With the cost of eggs at all-time high, these 4 alternatives are great for your baking

With the cost of eggs at an all-time high, it’s not just breakfast foods that are becoming increasingly expensive – desserts are, too.

Bird flu, also known as avian influenza, continues to devastate poultry farms in the United States and the lack of supply has caused prices to jump. More than 150 million birds nationwide have been confirmed to have bird flu since January 2022.

More: Bird flu believed responsible for deaths of hundreds of snow geese, here’s what to know

At the end of 2024, the average price for a dozen eggs was $4.10, compared to $1.50 in March 2020.

Nobody knows this better than bakers.

But baking a cake doesn’t need to use up all those eggs in your refrigerator. Instead, try these egg substitutes that professional bakers use regularly in cakes, brownies and cookies that leave them tasting just as good.

Flax eggs

A simple combination of water and ground flaxseeds with a 1-to-3 ratio will perfectly substitute an egg. Just try the eggless chocolate cake recipe from New York Times best-selling baker Sarah Fennel of Broma Bakery.

Ingredients

• 1¾ cups granulated sugar

• ¾ cups Dutch processed cocoa powder

• 2 cups gluten free flour (we used Bob’s 1-1 Gluten Free Baking Flour)

• 2 teaspoons baking powder

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

• 3 flax eggs (3 tablespoons flax seed meal + 9 tablespoons water)

• ½ cup strongly brewed coffee

• 1 cup vegan butter, room temperature (we used Miyokos!)

• 1 pound of powdered sugar (about 3 cups)

• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease and line two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together sugar, cocoa powder, flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. In a separate bowl, whisk oil, vanilla, flax eggs, and milk.

3. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry, whisking until no lumps remain. Pour in brewed coffee, mixing until just combined.

4. Pour batter into prepared pans and bake for roughly 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before frosting.

5. To make the frosting, place all the ingredients in a stand mixer. Cream on low speed, gradually increasing to high speed for 1 minute, until mixture has lightened slightly and is fluffy.

6. Frost cake by placing first cake layer onto a cake stand. Top with a healthy dose of frosting. Spread evenly, then repeat with second layer. Use remaining frosting to frost sides of the cake. Last, use the back of a spoon to create a large swirling pattern all around the cake.

Aquafaba

Aqua-what? If you haven’t baked vegan treats you’ve probably never heard of aquafaba, but odds are you probably have some in your pantry. The liquid brine from canned chickpeas, known as aquafaba, is similar in texture to egg whites, making it an ideal binding agent.

Try it out for yourself with a brownie recipe by the Banana Diaries, by cookbook author Britt Berlin.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons ground flaxseed mixed with ½ cup coffee (you can substitute water) or ½ cup (100 grams) unsweetened applesauce, room temperature

• ¾ cup (150 grams) granulated sugar

• ½ cup (100 grams) brown sugar

• ⅓ cup (80 mL) aquafaba or soy milk, room temperature

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• ½ cup (113 grams) vegan butter or coconut oil, melted

• 6 ounces vegan semi-sweet chocolate chips

• ½ cup (50 grams) high quality Dutch-processed cocoa powder

• 1⅔ cup (200 grams) all-purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour

• Additional ½ cup (80 grams) vegan chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Prep: Preheat the oven to 350F and line an 8×8″ or 9×9″ pan with parchment paper. Whisk together the ground flaxseed and coffee in a small bowl, and set aside to thicken.

2. Dissolve the sugar: In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, brown sugar, aquafaba or soy milk, vanilla extract, sea salt, and flaxseed mixture. You can use a hand mixer to make it faster, but whisk vigorously until the sugar granules are completely dissolved. This is crucial, as this gives the vegan brownies their crinkle top. Set aside.

3. Heat the chocolate: Heat the vegan butter until melted and hot in a heat-safe bowl (I do about 45 seconds). Then add in the chocolate chips. Allow the chocolate to sit for a few seconds to start melting. Then add in the cocoa powder as well, and whisk until the chocolate chips have completely melted and the cocoa powder is integrated into the mixture.

4. Make the brownie batter: Use a rubber spatula to spoon the chocolate fudge mixture into the dissolved sugar mixture. Whisk until combined. Then add in the flour and gently whisk JUST until the flour is completely incorporated. The brownie batter will feel really thick. That’s okay! Continue whisking just until the flour is incorporated. Add in the chocolate chips, and fold into the brownie batter to evenly distribute.

5. Bake: Spread the batter into the pan to the edges. Place the pan into the oven and bake for 28-30 minutes if using a 9 by 9-inch pan, 30-32 minutes if using an 8 by 8-inch pan, or until the toothpick comes out nearly clean. It’s okay if the middle is still a bit wiggly. It will solidify more as it rests. If you bake these brownies longer, they will be more cake-y than fudgy.

6. Rest: Remove from the oven and let sit for 30 minutes in the pan to cool.

7. Slice and serve. Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days or in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Applesauce

If chickpea brine isn’t your thing, applesauce could be. Adding extra moisture and a touch of sweetness without added fat, half a cup of applesauce is the key ingredient in Toni Okamoto’s vegan banana bread.

Ingredients

• ⅓ cup of vegan margarine plus more for greasing

• ½ cup of granulated sugar

• ½ cup unsweetened applesauce

• 1¾ cups whole wheat or all-purpose flour

• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas about 2–3 bananas

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit or 170 degrees Celsius and grease a loaf pan.

2. In a mixing bowl, beat the vegan margarine and sugar until the mixture is fluffy and pale.

3. Mix in the baking powder, baking soda, salt, and applesauce.

4. Add the flour and bananas alternately, adding ½ cup flour and ¼ cup banana at a time, starting with the flour. Mix well after each addition.

5. Spoon the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until the bread turns golden brown.

Yogurt

Replacing one egg with a quarter cup of yogurt adds moisture and texture to your cakes, muffins or, in this case, cookies. This recipe for soft, chewy chocolate cookies by the Banana Diaries might make you rethink adding eggs to your future cookies.

Ingredients

• 2¼ cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour or gluten free 1:1 baking flour, sifted and spoon and leveled

• ⅔ cup (135 grams) light brown sugar

• ½ cup (100 grams) organic granulated sugar

• ⅓ cup (85 grams) dairy free yogurt or unsweetened applesauce, room temperature

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

• 1 cup (170 grams) vegan chocolate chips (semi-sweet or your choice)

Instructions

1. Prep: Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper, and measure out all ingredients.

2. Whisk: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Set aside.

3. Make the dough: In a large bowl, whisk together the vegan butter, sugar, brown sugar, dairy free yogurt, and vanilla. Then add in the flour, baking soda, and sea salt. Use a rubber spatula to fold together. Stop just before all of the flour is mixed in.

4. Add in the chocolate chips: Fold in chocolate chips until evenly distributed.

5. Chill: Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes, but preferably 2 hours. The longer, the better, as the flavor will develop even more. When the dough is nearly done chilling, preheat the oven to 350F.

6. Bake: Using a cookie scoop and roll about 1.5 tablespoons of dough per cookie for regular sized cookies, or 3 tablespoons of dough for large cookies onto the sheet. Place into oven and bake for 10-12 minutes (my oven, I bake them exactly 11 minutes each time for large cookies) or until the edges are lightly golden and are “set.” The middles shouldn’t be dough-y looking, but if they’re still soft, that’s perfectly fine.

7. Cool: Remove from the oven and let cool for 10 minutes. This allows the cookies to firm up to hold together.

8. Enjoy: Sprinkle with extra sea salt and enjoy. Store these cookies at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 4 days, a week in the fridge, or a month in the freezer.

This article originally appeared on York Daily Record: Egg substitutes for baking include aquafaba, flax eggs and yogurt