You want to bake a cake but there are no eggs left in the fridge? Or you’d like to make a recipe without eggs on purpose? No problem – at least, not always! There are quite a few ingredients that can replace eggs in baking.

Apple sauce, banana, linseed or yoghurt: which alternative works best depends mainly on what you want to bake. Not every substitute works equally well in every recipe.

Here you’ll find out which options there are, how much of each you need and what to look out for when baking without eggs.

Why are eggs used in baking in the first place?

Before we replace eggs, it’s worth understanding what they do in a batter or dough.

Eggs can do several jobs at once in baking:

• Binding: They help hold the ingredients together and stop bakes from falling apart.
• Moisture: Eggs contain water and help create a moist texture.
• Structure: When heated, their proteins set and stabilise the bake.
• Leavening: Whisked eggs can trap air and make a batter particularly light.
• Colour and flavour: The yolk in particular affects colour, flavour and texture.

That also explains why there is no single perfect egg substitute. An ingredient that makes a brownie lovely and moist isn’t necessarily right for a light sponge.

Replacing eggs: the main alternatives at a glance

The following amounts are guidelines for one medium egg (about 50 g without the shell).

Alternative	Amount for 1 egg	Best for
Apple sauce or apple purée	approx. 60–65 g	Muffins, butter cakes, brownies
Ripe banana, mashed	approx. 60 g	Banana bread, muffins, pancakes
Ground linseed	1 tbsp + 3 tbsp water	Cookies, brownies, muffins
Chia seeds	1 tbsp + 3 tbsp water	Muffins, cookies, dense batters
Plain yoghurt	approx. 60 g	Butter cakes, muffins
Silken tofu	approx. 60 g	Moist cakes, brownies
Aquafaba (chickpea water)	approx. 60 ml	Brownies, simple cakes
Cornflour	2 tbsp + 3 tbsp water	Some cookies and cake batters
Egg replacer powder	As directed on the pack	Various bakes, depending on the product

Important: These amounts are starting points, not a guarantee of identical results. Especially in recipes with several eggs, the texture can change noticeably.

1. Apple sauce – for moist cakes and muffins

Apple sauce is one of the easiest ways to replace eggs in baking.

It adds moisture to the batter and works particularly well for moist bakes.

How to replace one egg:

Use about 60–65 g of unsweetened apple sauce or apple purée.

Works well for:

• Muffins
• Butter cakes
• Brownies
• Banana bread and other moist loaf cakes

What to watch out for:

Apple sauce adds moisture, but it can also make the batter a little denser. So it isn’t necessarily the best choice for very light cakes.

Use unsweetened apple sauce if you can, so you can control the sweetness of the recipe better.

2. Banana – a fruity alternative

A ripe banana can be used much like apple sauce. It adds moisture and some binding, and brings natural sweetness at the same time.

How to replace one egg:

Mash about 60 g of ripe banana finely with a fork and mix it into the batter.

Works well for:

• Banana bread
• Muffins
• Pancakes
• Chocolate cake

What to watch out for:

Banana has a distinct flavour of its own and can make bakes denser.

That can work beautifully in a chocolate cake. In a delicate vanilla cake, the banana flavour may be less welcome.

3. Linseed – the handy egg substitute for binding

Linseed is particularly useful if you mainly want to replace eggs for their binding properties.

Mixed with water, ground linseed forms a gel-like mass known as linseed egg or flax egg in many recipes.

How to make a linseed egg:

For one egg, you need:

• 1 tbsp ground linseed
• 3 tbsp water (approx. 45 ml)

Mix both ingredients and leave to swell for about 5–10 minutes until gel-like.

Then add the whole mixture to the batter.

Works well for:

• Cookies
• Brownies
• Muffins
• Dense cakes

What to watch out for:

Linseed mainly provides binding, but not the same lightness as whisked eggs.

It can also leave small dark specks in the batter and add a slightly nutty flavour.

For particularly pale bakes, golden linseed is often a better choice.

4. Chia seeds – similar to linseed

Chia seeds work on a similar principle to linseed: they absorb water and form a gel-like mass.

How to replace one egg:

• 1 tbsp chia seeds
• 3 tbsp water (approx. 45 ml)

Mix and leave to swell for about 5–10 minutes.

If you don’t want visible seeds in the finished bake, you can grind the chia seeds first.

Works well for:

• Muffins
• Cookies
• Brownies
• Dense cake batters

What to watch out for:

Chia seeds also mainly replace the binding function of eggs. They are less suitable for particularly light cakes or sponges.

5. Yoghurt – for a moist texture

Plain yoghurt is an easy alternative when an egg is mainly there to add moisture and a tender texture.

How to replace one egg:

Use about 60 g of unsweetened plain yoghurt.

Works well for:

• Muffins
• Butter cakes
• Pancakes
• Moist loaf cakes

What to watch out for:

Yoghurt doesn’t replace the stabilising effect of egg proteins. In larger amounts, it can also make the batter too wet or dense.

The consistency of the yoghurt matters too: very thick yoghurt or skyr doesn’t necessarily behave the same as a runnier plain yoghurt.

For vegan recipes, you can also try an unsweetened plant-based yoghurt alternative, depending on the recipe.

6. Silken tofu – neutral and versatile

Silken tofu has a particularly soft, creamy texture, which makes it a good fit for moist batters.

How to replace one egg:

Purée about 60 g of silken tofu until smooth and mix it into the batter.

Works well for:

• Brownies
• Moist butter cakes
• Muffins
• Dense chocolate cakes

What to watch out for:

Silken tofu adds moisture and a creamy texture, but it can also make bakes denser.

It should be puréed as finely as possible so no lumps are left in the batter.

7. Aquafaba – the surprising alternative

Aquafaba may sound unusual, but it’s simply the liquid from cooked chickpeas, for example from a tin or jar.

What makes it special: aquafaba can be whipped much like egg white.

How to replace a whole egg:

Use about 60 ml of aquafaba.

For one egg white:

About 30 ml of aquafaba can serve as a starting point.

Works well for:

• Brownies
• Simple cakes
• Muffins
• Specially developed vegan meringues and mousses

What to watch out for:

Aquafaba isn’t a complete replacement for the stabilising effect of eggs. With classic sponges, soufflés or macarons in particular, simply swapping egg white in the same ratio isn’t necessarily enough.

For whipped preparations, it’s best to use a recipe developed for aquafaba from the start.

8. Cornflour – when it’s mainly about binding

Cornflour can also help hold ingredients together in certain recipes.

How to replace one egg:

Stir 2 tbsp of cornflour with 3 tbsp of water until smooth.

Works well for:

• Some cookies
• Simple cake batters
• Dense bakes

What to watch out for:

This method is less reliable than many of the other alternatives. Cornflour provides neither the fat of the yolk nor the lightness of whisked egg.

Which egg substitute suits which bake?

If you’re not sure where to start, this quick guide will help:

Bake	Good starting points
Brownies	Linseed egg, apple sauce, aquafaba
Muffins	Apple sauce, yoghurt, banana
Cookies	Linseed egg, chia seeds
Banana bread	Banana, apple sauce, linseed egg
Pancakes	Banana, yoghurt or an egg-free recipe
Moist chocolate cake	Apple sauce, silken tofu, aquafaba
Vegan meringue	Whipped aquafaba, following a suitable recipe

The choice always depends on the other ingredients and the method, too.

When can’t eggs be replaced so easily?

Some recipes don’t just use eggs as a small extra ingredient – their whole structure is built on them.

This applies, for example, to:

• Classic sponge made with lots of whisked eggs
• Soufflés
• Meringue made from egg white
• Macarons
• Some creams and puddings made with egg yolk

Here, it usually isn’t enough to simply replace the eggs with apple sauce, yoghurt or linseed.

If a recipe depends heavily on whisked eggs or yolks, it often makes more sense to use a suitable egg-free or vegan version of the recipe straight away.

Can I replace several eggs?

In principle, yes – but with every egg you replace, the risk that the texture and result will change increases.

Replacing one egg: Often no problem in simple muffins, cookies or butter cakes.

Replacing two eggs: Can also work, especially in moist, straightforward batters.

Replacing three or more eggs: Here you should look at the recipe more closely. If eggs are essential for the structure or lightness, simple alternatives often aren’t enough.

A little trick: if, for example, you only have one egg left but your recipe needs two, you can replace just the missing egg.

My tips for baking without eggs

1. First think about what the egg does.

Is it mainly there to bind, add moisture or make the batter lighter? That determines which alternative makes sense.

2. Start with simple recipes.

Muffins, brownies or moist loaf cakes are often better for first experiments than elaborate sponge or pâtisserie recipes.

3. Pay attention to the consistency.

Some alternatives make the batter runnier, others noticeably firmer. So you may need to make small adjustments.

4. Keep an eye on the baking time.

An egg-free batter can behave differently in the oven. So don’t rely solely on the stated baking time – check whether it’s done, too.

5. Don’t be afraid to experiment.

Nicht jede Alternative funktioniert beim ersten Versuch perfekt. Manchmal braucht es ein wenig Ausprobieren, bis Geschmack und Konsistenz passen – und genau das macht Backen schließlich auch spannend! 🙂

Conclusion: which egg substitute is best?

There is no single perfect egg substitute.

For moist cakes and muffins, apple sauce or yoghurt are often good starting points. Linseed and chia seeds are especially good for binding, while aquafaba is an interesting alternative for various batters and specially developed whipped preparations.

The most important thing is to understand the role eggs play in each recipe.

Because baking isn’t just about swapping ingredients – it’s also about finding out how they work together.

And sometimes a small experiment leads to a surprisingly good result! 🥐