10 Best Egg Substitutes For Baking Brownies

What Is The Purpose Of Eggs In Brownies?

Eggs are one of the most important ingredients in baking, particularly in making brownies. They serve three main purposes: add flavor, bind ingredients together and act as an emulsifier.

1. Add flavor. Eggs add flavor to your brownies, making them more rich and delicious.
2. Bind all ingredients together. When baking brownies, the many ingredients used don’t mix well with each other. Eggs bind these ingredients together, creating a smooth mixture.
3. Act as an emulsifier. Eggs contain emulsifying substances such as lecithin that give the mixture a smooth, consistent texture. Emulsifiers are necessary for baking to achieve the best results.

But sometimes, you might not have eggs available, or may not want to use them for baking brownies. Keep reading to discover the best egg substitutes for baking brownies you can use instead.

Why Use Egg Substitutes For Baking Brownies?

There are a few main reasons you may want to use an egg replacer in your next batch of brownies. Typically, people look to an egg substitute due to allergies and food sensitivities or as part of a vegan or healthier diet.

1. Egg allergy. Having a food allergy is no laughing matter. If you’re allergic to eggs, you’ll find a suitable replacement on this list.
2. Vegan diet. If you prefer to avoid animal products and dairy products, you can definitely enjoy some delicious vegan brownies if you try one of the common egg substitutes found here.
3. Healthier Alternatives. Eggs are a great source of protein, but do have a considerable amount of cholesterol and fat, especially in the yolk. Using a egg replacer can help maintain a healthier diet.

The good news is that no matter your reason for looking for an alternative to eggs, there are many great options available that will still result in delicious brownies!

10 Best Egg Substitutes For Baking Brownies

Whether you’re out of eggs or following a vegan diet, there are plenty of egg substitutes that can be used in your favorite recipes. Here are 10 of the best options to substitute for eggs in brownies.

1. Flax Eggs & Flax Seeds

A great substitute for eggs is flax eggs or flax seeds. A flax egg can be made by mixing 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal (ground) with 3-4 tablespoons of water.

The mixture should then be refrigerated for 15 to 20 minutes to allow it to thicken. When it thickens, it will have a consistency and texture like that of egg whites.

Flax Eggs Pros

• Flax seeds are great binding and emulsifying ingredients.
• They contain many nutrients present in eggs, such as proteins. In addition, they contain lots of fiber.

Flax Eggs Cons

• Your final product might be a bit different than you’re used to as flax seeds may change the final texture of the brownies.
• They also add a different, earthy taste to them. Some say flax has a bit of a nutty flavor which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

2. Chia Seeds

Chia seeds work in pretty much the same manner as flax seeds. When combined with a little bit of water, they create a thick mixture that can then be added to the other ingredients.

The mixture has both binding and emulsifying properties, that give brownies a great texture. Chia seeds are usually ground and then mixed with water, rather than being used as whole seeds.

Chia Seed Pros

• Act as great binding and emulsifying agents.
• Contains many of the nutrients eggs have, including proteins and fat.
• The chia seed mixture usually doesn’t affect the taste of the brownies.

Chia Seed Cons

• Chia seeds may change the texture of your finished product and result in chewy brownies.
• Chia seeds aren’t good leavening agents.

3. Silken Tofu

Silken tofu is another good ingredient you can use as a replacement for eggs. It doesn’t work as well as some other replacements do, but if you use it correctly, it can give you your desired results.

In most recipes, a quarter cup of silken tofu is mixed with about one tablespoon of water.

Silken Tofu Pros

• Silken tofu has lots of protein, so it acts as a good substitute for eggs.
• It is a good emulsifier and binding agent and gives your brownies a nice, smooth texture.
• Silken tofu has a higher water content which makes it softer than some other types of tofu (condensed soy milk).

Silken Tofu Cons

• Sometimes, silken tofu can alter the taste of your brownies. The change is typically very slight.

4. Ripe Mashed Banana

Ripe bananas are another good replacement for eggs. Since they are sticky, they work well in binding all the ingredients together.

For them to be used in making brownies, they first need to be mashed well before adding them to the mixture of other ingredients. Putting in some baking soda helps give the mixture a softer texture.

To use as an egg replacement, substitute one ripe mashed banana for each egg your recipe calls for.

Ripe Banana Pros

• Bananas are great binding agents that effectively mix all the ingredients together.
• Bananas contain few calories, so they are a healthy replacement for eggs.

Ripe Banana Cons

• One of the biggest drawbacks of using bananas is that they add their flavor to the brownies. The flavor is quite prominent, and some people might not prefer that.

5. Unsweetened Applesauce

Unsweetened applesauce is commonly used in baking a variety of foods – including delicious chocolate brownies. It is an excellent binding agent that nicely combines all ingredients but doesn’t have good leavening properties.

To use it as a replacement for eggs to make brownies, a quarter cup of unsweetened applesauce should be used in place of one egg.

Applesauce Pros

• It has great binding properties.
• Unsweetened applesauce tends to make the brownies very moist.
• It contains few calories.

Applesauce Cons

• It isn’t completely neutral when it comes to taste. It may add a very small amount of apple flavor to your brownies, but most people don’t even notice.
• As we previously mentioned, unsweetened applesauce isn’t an effective leavening agent.

6. Greek Yogurt

Using Greek yogurt instead of eggs for making brownies is another great option. Greek yogurt is known to be a healthy ingredient and is commonly used to replace butter and oil when baking different deserts.

Normally, a quarter cup of Greek yogurt is used as a replacement for one egg in your brownie batter. If the yogurt is a bit tart, you can add a small amount of sugar to it for a little extra sweetness.

Greek Yogurt Pros

• Greek yogurt is a very healthy ingredient as it has very little to no fats and calories.
• Normally, plain yogurt doesn’t affect the flavor of your brownies.

Greek Yogurt Cons

• Greek yogurt isn’t a good binding agent, so it doesn’t make the mixture as smooth as eggs do. To fix that, you’ll need to add flour to your mixture.

7. Aquafaba (Liquid from chickpeas)

If you haven’t heard of this ingredient before, don’t be scared. Aquafaba is the liquid that is left over when chickpeas have been cooked. It is a popular egg substitute for many sweet and savory baked foods. This liquid has many of the properties eggs have, such as combining all the ingredients well.

To use aquafaba for making brownies, use three tablespoons of it as a replacement for one egg.

Aquafaba Pros

• It acts as a great emulsifying and binding agent.
• It has roughly the same nutritional composition as eggs.

Aquafaba Cons

• Aquafaba doesn’t provide the fat and flavor that eggs do, so the flavor of your brownies may not quite be the same.

8. Carbonated Water

Interestingly, carbonated water acts as a good replacement for eggs when making baked goods. Carbonated water has carbon dioxide with great leavening properties, making baked goods rise well. However, it does not have good emulsifying properties, so you’ll have to put in more time and effort to make the ingredients mix well.

To use carbonated water, use a quarter cup of it to replace one egg.

Carbonated Water Pros

• It is a great leavening agent.   
• Normally, it doesn’t change the taste of your brownies as some other ingredients do.

Carbonated Water Cons

• It cannot make up for the lack of richness and flavor that eggs provide.

9. Vegetable Oil, Baking Powder and Water

A mixture of vegetable oil, baking powder, and water also serves well as an egg substitute for baking brownies. The chemical reaction that takes place with this mixture has many of the properties that eggs have. It is perfect for recipes that require an egg as a leavening agent.

To use the mixture in place of eggs, mix one to two tablespoons of vegetable oil with a tablespoon each of baking powder and water. This will replace one egg.

Vegetable Oil, Baking Powder and Water Pros

• This mixture is a great leavening agent and works as well as eggs do!
• It also doesn’t affect the flavor profile of your brownies.

Vegetable Oil, Baking Powder and Water Cons

• Like many other egg substitutes, this mixture won’t bring as much flavor and richness to your brownies as eggs do.

10. Arrowroot Powder

Arrowroot powder is a powder made from the Maranta plant. It is used in making many dishes, both savory and sweet. The powder is rich in nutrients such as protein and is known to be easy to digest. It also contains a high amount of starch and is known to be an effective thickening substance.

Although arrowroot powder can be used as an egg replacement when baking brownies, it doesn’t have many of the properties that eggs have. It isn’t a good leavening agent and cannot provide the richness and flavor that eggs can. Moreover, when baking brownies using arrowroot powder, the brownies tend to become dry and crumbly much faster as opposed to baking them using eggs.

To use arrowroot powder in baking brownies, combine two tablespoons of it with three tablespoons of water. This mixture will replace one egg.

Arrowroot Powder Pros

• It is a pretty good binding agent and thickener.
• It doesn’t have a strong flavor, so it usually doesn’t affect the flavor of the brownies.

Arrowroot Powder Cons

• Doesn’t offer the same richness that egg yolks add.
• The brownies can easily crumble when they’re being baked.

What Is The Best Egg Substitute For Baking Brownies?

As discussed, some common egg substitutes for baking brownies include flax seeds, chia seeds, silken tofu, ripe bananas, unsweetened applesauce, Greek yogurt, and carbonated water.

But which one of them is the best for baking brownies? Well, it’s difficult to say which ingredient is the best since each one works differently and has its own pros and cons. And at the end of the day, the best substitution is the one that YOU like the most.

Generally speaking, applesauce, mashed bananas, greek yogurt and carbonated water are quick, easy substitutes that you may already have on hand.

Flax seed, chia seeds, aquafaba and arrowroot powder are also great options, but may require a trip to the store. A bit of good news is you can also order some of these ingredients on Amazon for quick delivery. Here are some quick links for Amazon:

• arrowroot powder
• chia seeds
• flax seeds

Everyone will have a different best egg replacement based on their flavor and texture preferences for brownies. So, a good idea would be to try out different replacements and experiment until you find which is the best substitute for you.