SaurabhBrownies hit the spot when you crave no-fuss chewy, gooey, moist, chocolatey goodness. Making brownies can be called the gateway to discovering the wonderful world of baking. And the truth is, an egg is the best friend to almost every baking recipe out there.
But what if you have an egg allergy? What if your culture and/or religion does not allow eggs in the diet? What if you want a healthy plant-based diet?
The good news is that there are a lot of egg substitutes for brownies to choose from and many of these are healthier and add even more flavor to your chocolaty treats. These ingredients come in different forms and are easily available in supermarkets. Most might already be in your kitchen.
What are some of the best options to replace eggs in brownies? The best egg substitutes in brownies are pureed and mashed fruits such as applesauce, pumpkin, banana, and sweet potato. You can also use silken tofu to swap for eggs. Yogurt is also one of the best and most common egg substitutes in brownies.
Also, creamy and unsalted varieties of nut butter such as peanut, cashew, and almond are also possible ingredients to replace eggs in your brownies.
How to Make Brownies without Eggs
Before we discuss how to make eggless brownies, first, it’s highly important to study the purpose of eggs in baking that contributes to several factors, only then would you be able to select the best choice among the possible options to replace eggs with, without compromising the delicious taste and texture.
Eggs are a baker’s best friend because:
Eggs act as binding agents. Eggs help perfectly combine and hold different ingredients together. The egg’s texture help keep the structure of what it combines with and not fall apart. Yup, eggs act as edible glue for your batter.
Eggs contribute to great flavor and the baked goods’ appetizing appearance. Because it acts as a binder, eggs infuse the flavors of wet and dry ingredients together. Egg wash on baked treats also lend a golden-brown color to the treat.
Eggs help retain moisture. The liquid consistency of the egg is a fair amount of water that combines with the other ingredients that help retain moisture from the moment it gets subjected to heat in the oven until the treat is ready to be enjoyed.
Eggs are leavening agents. Eggs contain a lot of protein. Protein provides structure and helps baked goods rise. Trapped air pockets and the same water that contributes to moisture is the same factor that turns into steam in the oven. When this steam heats up, it expands, helping the baked treats to rise and achieve that soft and fluffy texture everyone loves.
Egg yolks contain fat. Fat acts as a tenderizer in baked goods. It helps soften the protein in wheat flour, resulting in tender, crumbly baked goods.
So identifying a good egg replacement comes down to finding ingredients that contain the right amount or can replicate moisture for texture and binding capability, protein for structure, fat for flavor, and tenderness as well as lending nice color for appearance.
As we have properly identified the properties of egg that make it the perfect baking partner ingredient, it’s time to list the common egg substitutes for baking in general. Since an egg is easily quantifiable as per piece, we will also have to measure on average the proper amount of the substitute ingredient that is equal to one egg.
General List of Common Egg Substitutes in Baking Equal to One Egg
It would be best for us to categorize the egg substitutes so that it will not be an overwhelming experience for you when it’s time to go to the supermarket to shop for your baking ingredients. Baking is a science, yes, but who says we can’t have fun and enjoy the exciting albeit messy kitchen experience?
Dairy & Non-Dairy Milk Products
- Pureed Silken Tofu: ¼ cup
- Dairy Milk: ¼ cup
- Soy Milk: ¼ cup
- Coconut Milk: ¼ cup
- Yogurt: ¼ cup
- Buttermilk: ¼ cup
- Condensed Milk: ¼ cup
- Kefir: ¼ cup
Fruits and Vegetables
- Unsweetened Applesauce: ¼ cup
- Overripe Mashed Banana: ¼ cup
- Ripened Mashed Avocado: ¼ cup
- Pureed Pumpkin: ¼ cup
- Peeled and Boiled Mashed Sweet Potato: ¼ cup
- Grated Zucchini: 2 cups
Nuts and Seeds
- Flaxseed Meal: 1 tbsp soaked in 3 tbsp water until thickened
- Ground Chia: 1 tbsp to 3 tbsp water until thickened
- Creamy Variety of Nut Butters (Cashew, Almond, Peanut): 3 tbsp
Flour/Powder
- All-purpose Flour: 3 tbsp + 3 tbsp water
- Whole wheat Flour: 3 tbsp + 3 tbsp water
- Chickpea Flour: 3 tbsp + 3 tbsp water
- Corn Starch: 2 tbsp + 3 tbsp water
- Baking Powder: 2 tbsp + 3tbsp water + 1tbsp oil
- Soy Protein Powder: 1 tbsp + 3 tbsp water
Other Varied and Surprising Egg Substitutes
- Vinegar: 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp water + 1 tsp baking soda
- Lemon Juice: 2 tbsp + 1 tbsp baking soda
- Agar Agar: 1 tbsp + 1 tbsp water
- Carbonated or Soda Water: ¼ cup or ½ can
Given that there are apparently a lot of egg substitutes to choose from…
How Do I Choose The Best Egg Substitute For Brownies?
Eggs are mostly used in brownies as binding and leavening agents; so, choosing the right egg substitute depends on the flavors, textures, and ingredients that you love.
The key to a good egg replacement is one that contains enough structure to improve the texture of your brownies without overpowering the chocolatey flavor. Read on for the best ingredients to substitute for eggs in your homemade brownies. Then all that’s left to do is choose your favorite and get baking.
Best Ingredients To Substitute For Eggs In Brownies
Here are some of the best ways to substitute eggs in your brownie batter.
Bonus: you probably already have many of these ingredients stocked in your kitchen pantry and/or fridge.
Some egg replacements below like the protein powder may not be readily available in your kitchen, all still depending on your health regimen and diet/lifestyle, however,
Substituting Eggs With Peanut Butter in Brownies
Creamy, unsalted, and unsweetened peanut butter is a top choice for egg replacements. To replace the eggs in your brownies with peanut butter, use 3 tablespoons of nut butter per egg called for in the recipe.
Other nut butter, like cashew, hazelnut, or almond, would also work. Note that nut butter will change the final taste of your brownies, so be sure to choose one that you love.
Try this easy 9-ingredient recipe for egg-free Peanut Butter Brownies.
Using Yogurt Instead of Eggs for Brownies
Yogurt is a fantastic ingredient to substitute for eggs in baked goods. It contains the right amount of protein and fat to improve the texture of your brownies. Choose plain yogurt that’s low or full fat for best results.
This recipe features Greek yogurt in super fudgy double chocolate brownies.
Mayonnaise As An Egg Substitute in Brownies
This one might sound odd, but yes, people do in fact swear by Mayonnaise Brownies. Of course, mayo is made with eggs and oil, so using mayo isn’t exactly an egg substitute. However, if you’re out of eggs but you’re already in the middle of mixing up your brownie batter, mayo will do in a pinch.
You might not get quite the same rise out of brownies baked with mayonnaise. It contains less water than a raw egg, so add a dash more baking soda to help give your mayo brownies a little extra boost in the oven.
Here’s an interesting recipe for chocolate brownies using mayonnaise as a surprise ingredient.
Swapping Eggs for Carbonated Water or Diet Soda in Brownies
That’s right, carbonated water or soda acts as a great, if not surprising, egg substitute for baking. It might not contain as much protein as an egg, but it does contain plenty of bubbles. These bubbles get trapped as your brownies bake. The result is a light and airy pastry with plenty of rise in the oven.
To replace eggs with carbonated water or diet soda in your next batch of brownies, use a quarter cup of soda water or half a can of diet soda per egg called for in the recipe.
If you plan to use an instant brownie mix, you’d end up with a 2-ingredient baking session using carbonated water or diet soda. Check how easy it is in this recipe.
Ground Flax Seed An Egg Substitute
Ground flax seeds mixed with water have become a go-to egg replacer for vegan and egg-free bakers. Mix one tablespoon of ground flax meal with three tablespoons of water and let it sit for at least 5 minutes and up to 20 minutes.
You’ll be surprised by how the mixture has gelled and thickened after a few minutes of rest. The mixture is surprisingly close in texture to a real egg, but it’s 100% vegan!
To replace an egg with a flax egg in your recipe, use 1 tablespoon of flax meal + 3 tablespoons water. Or, simply follow this recipe for Best Ever Vegan Brownies.
Silken Tofu as an Egg Substitute for Brownies
Tofu can be considered as a vegan’s staple ingredient. Silken tofu is the creamier version of regular tofu. It retains its soft, custard-like structure because unlike in the production of regular tofu, silken tofu is made without separating and pressing the soy curds.
Silken tofu with its creamy consistency adds character to dishes without overpowering the taste of all other ingredients because it is also relatively flavorless, plus its protein nutrient acts as a perfect egg replacer in dishes.
When you blend silken tofu to be used in your brownies, it will be very watery. Drain it a little without removing all liquid so that it perfectly binds the ingredients together still.
Here’s a Whole Wheat Vegan Tofu Brownie recipe for you try.
Substituting Eggs With Applesauce for Brownies
Applesauce is a great substitute for eggs in all kinds of baking recipes. It’s healthy and adds an extra serving of fruit to your baked goods. It’s best to choose unsweetened, or even homemade applesauce. If you only have sweetened applesauce available, you may want to reduce the amount of sugar in your brownie batter so as not to overdo it.
To replace eggs with applesauce, add one-quarter cup of unsweetened applesauce per egg in the recipe. You may also want to add a dash more of baking soda to your batter to help your applesauce brownies rise while they bake.
And here is a fantastic recipe for rich and chocolaty brownies made entirely with applesauce.
Grated Zucchini as Egg Replacement in Brownies
You can have chocolate and vegetables in one delicious mix, yes that’s possible! Grated zucchini is a great way to replace eggs to ‘hide’ vegetables and add more fiber in your sweet treats. This is a healthy dessert version that even picky kids can enjoy.
The secret to moist brownies by using grated zucchini as egg replacements is to not squeeze out the water after you have grated them. Remember that you are replicating the liquid consistency of an egg that binds and adds moisture to all the other ingredients, so the water that is naturally in the grated zucchini is a positive factor.
Using Banana To Substitute Eggs in Brownies
Like applesauce, mashed banana is a great way to swap out eggs in your brownies, cakes, cupcakes, and other baked goods. Plus, baking some banana brownies is a great way to use that over-ripe banana.
To substitute one egg, use a one-quarter cup of mashed banana in your brownie batter.
Try this Oil-Free Vegan Banana Brownies.
Vinegar in Brownies as Egg Substitutes, is that even possible?
Yes! As previously mentioned, baking is science. Creative science! If we review the many purposes an egg has in baking, you would know that an egg also acts as a leavening agent.
The magic in vinegar is when you combine it with water and baking soda to replace one egg.
Does it alter the taste? Not for the worse, no.
Vinegar in your brownies actually adds a body of flavor. You can even use apple cider vinegar if you want a healthier version.
Bake this Chocolate Fudge brownie recipe that uses vinegar to believe the magic!
Condensed Milk as Egg Substitute in Brownies
When you think of brownies, they’re like fudgy, more gooey bite-sized versions of cakes. And in most eggless cake recipes, condensed or sweetened condensed milk is one excellent substitute for eggs.
The richness of condensed milk keeps your brownies chewy and delicious.
Would this make the brownies too sweet for anyone’s liking? As long as you don’t overdo the measurement, you’ll end up with rich, decadent brownies. Or you can try to balance the flavors out by topping your brownies with salted flakes and nuts.
Indulge in this egg-free condensed milk brownie recipe.
Eggless Protein Powder Brownies
Mimicking the role of an egg in baking, the hold it provides as a binder can be easily replaced by protein powder. It also provides the moisture needed to still have the rich, dense bit of a delicious brownie.
Protein powders can come in unflavored or in vanilla or chocolate. This all depends on your preference.
Eggless brownies made with protein powders are especially perfect if you are a body-builder or you crave for a sweet but healthy post-workout treat.
Is whey protein advisable? You can use whey-protein powder in your brownie recipe. However, while it makes the batter liquid-like, you will end up with a dried and brittle brownie. It might take several experiments for you to perfect your brownie recipe using whey protein powder. You can try to decrease the cooking temperature or reduce baking time to achieve the right brownie texture.
When you combine protein powder with other egg replacements such as nut butter, and pureed fruit in your brownie recipe, you will end up with a very healthy brownie version and a delicious one at that! Ready to get creative? Try this protein brownie recipe.
Can I Substitute Eggs With Butter?
Butter on its own is not a great substitute for eggs. It contains a little too much fat. And all that fat melts in the oven, so if you skip the eggs and double down on butter, you’ll end up with a melty, chocolatey dessert closer to hot fudge sauce than a brownie.
Great! There are indeed a lot of options to replace eggs in brownies. But I want to save time from experimenting. What is the best no-hits-and-misses egg substitute in brownies?
I’m so glad you asked! To answer that, after our own trials and numerous enjoyable baking sessions, we found out…
Mashed Sweet Potato is the Best Egg Substitute in Brownies
For a lot of reasons, sweet potato as an egg substitute in brownies hit all the perfect spots needed to produce a decadent bite of brownie. While it is already naturally sweet on its own, a sweet potato’s moisture content and texture is a flexible base to bind all dry and wet ingredients when you make your own brownie batter from scratch.
Likewise, mashed sweet potato mixes well too with instant brownie mixes available in the market.
Mashed sweet potatoes as egg substitutes in brownies give the perfect amount of moisture because of the water content in its fibers which is easily dispersed all throughout the brownie batter. It also blends perfectly with the chocolate taste with a very subtle hint of fruity mellow flavor.
Using mashed sweet potatoes instead of eggs in the brownie batter does not compromise on the texture too.
Once freshly taken out from the oven and slightly cooled, the brownie will not be crumbly and it slices smoothly.
Of course, you would have to make time to wash, boil, peel, and mash the sweet potatoes but it will all be worth it!
Check out our simple version below.
Egg-Free Mashed Sweet Potato Brownies
Ingredients:
Wet Ingredients
- ¾ cup mashed sweet potato (pre-steamed and then mashed with a fork)
- 1 stick unsalted butter (melted in the microwave or stovetop and then cooled)
- 1.5 tsp vanilla extract
Dry Ingredients
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 cup white sugar (Make it healthier with coconut sugar!)
- ¼ tsp salt
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Optional Topping/s: chopped nuts and crunchy sea salt flakes
Baking Time!
Preheat oven to 350° Fahrenheit
Spray an 8×8 (or approximate) baking pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper.
In one bowl, mix all dry ingredients together: Dry whisk your all-purpose flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. Sift in the cocoa powder. Mix thoroughly.
In another bowl, mix all wet ingredients: Add your melted butter in the mashed sweet potatoes and drop in your vanilla extract. Whisk until the ingredients are well mixed.
Combine dry and wet ingredients together: Mix your dry flour mix with the mashed sweet potatoes batter. Mix well without overdoing it. Add in a nice mix of your choice of toppings.
Bake your egg-free mashed sweet potato brownies: Pour your egg-free batter into the baking pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes. At the 25 minute mark, remove from oven and sprinkle some of your toppings again, bake for the remaining 10-15 minutes.
Tip: To check if the brownie is ready, insert a toothpick or wooden fork. If you pull it out and it’s clean without any batter sticking, your treat is ready!
Let your brownies cool a bit before slicing. Serve your treats warm or at room temperature.
If you made several batches, how can you can store your brownie leftovers?
- Up to 3 days at room temperature
- Up to one week in the refrigerator
- Up to one month in the freezer
Make it more delectable! Serve with non-dairy ice cream for the perfect treat.
Enjoy your egg-free mashed sweet potato brownies!
