The Pantry Staples You Can Use To Replace Eggs When Baking

We've all been there. You start making a recipe and discover that you only have one egg when you need two. Yes, you could run to the grocery store to buy another dozen, but perhaps you don't have the time, or you already have some food cooking in the oven, and you can't leave. So what is a cook to do? Take a walk... to their pantry.

It may surprise you to know that you likely have a few simple shelf-stable ingredients on hand that can be swapped out for the eggs in your baking recipe. When a recipe calls for a whole egg (the white and the yolk), it's being used to bind ingredients together, such as sugar and flour (via Baker Bettie). They also make the baked goods softer and moist, giving them an "eggy" taste.

The fat of the whole egg is found in the yolk, as well as half of the protein and most of the vitamins and minerals, per Pastry Chef Online. The egg yolk will add flavor and will thicken the mixture. Egg whites, on the other hand, have a more neutral flavor and can be whipped to form a foam, as well as have a drying effect on the baked good, according to Pastry Chef Online.

What are these magic ingredients you already have in your home that can be combined to replace eggs in a baking recipe? You can substitute each egg with 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon of water (via HuffPost). To replace multiple eggs in a recipe, The Kitchn recommends using 2 tablespoons of water, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil.

Tip Hero says you can also use 1 teaspoon of corn oil in this mixture. You have a replacement for one egg by combing these three ingredients, which works well when baking, they say. Another plus is that it mixes well into the batter for cookies and cakes, and it's vegan-friendly. AllRecipes recommends using a neutral-tasting oil for this egg replacement mixture, which it says is also best for cookies.

Next time you find yourself short of eggs for your baking recipe, don't worry. Simply go to the pantry and grab some oil and baking powder.