How Do Vegan Egg Replacements Work?
- Claire Lee
- Mar 28
- 2 min read
Finding baking ingredient alternatives can be finicky. But with the rise of plant-based diets, egg replacements have become an interesting area of experiment. There are three versions most frequently referred to in recipes: flax “eggs,” aquafaba (chickpea water), and mashed banana.
Flax “eggs” are a mixture of ground flax seeds and water in a 1:3 ratio. After soaking for about 5 minutes, they become gelatinous and almost gluey, making a great replacement when eggs are needed as a binder, such as in pancakes. While they work well in limited quantities, flax eggs are not ideal for bakes that require leavening or rise.
On the other hand, aquafaba can retain an airy structure in cakes, macarons, and meringues. This is leftover water from canned chickpeas, which can be drained and saved to use in baking. Aquafaba contains albumins and globulins from the chickpeas, creating a similar effect to egg whites when whipped.
Mashed banana shares some characteristics of both flax “eggs” and aquafaba, serving as a binder as well as yielding structure. It is also accessible—although flax seeds and chickpea water may not be pantry staples, bananas are quite common. Adding mashed banana in lieu of eggs can moisten the crumb, bind ingredients, and give a stable structure.
Novelty comes from creativity, and egg replacements are just one of the paths recipe testers have investigated to better plant-based baking.
Claire Lee is a junior at Leigh High School in San Jose, California. She is currently a student researcher for miRcore, a non-profit working to democratize medical research for all. She has worked in a confectionary shop and is interested in baking and chocolate.
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