ground chia "failed outright" — use flax or silken tofu for muffins.
Aquafaba (chickpea liquid): The liquid from a tin of chickpeas, whipped. UW Extension puts it at 3 tbsp (45 ml) per egg and rates it the substitute for airy textures — the one to reach for in meringues — as well as brownies and cookies.
Unsweetened applesauce: A moisture swap, not a binder or a leavener. Use it unsweetened: NC State Extension warns it can still make a bake sweeter, a little chewier and faintly apple-flavoured.
Mashed ripe banana: Adds moisture like applesauce, but with "a definite banana flavor" (NC State Extension) — use it where banana suits the bake.
Silken or soft tofu, puréed: Use plain tofu, not seasoned or baked, and purée it smooth. In America’s Test Kitchen’s muffin test it "worked almost as well" as a commercial egg replacer in one- and two-egg recipes, with only a subtle soy flavour. NC State Extension also rates it for egg-heavy quiches and custards, and for egg-free scrambles.

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= 13 g ground flaxseed + 90 ml water

The standard egg-free binder. Stir 1 US tbsp (15 ml) of ground flaxseed — about 6.5 g, going by Bob’s Red Mill’s 13 g per 2 tbsp — into 3 tbsp (45 ml) water and let it sit for 5–10 minutes to gel before adding. NC State Extension notes it doesn’t really work in brownies or creamy desserts.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How many eggs can I replace with a substitute?

One or two, reliably; three at most. America’s Test Kitchen advises sticking to recipes that need one or two eggs — in its tests every substitute failed in a three-egg muffin recipe, coming out dense and squat. NC State Extension says substitutes generally don’t work when a recipe calls for more than 3 eggs. If a recipe needs more, find a similar one that uses fewer eggs.

Can I use egg substitutes in coconut flour recipes?

Not reliably. Coconut flour can absorb up to four times its weight in liquid, and coconut-flour recipes lean heavily on eggs for rise and moisture — King Arthur’s coconut flour cake uses six eggs, which it calls "crucial when baking with coconut flour". That’s far past the one or two eggs substitutes can handle, so expect a dense result if you swap them all out.

Which egg substitute is best for baking?

It depends on what the egg is doing. UW Extension’s rule of thumb: for moisture use applesauce, banana or yogurt; for binding use a flax or chia egg; for airy textures use aquafaba. For muffins and quick breads, America’s Test Kitchen found puréed silken tofu nearly as good as a commercial egg replacer.

How do I make a flax egg?

Mix 1 tablespoon (15 ml, about 6.5 g) of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons (45 ml) of water and let it sit for 5–10 minutes until it thickens into a gel. Measure with US tablespoons or 3 teaspoons — an Australian tablespoon is 20 ml, which throws the ratio off.

Are Australian large eggs the same size as US large eggs?

Slightly smaller. A dozen Australian large eggs must weigh at least 600 g (most are about 660 g), roughly 50–55 g an egg; a US large egg averages about 2 oz (57 g), and a UK large egg is 63–73 g. In most recipes calling for one or two eggs the difference doesn’t matter.

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Sources: University of Wisconsin–Madison Division of Extension — Egg Substitutes for Baking (ratios per egg; moisture/binding/airy roles); N.C. Cooperative Extension (NC State) — Looking for a Substitute for Eggs in Cooking or Baking (ratios; more-than-3-eggs limit; tofu for quiche and custard); America’s Test Kitchen — Making Muffins and Quick Breads Without Eggs (1–2 egg vs 3 egg test results; silken tofu ratio); King Arthur Baking — Toasted Coconut Cake (six eggs "crucial when baking with coconut flour"; absorbency); Bob’s Red Mill — Flaxseed Meal (nutrition panel: 2 Tbsp = 13 g); RecipeTin Eats — "Large egg at room temperature": what this means (AU/US/UK large egg weights)