13 Absolute Best Egg Substitutes For Boxed Cake Mix

As a baker, there's one ingredient I always keep in my pantry: boxed cake mix. While some might say it's a cop-out for homemade cake, I've found that I can creatively use the mix for so many different things — including making an easy and comparatively less time-consuming birthday cake or batch of cupcakes.

Most boxed cake mixes will call for a few simple and relatively inexpensive additions: oil, water, and — uh oh — eggs. If you've gone to a grocery store in early 2025, you can probably understand my weariness of this ingredient. A dramatic increase in egg prices, the result of avian influenza outbreaks, has caused many consumers to seek cheaper alternatives to this household staple. Egg substitutes are something I'm all too familiar with, as I've been a plant-based baker for nearly seven years now. So, it would appear that my years of kitchen tinkering has (finally) paid off — at least for you, dear reader. 

If you're looking for plant-based egg alternatives for your next boxed cake mix, I have you covered. These are some of my top recommendations for substitutes, as well as some important things to keep in mind as you're adding them to your next box of cake mix. 

Soda and seltzer are two of the easiest ingredients to use as an egg substitute with boxed cake mix. If you've opened up a bottle or can of either beverage, especially after accidentally dropping it on the ground or in the fridge, you know how fizzy they can be. This effervescence will help you give your recipe a lift, and it can actually replace the oil, too. As long as you have a box of cake mix and a 12-ounce bottle of soda or seltzer, you are set to make a simple dump cake. 

When you make this substitution, you will need to change up your cooking routine just a little bit. For one, you'll want to avoid mixing your cake too much, as this can knock out the bubbles and render your cake sad and flat. Our cherry cola dump cake, for example, says to just mix the soda into the boxed cake mix until it's well-combined before pouring it over a bed of cherry pie filling and baking. It's no-fuss and will give you a super affordable, decadent dessert. What's not to love? 

The best thing about using soda or seltzer for your boxed cake mix is that you can experiment with different flavors and add-ins. While seltzer is neutral in flavor, soda will alter the flavor of your cake even after it's baked. So, you can try an orange soda with a white cake mix for a take on a dreamsicle cake, or combine root beer with spice cake mix for a unique, zesty combo. 

If you are a plant-based eater, you are likely very, very familiar with aquafaba. It's a great ingredient to know about regardless of your dietary preferences, as it's quite useful for a range of culinary applications. The liquid, which is rendered from canned chickpeas, contains albumins and globulins — the same compounds that help give egg whites their strength and ability to hold air after they're whipped. While aquafaba is an essential for a vegan meringue, it turns out it can also be used for things like cake mixes. 

Ideally, you'll want to use about 3 tablespoons of aquafaba for every egg that your boxed mix calls for. If you're working with a homemade cake, though, you'll want to substitute in 1 tablespoon for one yolk or 2 tablespoons for each egg white your recipe calls for. In my experience, I've found that unsalted aquafaba tends to be best as an egg substitute in any recipe, as regular eggs are low in sodium. Luckily, you can select from an array of low- or no-sodium chickpea brands at your local grocery store. 

Chia seeds are another egg substitute that vegan bakers will know quite well. While you may not think about them beyond the sprinkle on your avocado toast, chia seeds are actually a nutritional powerhouse that can easily stand in for an egg or two in your cake recipe. The key to using chia seeds, though, is to not add the seeds directly into the cake mix. You're going to want to make a paste out of them first. Add 1 tablespoon of seeds to 3 tablespoons of water, give it a stir, and let the mixture sit for a little bit until it turns into a gel-like paste. This can replace a single egg in your recipe. 

Chia seeds are not my favorite egg substitute for several reasons. If you've indulged in a chia pudding before, you know what I'm talking about. It can get very crunchy, despite the fact that there is water added to the paste. Will it be that noticeable with a 15-ounce box of cake mix? Probably not. But if you're after a silky smooth sponge without any raspberry seed-like morsels studding it, you're better off trying one of the other selections on this list. However, if you want a little more fiber and don't mind the crunch, then by all means use them. 

Yogurt can be a great swap for eggs for your next box of cake mix. On a chemical level, the dairy product does many things. For one, its acidity interacts with the leavening agents (like baking soda) in the cake mix to give it a lofty rise. This mimics the same structure that egg whites would give your recipe. On top of that, yogurt adds fat, which is what an egg yolk would normally offer. 

You can use either plain yogurt or Greek yogurt in the recipe, but always opt for the full-fat version. This will help maximize your cake's moistness. I'd also recommend using an unsweetened and unflavored variety, as you don't want to mess too much with the flavor of your mix. If you're baking a vegan recipe, I would caution using a plant-based yogurt for your cake mix, as they tend not to have the creaminess and proper texture that you need. You can use ¼ cup of regular yogurt per egg that your recipe calls for. 

Applesauce is one of several common egg substitutes to use for box cake mixes. And while you might tilt your head and say, "Huh," I promise that it does work. You can substitute in ¼ cup of applesauce for each egg. Unsweetened applesauce is going to be your go-to here, as it won't disrupt the sugar chemistry of your recipe as much as a sweetened applesauce would. 

The pectin in applesauce acts as the binder for the ingredients and makes it egg-like. It also has a relatively neutral flavor, which means that your finished cake won't taste like applesauce. Though, since applesauce lacks fat and can make your baked goods heavy, you'll want to add in a ½ teaspoon of baking powder per "egg" to help give your baked goods more lift. If you forego the extra baking powder, you will get a slightly denser baked good, which would be less noticeable in a muffin or quick bread batter than in a cake. 

Mashed bananas are the egg substitute I would recommend people to approach with caution. Not only is there a ton of variation in banana ripeness, meaning that you may or may not taste the fruit, but it will also make your cake much heavier and denser than if you use one of the other egg replacers on this list. Another thing that makes bananas a difficult egg substitute for a boxed cake mix is that since the cake mix is pre-made and pre-sweetened, you can't adjust its sugar levels to accommodate for the ripeness of your bananas. 

Despite all of those caveats, you can still used mashed bananas as an egg substitute in boxed cake mix. Like applesauce, use ¼ cup of mashed banana per egg in your recipe. It should be noted that this measurement needs to take place after the fruit is mashed, rather than when it's still intact, for it to be accurate. I personally think it makes a better substitute for denser baked goods, like muffins, and things that you are okay with being banana-flavored, like banana bread, but to each their own. 

Buttermilk is a wonderful and wholly underutilized ingredient. Sure, it makes a terrific batch of buttermilk biscuits, but its utility extends far beyond that. You can use it as an egg replacer in your boxed cake mix recipe, since it will react with the leavening agents and produce a lofty cake. ¼ cup of buttermilk can be used for each egg. I would personally use buttermilk before I would use applesauce or mashed banana, simply because you won't taste any change in your final cake. The buttermilk will also help keep you cake super moist and its high acidity can help stave off too much gluten formation.

Buttermilk is an ingredient that you may not have on hand unless you use it frequently. One of my favorite plant-based buttermilk swaps is to combine 1 tablespoon of acid (like vinegar or lemon juice) with a cup of plant-based milk; you can obviously scale this to whatever amount you need. You can also use regular dairy milk for your recipe. I find that soy milk works better than other plant-based milks because it has a higher protein content, but almond milk or oat milk will also work. Give it a stir and let it sit on your counter for a few minutes so it can thicken. From there, you can use it in any recipe that you would normally use buttermilk. 

One of the most important functions that eggs serve in your cake is as a rising agent. If you neglect to add eggs, you'll end up with a cake that's flat and hockey puck-like, rather than tall and towering. While your boxed cake mix certainly contains some leavening agents, you may want to consider adding a bubbly concoction made with baking soda and vinegar to give it even more lift. You will need to use a tablespoon of vinegar and a teaspoon of baking soda to replace a single egg. 

This substitute isn't the magic bullet as far as egg replacements go, as it doesn't bind together your ingredients, nor does it introduce the same amount of fat as an egg does. As a result, your cake may end up a little bit more crumbly than one that is made with eggs. But as I like to say, it's nothing a little frosting can't fix.

Flax seed really is a terrific seed. This ingredient can be an asset to vegan bakers as well as folks who are looking for a simple, cheap replacement for eggs in a variety of baked goods. One flax egg, which is comprised of 1 tablespoon of flax seed meal and 2½ tablespoons of water, can replace a single egg in your recipe. You'll want to let this mixture sit at room temperature for a few minutes to thicken before you add it to your batter.

The major benefit to using flax seed over chia seeds is that you're going to notice its texture much less. In order for a flax egg to work, though, you'll need to grind it up finely. Although you can buy flaxseed meal on Amazon or at a local health foods store, I find it to be just as easy to buy whole flax seeds and grind them up with a coffee grinder. Since the flax is oily, I would also suggest using rice to clean your coffee grinder once you're done. 

It's important to note that flax seed does not have the same shelf life as some of these other egg substitutes. Whole flax seed can last up to two years, but ground flax seed may last a year (or less, as I've found). To avoid having to throw out tons of flax seed (you only need to use a very small amount for a recipe) I would recommend buying from the bulk foods section of your grocery store and only getting as much as you need. 

If you're baking a vegan cake using boxed cake mix, then your unequivocal "best bet" for an egg substitute is going to be a powdered egg replacer. I have been a proponent of this product for years and have used it in an array of baked goods, including everything from cakes and muffins to cookies and breads. Several brands sell this product, so the exact composition will vary. Bob's Red Mill's Egg Replacer, a personal favorite, is made with an array of starches and leaveners, so it performs just like eggs in a recipe. Of course, it's not going to be the best plant-based substitute in something like a quiche, as it has a goopy, sticky consistency, but it does the trick for binding together the ingredients in your baked goods.

You'll want to defer back to the packaging to see how much water to mix with the powder. While you might think it's easier to add the powder and the water separately to your recipe, I would advocate against it. You want to get the thick, sludgy consistency before you add it to your boxed cake mix so that it works properly and distributes well into your mix. 

If you consider yourself someone who can't stand the consistency, sight, or even the thought of tofu, rest assured that when you use it in a boxed cake mix, you won't be able to taste or detect it. You can use ¼ cup of silken tofu for each egg that your recipe calls for. "Silken" is the operative word here. If you use a different type of tofu, like extra-firm or even medium, this hack won't work. This is because the silken tofu is soft and jiggly, so it will break down and combine more smoothly with the rest of your ingredients than a firm variety would. 

To ensure better distribution and binding, add you silken tofu into a blender and pulse it until it's smooth. Then, add it to the rest of your cake mix. Like applesauce and mashed banana, silken tofu wouldn't be my absolute favorite choice for baking a cake with, as it doesn't have the same leavening and air-holding capacity as an egg would. However, you could add a scant amount of baking soda — about ¼ teaspoon per egg –to give your cake a little bit of a lighter consistency. 

Pumpkin may be an ingredient reserved for the fall months, but it can actually make a great substitute for eggs in cakes. Though, it does have a very, very strong flavor — so anything you add it to can and will make it taste like pumpkin bread. 

Canned pumpkin is moist and sticky, which is why it can help bind together the ingredients in your boxed cake mix. You can use ¼ cup for every egg. Like some of the other egg substitutes, including mashed banana and silken tofu, using canned pumpkin will inherently make your cake a little more dense, so proceed with caution. Interestingly enough, you can also use pumpkin puree as an oil substitute for your boxed cake mix; just follow a 1-to-1 ratio. I would not recommend "double dosing" here — meaning adding pumpkin as both an egg replacement and an oil replacement — because you won't get the perfect texture in your cake. Pumpkin puree is low in fat, so it won't give you that soft, delectable crumb structure you're craving, though it will make your cake extra moist and give it a more autumnal flavor. 

Your first inclination when you see a ripening avocado is probably not "cake," but the fruit can indeed serve as a solid egg substitute in a pinch. Avocados are full of fat, which is why they can be used to help bind your cake ingredients together and give your finished sponge a soft and rich consistency. I personally love adding avocados to vegan brownies, as I find that they give the brownies a moist and decadent texture. The same can be said when you add them to cake mix.

You can use ¼ cup of mashed avocados for every egg in your recipe. Like the bananas, you'll want to do the measuring after your avocado has been mashed to ensure accuracy. If I'm working with avocados in baked goods, I personally like to put them in a blender rather than mashing them up with a fork or a pastry cutter. No one wants to discover a massive chunk of avocado floating around in their slice of cake. 

Naturally, the green color of the avocado can be a little off-putting, which is why I would also recommend sticking to a chocolate cake or devil's food cake mix rather than a white or yellow cake. You may even find that the avocado's clean flavor elevates the chocolatey notes and improves the overall flavor of your bake.