Substitutions
A large chicken egg, roughly 3 tablespoons in volume — about 2 tablespoons of white and 1 of yolk. The default unit in almost every recipe.
What it does in a recipe: Binds, leavens, enriches, emulsifies and sets, all at once — which is what makes it hard to replace. Pick the swap that covers that job — the ratios below are written so you can act on them without doing any arithmetic.
Also called: Large egg, Egg
Quick answer
Two egg whites
1 whole egg = 2 large egg whitesAll substitutes, best first
1 whole egg = 2 large egg whitesTwo whites match a whole egg's volume and provide enough protein to bind and set, using up whites left from a yolk-heavy recipe.
Trade-offWithout the yolk's fat and emulsifiers the result is drier, leaner and paler.
1 whole egg = 2 large egg yolksTwo yolks roughly match a whole egg's volume while concentrating the fat and lecithin, which is why custards and rich doughs often call for them directly.
Trade-offMuch richer and denser, with no aerating power — it will not lift a batter.
1 whole egg = 1 tbsp ground flaxseed + 3 tbsp water, rested 5-10 minutes until gelledFlax mucilage gels into a sticky binder that covers an egg's binding role, though nothing else it does.
Trade-offBinds only. In a recipe where the egg is also leavening or setting a custard, this will not carry it.
1 whole egg = 3 tbsp aquafabaChickpea liquid is the one vegan option that both binds and whips, which makes it the most versatile single stand-in.
MethodUse the liquid from unsalted canned chickpeas, or reduce a low-sodium one slightly for a thicker, more capable foam.
Trade-offContributes no fat and no richness, so an enriched dough turns out leaner.
Before choosing a substitute, work out what the egg is actually doing in your recipe — binding, leavening, moisture, or setting. The pages for each of those jobs give a better answer than any general-purpose swap.
At a glance
| Category | Eggs |
|---|---|
| Job in a recipe | Binds, leavens, enriches, emulsifies and sets, all at once — which is what makes it hard to replace |
| Suits | Vegetarian, Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free, Soy-free |
| Swaps available for | Dairy-freeEgg-freeGluten-freeNut-freeSoy-freeVeganVegetarian |
| Number of substitutes | 4 |
Related
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.