Egg Substitute Converter

Common egg substitutes for baking, per 1 large egg:

Vegan substitutes:

• Flax egg: 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water (let sit 5 min)
• Chia egg: 1 tbsp chia seeds + 3 tbsp water (let sit 5 min)
• Applesauce: 1/4 cup (60 g) unsweetened applesauce
• Mashed banana: 1/4 cup (60 g) mashed ripe banana

Non-vegan substitutes:

• Yogurt: 1/4 cup (60 g) plain yogurt
• Buttermilk: 1/4 cup (60 ml) buttermilk
• Silken tofu: 1/4 cup (60 g) blended silken tofu

Notes:

• Flax and chia eggs work best as binders (cookies, muffins).
• Applesauce and banana add moisture and sweetness.
• For recipes needing more than 3 eggs, substitutes may not work well.

The reason there’s no single egg substitute is that eggs do three different jobs in baking at once: they bind ingredients together, they help things rise, and they add richness and moisture. A swap that nails one job often misses another, which is why the list above is grouped by purpose. Match the substitute to what the egg was actually doing in the recipe.

In a dense, moist bake like brownies or banana bread, applesauce or mashed banana works well, because binding and moisture matter more than lift there. In something that needs to rise, like a cake, a flax or chia egg or the baking-soda-and-vinegar trick does more good. Recipes with several eggs are the hardest to convert, since the eggs are carrying a lot of structure; past two or three, a purpose-built commercial replacer usually beats kitchen swaps. Expect to experiment, because the best substitute depends on the recipe, not just the egg count.