Learn how to bake delicious vegan, egg-free, and dairy-free desserts with practical tips for choosing and using egg and dairy substitutes. From cakes and cookies to muffins, quick breads, and pies, this guide will help you understand what works and why.
Baking without eggs or dairy is easier than you might think, and the results can be every bit as delicious. Once you become familiar with a few basic substitutions, a whole world of baking opens up.
I've spent decades adapting classic favorites and creating vegan baked goods of my own. Along the way, I've discovered which substitutions work beautifully, which ones don't, and why having a few good options makes all the difference.
I recently shared some of my favorite egg replacement tips with HuffPost, where I was featured as a vegan baking expert. Here, I'm sharing the ingredients, techniques, and little things I've learned in my own kitchen to help you bake with confidence and have fun doing it.
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Vegan Egg and Dairy Substitutes
One of the best things about vegan baking today is the number of options we have. Some are probably already in your kitchen, while others are easy to find at most grocery stores. The trick is knowing which one to reach for.
Successful vegan, egg-free, and dairy-free baking isn't simply about swapping one ingredient for another. It helps to understand what the original ingredient contributes to the recipe.
Why are eggs used in baking?
Eggs can play several roles in baking, and what they do depends on the recipe. Here are some of the most common:
- Binding: Helps ingredients hold together and gives baked goods structure. This is especially important in cookies, brownies, and bars.
- Leavening: Beaten eggs trap air, helping cakes, soufflés, and meringues rise and become light and airy.
- Moisture: Adds liquid and helps keep cakes, muffins, and quick breads from becoming dry.
- Emulsifying: Helps fats and liquids blend together smoothly, which is important in smooth batters, custards, and creamy fillings.
- Richness and color: Adds flavor and contributes to browning and a golden color in cakes, breads, and pastries.
Sometimes an egg does just one of these things. Other times, it's doing several at once. That's why it helps to know what the egg is bringing to a recipe before choosing a replacement.
Why aren't eggs vegan?
Veganism is rooted in the belief that animals are not ours to use. Since eggs are produced by animals, they aren't vegan. That includes eggs from factory farms, free-range hens, and backyard chickens. The circumstances may be different, but each raises important questions about how the chickens are treated and whose interests come first.
Fortunately, eggs aren't essential for making wonderful baked goods. There are plenty of alternatives, including a few you may already have in your kitchen.
vegan egg substitutes for baking
I've experimented with a lot of egg substitutes over the years. Some have become regulars in my kitchen, while others work best for specific recipes. Here are the ones I reach for most often and where they shine.
Banana: One small ripe banana, or about ¼ cup mashed, can replace one egg. Banana adds moisture and natural sweetness and helps hold ingredients together. It works well in muffins, quick breads, pancakes, and some cakes. Since the banana flavor can come through, use it where that flavor complements the recipe.
Applesauce: Use ¼ cup smooth applesauce to replace one egg. Applesauce adds moisture and helps bind ingredients to hold baked goods together without adding much flavor. It's a good choice for cakes, muffins, brownies, and quick breads. Unsweetened applesauce gives you better control over the sweetness.
Vegan yogurt: ¼ cup plain vegan yogurt can replace one egg. Its thick, creamy consistency adds moisture and helps create a soft, tender texture. It works especially well in cakes, muffins, brownies, and quick breads. Choose plain, unsweetened yogurt when you don't want to alter the flavor or sweetness.
Flaxseed: To make one flax egg, combine 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons water. Let it sit until it becomes thick and gel-like. That texture helps hold ingredients together, making flax eggs particularly useful in cookies, muffins, pancakes, and quick breads. They can add a slightly nutty flavor and a heartier texture.
Aquafaba: Use 3 tablespoons aquafaba to replace one egg. This surprising ingredient is simply the liquid from cooked chickpeas. It can do things most other egg substitutes can't, including whip into beautiful peaks. I'll show you more about that below.
Silken tofu: Use ¼ cup blended silken tofu to replace one egg. Its creamy consistency adds moisture and gives baked goods body without adding much flavor. It's best suited to brownies, dense cakes, muffins, and other recipes where you don't need the eggs to create a lot of rise. Blend it completely smooth before using.
Carbonated water: Use ¼ cup plain carbonated water to replace one egg. The bubbles add air to the batter, making it useful in cakes, cupcakes, muffins, and quick breads where you want a lighter texture. Since it doesn't do much to hold ingredients together, it's not a good choice when the egg is needed for structure.
Packaged egg replacers: Unlike single-ingredient substitutes such as banana or applesauce, packaged egg replacers are specially formulated to do several of the jobs eggs perform in baking. They're convenient, neutral in flavor, and work well in many cakes, cookies, muffins, and quick breads. Follow the package directions for the equivalent of one egg.
Liquid products such as JUST Egg are different. I prefer them in recipes where eggs contribute more substance and texture, particularly custard-style fillings such as lemon meringue pie and vegan lemon curd, as well as savory dishes like quiche.
How to Make Meringue Without Eggs
One of my favorite things I've learned in vegan baking is that you can make light, fluffy meringue without egg whites. The secret is aquafaba.
This gorgeous vegan lemon meringue pie is made entirely without eggs or dairy. Even that luscious meringue is egg-free.
What is Aquafaba?
Aquafaba is the thick liquid left over from cooking chickpeas (garbanzo beans) in water or found in a can of chickpeas. I was skeptical the first time I tried whipping aquafaba into meringue. But with an electric mixer and a little patience, it transforms into billowy, glossy peaks remarkably similar to whipped egg whites.
Aquafaba is the key ingredient in this Strawberry Mango Pavlova dessert. See my egg-free meringue recipe for the technique I use to whip aquafaba into meringue. I also use aqufaba to make marshmallow fluff for our old-fashioned homemade vegan fudge. It's irresistibly delish!
Dairy-free baking substitutes
Replacing dairy is one of the easier parts of vegan baking. With so many good alternatives for milk, butter, cream, and other dairy ingredients, I rarely feel limited by what a traditional recipe calls for.
The trick is choosing the right substitute for what you're making. A non-dairy milk that works beautifully in a cake may not be the best choice for a rich custard or creamy filling.
Vegan piña colada cupcakes with coconut cream frosting. For these treats, I replaced the eggs and dairy with powdered egg replacer, vegan butter, and coconut milk.
Non-Dairy Milk Substitutes
Non-dairy milk is one of the easiest swaps you can make. For most cakes, muffins, quick breads, and similar baked goods, you can replace dairy milk with an equal amount of unsweetened non-dairy milk.
I usually choose based on the flavor and richness I want. Some varieties are light and neutral, while others are creamier or have a more noticeable flavor.
Soy milk: Creamy with a fairly neutral flavor, soy milk is one of my most versatile choices for baking.
Oat milk: Mild, slightly sweet, and creamy, oat milk works well in most cakes, muffins, quick breads, and cookies.
Almond and cashew milk: Both have a mild nutty flavor. Cashew milk tends to be creamier, while almond milk can be somewhat lighter.
Coconut milk: Richer than many non-dairy milks and useful when coconut flavor complements the recipe. Canned coconut milk is much richer than refrigerated coconut milk, so they aren't necessarily interchangeable.
Rice and hemp milk: These tend to be thinner and can work when richness isn't important. Hemp milk may contribute a slightly nutty flavor.
Pea milk: Typically creamy and mild, making it another versatile choice for baking.
Whatever you choose, I generally recommend plain, unsweetened non-dairy milk for baking unless the recipe specifies otherwise.
How to Make Vegan Buttermilk
You don't need to buy vegan buttermilk. It's quick and easy to make your own with non-dairy milk and an acidic ingredient.
Expert Tip: Add 1 tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar to 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk. Stir and let it sit at room temperature for 5-10 minutes. Soy milk tends to thicken particularly well, although almond and oat milk also work. Adjust the quantities as needed for your recipe.
This lightly spicy and moist vegan zucchini loaf is the perfect easy quick bread recipe for anyone wanting a little something sweet with an afternoon cup of coffee or tea. In this recipe I used Bob's Red Mill egg replacer and vegan butter.
Non-Dairy Butter Substitutes
There are several ways to replace dairy butter in baking, but they don't all behave the same way. The best option depends on the recipe and the result you're looking for.
Vegan butter: When I'm veganizing a traditional recipe that calls for butter, this is usually where I start. Substitute an equal amount of vegan butter and use it in the same form the recipe calls for, whether softened, melted, or cold.
Coconut oil: Coconut oil works well in many cakes, cookies, muffins, and quick breads. Refined coconut oil has little coconut flavor, while unrefined or virgin coconut oil has a more noticeable coconut taste. Since coconut oil is pure fat and dairy butter also contains water, you may need less coconut oil than the amount of butter called for. Whether it's used solid or melted depends on the recipe.
Vegetable, canola, and olive oil: Liquid oils work especially well in cakes, muffins, and quick breads, adding moisture and richness. Vegetable and canola oils have a neutral flavor, while olive oil can add a distinctive fruity flavor that works especially well in recipes where it complements the other ingredients. Since oil is pure fat, you'll generally need less oil than the amount of butter you're replacing. For best results, follow a tested recipe or substitution rather than automatically replacing butter with an equal amount of oil.
Applesauce: I like to use applesauce to replace a portion of the butter or oil in cakes, muffins, and quick breads. Rather than replacing all the fat, I usually replace about one-third to one-half with an equal amount of unsweetened applesauce. For example, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of oil, I might use ½ cup oil and ½ cup applesauce. This reduces the fat while keeping some of the richness and texture the oil provides.
Learn more about why vegan butter is better in this article.
More Dairy-Free Substitutes
Many dairy ingredients used in baking and desserts now have convenient vegan alternatives. In some recipes, a store-bought substitute is the easiest option. In others, you can make your own.
My vegan carrot cake is a great example of several substitutes working together. I use a packaged egg replacer instead of eggs, vegetable oil in place of butter, and a fabulous frosting made with vegan cream cheese and vegan butter. The result is everything I want in a carrot cake: moist, flavorful, and topped with plenty of sweet, scrumptious frosting.
Here are a few more dairy-free ingredients I regularly use in baking:
Vegan cream cheese: Great for frostings, fillings, and baked desserts. Brands vary quite a bit in firmness and water content, so results can differ when texture matters.
Vegan sour cream: Adds richness and a slight tang to cakes and other baked goods. Plain vegan yogurt can often work here too.
Vegan heavy cream: Full-fat canned coconut milk or coconut cream works well in many recipes, although you'll taste some coconut. Store-bought vegan heavy cream is a good option when you want a more neutral flavor.
Vegan evaporated milk: Store-bought versions are available, or you can make your own by gently reducing non-dairy milk.
Vegan yogurt - Adds moisture, texture and flavor to many baked goods. I like to use plain yogurt in my blackberry berry crumble muffins.
Vegan sweetened condensed milk: Available ready-made or homemade with non-dairy milk and sugar. It's concentrated and sweetened, so regular non-dairy milk isn't an equal substitute.
Vegan whipped topping: Handy for topping pies, cakes, puddings, and other desserts like strawberry shortcake. Chilled coconut cream also works if a little coconut flavor suits the recipe.
Vegan ice cream: Perfect with warm apple pie, crisps, cobblers, brownies, and cakes. I like to choose the base and flavor to complement whatever I'm serving.
My Favorite Baking Tools
After decades of baking, I've collected a few tools and appliances that I reach for again and again. You don't need everything on this list to bake without eggs or dairy, but these are some of my favorites for making the job easier and getting consistent results.
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- Electric mixer (hand or stand mixer) - Especially useful for whipping aquafaba meringue, frosting, and mixing batters.
- High speed blender - Helpful for getting ingredients such as silken tofu, and cashews completely smooth.
- Digital food scale - Inexpensive, easy to use and very helpful for accurate baking measurements
- Oven thermometer - Helps verify that your oven is heating to the correct temperature for more consistent baking results.
- Measuring spoons
- Measuring cups for dry and liquid ingredients
- A set of mixing bowls
- Silicone spatula - Good for scraping bowls and gently folding ingredients together.
- Rolling pin
- Silicone pastry sheet
- Wire whisk
- Baking sheets
- Baking pans (loaf pan, pie plate, cupcake pan, cake pan)
- Parchment paper - For lining baking pans and sheets for easier removal and cleanup
- Wire cooling rack
Vegan Baking FAQ's
Can I use baking powder or baking soda as an egg substitute?
Not by themselves. Baking soda and baking powder help baked goods rise, but eggs perform other jobs too, such as adding moisture and helping ingredients hold together. In some recipes, a leavening agent may be used along with another egg substitute to provide the lift that eggs would normally contribute.
How can I add moisture to egg-free baked goods?
Ingredients such as applesauce, mashed banana, vegan yogurt, and silken tofu can add moisture when replacing eggs. The best choice depends on the recipe and the flavor and texture you want.
Do egg-free baked goods need a different baking time?
Sometimes. The egg substitute you use can affect baking time. Rather than relying only on the clock, look for the signs of doneness described in the recipe, such as a lightly browned edge or a toothpick inserted into the center coming out clean. When possible, follow a recipe that's been tested with the egg substitute you're using.
Ready to start baking? Put these tips to use with my collection of Favorite Fall Vegan Baking Recipes, featuring cakes, pies, muffins, quick breads, and other seasonal treats made without eggs or dairy.
Karen J says
Is there a good homemade or pantry essential that can replace sweetened condensed milk?
Connie Edwards McGaughy says
Hi Karen, I haven't attempted to make my own, but have used store-bought coconut sweetened condensed milk and an oat-based version, both which I found at local grocery stores in my area.