Replacing Eggs Is an Art

When going free-from, bakers face a suit of challenges, from finding vegetable fats that mimic the role of dairy to, most importantly, replacing eggs in a way that doesn’t affect the texture and taste of the final product.

Eggs play various roles in baking, such as binding ingredients, adding moisture, contributing to leavening, and enhancing flavor. Replacing them in baking became increasingly popular, particularly due to dietary restrictions, allergies, vegan diets, and concerns about sustainability. 

The global egg replacers market is estimated at USD2.3bn in 2024 and is projected to reach USD3.3bn by 2029, at a CAGR of 8.0% from 2024 to 2029 according to a report published by MarketsandMarkets.

According to the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act, egg is one of the eight major food allergens required to be declared on labels. This is very important, as it is estimated that 0.5 – 2.5% of young children are affected by an egg allergy, which can cause very mild rashes at best or very serious anaphylaxis at worst. The presence of eggs in food products deters consumers seeking allergen-free options, as often just one family member with an allergy leads an entire family to follow a restricted diet. In correspondence with the trend gaining ground, there seems to be a great deal of awareness towards flexitarian diets and sustainable eating, all of which has been a major reason for boosting the demand for plant-based alternatives to meat, egg, and dairy products. These have exponentially enhanced the market for egg replacers across a wide spectrum of food applications and categories.

While traditionally replacements were plant-based products like applesauce, smashed bananas or flaxseed, the ingredient industry’s research and development managed to create and deliver precise solutions that mimic egg’s attributes and make reformulation a lot easier. And they all bring their own strengths, which is why bakers should be trying different solutions for the different roles eggs have.

The baking industry uses several types of egg replacers, according to what the baker needs for each specific recipe. 

Starches & Gums

Modified food starches and gums are commonly used to mimic the thickening and binding properties of eggs. Ingredients specialist Loryma, for example, is expanding its wheat-based portfolio with a functional mix that is free of animal ingredients, as well as artificial colourings, flavorings and preservatives. Vegan, wheat-based Lory Stab replicates the technological properties of egg or milk in bakery products, resulting in a convincing visual appearance and authentic mouthfeel. Products made with this base ingredient, such as muffins, sponge cakes, cake bases or lava cakes, have the typical airy texture, light crumb and consistent pore structure. 

Combined with other ingredients such as flour, sugar, oil, water and flavorings, the concentrate can be used to make all types of vegan dough. The result is a viscous mass into which ingredients such as chocolate chunks or fruit can be easily incorporated. The wheat-based mix is neutral in smell and taste, which allows for individual recipes and a wide range of applications, including American muffins, sponge cakes, cake bases, lava and cupcakes, all of which perfectly meet the growing demand for plant-based bakery products. The stabilizing and raising components create a loose and elastic crumb structure, which results in the characteristic mushroom-shaped bulge in muffins, for example. 

Plant Protein

Pea protein, soy protein, and other plant-based proteins are used to replicate the structure and aeration properties of eggs, particularly in breads and cakes. Egg Replace from Ardent Mills, for example, is chickpea-based, gluten-free, plant-based, and contains no major food allergens, soy ingredients, color or flavor additives, allowing bakers to meet consumer demand for increased options for alternative diets. 

Plantible Foods, a US biotech company, created a functional ingredient called Rubi Whisk that replaces eggs in the commercial production of bread, donuts, cookies, cakes, pastries, and pasta. According to the company, to formulate the ingredient, they extract RuBisCO protein from a Lemna plant (a free-floating aquatic plant referred to by the common name “duckweed”). The Rubi protein RuBisCO is turned into a powder, which is neutral in taste, odor, and color, and whose properties may mimic and replace animal proteins. According to Plantible Foods, Rubi Whisk may provide several benefits for baking applications such as offering fat-binding and oil-holding capacity, high-foaming capacity and stability, high solubility, and emulsification.

Enzymes

Enzymes are increasingly used to replicate the functional properties of eggs in baking, such as improving dough stability, volume, and texture. Enzymes can be used to reduce the quantity of eggs in a recipe, not just replace them completely, like Kerry’s Biobake EgR, an innovative enzyme solution that decreases the number of eggs needed in a wide variety of baking applications, enabling European manufacturers to make the switch from caged to free-range or organic eggs without facing increased costs. Biobake EgR is a sustainable solution that not only eases the switch away from caged eggs but also delivers potential CO2 emission savings of up to 14% when a 30%+ egg reduction is achieved.

Aquafaba

This is still more common in artisanal or niche markets, but aquafaba (chickpea water) is being explored as a scalable option for its ability to mimic egg whites, particularly in meringues and other whipped products. OGGS Aquafaba, a plant-based egg alternative, presents itself as an answer to reducing the bakery industry’s carbon footprint. OGGS Aquafaba is made using chickpeas and has been through a R&D process involving two top universities in the UK and Portugal to develop a consistently performing plant-based egg alternative, which works effectively for large scale manufacturing. 100ml of OGGS Aquafaba offer 85% fewer calories than egg (just 18 calories per 100ml compared with 131 calories per 100ml with egg), 96% less saturated fat than egg, 88% less salt than egg. Swapping out eggs for OGGS results in considerable carbon impact gains, says the company. For every 1kg of liquid eggs, the CO2 emission is 4.67kg compared to just 0.92kg of CO2 emission for OGGS Aquafaba – a 72% reduction in carbon impact. 

Yeasts

A newly discovered category is baker’s yeast as a source of egg replacement. Foodtech pioneer revyve launched its next-generation gluten-free ingredient line made from baker’s yeast. The new egg replacer delivers excellent texturizing functionalities and is fully neutral in flavor and color. Being allergen-free, the new ingredient enables commercialization in categories such as sauces and potato products where gluten poses a barrier to entry. Additionally, its neutral flavor profile makes it ideal for flavor-sensitive products, such as sweet baked goods and confectionery. revyve’s yeast-derived ingredients are highly versatile, providing texturizing capabilities, including gelling, emulsifying, binding, and water-holding. 

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