How Does Baking Without an Egg Work?

If you want to bake without eggs, you can either use substitute products or choose certain types of dough: yeast dough, shortcrust pastry, strudel, and puff pastry usually do without eggs. In the batter, on the other hand, the eggs must be replaced, otherwise, the pastry will not rise properly, become too dry, or fall apart.

In cakes and biscuits, eggs add fluff to the pastry while the sticky properties bind the ingredients together. They also provide fluid. So when baking without an egg, you need to find substitute ingredients that provide both leavening and binding as well as liquid.

The binding properties can be achieved, for example, with egg substitute powder, which consists of lupine or corn starch and is mixed with water. Soy flour is also a good binding agent, which you can supplement with some liquid. Otherwise, half a mashed banana and apple sauce are also suitable as egg substitutes. However, bananas have a rather characteristic aroma and should tastefully match the rest of the ingredients. Depending on the number of replaced eggs, you should also consider natural sweetness and use less sugar accordingly.

An egg as a binder can be replaced by:

• Egg substitute powder according to the manufacturer’s instructions
• 0.5 tbsp soy flour and 2 tbsp water
• Half a mashed banana
• 75 ml applesauce

You can use more baking powder so that cakes, muffins, or cupcakes rise without eggs. In large quantities, however, the inherent taste of the baking powder is noticeable. Baking soda is also a good raising agent and can be used with baking powder. However, baking soda can only work if some acid is added to the dough, e.g. some vinegar or even buttermilk or yoghurt. In addition, carbonated mineral water ensures a fluffy dough. The additional baking powder or baking soda should be supplemented with liquid.

An egg for the baking leave can be replaced by:

• 0.5 tsp baking soda and 3 tbsp water
• 0.5 tsp baking soda, 1 tbsp oil, and 2 tbsp water
• Sparkling water

However, baking without eggs is also possible without substitute products. According to the 1-2-3 rule, the shortcrust pastry used for our vegan vanilla crescents does not require eggs. You simply knead one part sugar, two parts butter or margarine, and three parts flour together to form a smooth dough. To make it hold better, add a little cold water and a pinch of salt for more flavor. You can use such vegan batter to prepare crispy biscuits like our vegan bear paws.

You don’t need eggs for yeast dough either, just fresh or dry yeast, some salt, a little sugar, flour, and water or milk. You can add a bit of butter, margarine, or oil to make the dough a little smoother and softer.

Puff pastry consists only of flour, fat, water, and salt, so it can also do without eggs. The thin strudel dough also does not need any eggs to succeed. This is where flour, water, melted butter, some vinegar or lemon juice, and salt come into the dough.

Sustainability tip: Do not use conventional baking paper that is coated with Teflon and is therefore not recyclable, and instead use a baking paper substitute.