Are you out of eggs and need them to make cupcakes? Or are just looking for an alternative so you can make your recipe without eggs?
Either way you are in luck! There are multiple ingredients you can use instead of egg no matter what type of cupcakes you are making.
Eggs play an important role in baking, including when making cupcakes. Eggs provide structure, moisture and add flavor. Because of all the things eggs bring to baking, it’s important to use a substitute that provides the same benefits.
So what are the best egg substitutes when making cupcakes?
The top ingredients to use instead of eggs when baking cupcakes are yogurt, buttermilk, applesauce, silken tofu, banana, arrowroot powder, and aquafaba.
Like most substitutions, these ingredients have their pros and cons. Make sure to read on for how to best use each alternative in your recipe.
Egg Alternative when Baking Cupcakes
When it comes to baking cupcakes, eggs play a very important role. Eggs bind your other ingredients together as well as being a leavening agent.
This means it creates little pockets of air that creates volume (nobody wants a flat cupcake!).
This is important for getting moisture and height to your cupcakes. But the importance of eggs doesn’t end there! They also provide flavor and a pleasing appearance to your cupcakes.
So it should go without saying that when you replace egg in your cupcake recipe, that you must use an alternative that will provide you all these benefits.
And in case you are looking for vegan friendly or dairy free egg alternatives, we have you covered too!
Let’s get to each substitute and how to incorporate them into your recipe.
Related: How to freeze frosted cupcakes
Yogurt
Greek yogurt is a great way to replace eggs if you want a rich and flavorful batch of cupcakes. Yogurt contains protein and fat which will provide your cupcakes with structure and flavor.
Yogurt can be used in any type of cupcake, but be sure to use unflavored to avoid adding unwanted flavors to your cupcakes.
Related: Alternatives for Greek yogurt
Equivalent
1/4 cup of Greek yogurt equals 1 egg
Buttermilk
Another way to impart a lot of flavor to your cupcakes is to use buttermilk instead of eggs. Buttermilk performs much like yogurt. It will provide flavor and structure to your cupcakes thanks to it’s fat and protein content.
I do find that buttermilk produced cupcakes with less height than eggs, but they still turn out quite tasty. You can use store bought buttermilk, or homemade. Both work well in place of eggs.
Related: Dairy free replacement for buttermilk
Equivalent
1/4 cup of buttermilk equals 1 egg
Applesauce
Applesauce is an excellent dairy free and vegan friendly substitute for eggs when making cupcakes. While I prefer to use natural applesauce without added flavors, you can used flavored applesauce if they compliment your particular flavor of cupcake.
Applesauce will not provide as much structure as egg, but the flavor is truly wonderful.
Note: If you are using applesauce that contains added sugar, you will want to reduce some sugar from your recipe. Start with 2/3 of the sugar your recipe calls for and add according to taste.
Equivalent
1/4 cup of applesauce equals 1 egg
Silken Tofu
Silken tofu is a classic way to make baked goods vegan friendly and dairy free. And it can be used instead of eggs when baking cupcakes.
Using tofu will create more compact and dense cupcakes, but the flavor does not overpower the other ingredients in your recipe.
Before adding your tofu to your other ingredients, puree it in a food processor or blender.
Equivalent
1/4 cup of silken tofu equals 1 egg
Banana
Mashed, ripe banana is another great vegan friendly substitute for egg. The best part of using mashed banana is that the flavor pairs so well with most types of cupcakes.
It works particularly well with chocolate and vanilla cupcakes. But I’ve yet to find a combo banana doesn’t work with (as long as you like banana).
Cupcakes baked using mashed banana do come out dense with less height than when using egg, but the main benefit is the flavor.
Equivalent
1/4 cup of mashed banana equals 1 egg
Arrowroot Powder
I’ve grown to love using arrowroot powder when baking vegan friendly desserts. And using it in cupcakes is another great option.
Arrowroot has a subtle flavor that doesn’t clash with other ingredients in your cupcakes and it produces a cupcake with decent height.
Mix your arrowroot powder with water before adding it to the rest of your ingredients.
Related: Arrowroot powder replacements
Equivalent
2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder with 3 tablespoons of water equals 1 egg
Aquafaba
A popular ingredient in vegan baking, aquafaba can be used instead of egg when making cupcakes. This is the liquid that comes in a can of chickpeas.
You may find the consistency is similar to egg whites, and it produces a flavorful cupcake that is a bit denser than what you get when using egg.
Equivalent
3 tablespoons of aquafaba equals 1 egg
Egg Replacement for Cupcakes FAQ
What happens if you don’t have eggs for cupcakes?
Eggs provide structure, texture and flavor to cupcakes. They help bind your other ingredients together as well as serve as a leavening agent. You should not make your cupcakes without replacing eggs with suitable alternative.
If you don’t have egg, there are a number of substitutes you can use. My personal favorites are Greek yogurt, arrowroot powder, and buttermilk.
Can you use baking soda instead of eggs when making cupcakes?
Yes, baking soda with vinegar can be used in place of egg. Use white distilled vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
For each egg, mix one teaspoon of baking soda with one tablespoon of vinegar.
Can you use oil instead of eggs in cupcakes?
Oil can be used instead of egg if you mix it with baking powder and water. This will produce a leavening agent that will help your cupcakes rise.
Mix one and a half tablespoons of oil with one and a half tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of baking powder. Once combined, add the mixture to your other ingredients.
Can you use milk as a substitute for eggs when making cupcakes?
Milk can be used in place of egg in cupcakes but it will produce a flat, dense finished product unless another leavening agent is included.
Milk will provide moisture and flavor to your recipe, so if using another leavening agent, such as baking powder, it can be used instead of egg.