Low-cost Alternatives to Eggs when Baking

by Lindsey Sexton - March 12, 2025

While this is a month for celebrating nutrition, we are feeling the effects of the latest increase in egg prices. Eggs have typically played a large role in baking, however, rising costs have home cooks looking for more budget-friendly substitutes. Luckily in most dishes, eggs add function rather than flavor making them even easier to pass over for lower cost alternatives.

 

How do I replace the eggs in my recipe?

To find the right egg substitution, consider which of the three main functions the eggs play in your recipe. Are they used to add moisture to the recipe? Does the recipe depend on eggs as a binder, an ingredient which helps hold all the other ingredients together and provide structure to the dish? Does the egg act as a leavening agent in your recipe, causing the mixture to rise and expand? Here are some guidelines to help you figure out which function the eggs in your recipe serve.

Add Moisture

Binder

Leavening Agent

All Three at Once

If the recipe has little moisture besides eggs

If a recipe calls for just yolks

If the recipe calls for just egg whites

If the recipe calls for three or more eggs

 

 

If the recipe does not contain another leavening agent such as baking powder or baking soda

If you can’t tell which function the egg serves

 

Now that you know which type of egg substitute you need, use the following information to decide which alternative will work best for your recipe.

 

What can I use in place of eggs?

Add Moisture

Binder

Leavening Agent

1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water and let it sit for 15 minutes to form a gel-like consistency

1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin in 3 tablespoons of cold water, add 3 teaspoons boiling water, cool and beat until frothy before using. Reduce other liquid in the recipe by 2 tablespoons

1 teaspoon vegetable oil + 2 tablespoons water + 2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ cup of mashed banana, applesauce, Greek yogurt, or silken tofu

1 tablespoon ground flaxseed mixed with 3 tablespoons warm water; let stand 1 minute before using

 

¼ cup unflavored carbonated water

 

Check out additional resources regarding egg substitutes from our colleagues around the US:

University of Maine Extension: Using Egg Substitutes in Baking and Cooking

Colorado State University Extension: 7 Cheap Egg Substitutes for Baking

North Carolina Cooperative Extension: Looking for a Substitute for Eggs in Cooking or Baking

Kansas State University Extension: What can replace eggs in the kitchen?

University of Minnesota Extension: Egg Substitutions for Baking

University of Wyoming Extension: Egg Substitutes in Baking and Cooking

University of Illinois Extension: Egg Substitutes when Baking