Homemade Egg Free Brownies

Egg free baking can be a challenge but with some knowledge, a good recipe and practice there are plenty of recipes you can make.

We have found some of the best homemade egg free brownies for you to try.

If you or someone in your family has an egg allergy it can be a difficult adjustment to make as eggs are present in so many different things.

Or maybe you decided not to eat eggs as a lifestyle choice. Whatever your reason there are lots of egg free recipes available.

We take a look at egg free baking and specifically how to make egg free brownies. Give one of our recipes a go and see if you can tell the difference between regular brownies and our egg free versions.

Making Brownies Without Eggs

If you need to avoid eggs or follow a vegan diet eating regular brownies won’t be an option. But if you make egg free brownies then you can literally have your cake and eat it!

Eggs are a multi tasking ingredient and perform lots of hidden roles in your baking so making brownies without eggs can be a challenge.

There’s no denying that baking is a science with lots of chemical interactions going on and as such every ingredient has a purpose.

The purpose of eggs is to provide moisture and a leavening agent.

Moisture from eggs comes from the fact that they are 70% water with fats, as well as proteins and minerals. The water and fat in the eggs is where the moisture comes from.

Traditional brownie recipes also require the eggs to be whisked really well, thus incorporating lots of air into them. This is what helps the brownies to rise without the use of a chemical raising agent.

Making substitutions can be a process of trial and error, finding the right replacement, adjusting the ratio to the other ingredients and tweaking the temperature or baking times (see also “5 Easy No-Bake Treats That Take Less Than 15 Minutes To Make“).

Happily there are lots of recipes for eggless brownies with different substitutes available and these are still delicious (see also “20 Delicious Healthy Pumpkin Recipes“), chocolatey squares of joy.

For the majority of egg free brownies it is difficult to tell them from regular brownies.

Regular Brownies Vs Eggless Brownies

So what is the difference between regular and eggless brownies?

Regular brownies are made with eggs, flour, sugar, cocoa powder and some vanilla.

Depending on the texture that you want you can add more egg or fat for a more chewy brownie or more flour for a cakey texture.

The fact that eggless brownies do have a more cake like texture is due to the fact that there is no egg in the mixture. However, other sources of fat such as butter can create a chewy eggless brownie.

What Replaces Eggs In Brownies?

Some people replace the eggs in egg free brownies with butter or oil and others prefer to use milk, yogurt or even a mashed banana.

If you are a vegan then you won’t want to use butter or yogurt but adding a banana to the mixture adds moisture and binds the dry ingredients together.

Milk

When you add milk as a substitute for eggs it doesn’t work in the same way just by itself.

The milk works in combination with the other ingredients and introduces moisture to the mixture. It also adds some protein which behaves like a binding agent.

Whole milk works best for this substitution or 2% milk at the very least.

The benefit of adding milk as a replacement (see also “A Guide To The Best Milk Alternatives“) for eggs means that the brownies will have a more milk chocolate flavor rather than a deep, rich cocoa flavor.

Butter

Using butter as a substitute for eggs also works in conjunction with the other ingredients in the recipe.

It works especially well with milk and as a fat it binds the brownies together. With the milk the butter also introduces air into the mixture and helps it to rise.

Mixing the melted butter with sugar in the early stages of the recipe also brings another level of aeration to the batter. This will help the brownies to rise in the oven and create a fluffy texture.

Baking Powder

Some recipes will include baking powder as an extra dry ingredient in egg free brownies.

It is a staple baking ingredient, so most people will have some to hand if they are out of eggs and want to make some brownies.

However, the baking powder has a tendency to dry out a cake mixture, so it is important to adjust the moisture content to compensate for this.

One way is to mix a little flour with some warm water. This causes the starch in the flour to gelatinize and trap water in the mixture.

Banana

The great bonus about substituting banana for eggs in brownie batter is that you get the great flavor of the banana mixed with the chocolate.

It also adds a level of sweetness to the mixture, so you don’t have to worry about adding too much sugar.

Ripe bananas are important however, to get that level of sweetness as well as the moisture that is the prime purpose of replacing eggs with banana.

This ensures that your egg free brownies will be moist and gooey.

Applesauce

Applesauce is a great substitute for eggs in a brownie recipe. It has a high water content and so introduces good levels of moisture to the batter, even more so than a ripe banana.

Unsweetened applesauce is best as it won’t increase the sweetness of the brownie batter too much.

This also works really well to bind the brownie ingredients together, and it is a relatively inexpensive replacement for eggs.

Buttermilk Or Yogurt

These substitutes work equally well in the place of eggs for your brownie recipe. The yogurt should be plain full fat and if you don’t have buttermilk you can always make your own.

To make buttermilk combine one cup of milk with a tablespoon of white vinegar. This causes the milk to curdle and thicken.

As the yogurt and buttermilk are relatively neutral in taste they won’t impart any unwanted flavors into the brownie mixture.

The moisture and fat in both the buttermilk and yogurt make an excellent substitute for eggs.

As they are acidic ingredients by adding baking soda as a base ingredient you will achieve a chemical reaction which causes air bubbles to form and provides a leavening to the mixture.

Ground Flaxseed

To avoid using eggs some vegans will use ground flaxseed in a brownie recipe.

This is a classic vegan ingredient that with the addition of water creates ‘flax eggs’. The combination creates a gel-like substance that adds moisture and a binding agent to the mixture.

A benefit of this method for egg replacement is that there is no flavor to ground flaxseed, so it will not impinge on the taste of the brownies.

You will need to add a little baking powder as well though, for some additional lift.

Mashed Avocado

Using a cup of mashed avocado in place of eggs works well, but you do need to also add a teaspoon of baking powder as leavening. It’s important to use ripe avocados as unripe ones will turn bitter when cooked.

The resulting texture from adding avocado is velvety while the baking powder gives the brownies the lift they need.

A half cup of milk gives the mixture an added level of moisture as well as some additional fat. The brownies will be cakey with a slight hint of avocado.

How To Fix Sunken Brownies

If you have made some egg free brownies, and they have sunk in the middle there is a solution.

The reason the middle looks sunken is that the outside edges of the brownies bake more quickly and so rise more even when the center is still soft.

You could put the brownies back in the oven to cook for a bit longer, but then you risk overcooking them and drying them out.

Instead use a spatula and gently press the raised edges of the brownies until they are almost level with the center.

Avoid having flat brownies by making sure that you introduce lots of air into the mixture, bake them as soon as the batter is ready and ensure that the oven is up to temperature before baking the brownies.

Avoid opening the oven in the first two thirds of cooking time to keep the temperature constant and help them to rise.

If you follow the ingredients and instructions in the recipe carefully then you should have egg free brownies that don’t sink.

But if they do come out of the oven sunken at least now you know why and how to fix this issue for next time.

Egg Free Brownie Recipes

As we’ve said there are quite a few recipes available for egg free brownies. We’ve found some of the best for you so that you can try them out and decide for yourself which are the best.

Ultimate Fudgy Brownies Without Eggs

These eggless brownies are really moist with a more fudgy than cake texture. The edges are crispy, and the tops are crackly with plenty of chocolate chips.

The all purpose flour is mixed with cornstarch and baking powder to help the mixture rise.

Apple cider vinegar and milk are combined to create a thick, curdled liquid which will help to bind the ingredients together.

Granulated sugar and butter are mixed together, and then the curdled milk is added to it. The combination of the curdled milk mixture and the butter/sugar mixture add fat and moisture to the brownies.

The right combination and ratio of alternative ingredients in this recipe is important to get the right texture and flavor without eggs.

Ooey Gooey Egg-Free Brownies

A soft, chewy and very chocolatey brownie is more than possible without eggs and this recipe is proof of that.

The recipe uses similar ingredients to regular brownies such as all purpose flour, cocoa powder, vanilla extract and sugar.

Instead of using eggs as a leavening and binding agent the recipe calls for vegetable oil and baking powder. The dry ingredients are combined first, and then the wet ingredients are added.

After baking for 30 minutes the brownies are left to cool and then chopped into squares.

Eggless Brownies

Lots of eggless brownie recipes will use butter instead of eggs and this is one of those recipes. First the butter and sugar are whisked together and then the milk and vanilla extract are added.

The dry ingredients are combined and added to the wet ingredients. Once they are well mixed they are added to the baking pan and baked for half an hour.

This recipe yields 16 egg free brownies which are chewy but with a cake type texture.

Egg Free Baking

When you have to bake without eggs for health reasons it can be difficult to know which recipes can withstand substitutions for eggs and which cannot.

It isn’t always possible to just swap out eggs for butter, yogurt or applesauce and expect similar results.

Baking is not terribly forgiving so beware of the pitfalls of tweaking recipes to remove the eggs and replace with something else.

You may not end up with the baked goods you hoped for. Only swap eggs for substitutes suggested by the recipe.

It is best if you want to do egg free baking that you find recipes that are specifically for that purpose. Swapping another ingredient for eggs in one recipe may not work in another.

Tips For Egg Free Baking

Baking can be tricky at the best of times but when you are cooking without eggs it can be a difficult task.

Take a look at some of our tips for successful egg free baking to make it a more pleasurable experience rather than a chore.

Read The Recipe

As with any recipe it is important to take your time and read the instructions as well as the list of ingredients carefully and read them more than once.

Not only should you read the recipe carefully, but you should also follow it faithfully to achieve the best results.

Accurate Measurements

Measuring your ingredients accurately is another important factor for good egg free baking.

The ratio of ingredients is vital to the success of your baking so make sure you take the time to measure precisely and use your kitchen scales.

Even something as basic as removing a cup of flour from the bag has a right way and a wrong way.

If you put your measure into the bag of flour and scoop some out you will end up with about 25% more than if you spoon the flour into the measuring cup and level it with the back of a knife.

Don’t Use Ingredients Straight From The Fridge

The temperature of your ingredients can have a significant effect on your egg free baking.

It is important to let butter and milk reach room temperature before baking with them. There are solid scientific reasons for this too.

When milk and butter are warm they emulsify to capture more air. In the heat of the oven, the trapped air creates a fluffy texture in your baking.

Don’t Overbeat Your Eggless Batter

Overbeating an eggless batter will have a detrimental effect on your cakes and produce a tough texture.

This is because all the air has literally been beaten out of the mix and there is not enough to help the baking rise.

Being too vigorous with mixing also over-develops the gluten in the batter and this too makes for a tough rather than a fluffy, light texture.

You should only beat the eggless batter enough to combine the ingredients and distribute them evenly throughout the mixture.

Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a spatula to catch any missed pockets of flour or other ingredients.

Eggless Baking & Your Oven

Once you have mixed the dry and wet ingredients together in your egg free batter the rising agents begin to work. You should bake the brownies as soon as possible to avoid the batter deflating.

Avoid opening the oven during the baking time.

Although it can be tempting to check on the progress of your brownies, every time you open the oven door you are letting heat out.

This will cause the temperature in the oven to drop, and your brownie batter will sink.

Knowing your oven is also important. Every oven is different, so it’s likely that you will need to adjust baking times to suit yours.

It is a good idea to put an oven thermometer inside your oven so that you can make sure the internal desired temperature is accurate.

Give your oven plenty of time to preheat before putting your egg free brownies in to bake. Fifteen minutes should be enough time to get it up to the correct temperature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do Brownies Taste Good Without Eggs?

Many of the substitutes for eggs in egg free brownies have a neutral taste and so should not interfere with the chocolatey taste of the brownies.

Following the recipe carefully should ensure that the brownies taste just as good without eggs.

How Much Milk Replaces An Egg?

If you are using milk to replace eggs in your brownie recipe then usually quarter to half a cup of milk is a good substitute for one egg. The ratio for buttermilk or yogurt is about the same.

Can I Use Sour Cream Instead Of Eggs In Brownies?

It is possible to use sour cream instead of eggs in your brownie recipe.

The addition of sour cream will give your brownies the moisture and richness that you want as well as a good texture.

Final Thoughts

Making some homemade brownies without eggs may take a bit of patience if you are not already used to egg free cooking.

However, with a bit of practice and once you have figured out which is the best substitute for you and your family you’ll be able to whip up a batch of brownies that taste and look great.

We hope you have enjoyed this guide to homemade egg free brownies, and we wish you happy and successful egg free baking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JTI0GZlxyg