Eggless baking hacks

So when it comes to baking, we're trying it without eggs.

Why omit eggs?

Eggs may not be as bad for the environment as beef or dairy, but store-bought eggs can still pack a harmful environmental punch.

Let's look at land use. Livestock science reports that it takes between 35 and 48 square metres of land to produce a dozen eggs on the average farm. That's just a little over the amount of space it takes to produce a litre of milk. The chickens living in that space need to be efficient little layers in order to make profit. That means laying as many eggs as possible in the shortest amount of time. So more laying chickens means more food, more waste, more resources being depleted at a faster rate.

There are eggs that are more sustainable than others. Buying from a small-managed eco farm, or a local grower can have many environmental ethical and health benefits. But unfortunately for city-dwellers, it is difficult to know which brands are really sustainable or simply green washing.

That's why cutting down on your intake of eggs is a good step in reducing your carbon footprint.

Which means baking just got a whole lot more interesting.

So what can you use in a cake instead of eggs?

Actually, a lot. There are a whole lot of foods that can have a similar effect of an egg in binding your mix.

Take a look at these -

Image: Swanson Health blog

But before you even pre-heat your oven remember that patience is key! On the first few attempts, it's really easy to end up with a mix that crumbles out of the pan or a cake that really resembles more of a pancake.

It's all a matter of choosing the best substitute for whatever it is you are making.

For example, a banana has a similar effect in a cake to an egg, but then you'll get the flavour of a banana in your mix. If you wanted a chocolate cake, you may not want it to taste like banana as well.

Here are some tips on our top 'plant eggs' –

• Store bought egg replacer – This is made from starch, and can be bought at almost any supermarket. It's good for most types of baked goods as well, so it's a great to experiment with on all sorts of things.

• Flax seed eggs – Flax has a smooth nutty flavour, so flax eggs are good for pancakes or whole grains. For 1 egg make sure to use 1 tablespoon of flax seeds to 3 tablespoons of water.

• Silken tofu – This is flavourless, so it mixes well with strong flavours and is best used in denser baked goods like brownies. For 1 egg use ¼ cup of pureed tofu.

• Baking soda and vinegar – Perfect for fluffy cakes! For 1 egg use 1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon of vinegar.

• Banana – Bananas are great for adding moisture and sweetness, but don't use banana if you want the final taste to be banana-free. For 1 egg, mash ½ a banana.

Experiment with all of your favourite recipes.

We tried out Sea Shepherd's Laura Dakin's Lemon and Poppy Seed cake without eggs, and it was delicious!

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