Substitutions

What can I use instead of egg (for leavening)?

Q: Can I use baking soda + vinegar instead of egg (for leavening)?

1 egg = 1 tsp baking soda + 1 tbsp white vinegar. The acid and base react to release carbon dioxide directly into the batter, producing chemical lift instead of mechanical aeration. Gives lift but no structure, so the crumb is more open and fragile. Works in a muffin or a quick cake; will not build a sponge.

Eggs beaten to trap air, providing lift in sponge cakes, soufflés, angel food cake, meringues and popovers. The protein network holds bubbles that expand in the oven.

What it does in a recipe: Aeration and structure — trapped air that expands with heat and then sets in place. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.

Also called: Leavening egg, Egg as riser

3substitutes

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Eggscategory

Quick answer

Whipped aquafaba

1 egg = 3 tbsp aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas), whipped to soft peaks

All substitutes, best first

3 ways to replace egg (for leavening)

Whipped aquafaba

Reliable

1 egg = 3 tbsp aquafaba (the liquid from a can of chickpeas), whipped to soft peaks

Chickpea liquid carries dissolved proteins and saponins that foam and stabilise almost exactly the way egg white does — it is the only common vegan ingredient that genuinely aerates.

MethodWhip for 5-10 minutes, far longer than eggs need, and add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar to stabilise the foam. Fold it in at the very end and bake immediately.

Trade-offThe foam is less stable than egg white and deflates faster, so a sponge rises a little less and can be denser.

BakingVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

Baking soda + vinegar

Reliable

1 egg = 1 tsp baking soda + 1 tbsp white vinegar

The acid and base react to release carbon dioxide directly into the batter, producing chemical lift instead of mechanical aeration.

MethodCombine them into the batter at the last moment and get it into the oven immediately — the gas starts escaping the second they meet.

Trade-offGives lift but no structure, so the crumb is more open and fragile. Works in a muffin or a quick cake; will not build a sponge.

BakingVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

Extra baking powder + liquid

In a pinch

1 egg = 1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 1 1/2 tbsp water + 1 1/2 tbsp oil

The baking powder supplies the gas, the water the moisture and the oil the fat the egg would have contributed.

Trade-offCan leave a faint metallic aftertaste at higher quantities. Do not scale it past two eggs' worth.

BakingVeganVegetarianGluten-freeDairy-freeEgg-freeNut-freeSoy-free

Worth knowing

This is the hardest egg job to replace honestly. An angel food cake is 12 egg whites and nothing else structural — there is no substitution that produces one. If eggs are the primary leavening and the primary structure, look for a recipe designed to be eggless rather than converting this one.

At a glance

Egg (for leavening) in summary

Category	Eggs
Job in a recipe	Aeration and structure — trapped air that expands with heat and then sets in place
Suits	Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free, Soy-free
Swaps available for	Dairy-free Egg-free Gluten-free Nut-free Soy-free Vegan Vegetarian
Number of substitutes	3

More eggs

Egg (for binding)4 substitutes Egg (for moisture)4 substitutes Egg wash4 substitutes Egg white3 substitutes Egg yolk3 substitutes Meringue2 substitutes

Cooking around an allergy? Diet tags here describe the ingredient itself, not any particular brand. Processed products change formulation without notice and shared production lines are common, so read the label on everything you use. A severe allergy is a medical matter — confirm with the manufacturer or your clinician rather than relying on a substitution chart.