1. Commercial Egg Whites
While not a solution for egg allergies, as most people are allergic to the whites and not egg yolks,
commercial egg whites such as Egg Beaters may be a good substitute if you can eat eggs and you’re following a low-fat diet.
These may be cooked the same way as whole eggs, and you pour them right out of a carton.
According to the USDA, one large egg white contains 18 calories, 3.6 g protein, and less than 0.08 g fat.
2. Just Egg
If you’re looking for a plant-based egg substitute, both Kristin Gillespie, RD, who is based in Virginia Beach, Virginia, and Meghan Pendleton, RD, who practices in the Detroit area, recommend Just Egg. The product is available in a 16 ounce (oz) bottle, and you pour it onto a heated skillet to make plant-based scrambled eggs or omelets. Simply refrigerate the bottle after opening to save for your next use.
Per the company’s website, Just Egg is made with mung bean protein, canola oil, and turmeric, as well as onion, salt, sugar, and other flavorings.
You can use 3 tablespoons (tbsp) to substitute for one egg. Each 3 tbsp serving has 70 calories, 5 g protein, and 5 g fat, which is close to that of a large egg.
But unlike eggs, Just Egg has 0 mg cholesterol.
3. Unsweetened Applesauce
Applesauce may replace eggs that act as binders in recipes, such as drop cookies. According to the AAFA, you can replace one whole egg with ¼ cup applesauce in such recipes.
Be sure to look for unsweetened varieties so you don’t end up with added sugars — you will still reap a bit of natural sweetness from the pureed apples.
From a nutritional perspective, the USDA reports that 50 g (about ¼ cup) unsweetened applesauce has 26 calories, 0.1 g protein, 0.1 g fat, and 6 g carbohydrates.
The same serving provides 22 mg vitamin C, making it an excellent source of the nutrient.
4. Mashed Avocado
If you’re looking for a non-egg binding agent besides applesauce, consider mixing up your recipes with mashed avocado. Again, you can substitute ¼ cup pureed or mashed fruit per one egg in your recipes.
This versatile fruit is recommended by Cedars-Sinai for its high nutrient profile, which includes mono- and polyunsaturated fats that may reduce LDL cholesterol, as well as fiber, folate, potassium, and magnesium.
According to the USDA, a 50 g (¼ cup) serving of mashed avocado offers 84 calories, 1.7 g protein, 5 g carbs, and 7.5 g fat. In addition, you get 3.4 g fiber (a good source) and some potassium, 234 mg.
5. Canned Pumpkin
Yet another binding agent you may already have in your pantry is canned (or pureed) pumpkin. As a rule of thumb, use the same ¼ cup size substitution per egg.
The USDA notes that 50 g pumpkin puree (about ¼ cup) provides 19 calories, 0.4 g protein, and 4.2 g carbohydrates. It furthermore offers a bit of fiber, 1.3 g, and 104 mg potassium.
In a review published in Plants in May 2022, researchers noted the overall health benefits of pumpkin, such as its anti-inflammatory, antioxidative, and antimicrobial effects in the body. Diets that include such foods may reduce the risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
6. Mashed Bananas
Like applesauce, mashed bananas can substitute eggs as binding ingredients in certain recipes. In such cases, you can substitute ½ a medium banana per egg, per Kids With Food Allergies.
This will provide the ¼ cup substitution you need per egg, says Gillespie. Mash the banana well with a fork to prevent clumps in your recipe.
Research published in Food & Function in June 2021 suggested that, like applesauce, bananas offer antioxidants and anti-inflammatory benefits that may reduce your risk of chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer.
According to the USDA, ½ ripe banana offers 57 calories, 0.4 g protein, 0.2 g fat, 13.2 g carbohydrates, and 188 mg potassium.
7. Gelatin
Unless you’re following a vegan diet, you may be able to use gelatin in place of eggs. Gelatin is a type of animal protein–based food additive that acts as a thickening agent in a variety of packaged food items, explains the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
You can also purchase gelatin by itself to use in cooking and baking at home. According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI), you can combine one packet of gelatin with 2 tbsp warm water to substitute one egg.
According to the USDA, a 1 tbsp envelope of gelatin has 23 calories and about 6 g of protein.
8. Ground Flaxseed
While technically a dry ingredient, ground flaxseed may act as a binding agent in recipes. To achieve this, simply combine 3 tbsp warm water with 1 tbsp ground flaxseed and allow to sit one minute before using. This recipe is equivalent to one egg, per Kids With Food Allergies.
According to the USDA, 1 tbsp of ground flaxseed has 37 calories and 1.3 g protein.
As the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics notes, flaxseed is a good plant-based source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), a type of omega-3 essential fatty acid.
9. Plain Yogurt
Plain yogurt is another one of Gillespie’s favorite egg substitutes — she suggests swapping ¼ cup in for 1 large egg. This can act as a leavening agent in your recipes, per the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
According to the USDA, 50 g plain yogurt (about ¼ cup) made from whole milk contains 39 calories, 1.9 g protein, 2.2 g fat, and 2.8 g carbohydrates.
Plain yogurt is also a good source of calcium.
The key word here is plain — when shopping for yogurt, check ingredient labels carefully to make sure it doesn’t contain any added sugars, fruits, or flavors.
10. Buttermilk
While you might know this fermented dairy product from certain biscuit and pancake recipes, you may also be able to use buttermilk as an egg substitute in a variety of baked goods. Like yogurt, buttermilk may be used as a leavening agent in baked goods. It may work well in both sweet or savory baked goods, such as breads, cookies, muffins, and cakes.
Southern Living notes the ¼ cup to 1 egg ratio works for substitution in this case, too.
According to the USDA, a 50 g, or about ¼ cup, serving of low-fat buttermilk has 22 calories, 1.7 g protein, 0.5 g fat, and 2.4 g carbohydrates. Like plain yogurt, buttermilk contains calcium and vitamin D.
11. Tofu
For an easy scrambled egg substitute, try swapping 2 oz of firm tofu for a large egg. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics says you can substitute 2 oz extra-firm tofu for a hard-boiled egg, or ¼ cup of silken tofu in baking recipes for added moisture and richness.
According to the USDA, a 50 g, or roughly ¼ cup, serving of silken tofu offers 22 calories, 2.2 g protein, 1.1 g fat, and 0.6 g carbohydrate. Additionally, the same serving size contains 11 mg calcium and 63 mg potassium.
12. Arrowroot Powder
Arrowroot powder, a starch-based cooking agent derived from a tropical plant of the same name, is traditionally used as a thickening agent in recipes.
Arrowroot powder is flavorless, making it a useful addition to a variety of dishes.
You can use 2 tbsp mixed with 3 tbsp water in place of one egg.
According to the USDA, 2 tbsp of commercially prepared arrowroot powder contains 80 calories and 18 g carbohydrates.
This product is naturally free of fat, and it doesn’t offer any protein.
13. Baking Powder and Vegetable Oil
A combination of baking powder and vegetable oil may work as a leavening agent in cooking and baking. According to Kids With Food Allergies, you can mix 1 teaspoon (tsp) baking powder with 1½ tbsp vegetable oil and 1½ tbsp water for each egg you’re replacing.
It’s also important to assess the nutritional value of each ingredient. According to the USDA, baking powder is a high-sodium food,
while the agency also reports that 1 tbsp of vegetable oil is more calorie dense than an egg — this amount has 120 calories and 14 g of fat.
As a result, the full substitution amount of 1½ tbsp of vegetable oil would come to about 180 calories and 22 g fat.
14. Aquafaba
An unconventional ingredient that may be used as a binding agent to substitute eggs is aquafaba. Pendleton explains that aquafaba is essentially the liquid that’s left over from a can of chickpeas. “Aquafaba can also be whipped into a meringue very similar to eggs,” she says.
To use aquafaba as an egg substitute, U.S. News and World Report recommends 3 tbsp per whole egg.
Three tbsp of aquafaba contains approximately 9 to 15 calories and trace amounts of nutrients.
Aquafaba is a low-calorie, low-fat egg substitute — to reduce the salt content, you can choose low-sodium varieties of canned chickpeas, if desired.
15. Margarine or Butter
Finally, if you have a cooking recipe that calls for using egg wash as a glaze, you can substitute melted margarine or butter instead. The ratio is 1:1 in this case. You can use one of these substitutes for eggs in breads, pies, and other baked goods to give them a brown, crispy, and shiny outer crust.
According to the USDA, a 14 g serving (about 1 tbsp) of margarine contains 100 calories, 11 g fat, and 500 IU vitamin A.
The same serving of unsalted butter contains 102 calories, 11.5 g fat, and 355 IU vitamin A.