How to replace eggs in desserts: ingredients, quantities and tips

Are you thinking of preparing a dessert, you have everything you need and a great desire to do but suddenly you realize that you don't have eggs? Do you love soft and fragrant donuts but you can't eat eggs? Don't worry, we are used to thinking that egg yolks and egg whites are fundamental in pastry making, but we can say with certainty that this is not the case. In fact eggs can be replaced in many ways, without sacrificing taste and consistency. Let's see all the possible substitutes with some tips and the quantities not to be mistaken.

How to replace eggs in desserts

Bananas, milk, yogurt and many others: the possible substitutes for eggs are many more than you think and above all they do not alter in any way the flavor of your recipes. Let's see what they are: from the simplest ones to the ones you just don't expect.

1. Bananas

You read that right, we are not kidding: bananas are excellent egg substitutes if you want to prepare a good homemade dessert. Forget the beaten egg whites or the egg yolks worked with sugar, if you want to use a natural ingredient and that can thicken all the dry ingredients, choose bananas. In pastry, the proportions are important and we are here to help you: each whole egg can be replaced with half a banana. A small detail not to be underestimated: you can also use ripe bananas.

2. Yogurt

Intuitive but quite unexpected: yogurt is an excellent thickener that can help you if you don't have or you don't want to use eggs for your donuts. The presence of yogurt will also make your desserts soft and fluffy and in the case of fruit desserts you can also choose a yogurt that recalls the chosen fruit. If you follow a vegan diet, you can also use a vegetable yogurt without problems. How much do you need? Simple: half a jar of yogurt for each egg that you need to replace.

3. Milk

To replace the eggs you can use milk of animal or vegetable origin (ideal for those who follow a vegan diet), especially if you want to prepare sweet brioches or plum cakes perfect for a homemade breakfast. In fact, milk allows you to bring very soft, tall and well-leavened desserts to the table even without the help of eggs: the doses to follow are very simple, every 50 ml of milk are worth exactly as much as an egg.

4. Corn starch

Its thickening power and neutral flavor makes corn starch a perfect substitute for eggs in sweet preparations. If you choose this ingredient, as more and more pastry chefs do precisely for these characteristics, we recommend slightly increasing the liquid part (milk, seed oil or simply water): as you add the starch, gradually add the liquid part , until the desired consistency is obtained. Don't worry, we haven't forgotten the doses: two tablespoons of corn starch replace each egg in the recipe.

5. Avocado

A substitute that you may not have expected and which however can give you great satisfactions in pastry making: the avocado pulp in fact has a consistency similar to that of butter (especially when it is ripe at the right point) and for this reason it can help you in your recipes without eggs. Also not to be underestimated is the fact that its flavor is not particularly decisive and that for this reason it does not in any way risk ruining the taste of your desserts, preferably with chocolate, a truly winning balance. For each egg that you will replace use a spoon full of avocado pulp.

6. Potato starch

If you are thinking of a cream or a dessert but you do not want to use eggs, potato starch is an ingredient that can be very useful. It is a very strong thickener but which allows a good leavening and a light and frothy consistency. Each egg can be replaced with about 40 grams of potato starch which must be balanced in proportion with 250 ml of liquid ingredients such as water, milk or oil.

7. Apple pulp

Apple pulp contains an enzyme called pectin, a powerful natural thickener also used to prepare fruit jam. The presence of pectin makes the apple an excellent egg substitute, especially if you are thinking of preparing a fruit-based dessert. Grate the pulp to remove excess liquids and use 50 grams of it for each egg present in the recipe.