Many home bakers think that when an egg is replaced with a apple sauce (or some other replacement) it ruins the cookie. And then they say “Oh well.”
No. You ruined the cookie because you didn’t know what the hell the egg was doing in there in the first place. Take a vegan guide, pick out a replacement, and ask yourself why your cake taste like banana instead of chocolate. Or your brownie isn’t rising. It usualy isn’t the ingredient. It’s because people assume all eggs perform one task and they don’t. An egg can moisten, leaven, give a cake structure, etc. Pick the right replacement for the task at hand. That’s how you avoid making the same mistakes over again.
Why Your Egg Replacements Fail
I’ve listed some swaps out in random order, but a better breakdown would be by function (as shown in the chart above). Binders like seed-based options is great at holding things together without contributing bulk. For example, you can make a flax egg, which is just ground flax plus water, to produce a thick gel similar to an egg whites stickiness. In baked goods where there isn’t much needed lift, such as in muffins and cookies, this is ideal; these items rely on structure instead. Another seed option are chia eggs. They have a bit more gel-like texture and also just involve mixing with water then letting it rest for several minutes, until thickened. The key with chia seeds is waiting. If you rush it, the binding power won’t activate completely, and your batter may separate when baked. Make sure the gel has set up first.
Fruit purees really shine when moisture is key. Pumpkin puree (and applesauce) can help keep quick breads and cakes tender. The catch? Fruit imparts unique flavors. Even with a heaping tablespoon or two of added sugar, the banana in a vanilla cake is still going to be banana-y. It changes how whole dessert tastes.
For a neutral choice, go with seeds or look to protein-based ingredients such as silken tofu. Blending up some silken tofu work its way right into batters, adding creaminess and structure but not much flavor. It is especially useful in dense quiches and cheesecakes where texture matter most.
Eggs are also tricky in this regard; they help cakes to rise, and so do leaveners, but leaveners are another story. When used instead of eggs, a combination of vinegar and baking soda will produce a chemical reaction similar to cooking egg protein via heat, i.e., it’s more physics than just swapping one thing out for anuther. Another strong candidate is the water left over after draining canned chickpeas, known as aquafaba. It whips up to form stiff peaks, much like egg whites (hence its suitability for items such as macarons and meringues). As the chart indicates, aquafaba can handle tasks that neither fruit nor flax can. You don’t whip a soufflé out of mashed bananas. Don’t expect a light-as-air loaf cake to be held together only by a mass of whipped air. There’s a time and a place for every tool.
That’s also why commercial replacers are sold. A liquid or powdered replacer eliminates guesswork if you’re in a hurry, or want to make a big batch and know it’ll turn out consistent. But they tend not to have the subtle qualities that whole foods do. Using ingredients you can pronounce (and recognize) has its place.
Vegan baking is more about knowing cause and effect than any hard-and-fast rulebook. Need more lift? Try the chemical leavening method. Too wet of a batter? Trade in your fruit for some seeds. Get creative, but get creative with a purpose.
Whenever you pull out a recipe that requires eggs, take a moment before going forward. What’s that egg doing there? What are its goals? Answer that question and the solution will become clear. You’re no longer subtracting; you’re adding smarter things to the bowl. And the results is predictable, not disastrous.