There are a variety of reasons why some children may not have eggs in their diet, from allergies to personal family preferences and to a dislike of the taste. Eggs can be a really handy ingredient in a lot of recipes, meals and foods. So I wanted to write this blog to help those parents make the most out of egg-free baking for kids – without using eggs!
I also can’t tell you the number of times I’ve started baking and then realised I don’t have any eggs! Knowing what alternatives are out there can be super helpful!
First things first, below I’ve rounded up my favourite egg-free baking ideas for young babies and children – most of these are simple and fun ideas you can always cook with the kids too.
Thank you to Emily Kerrigan, of Nutritious Family Food, for this helpful blog.
Egg-free recipes for kids
Although whisking up a few eggs goes hand in hand with baking, many more recipes than you think may already be egg-free. Some of my favourite baking recipes that are egg-free and perfect for young children are :
- Carrot cake flapjacks
- No added sugar apple crumble
- Baby-friendly oat and blueberry muffins
- Vegan baby pancake
- Baby scones
- Easter biscuits
- Snowballs
- No bake, no added sugar energy balls
- Figgy porridge fingers
- Baby oatcake recipes
Egg alternatives to use in baking for kids
Sometimes though, there’s no workaround and you’ll still need something that does a perfect imitation job of a whole egg in a recipe. Eggs add structure in baking. For example, the action of lightly beating them before adding to cake batter adds air to the mixture. Similarly, during cooking, the proteins in eggs set and this is what helps give different cakes and biscuits their characteristic textures. That’s why sometimes you’ll need something that does a perfect imitation job of a whole egg in a recipe. Below are some alternatives to using eggs in baking.
Chia or flaxseed eggs
These make a great alternative for many recipes. I have a video on how to make a chia seed egg, but essentially you mix 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) of chia seeds with 3 tablespoons (9 teaspoons) of water and leave for 15 minutes. After this time, you should end up with a gloopy mixture which will help bind ingredients together – it’s the equivalent of one egg in a recipe so if you need more than one, you can just double up.
I’ve tested my baking sheet pancakes with a chia seed egg and it works well. I’ve also tested multiple recipes when cooking from my books How to Wean Your Baby and How to Feed Your Toddler too and found that more often than not using chia and flaxseed eggs is a nice, quick switch when it comes to most baking recipes such as pancakes, muffins, cakes and bakes. If you don’t have chia seeds, the same egg replacement method also works with ground flaxseeds.
Aquafaba
The watery liquid from a can of chickpeas is also becoming better known as a reliable substitute for egg whites in baking. Just set a sieve over a mixing bowl, drain the chickpeas and put aside for another use, then whisk the liquid until it forms soft peaks, just like regular egg whites. Three tablespoons of un-whisked aquafaba is the equivalent of one egg white for use in meringues, mousses, macarons or any other recipe that calls for egg white. Using aquafaba can sometimes be a great tip for reducing food waste too!
Store-bought liquid egg substitutes
There are also several convenient liquid eggs on the supermarket shelves now, such as Oggs and Crackd. Having these to hand means you’re never caught short needing eggs or an egg substitute for a recipe and not having them.
The Oggs website has lots of recipes using their aquafaba-based egg substitutes, from baking and breakfast baps to sauces like mayonnaise. There is also a handy guide to how much to use if you want to substitute them in any of the recipes in this blog.
They’re also great for stocking in the pantry or kitchen cupboard because they have a relatively long shelf life. You can freeze any leftover Oggs in ice cube trays, too, which is great for both your freezer stash and for cutting down on food waste.
If you’re looking for more tips on egg substitutes in baking, there is an excellent round-up on the BBC Good Food website.
For more family-friendly recipes, both egg-free and easily adaptable, my book, How To Feed Your Toddler is available to buy now!