Best Egg Substitutes for Binding (Eggless and Vegan)

A problem that everyone is getting at some point. Making something to eat, just to find that they don’t have eggs to bind the food with. You want the same taste and the same texture, but you don’t have the eggs to bind the food with.

Now what? Is your meal going to be a disaster, or is there something that you can still do to rescue your food? This is a question that many are asking.

The good news is that there are some egg substitutes for binding, but you need to know exactly what it is to make sure that your meal is a success. From flaxseed to mashed bananas, there are actually many different substitutes you can use when you don’t have eggs in your home. 

With this guide, you will know exactly what you can substitute the eggs with to still be able to bind your recipe successfully.

Can you substitute the egg for binding purposes?

A question that we are getting on a regular basis. Can you substitute the egg for binding purposes? And, what are the common ingredients that you can substitute eggs with when you need an egg for binding?

Yes, you can substitute the egg for binding purposes. And, there are different types of egg substitutes that you can use for the binding of different food and recipes.

It is recommended that you know the different substitutes for eggs when you are cooking and baking a lot. Especially, if you are allergic to eggs or if you don’t have eggs in the home. You don’t need to worry about having a disaster of a meal, just because you didn’t have eggs for binding.

There are many other ingredients that you can use as well. Ingredients that will still ensure a great taste, but that will make sure that the food binds together.

Some popular egg substitutes for binding

There are some popular egg substitutes that people are using all the time for binding different foods and recipes. Especially, if they have someone in their homes that are allergic to eggs. These are the substitutes that are the most popular and the most successful to use for most food and recipes that need some sort of binding product.

1. Flax eggs

This is actually flax seed in hot water. You are adding one tablespoon of flaxseed in three tables spoons of hot water. When the mixture thickens, you can use about 3 1/2 Tablespoons for one egg substitute. Just remember, that the mixture needs to be thick, almost like egg white. If this isn’t firm enough, it will not be a great binding ingredient.

2. Chia seeds

These seeds can also be used the same way as the flax seeds. It just tastes a bit different than with the flax eggs. You also use the same amount of chia seeds and water as the flax egg recipe.

3. Oil, water, and baking powder

Mixing 1 1/2 tablespoons oil, 1 1/2 tablespoons water, and 1 teaspoon baking powder will give the same binding benefits of 1 egg. The more eggs you need, the more oil, water, and baking powder you should use. This is a great option if you don’t want to change the taste of the meal, but you still want to bind the ingredients together.

4. Gelatin

Making gelatin as described on the package, using the gelatin powder. Using three tablespoons of the thicken gelatin as 1 egg. We know that gelatin can bind pudding ingredients, but not everyone realizes it can be a great substitute for eggs as binding as well. Great in binding, with no change in the taste.

Vegan egg substitutes

When it comes to vegan meals, you need to be really careful about the type of egg substitutes you are going to use in your recipes. You can turn any recipe into a vegan meal if you substitute any animal products, which include eggs as a binder as well.

The good news is that there are many different ingredients that you can use to substitute the egg for binding. It might be a bit harder to find in-store, but if you are already a vegan, you will know where to look.

These are some of the egg substitutes for vegan meals. With these binding egg substitutes, you will not have to worry that you are adding the wrong ingredients to the vegan meals for your friends and family.

• Apple sauce and mashed bananas
• Flax and chia seeds
• Egg substitute powders. Many vegans are making use of this for egg substitutes to ensure that the meals bind correctly.
• Tapioca starch and cornstarch
• Chickpea flour

Egg substitute for baking

When you are baking, you can’t just use any egg substitute for binding. This is because it can ruin the taste of the recipe that you are trying to bake.

The good news is that there is still a couple of things that you can use to bind baking recipes to make a success of your baking.

If you think that you can’t bake if you can’t use or don’t have eggs, you should think again. These are some of the food that you can substitute eggs for binding baking recipes.

• Flax eggs or flax seed mixture, are a great baking egg substitute
• Mashed bananas. ½ medium banana is a substitute for 1 egg
• Applesauce. ¼ cup unsweetened applesauce is a substitute for 1 egg
• Cornstarch. Always a great binding product and substitute for eggs are cornstarch.

Egg substitute for savory meals

Savory meals, like meatballs, bread, and other salty recipes sometimes need eggs for binding. And, if you can’t use eggs because of allergic reactions, or you ran out of eggs, you might wonder what you can substitute the eggs with to ensure that your recipe is still binding correctly.

The good news is that there are many egg bindings substitutes for savory meals. Making sure that your meal will still be binding, even if you can’t use any eggs. These are some great substitutes for eggs when you are preparing any savory meals.

• Cornstarch, mixed in water. The amount of cornstarch that you are using will depend on the number of eggs needed. The water is just to make mixing it easier.
• Flaxseed, Chia seed water mixture. We already told how to use these seeds for binding purposes.
• Chickpea flour. The same as with cornstarch.
• Mashed banana or mashed avocado. This will change the taste a bit and with the avocado, you want to use it with dark ingredients.

Making meatballs without eggs

A meal that many are making, and that normally ends in a disaster is meatballs. A mess of mince that is falling apart. Mince that wasn’t bound correctly.  Mostly because of eggs that aren’t used, or that aren’t used correctly.

If you don’t have eggs, or you still struggle with binding the ingredients, you can still use the egg substitutes to make your mince actual meatballs.

If you want to make meatballs, but you can’t add any eggs, you don’t need to worry. You still can enjoy your meatballs and not just normal mince. Many people have tried different ingredients for binding, but don’t get it right.

This is because of the wrong product being used. There are actually a couple of ingredients that you can use for making meatballs without eggs. And, it will still taste delicious. These are some of the popular egg substitutes for meatballs.

• A slice of bread that are mashed and added to the meat for binding. However, this should not be used as the only binding ingredient.
• Crumbled saltine crackers. This is the same as with the slice of bread. The crackers are giving the meatballs a great taste.
• Yogurt or buttermilk is a great substitute for eggs in meatballs. You should just make sure that you don’t add too much.
• Parmesan cheese. Great for taste and as a binding ingredient. The parmesan cheese will ensure a cheesy meatball that binds the minced meat.
• Oatmeal. Not something that many people might consider. But, one of the best binding ingredients and substitutes for eggs in meatballs.

You can also make use of any one of the popular egg substitutes we have mentioned at the beginning of the guide. Like the flax eggs, the chia seed, the gelatin and the oil, water, and baking powder.

Egg substitute for meatloaf

There is just nothing better than meatloaf. But, if you don’t have eggs, this can end up a huge disaster. But, just like with the savory recipes and the meatballs, there are many substitutes that you can use to bind the loaf and to turn the mince into a meatloaf.

You will see that it is the same substitutes as with the savory meals and as meatballs, but because meatloaf is so popular, we needed to add it separately.

There are also some other substitutes that we thought might help with binding and with the taste of the meatloaf.

This is the hardest part of making meatloaf. To ensure that it stays in a shape looking like a slice of bread, but still tasting delicious. These are some great ideas of how you can substitute egg in the meatloaf.

• Oatmeal
• Mayonnaise, if no one is allergic to eggs. Not only will it bind, but it will make it creamy as well.
• Flax seeds and chia seeds as mentioned before
• The apple sauces. Thick apple sauce like baby food.
• Cornstarch
• Bread and bread crumbs

Other egg substitutes that will work

Normally eggs aren’t just used for binding in ingredients. It also serves for other purposes as well. And, it will need different substitutes than what we were giving for binding. These are some of the other egg substitutes that you might need to know about.

• Egg substitute for moisture. Any fruit puree will be a great ingredient to add moisture to a recipe if you don’t have eggs. You can also use nut butter, mashed potatoes, and tofu.
• Eggs substitute for baking. If you need to bake without eggs, you can always make use of ingredients like flaxseed, Chia seeds, Apple cider vinegar, and baking powder. You can also add some fruit puree for a great taste and added moisture.

Egg substitute tips to remember

When you need to substitute eggs for binding, you need to make sure that you are considering a couple of things.

You need to make sure that you are going to consider if you are looking for a substitute for a savory or sweet dish.

Is this for a meat dish or pudding after dinner?  There is a large variety of egg substitute for eggs, but you also need to make sure that you know the amount of substitute you need to make the success of preparing your meals.

The great thing is that there are so many different egg substitute ingredients for binding, that you will not have to worry if you don’t have eggs or use eggs in your home.

You should just remember to have some flaxseed, chia seed, or some of the other mentioned ingredients in your home. By trying different substitutes, you will see which one is working best and gives the best taste.

The moment that you can’t eat eggs, because you are a vegan or because you are allergic to eggs, you will need to get substitutes for it. Especially if you want to make sure that your recipes are still successful.

However, it is hard to know what can be substituted with eggs if you don’t know the different options you have. This is why it is important to make sure that you know everything there is to know about substituting eggs for something else, and to get the best meal, even if you didn’t make use of eggs.

You should also remember that you can’t just substitute eggs for binding. You can basically substitute eggs with all the meals and recipes you have. You should just make sure that you know what and how many substitutes you should use.