How to Replace Eggs with Fruit in Baking

If you are looking for a way to make a recipe vegan, or reduce your intake of cholesterol, a great way to do so is by substituting the eggs for either applesauce or mashed banana. It’s very simple to do so, as long as you take into consideration a few things.
 

What purpose did the eggs serve in the original recipe? If their main purpose was to hold the dough together, or to add moisture, this is a perfect opportunity to substitute them for fruit. It’s also important to note that for cakes and cookies, eggs can often be used to keep the dough light and fluffy. Fruit tends to make baked items denser, so to avoid that, an additional teaspoon of baking powder for each egg in the recipe should even it out quite nicely.

Will the flavors from the fruit compliment those in the recipe? If you are making something sweet, such as zucchini bread, the sugar in the fruit would compliment the flavors in the bread very well. On the other hand, if you want to replace eggs in a savory recipe, you may want to use a commercial egg replacement or silken tofu that won’t change the flavor of the dish.

Also, since the fruit contains natural sugar, you can reduce the amount of added sugar in the recipe by at least 1/2 teaspoon for each egg.

So, when replacing eggs with apple sauce or bananas, it is best to do so when making sweet baked goods such as quick breads, cookies, and muffins. If you follow these tips, you will be on your way to a variety of baked goods with fewer calories, cholesterol, and added sugar, but still the delicious flavors of the treats you love.

Looking for a recipe to try it out? Here is a recipe for Eggless Zucchini Bread:
 

1. In a medium sized bowl, combine:

• 2 cups sugar (I like to mix 1/2 white sugar and 1/2 raw sugar)
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 3 teaspoons vanilla
• 3/4 cup mashed banana
• In another medium sized bowl, combine:
• 2 3/4 cups flour
• 3 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 tablespoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
   

2. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients until just combined. Then add 2 1/4 cups grated zucchini and 1/2 cup chopped walnuts. Pour into a bread pan and bake at 325 degrees F for 50 minutes.

Gillian writes the food blog Eat My Words (http://eatmywordsblog.wordpress.com/)