Egg substitutes for fall and winter

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Fall is here, and we all know what this means: fewer eggs for the next several months for us backyard chicken keepers.

I don’t use artificial lights in the coop and let the girls get some well deserved rest. Since I usually prefer to go without than buy eggs from the store, I tend to choose recipes that call for fewer eggs – or use creative substitutes in baking.

When it comes to baked goods, eggs basically add three things: moisture, cohesion, and fluffiness. If you just omit eggs, a cake will likely fall apart or be too heavy. Fortunately, you have several substitute options.

#1 Nut butter or tahini. Peanut butter, almond butter, and tahini will bind your batter together and add a delicious earthy flavor.

#2 Applesauce. This classic substitute for eggs adds a lot of extra moisture.

#3 Banana. Mashed banana acts similarly to applesauce – but that banana flavor definitely comes through!

#4 Ground flaxseed. I’ve yet to try this, but many foodies suggest grounding flaxseed or chia seed with a bit of water to create a sticky paste you can add to baked goods in place of eggs.

#5 Aquafaba. Now THIS is something I’m definitely going to try at the first opportunity. Rumor has it that you can whip the liquid from a can of chickpeas, and that it acts similarly to egg whites. I’ll let you know how it works out for me!

In the meantime, I’m wishing everyone a happy fall – and a happy new year and Gmar Chatima Tova to all my Jewish readers.

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Author: Anna

An Orthodox Jewish mom and freelance writer enjoying a simple life with her family and chickens, somewhere in the north of Israel.

12 thoughts on “Egg substitutes for fall and winter”

  4. I read your other post first and I’m so glad to hear that you and your family are safe and well. I’m praying for peace.

    Hopefully, thinking about egg substitutes can provide a small moment of distraction.

    You can use many things other than banana or applesauce- most puréed fruits will work. Pumpkin (or really any puréed squash) or sweet potato work very well and don’t impart a banana flavor. I find I can cut the sugar down when I use these as well. Yogurt also works to sub in for eggs. You need about 1/4 cup per egg and it works best if you have something with a roughly egg like consistency. These things work best in things like muffins because less cohesion and rise is required with the smaller area. I’ve made whole cakes this way, but they do tend to sink in the middle.

    Aquafaba is AMAZING. It seriously does whip up like egg whites! Add sugar and you can make meringues, no joke. They do not taste of beans, either. Obviously you need to use bean liquid that is free of any flavorings, so leave out the garlic and onions if you’re planning to do this.

    We use aquafaba weekly to make oil free sugar free granola, but we’ve used it to make chocolate mousse and even a dairy free whipped cream substitute. This tastes more like cool whip vs actual whipped cream. But somehow it doesn’t taste like beans at all.

    Similar to egg whites, it won’t whip up after having been frozen. It will last about 3 days in the fridge in a jar before it starts to turn on you. So it is something you have to plan for, because you need to either make some plain beans or open a can. And then the beans are there, hanging out, hoping for a meaningful destiny. Cooked or canned beans can be drained and frozen very well, though.

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