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Egg substitutions, a breakfast recipe + 25% off!
Published about 1 month ago • 4 min read
Hey Reader,
For day 20 of my niece Aila's solids journey, I made her egg-free oat pancakes served with blueberry chia seed jam, which was a deviation from the scrambled eggs and blueberries that were supposed to be offered as per our 60 Day Baby Led Feeding meal plan, since she's allergic to eggs.
Which got me thinking...we should talk about egg replacements that work great in recipes!
First, a couple things to note about egg substitutes:
Some of them contain common allergens, like dairy (milk) in yogurt, peanut in peanut butter, and soy in tofu. Be careful to only introduce these substitutes after you've already exposed your baby to any of the common food allergens.
Egg substitutes are not always as nutritionally dense as eggs, so be sure to compare the nutrition labels with the nutrition properties of eggs to determine if your baby needs more nutrients like protein, choline, or fat to balance out their meal.
Now onto my recommendations...
Favorite stand-alone egg replacements:
Tofu - Silken tofu and soft tofu mimic eggs in frittatas and quiches, while firm tofu or extra firm tofu works better for egg salad and scrambled eggs (see recipe below). Bonus - You can also use silken tofu or soft tofu to bind custard, egg sauces like mayonnaise, and pudding with a creamy, smooth mouthfeel!
"Just egg" egg replacement - If you need a ready made liquid egg mixture that works well for making omelets or scrambled eggs, this is a product made from mung bean you can use in moderation for your baby (it is a bit higher in salt and has a couple preservatives, so use this when needed or when you can't use tofu!)
Favorite egg replacements in baked goods:
Aquafaba: This is the liquid left over from cooking chickpeas (you can use canned or freshly cooked chickpeas). Just substitute 3 tbsp of aquafaba for one egg to use as a leavener, which helps things like muffins, pancakes, and cakes rise. Bonus - you can also use aquafaba for egg-free aioli or mayonnaise!
Carbonated water: While this one may surprise you, it's a great leavening agent and provides structure to baked goods like cakes, crepes, muffins, pancakes, and waffles. Just use 1/4 cup of carbonated water for 1 egg in a recipe.
Mashed banana: While it will impart a sweet banana flavor, this works great for many baked goods. For every egg, substitute it with 1/4 cup of ripe banana puree or 1 small mashed banana. Note: It won't help baked goods rise, so make sure you also add aquafaba, baking soda and vinegar, baking powder, or carbonated water to the recipe as well.
Applesauce: While this won't help baked goods rise, you can use 1/4 cup of applesauce for 1 egg to add moisture and a denser texture to baked goods. Follow the same instructions as the mashed banana with regards to also adding a leavening agent in addition to the applesauce.
Yogurt: As long as you've ruled out a dairy allergy, you can use 1/4 cup of yogurt for 1 large egg in recipes for baked goods to impart lots of moisture and a tangy flavor (plus healthy fats)! This also doesn't replace a leavening agent, so if you need the baked good to rise, use one of the leavening egg substitutes listed above.
Favorite egg replacements to use as a binder for things like fritters, fish cakes, meatballs, or burgers:
Chia egg: This is the one I use the most - mix 1 tbsp of chia seeds with 3 tbsp of water and let the mixture sit for at least 15 minutes in the fridge.
Flax egg: Pretty much the same as above, but the ratios are 1 large egg = 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp of water.
Check out this recipe from our 60 Day Baby Led Feeding meal plan(25% off for only 2 days!) for scrambled tofu - Aila LOVES it and eats it every week!
My husband and I are first time parents and were nervous when our pediatrician gave us the green light to start solids. How? When? In what order? A friend recommended My Little Eater and I immediately signed up for the free seminar. I was hooked! I bought a course and was given some resources that took all of the guesswork out of it! To have pediatric dietician recommended resources along with a meal plan that clearly and strategically laid out what to provide when…. YES, PLEASE! We now have confidence on what and how to feed our sweet little guy. We most love having a library of foods that we can easily click on to see how to prepare each food along their expertly created texture timeline. Tonight we are having green beans. How do we make that for our little one? Let’s watch! Our soon to be 7 month old is now eating and drinking water like a champ! We can’t recommend My Little Eater enough!
Baby Led Feeding (Starting Solids) & Toddler Feeding
As a team of feeding experts, we're here to help make mealtimes joyful and give parents the confidence to raise healthy little eaters! We share weekly updates with our newest research-backed articles and our best feeding tips!
