It is not unlikely that many people who have Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance also have other food allergies like Egg, Dairy, or Soy. I know that it’s hard enough to change your diet and learn how to bake gluten free and then to add no eggs too has got to be challenging and frustrating to say the least. Today’s post is my favorite Egg Free Tips and I hope you find them useful and helpful. You can also find them in my Gluten Free Baking Lessons and Tips tab. If you like them, please pin them and share the word. If you have a favorite egg free tip, please share it in the comments section. I am always open to suggestions and learning new tips from my viewers.
1. Flaxseed – Why Flaxseed. When flaxseed is ground and simmered over medium-low heat, it will gel up and the texture will mimic that of an egg. On the internet you will find that all sites recommend 1 Tbsp. ground flaxseed to 3 Tbsp. water. In my opinion that doesn’t quite equal an egg. To keep recipes accurate and as close to regular baking as possible then you really need 4 Tbsp. water, which is also equal to 1/4 cup water. When simmering, simmer over medium to low heat for about 5 minutes until thickened. DO NOT microwave, unless of course you want a HUGE mess to clean up afterwards. Yep! It happened to me. Flaxseed method acts much like an egg and is great used in baked goods. No it will not replace an egg in any dish that is an “egg” dish, like Ranchero Eggs, Dutch Babies or German Pancakes, Frittata’s or Quiches. Nor will any of the other options. If you are wondering why I mention this as it seems like common sense, it’s because I can’t even count how many times I have been asked. I will give you one of my secrets, well it’s not really a secret, but my favorite use of Flax Eggs is in gluten free breads.
2. Applesauce – Applesauce is indeed a great egg replacer. 1/4 cup equals one egg. Applesauce is my favorite egg replacer for brownies. You do have to bake brownies a little longer when using applesauce, but it works great! If a brownie recipe calls for 4 eggs, which is not as common, use 2 flax eggs and 2 portions of applesauce (1/2 cup). Applesauce is also a great for gluten free breads, keeping them soft and moist. I also like them in pancakes, but expect the taste to be perfect, but the texture to be slightly different. Do not use applesauce as a replacer for crepes. My secret egg replacer tip, use it for cookies. It makes the best cookies!!! Leave the cookies on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes after removing from oven. Then gently move to a paper towel lined counter until completely cooled.
3. Mashed or Pureed Fruit – Just like applesauce mashed and pureed fruit works great in baked goods. I especially like it in muffins, and it just makes them even healthier. When using pureed fruit, consider what you are making and how powering the fruit flavor is before choosing it for your recipe. For example, you don’t want to use pureed pumpkin for Chocolate Chip Cookies, unless of course you want Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies. Make sense?
4. Chia Seeds – Now with Chia Seeds you do not need to simmer on the stove top. All you have to do is be a little patient for them to gel up. Just place 1 Tbsp. chia seed with 3 Tbsp. water and wait. They will gel up and look gorgeous too! I won’t go into it now, but I have lots of recipes I use chia seeds for other than egg replacer. Well okay, I will give you one, but it’s not the one that I use when they are gelled. Add a 1-2 tsp. to all baked goods, especially the white ones. No one will ever know they are there and they are packed with omega 3’s. Anyway, back to the egg replacer. Chia method is much like the Flax Egg method. Use it for baked goods. It is great in baked gluten free bread, but it will leave little specks unless you use the white ones. Stay tuned for my other tips with chia seeds.
5. Ener-g Egg Replacer – Energ-e egg replacer if you have been Celiac for 10 years or more has been the go to egg replacer for years. This is a great one for biscuits, muffins, cakes and pancakes. I don’t use it often, but our family is not egg free. However, my customers rave about this product, so I listed it on the top 7 of my favorites. One secret though, we use it in our Mama’s Pizza Crust Mix and that is how we are able to have a fabulous pizza crust and have it be egg free too!
6. Tofu – Tofu actually is a great egg replacer for baked goods. It acts much like mashed fruit and avocado. Make sure you mash it well. Use it in cakes, muffins, and even brownies. Tofu is made of soy, so if you have a soy allergy, stay away. Our family, me and my daughter, the mini-mama, have severe soy allergies. I put it on my list, because I know it works from reading about it from all my gluten free baker friends!
7. Lastly, my other trick. Sometimes in gluten free baking we need an extra little binder, like an egg white. I will use an egg white to just hold together a pastry like the crust of tart or pie crust, or butter cookie, so if I am baking for egg free folks, I just use 1-2 Tbsp. of honey or agave. It acts the same way and works great.
Please Comment on which Egg Replacer’s you like most and which baked items you use them in. Our readers learn from each other. It takes a village!
Like always, if you would like to order any of Gluten Free Mama’s Flour blends or mixes, Click Here, or click the store button above.