Removing eggs from our diet has been one of the newest challenges I’ve faced with food substitution. It started when Nolan was a few months old, and I figured out that his colic and skin were being made worse by the foods I was eating. When you are nursing and the sole provider of food, what you take in directly affects your baby.
Eggs were a hard thing to start removing and up to that point I had been in a habit of having two eggs almost every morning as part of my breakfast. I also enjoy baking, which almost always involves eggs. As a nutritionist, I was aware of a number of different options to replace eggs for those sensitive or allergic, or for those following a vegan diet, but I had not had much occasion to experiment with them.
While I was nursing Nolan, it was easier for me to stop eating eggs, buy vegan breads and baked items (since I was avoiding dairy and gluten too). At that point I didn’t have much extra energy for baking experiments. But as Nolan graduated to solid foods and I had a little more time and energy, I started looking at the different options I had.
Egg replacement can be simple in some things, and more complicated in others. For example, I am currently working to perfect my gluten free, egg free and dairy free pancakes, which has given me a great quick way to test the many different options.
The one replacement I found extremely helpful was the Bob’s Red Mill GF egg replacer. It’s a little on the pricey side for the initial investment, but I was happy how far it would get me with baking projects. If I was replacing one egg in a recipe, I would just mix up the egg replacer with water and then add it in with my wet ingredients. As I worked with a few grain free recipes, which usually require more than one egg, I found it much easier to mix the egg replacer powder with the dry ingredients and add the corresponding amount of water in with the wet ingredients. Once wet and dry ingredients were combined, I just let the batter rest a few minutes. This helps the egg replacer soak up the moisture and get the gelatinous consistency you are hoping for. This helps with binding for grain free flours like almond or coconut.
Another quick and easy replacement is using a flax or chia ‘egg’. Check out my ‘How To’ instructions here. For a chia or flax ‘egg’, you will need the seeds to be ground. You can either buy them this way, or use a coffee grinder or nut and seed grinder to do so yourself. If you are going to grind an entire bag, you could use a good high power blender such as a Vitamix. If you are looking to hide the fact that you are using an egg replacer such as flax or chia in your baking, I’d suggest you buy golden flaxseed or white chia. These will blend better into your batter and not stand out as much. If you have whole or ground flax/chia, it’s best to store in the fridge or freezer after opening. Both seeds are rich in Omega-3’s, keeping them frozen or refrigerated will protect the Omega’s from going rancid.
Another good option for egg replacement that I have just started experimenting with is psyllium husk powder. You use much less of this than flax or chia, but it seems to change a little depending on the product your trying to create. For example, I used a 1 tsp amount to replace the egg in my last batch of pancakes and they turned a little extra thick. So I want to continue to experiment with this more. Stay tuned for more insight into psyllium husk.
If you are really missing things such as scrambled eggs or a good quiche, there are some alternatives you can try. The best options for these dishes are using tofu or a soy based egg replacement from Earth Island. This will only work if you do not have a sensitivity to soy. If you are able to use a soy alternative for eggs, I would encourage you to look for non-GMO soy. Many years ago, a friend of mine shared vegan scrambled eggs with me, and with the right spice combination you will get something that tastes almost the same as scrambled eggs.
Here are a few egg free products I have used and enjoyed:
Earth Island – Veganaise (soy free option for us)
Little Northern Bakehouse – Wide Slice Loaves bread
Bob’s Red Mill – GF Egg replacer
O’Doughs – Original bagels
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