Are you thinking of making banana bread, but you don’t want to use eggs?
Or, maybe you’re in the middle of making some banana bread but realized you’re all out of eggs…
Don’t worry! There are a ton of different egg substitutes you can use for banana bread!
Keep reading to find out the 15 best alternatives (you probably already have one in your kitchen).
Let’s dive into the list!
Can You Bake Banana Bread Without Eggs?
The short answer is: absolutely! However, before you ditch the eggs in your banana bread recipe, it’s important to understand why eggs are typically required in banana bread recipes.
Within baking, eggs create both a leavening and binding action. This is especially true when making banana bread.
Eggs help bind together both the dry and wet ingredients to create an elastic and stretchy banana bread batter. Plus… eggs actually help your banana bread rise! This is because when you’re whipping up the eggs within your bread, tiny, little air pockets are formed within the eggs in the batter, adding some nice volume to your banana bread.
This creates a banana bread that’s light, fluffy, and delicious.
Another benefit to having eggs in your banana bread recipe is that they help moisten the banana bread.
The fact is, nobody wants dry, hard-to-swallow banana bread. If eating banana bread requires drinking a glass of water afterward, it’s too dry! Banana bread is meant to have a higher moisture content thanks in part to bananas. But, eggs also help keep the dryness out while adding tenderness and softness to the banana bread.
The last thing is that eggs add a bit of flavor to banana bread. But, does this mean you’re out of luck if you don’t want to use eggs in your recipe? No way! You can certainly go without eggs by replacing them with an alternative.
Here are the 15 best egg substitutes for banana bread.
We’ll start first with plant-based (vegan) substitutes:
1. Applesauce
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce
The best substitute for eggs in a banana bread recipe is applesauce, hands down!
When you mash apples together, the result is applesauce! You can typically buy either sweetened or unsweetened applesauce at the grocery store. For your egg replacement, stick to the unsweetened applesauce if you can (as sweetened versions have sugar or honey added).
Within applesauce is what’s known as pectin. The pectin provides a nice binding effect which allows your banana bread ingredients to stick together wonderfully. Plus, applesauce also provides plenty of moisture, making it the perfect substitute for eggs.
Pro tip: If you don’t have applesauce or apples on hand, you can substitute almost any fruit for apples by mashing or blending them lightly. Just keep in mind there will be some flavor changes you’ll have to account for.
2. Aquafaba (Chickpea Liquid)
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 3 tablespoons aquafaba
Chickpeas are a great replacement for eggs in banana bread. But… you’ll have to get the juices out of them first!
This doesn’t mean juicing the chickpeas, but rather, using the liquid you find in chickpea cans. You can also use the liquid from other legumes or beans (just be weary of kidney bean liquid as it will cause plenty of gas!).
3. Ground Flax Seeds
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of ground flax seeds and 3 tablespoons of water
Another great vegan egg substitute for banana bread is flax seeds. Not only are flax seeds super healthy for you, but when ground up and mixed with water, they can provide a great egg alternative in your baking.
Pro tip: Use a coffee grinder. It works best!
4. Ground Chia Seeds
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of ground chia seeds and 3 tablespoons of water
Just like flax seeds, chia seeds can also be used as a simple egg substitute in your banana bread. Just follow the same instructions with chia seeds as you would with flax seeds.
5. Silken Tofu
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup silken tofu
Silken tofu is a type of tofu that’s a little lighter, fluffier, and very versatile! Made from soybeans like regular tofu, it can be used as a decent replacement for eggs in your banana bread recipe.
6. Agar-Agar
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of agar-agar and 1 tablespoon of water
Ever heard of Agar-agar? Don’t worry, most people haven’t!
This strange-sounding ingredient is essentially the plant-based version of gelatin. It’s a jelly-like substance that’s extracted from plants making it 100% vegan. It’s a decent substitute for eggs in banana bread recipes.
7. Arrowroot Powder
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 2 tablespoons of arrowroot powder and 3 tablespoons of water.
Arrowroot powder comes from the arrowroot plant in South America. The tuber plant sort of looks like a parsnip. When mixed with water, this powder can be a great egg replacement in baking (and even adds a little bit of sweetness).
However, it may add a bit of dryness to your banana bread, so keep that in mind.
8. Oil, Water, Baking Powder (Combined)
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 2 tablespoons of water, 2 teaspoons of baking powder, and 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
If you’re out of luck (or time) and you need an egg replacement fast, chances are you can use what you have in your kitchen to get it done.
The simple combination of water, oil, and baking powder leans on common kitchen staples to provide a similar effect to eggs in baking.
9. Carbonated Water
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup of carbonated water
This might sound a bit crazy to you, but carbonated water can actually be a decent substitute for eggs in baking. It adds both the rising element and moisture element that eggs provide.
Next, we’ll move on to the non-vegan alternatives for eggs in banana bread:
10. Gelatin
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 1 tablespoon of gelatin and 1 tablespoon of water
Gelatin, sourced from animal-sourced collagen, has long been used in foods to help add texture. However, gelatin is also great for binding ingredients together. These two main features of gelatin make it a handy egg substitute for banana bread.
11. Yogurt
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup of unsweetened yogurt
Now, onto a few different dairy options, we start off with yogurt. Yogurt is a great egg replacer in baked goods since it creates a great leavening effect. It’s also quite thick and can add a nice flavor to your banana bread when you don’t have eggs on hand.
Just keep in mind, it’s best to use plain or greek yogurt as any sugary yogurt can throw off the sweetness level of your banana bread.
12. Buttermilk
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup of buttermilk
Another dairy product that works as an egg replacement in banana bread is buttermilk. Buttermilk is similar to yogurt in that it’s thicker than milk, and provides a nice leavening effect.
It’s also great for creating smooth, moist banana bread rather than a dry, crusty loaf.
13. Sweetened Condensed Milk
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup of sweetened condensed milk (remember to reduce the amount of sugar in the recipe)
Sweetened condensed milk can also be used to replace eggs in banana bread. It’s a great binding agent. However, it’s very sweet so you will definitely want to adjust how much sugar you put in your banana bread (if you decide to use any at all).
14. Commercial Egg Substitutes
Amount: Varies depending on the brand.
Nowadays, many grocery stores carry commercial egg substitutes. These are typically pre-packaged as a powder or a liquid.
While many commercial egg substitutes are not vegan, many actually are. You just need to read the back of the packaging to double-check.
15. Sour Cream
Amount: Replace 1 egg with 1/4 cup of sour cream
Similar to yogurt, sour cream is a nice, thick egg replacement that can be another option in banana bread.
The fat content within sour cream can make for rich, creamy banana bread. Plus, the thickness of sour cream can help create a smooth batter that can rise quite well with its leavening properties.
What Is a Good Egg Substitute for Banana Bread?
Are you thinking, “What can I use instead of an egg in banana bread?”
There are a ton of different options. However, Here’s what to use instead of eggs for banana bread if you want the best possible substitute:
The best substitute for banana bread is applesauce. It’s thick, it’s sweet, and it is filled with pectin which is a binding agent. If you’re ever out of eggs or simply wish not to use eggs in your banana bread, go with applesauce.
The best part is, applesauce provides a good amount of moisture to your banana bread so you won’t be left with a dry, crusty loaf!
Can I Use 1 Egg Instead of 2 For Banana Bread?
Yes, depending on your banana bread recipe, you could certainly use one egg instead of two. However, if your recipe calls for two and you only use one, it may not rise as much and could be a bit dry.
If you only have one egg, you could add something else in to make up for the second egg (like some applesauce, yogurt, or a combination of oil, water, and baking powder.
Can I use Butter Instead of Eggs?
If you’re making some banana bread and you don’t want to use eggs (or you simply ran out), you can use butter instead.
Just remember, eggs are a pretty good binding agent, but your banana bread will likely not rise quite as much and will probably be extra oily from the additional butter. If you have yogurt, buttermilk, or sour cream, those would be better options as they’re less oily and will help bind and thicken the batter to create a better loaf of banana bread.
Sources
https://www.incredibleegg.org/professionals/manufacturers/real-egg-functionality/leavening
https://www.godairyfree.org/recipes/aquafaba
https://wholesalenutsanddriedfruit.com/a-history-of-bananas/