Cutting eggs out of your diet is one of the biggest challenges of switching to veganism. From pasta dough to cake mix, everything has eggs. But the good news is you can use vegan eggs to replace the real ones. But what are vegan eggs made of - and are they healthy and tasty?
Vegan eggs can be made using various everyday ingredients. One of the most popular ingredients is tofu, rich in healthy nutrients. Vegan eggs can also be made with flax seeds, aquafaba, starch, etc. Commercial vegan eggs are made of a combination of such ingredients.
You can also find store-bought vegan eggs, each with a different list of ingredients. But can store-bought or homemade vegan eggs match the nutrition, taste, and texture of real eggs? Keep reading to find out all about vegan eggs!
Key Takeaways
- Vegan eggs are plant-based alternatives to traditional eggs, ideal for people following a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle.
- Vegan eggs are healthy and eco-friendly - and are considered a responsible choice compared to traditional eggs.
- Vegan eggs can be store-bought or made at home and used in cooking and baking as a volumizer, texturizer, raising agent, binding agent, etc.
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Understanding Vegan Eggs
More and more people are making a conscious choice to shift to a plant-based lifestyle. Many people also suffer from food allergies, with the number of cases on the rise. So vegan eggs are the need of the hour. So let's understand vegan eggs. What are Vegan Eggs?
What Are Vegan Eggs?
Vegan eggs are a replacement for traditional eggs that come from birds. Vegan eggs are made using one or more plant-based ingredients to replicate the structure, taste, and binding ability of regular eggs.
So you can use these for cooking scrambled eggs, making your cupcakes light and fluffy, or coating your French toast. You can make vegan eggs at home - or buy ready-to-use versions if you don’t want to get into the hassle of preparing your own vegan eggs.
Vegan Eggs in Cooking and Baking: Do They Make any Difference?
You can use vegan eggs in cooking and baking instead of regular eggs. In different recipes and techniques, they can be used for thickening, emulsification, stabilization, and volume. Depending on how you use them, they can make your food silky or fluffy.
If you add black salt with vegan eggs to your recipe, its sulfur content will add an umami touch of real eggs to your dish. And if you want to mimic the color of eggs, you can add a little turmeric to your vegan egg mixture. You can use vegan eggs in the following ways:
- Baked items like cakes, muffins, bread, brownies, macarons, puddings, etc.
- Quick bread like pancakes and waffles
- Pasta, noodles, and dumpling/pastry sheet dough
- Sauces and condiments like hollandaise, mayonnaise, pasta sauce, etc.
- Desserts and candies like cheesecakes and marshmallows
- Egg washes and coatings in fried or broiled foods
- Fillings of dumplings, rolls, tacos, etc.
- Egg dishes like steamed eggs, scrambled eggs, poached eggs, etc.
What are the Benefits of Vegan Eggs?
People refrain from eating eggs for ethical, environmental, and religious reasons. Some people also stay away from them due to health concerns. Here are the reasons vegan eggs are rapidly becoming more popular.
- Environmental Reason: The egg production industry contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and contaminates soil and water. Thus, environmentally-conscious people prefer to stay away from eggs.
- Ethical Reason: Large-scale egg production hampers the health of hens. Then, they’re slaughtered for meat once they’re incapable of producing eggs. Male chicks are culled as they’re not useful to the egg or broiler market.
- Religious Reason: Many Orthodox Sikhs and Hindus do not eat eggs. Jainism also prohibits egg consumption. If eggs contain a speck of blood, they are prohibited by Jewish and Islamic traditions.
- Health Reason: Poultry eggs have high cholesterol, saturated fat, and chlorine. These are known to increase the risks of cancer, heart blockages, arterial plaques, etc. Many people are also allergic to eggs.
Related: What Is Dairy-free Cheese Made of? The Key Ingredients
Types of Vegan Eggs: 12 Popular Options
Homemade Vegan Eggs
You can make vegan eggs at home using ingredients that are readily available in your pantry or local stores. Let’s take a look:
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Silken Tofu Tofu is soy milk processed to take a solid form. Silken tofu has high water content and a soft texture. To replace one egg, you'll need ¼ cup of pureed silken tofu in cookies, brownies, quick bread, and other dense foods. You can also scramble or steam it.
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Aquafaba Aquafaba is the liquid you get from cooking chickpeas or other white beans and legumes. 3 tbsp of aquafaba can replace one whole egg or egg white to make cakes, meringues, macaroons, etc. You must beat the aquafaba to make it fluffy and light.
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Flaxseed or Chia Seeds Gel If you cook flaxseeds or chia seeds in water, you'll get a gelatinous substance. It can replace eggs in pancakes, waffles, bread, and other thick items. You can use 1 tbsp of flaxseed grounds or chia seed grounds with 3 tbsp of water to replace one egg.
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Mashed Banana/Avocado/Pumpkin Banana, avocado, or pumpkin in pureed form adds a dense and moist quality to various foods, especially baked goods. You can use 1/4 cup of either of these in place of one egg. But they reduce the browning of your dish - and may also leave a mild aftertaste.
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Applesauce A unique egg replacement is applesauce, i.e., cooked and pureed apples. It may have sugar and spices. But it is best to use ¼ cup of unsweetened, unflavored applesauce to replace one egg in muffins, pancakes, quick bread, or other dense and heavy foods.
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Baking Powder and Oil A combination of baking powder and vegetable oil is an effective egg alternative. You can use it for making bread, scones, muffins, etc., for a moist and fluffy texture. Combine 1 tsp of baking powder with 1 ½ tbsp of oil and 1/2 tbsp of water to replace one egg.
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Baking Soda and Vinegar The combination of baking soda and vinegar produces carbon dioxide and water. So for any recipe that requires volume and airy consistency, you can use 1 tsp of baking soda and 1 tbsp of vinegar in place of one egg. Fold it into a batter gently before baking.
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Starch The starch of mung beans, peas, potatoes, arrowroot, sorghum, etc., can be mixed with water to replace egg wash for frying, making noodles, pastry, etc. The amount depends on the starch type. But usually, 2 tbsp starch with 3 tbsp water replaces one egg.
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Nut Butter Butter made from nuts like almonds, peanuts, cashews, etc., is a great substitute for eggs. 3 tbsp of any nut butter can be an alternative to one egg in brownies, cookies, pancakes, etc. It can add a nutty flavor to sauce recipes that use egg yolk.
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Agar Agar Agar agar is a plant-based gelling agent made from algae or seaweed. Use 1 tbsp of agar agar powder and mix it with 1 tbsp of water to form enough liquid that can replace one egg. You can use it in a cream pie, cheesecake, pudding, custard, mousse, etc.
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Soy Lecithin A byproduct of soy oil, soy lecithin is frequently used as an egg replacer - even in commercial recipes. 1 tbsp of this product in any recipe can replace one egg or just its yolk in various recipes. You can use it in making pasta dough, brownies, etc.
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Vegan Yogurt Vegan yogurt, made from soy, coconut, nuts, oats, etc., is another popular choice for replacing eggs. You can use it in pancakes, bread, regular cakes, pizza dough, etc. It is a great binding and leavening agent. 1/4 cup of vegan yogurt can replace one egg.
Nutritional Value of Vegan Eggs
One traditional egg contains the following -
| Calories | 78 kcal |
| Protein | 7 grams |
| Fat | 5 grams (incl. 1.6 grams saturated fats) |
| Carbohydrates | 0 |
| Cholesterol | 186.5 mg |
| Other Nutrients | Calcium, Iron, Vitamin D, Vitamin B6, Cobalamin, Magnesium, Potassium, Sodium |
In comparison, most vegan eggs are low-cal alternatives with no harmful cholesterol. They also contain small amounts of healthy carbs. The healthiest vegan eggs are tofu, nut butter, vegan yogurt, mashed fruits, flaxseed and chia seed gel, and unsweetened applesauce.
Their nutritional values depend on the types of ingredients and additives being used. So while traditional eggs are considered a healthy dietary choice for protein, good fat, and other nutrients, vegan eggs can give you most of these - without any heart clogging.
Popular Brands of Vegan Eggs
If you don't wish to make vegan eggs at home, you can try commercial egg replacers such as the following:
- Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free Egg Replacer
- JUST Egg
- Ener-G Foods Egg Replacer
- ORGRAN Vegan Easy Egg
- Follow Your Heart VeganEgg
- The Neat Egg
- Crack’d
- OGGS
- Simply Eggless
- Zero Egg
- Crafty Counter WunderEggs
- Vegg
- OnlyEg
- Evo Foods
Related: What Is Considered Dairy & What Are the Dairy Alternatives?
Conclusion Traditional poultry eggs have no place in a strictly plant-based diet. But do not worry because there are various types of vegan eggs. These can ensure that you do not miss eggs in your cooked or baked goodies - from breakfast to dessert!
