Eggs have been getting a lot of attention lately.
South of the border, “eggflation” has everyone on the hunt for a good egg – or at least an affordable one – and egg shortages are also hitting French supermarket shelves, according to Paris newspaper Le Monde.
We’re not witnessing as much egg drama at Canadian grocery stores: Our quota-based supply management system and smaller-scale farms are being credited for a more stable egg market, but the cost of a dozen eggs still rose by about 10 per cent between January, 2024, and January, 2025 – more than three times the 2.8-per-cent rate of inflation on general grocery-store purchases. I’ve recently come across empty shelves and limits on eggs per customer in B.C., where more than 8.7 million birds have been affected by the avian flu – having succumbed to the virus or been euthanized to reduce spread – as of February, 2025, according to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency.
With Easter around the corner, eggs will be at peak demand. They tend to be trickier to replace than the other foundational components of baked goods, but there are ingredients that play the same role in doughs and batters: binding, leavening, thickening and emulsifying, and adding moisture. Some of these ingredients are already commonplace in cakes, muffins and cookies; others perhaps should be. Turns out you can make a cake without breaking any eggs.
How to bind your ingredients:
Many people use ground flax, chia seeds or psyllium husk in place of eggs in baked goods. Mixed with water in a 1:3 ratio – 1 tbsp ground seeds and 3 tbsp water is about right for one egg – the seeds (or husk) develop a gel-like consistency that helps give batters structure. (Ensure they are very well hydrated; ground seeds are highly effective at absorbing moisture and can make baked goods tough.) Soft tofu, which contains almost as much protein as egg, is a more tenderizing option – for example, a quantity equal to the volume of an egg (about 1/4 cup) can be beaten right into the butter-sugar mixture when making most types of cookies, such as chocolate chip.
How to bind and lift:
Aquafaba, the liquid poured off a can of chickpeas or other pulses, such as kidney or navy beans, contains albumins and globulins similar to egg whites, which give it similar properties, even allowing it to whip up into meringue that looks and tastes like the egg-based variety. Aquafaba can also be used straight from the can, without whipping, in wet batters such as muffins and cakes, and is perfect for emulsifying homemade mayo. (No, it doesn’t taste beany.)
How to help baked goods rise:
When it’s leavening you’re after, baking soda is three to four times more potent than baking powder, and reacts to any acidic ingredients in your batter, helping give baked goods their lift. If you use soda, try adding some lemon juice or vinegar to your liquid ingredients to help activate it. (Don’t overdo it – too much baking soda will taste metallic.) Baking soda combined with an acid won’t replace the moisture content of an egg, though – you could increase the liquid in your recipe, or add a bit of mashed fruit, such as banana, which contains some pectin, a soluble fibre that helps thicken and stabilize ingredients. And you may find replacing some or all of your more liquidy liquids with carbonated water gives cakes, muffins and quickbreads added lift. Letting your batter sit for a few minutes before it goes into the oven will also give it a chance to generate some bubbles before it starts to bake.
