What Should You Use In Place Of Eggs For Vegan Stuffing?

Turkey, macaroni and cheese, potatoes, and green beans are just a few of the stars on the Thanksgiving table — all of which omit your vegan niece and lactose-intolerant uncle from their share (even the veggie sides tend to include generous amounts of butter, cream, and cheese). Eggs are another key culprit, gate-keeping a side dish that's equally as synonymous with the holiday as its turkey centerpiece: the stuffing.

Traditionally, Thanksgiving is not a friendly holiday to your vegan or allergenic guests. What many people associate as a day of celebratory eating and napping is a festivity of anticipated guilt for the dietarily different — how dare you turn down your great aunt's famous banana pudding? But, tides are shifting, and while a vegan Thanksgiving, according to Tabitha Brown, may not always include a vegan turkey, USA Today reports that there has been a rise in interest in plant-based foods and Thanksgiving recipes.

So, even if you're not quite ready to give up the turkey, room can still be made for more plant-based sides on your Thanksgiving table — and why not start with the universal favorite, stuffing?

According to Tastes of Lizzy T, eggs are included in stuffing because they act as a binder that helps the dish keep its shape. However, you can still make great stuffing without them. To create the ideal texture for stuffing without the eggs, Connoisseurus Veg recommends substituting them by adding extra broth and white wine to the baking mixture. The New York Times follows a similar pursuit by adding the vegetable stock in two different stages: first while it's in the skillet and another time just before you put it in the oven to bake. They also mix in finely chopped pecans to aid with binding.

However, if skipping the binder completely sounds like too big of a risk, many egg alternatives exist. Berries and Lime list seven: silken tofu, aquafaba, vegetable oil, baking powder, fruit or vegetable puree, yogurt, and finally, the substitute that Minimalist Baker specifically recommends for stuffing, a flax egg. Flax eggs are simple because they are a 1:1 ratio with regular eggs (via Food 52), so for each egg you'd typically use, you can use one flax egg without worrying about altering the texture of your dish.

By mixing a few ground flax seeds with water, you'll have an egg replacement that will add fiber, protein, and omega-3s to your stuffing — the foundation of any vegan-friendly Thanksgiving feast.