Vegan Substitutes
When I first discovered that I was allergic to egg yolks & whites and whey, I set out to find replacements. Below are what I discovered through many different trials.
Egg Substitutes
The first thing to determine in your recipes is whether the egg is being used for binding, leavening (lift & lightness), and/or taste. Once you’ve determine that, you’ll have an easier time of determining a replacer.
Here’s a table of egg replacers in baking that I’ve tried. One of my favorites is using soy lecithin. All entries below equal 1 whole egg. Other egg replacers are noted below the table.
| What | Where | When |
|---|---|---|
| 2 T flax seed 3 T water Grind the flax seed in a coffee grinder; mix the ground flax seeds with the water in a blender and blend until smooth |
Baked goods | Binding & Leavening |
| 1/2 T tapioca flour 1/2 T potato starch 1/8 t baking powder 1/16 t xanthan gum 1/4 c water 1 t canola oil Whisk all ingredients together |
Works well in baked goods, especially ones that are light colored | Binding & Leavening |
| 2 T starch (potato, tapioca, arrowroot, corn, soy flour) 1/4 c water |
Use in baked goods | Binding & Leavening |
| 2 t baking soda 2 T water |
Use in baked goods | Leavening |
| 1 t psylium seed husk 1/4 c water Let it stand for 5 minutes |
Use in baked goods | Binding & Leavening |
| 1/4 c fruit puree (such as apple, pear, pumpkin, or bananas) 2 t baking powder Mix thoroughly |
Use in sweet baked goods. Each will leave a specific flavor so keep that in mind when choosing which fruit you want to use. If you are not concerned about the leavening, remove the baking powder. | Binding & Leavening |
| 2 T soy lecithin (granules or liquid) 1/4 c water Blend well |
Use in baked goods | Binding & Leavening |
| 1/4 c soy yogurt | Use in baked goods | Binding & Leavening |
| 1/4 c whipped or beaten silken tofu | Use in place of a large number of eggs such as for a quiche; takes on the flavor of the other ingredients | Binding |
| 1 t Ener-G Egg Replacer 2 T water Mix thoroughly |
Works best in crispy baked goods such as cookies | Binding & Leavening |
| 2 T water 1 T canola oil 2 t baking powder Mix thoroughly |
Baked books | Binding & Leavening |
| 1/4 c mashed potatoes, tomato paste, or rolled oats | Vegetarian “meat” loaves or anything savory | Binding & taste |
| 2-4 T water | Baked goods that are flat such as cookies and pancakes | Taste |
Other substitutions for eggs:
- Egg Whites: Mix 1 T agar agar powder with 1 T water, whip and chill. Whip again.
N.B.: I’m not a fan of powdered agar agar. While it does have 5x the gelling powder of flakes & bars, it’s also highly processed and tends to leave a bad taste in the finished dish. Whenever possible, I use bars or flakes instead but I have not have much luck in that regard in replacing egg whites.
- “Egg” Salad or Scrambled “Eggs”: Use 1/4 c cubed firm tofu per egg in the recipe.
Dairy Substitutes
I’ve found that dairy substitutes are much easier to make than egg.
| What | With | When |
|---|---|---|
| Butter or Margarine | Flax oil —OR— Udo’s Oil —OR— Nut butters —OR— Apple sauce —OR— Earth Balance |
Whenever butter is called for except for Udo’s Oil which should not be heated |
| Buttermilk | 1 T lemon juice or apple cider vinegar 1 c plain warm soy or rice milk —OR— 1 c plain soy yogurt —OR— 1 3/4 T cream of tartar 1 c plain soy milk |
Any time buttermilk is called for in a recipe |
| Cheddar, shredded | Vegan Gourmet brand “cheeses” | Whenever you need cheese to melt. No other vegan cheese melts like Vegan Gourmet. |
| Cottage Cheese | Crumbled Firm or Extra Firm Tofu | In lasagnes and other dishes |
| Mayonnaise | Vegenaise if you prefer mayonnaise; Nayonaise if you prefer Miracle Whip | Whenever mayonnaise is called for in a recipe |
| Milk | Plain soy, rice or nut milk | Any time milk is called for in a recipe |
| Mozzarella, shredded | Vegan Gourmet brand “cheeses” | Whenever you need cheese to melt. No other vegan cheese melts like Vegan Gourmet. |
| Ricotta Cheese | Crumbled Firm or Extra Firm Tofu | In lasagnes and other dishes |
| Shortening | Earth Balance shortening | Whenever shortening is called for in a recipe |
| Sour Cream | Tofutti Sour Cream —OR— Soy yogurt |
Any time sour cream is called for in a recipe |
| Yogurt | Soy yogurt | Any time yogurt is called for in a recipe |
Blue Dog with his bunny
