When you learn you have to eliminate something from your diet, one of the first things you think about is how to replace it. How do you get the nutritional value you’ll be missing? Are there ways to replace it when cooking and baking?
Today I want to talk about the second question.
If you Google “egg replacements in baking”, you get almost four million results. In theory, that’s super helpful. You have a lot of options. But, when you’re facing something as new and life changing as an allergy, it can also be overwhelming. You want to know what’s safe and effective.
Update: I posted this a while ago, but I wanted to revisit it because I think it could be a lot of fun to do with your kids. Homeschooling has always been popular in the food allergy community, but it’s even more on the rise today. I’ve included a PDF download with a worksheet to help your kids follow along. Enjoy!
The Experiment
In the search for simplicity, I developed an experiment. I took four of the most common egg substitutes (chia seed, flax seed, applesauce, and banana) and asked a single question. Which one makes the best chocolate chip cookie? Using my favorite recipe from before my allergy (which I’ve included at the end of this post), I made four different cookies. I then invited one of my best friends and my boyfriend to help me critique each one in a blind taste test. It made for a pretty fun Tuesday night!
How did the substitutes hold up? Here’s my list in order from least tasty to the best.
#4 (But also maybe #1) Banana
The recommended ratio for this substitution is one ripened banana per egg. It’s pretty easy! You just mash up the banana so you don’t have any chunks or lumps and then add it when creaming the butter and sugar together.
You may be asking, so why is this #4?
Unfortunately, this experiment hit a little bump in the road with the banana. It was objectively the highest quality cookie. It puffed up nicely, was super moist, and delicious!
These cookies tasted like banana bread. The banana flavor came right to the forefront and could not be ignored. Combine that with it’s more cake-like texture and it was unavoidable. This cookie did not taste like a chocolate chip cookie – which was, after all, the point.
I look forward to a future post when I can perfect the banana bread cookie. For this specific challenge, however, the banana substitute did not succeed.
#3 Flaxseed
For those of you unfamiliar with the flaxseed egg, let me explain how it works. First of all, you’ll want to get milled flax seed. (If you can’t find that, you can mill it yourself in a food processor.) Once you have that, the ratio for one egg is 1 Tbsp of flaxseed in 3 Tbsp of water. Mix that together in a bowl and then let is set for 5-10 minutes. The milled flaxseed combines with the water into a gel that simulates an egg. Add that to your mixing bowl and you’re ready to go!
While the flaxseed succeeded in holding the cookie together, the final product fell flat (pun intended!). Fresh out of the oven, the cookie was a little crispy on the edges and gooey in the middle – so, pretty perfect. However, once cool it was pretty crispy. The cookie didn’t have much body, so it just hardened up. This version will definitely age the worst with how quickly it changed once it cooled.
If all you have is flaxseed at home, I recommend using an addition substitution for leavening. I use 1/2 tsp of baking soda dissolved in 2 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar. Just like in those fantastic middle school volcanos we all did, this creates a foam that really adds some levity to my cookies.
#2 Chia Seed
Next up, we have the chia seed substitution. Like the flaxseed, you’re going to want to mix it with water. It’s actually the same ratio too: 1 Tbsp chia seed and 3 Tbsp water. You don’t have to let it set as long, though, which makes it a little more convenient. Chia seed bonds with itself pretty instantly when water is introduced. If you’ve ever used it in a smoothie, you know what I’m talking about.
When my official taste-testers bit into this cookie they both really appreciated the taste. It was a little airier than the flaxseed too, which they liked. What they both couldn’t figure out was the texture. It wasn’t that it was gritty, but they could feel something in the cookie – the chia seed itself.
This cookie was better than the flaxseed because of the levity. I think the trade off with chia seed is the effect it has on mouthfeel. The flaxseed hides better, but doesn’t puff up in the ways you might want from a cookie. In my opinion, the better texture outweighs the mouthfeel, but you might prefer a crispier cookie. It’s really up to you!
#1 Applesauce
Finally we’ve gotten to the good one – applesauce. It makes for an incredibly moist cookie. Before I get too far, I don’t want to forget to tell you to use unsweetened applesauce. If you don’t have unsweetened, make sure and cut back the rest of the sugar in the batch. You will have extremely sweet cookies if you use sweetened applesauce and the amount of sugar called for by the recipe.
To substitute an egg, use 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce. That’s it! It’s super easy and the results are incredible. It’s a fluffy cookie with the gooey center fresh out of the oven. I love this cookie and will probably make it this way again.
Conclusions
Ultimately this all boils down to what kind of cookie you like. This list is built based on the preferences of my focus group. For fluffier cookies I recommend the banana if you can handle the effect it has on taste. Applesauce is also great for a moist cookie with poof. If you prefer a cookie with crunchy edges, I’d try the chia seed or even the flaxseed if you like ’em crispy.
The beauty of this experiment is that none of the options are bad. They all make really delicious, egg-free cookies. And they’re all super simple!
As always, I encourage you to reach out to me with any questions, comments, or egg substitution suggestions!
Thanks for reading! I hope it helps you on your journey!
I love this! It was very helpful. Thank you!