Egg prices got you down? Maybe you have an egg allergy, or you're trying to make your favorite breakfast vegan-friendly. Whatever the reason, it shouldn't keep you from having a stack of fluffy, golden pancakes. I've done the hard work and found the Best Egg Substitute for Pancakes!
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At this moment in the timeline the price of eggs is all anyone can talk about. From my in-laws to the morning news, everyone's up in arms. I thought that one way to help you with your eggs-istential crisis is to find the Best Egg Substitute for Pancakes. I put the five most easy-to-find egg alternatives to the test using my Basic Homemade Pancakes recipe as a base. Some swaps worked beautifully, while others... well, let’s just say they won’t be making it into my regular rotation.
Choosing which egg replacement to use took a lot of thought. I wanted to make sure they were ingredients that people would have in their home. Probably the most out of bounds ingredient I used was ground flax seed, but since I use that in my homemade granola recipe I thought it might be something you have in your pantry as well.
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Eggs are a versatile ingredient
If you are looking for an egg substitute simply because you feel that eggs are too expensive, I'd like remind you that there is so much that you can do with them. Eggs are incredibly versatile—you can turn just one dozen eggs into a variety of delicious breakfast and brunch dishes!
- Use one egg to make 8 pancakes with my old-fashioned pancakes recipe.
- Stir up a serving of delicious scrambled eggs.
- Make two poached eggs for eggs benny.
- Add one to make a breakfast sandwich for a desk lunch.
- Use a half dozen to bake a sheet pan frittata that will feed up to eight people with a salad on the side!
All from 1 dozen eggs. I don't know about you, but I'm full and already thinking about swapping the scrambles for coffee cake!
Ingredients for Eggless Pancakes
Note that an egg is primarily a binder, giving your pancakes their structure, but they also add flavor, color, and contribute to the texture of your finished pancakes. I took all of that, as well as availability to the majority of my readers, into consideration before choosing which I would use.
I purposely did not choose aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas) or chia seeds because most people won't have them. I didn't choose pumpkin puree because I hate pumpkin. Same for silken tofu. My blog, my rules 😜
Below are the basic ingredients for simple pancakes, along with the common substitutes we are using for this test. Let's go over a few of the ingredients and any ways that you can make changes if you need:
- Self-rising flour - To keep the ingredient list low I chose to use self rising flour. I already have it on hand to make my no-yeast bagels, my quick English muffins, and my cream biscuits. If you don't have it you can make your own by adding 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt to each cup of flour.
- Milk - I prefer to use dairy milk in my pancakes, but feel free to use any milk of your choosing. If you want to use a plant alternative, that would work fine. I would recommend using unsweetened versions of those if you're using any of the sweet egg substitutes listed below.
- Butter - Again, big fan of dairy, but if you are using a plant-based milk and an egg substitute, and you would like to make this completely vegan, feel free to use your favorite oil in its place.
- Sugar - I add just a little bit of sugar to all of my pancake recipes, but if you're using one of the sweetened egg substitutes listed below feel free to leave the sugar out. If using flaxseed or cornstarch I would recommend adding sugar to your pancake batter because the sugar helps with moisture and texture as well as helping with browning of the pancake.
- Peanut butter - I used creamy peanut butter because I can't imagine wanting crunchy peanut butter in a pancake? But you do you.
- Flaxseed - You can buy already ground flaxseed, called flaxseed meal, but I grind my own. One tablespoon of whole flaxseeds will grind down into 2 teaspoons of flaxseed meal, as pictured above.
- Cornstarch - I keep large quantities of cornstarch on hand to make my crispy buttermilk waffles and Korean fried chicken, but an equal amount of arrowroot powder or tapioca powder will also work.
- Applesauce - I used unsweetened applesauce, but if you only have sweetened applesauce I would recommend leaving out the additional sugar, unless you want really sweet pancakes. Which I'm not mad at.
- Banana - It takes about half of a medium banana to make ¼ cup of mashed banana. Eat the rest or make an even smaller batch of my small batch raspberry banana muffins.
See recipe card below for a full list of ingredients and measurements.
Egg Substitutes Ranked Worst to Best
I swapped the egg in my original recipe for the following ingredients, keeping all other steps the same. Each batter rested for 15 minutes before cooking in an ungreased nonstick pan.
1. Peanut Butter (3 tablespoon creamy) – 1/10
❌ The Verdict: A disaster. The batter was way too thick, so I had to add a total of 6 tablespoons of milk to match the original batter’s consistency. I chose not to add extra baking powder to compensate for that because it would be a completely different recipe than the others I tested and would likely leave a baking powder aftertaste to the pancakes. The resulting pancakes were dense, sticky, and never fully cooked in the center. I spit them out in the sink and rinsed my mouth. Enough said.
2. Cornstarch (2 tablespoon cornstarch + 3 tablespoons of water) – 6/10
✔️ The Verdict: I was skeptical, but the pancakes turned out surprisingly fluffy. However, they were slightly dense and flavorless. Adding vanilla would likely improve them to a 7/10.
3. Flaxseed (1 tablespoon ground flax + 3 tablespoon hot water) – 7/10
✔️ The Verdict: Surprisingly fluffy but pretty bland. The flax speckles showed in the crumb and on the surface. Adding vanilla would improve the flavor, boosting it to an 8/10.
4. Mashed Banana (¼ cup) – 8/10
✔️ The Verdict: A bit more dense but still fluffy, with a light tan hue. I had to add 2 extra tablespoons of milk to match the original batter’s consistency. If you like a subtle banana undertone, this is a great option.
5. Applesauce (¼ cup) – 9/10
✔️ The Verdict: Sweet, fluffy, and beautifully browned, with no detectable apple flavor. The only downside? Some minor speckling on the surface, but I can live with that if the pancakes taste this good!
Bonus hack! I tried a combination of the applesauce and the banana in Egg-free Banana Muffins and they were amazing! Light and fluffy, with a slight tanginess like my buttermilk muffins! You've got to try them!
The Best Egg Substitute for Pancakes
If you’re looking for the best swap, applesauce wins! It delivered fluffy, flavorful pancakes with great browning and no weird aftertaste. Banana is a close second if you don’t mind a hint of banana.
Flaxseed and cornstarch are passable but could use a flavor boost. As for peanut butter? Just don’t. I promised my husband I would eventually create a peanut butter pancake recipe for him, but this ain't it!
Egg-free pancakes are totally doable—and now you know which substitutes will get you the best results. So go forth and flip with confidence!
I will note the applesauce substitute can also be used in simple baked goods. I have replaced the egg in cookies, cakes, and my classic homemade waffles with applesauce, adding another ½ teaspoon of baking powder or ¼ teaspoon of baking soda to the dry ingredients since you are leavening a much larger batter or dough in most cases.
Have you tried any of these substitutes? Let me know in the comments!
Instructions for Applesauce Eggless Pancakes
Step 1: Melt butter, if using, and set aside to cool. In a large bowl, whisk together milk and applesauce.
Step 2: Add self rising flour and sugar and stir together
Step 3: Continue stirring while drizzling in melted butter or oil.
Step 4: Mix until just combined. Let batter rest for 15 minutes while you preheat your nonstick pan over medium-low heat.
Step 5: Portion about ¼ cup batter into the pan. Cook until bubbles form and edges look set (2-3 minutes).
Step 6: Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
Step 7: Repeat with the remaining batter. Place cooked pancakes in a covered pancake warmer, or on a plate covered with aluminum foil in a 200°F oven to keep them warm while you finish cooking the rest. Stack them up, add your favorite toppings (e.g., syrup, butter, fruit), and enjoy!
Expert Tips for Egg-Free Pancakes
- Don’t Overmix: Stir the batter until just combined—small lumps are okay! Overmixing can lead to dense, chewy pancakes.
- Rest Your Batter: Letting the batter rest for at least 15 minutes allows the flour to fully hydrate and improves texture.
- Adjust Liquid as Needed: Some egg substitutes, like mashed banana, thicken the batter. You may need to add extra milk to maintain a pourable consistency.
- Use a Non-Stick Pan: There's no sense in making your eggless pancakes if you can't get them out of the pan. A good nonstick pan simplifies pancake preparation by preventing batter from sticking and ensuring even cooking.
- Cook on Medium-Low heat: A properly heated pan ensures even cooking and browning and prevents pancakes that are underdone on the inside and overcooked on the outside .
- Flip at the Right Time: Wait until bubbles form and the edges start to set before flipping to get that perfect golden-brown finish.
Recipe FAQs
Substitute each cup of self rising flour that you need with one cup of all-purpose flour and add 1 ½ teaspoons of baking powder and ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt.
Store fully cooled pancakes in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days, or freeze them for longer storage. Reheat in the toaster, oven, or microwave.
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-Cynthia
📖 Recipe
Pancakes Without Eggs (using Applesauce)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups (180 g) self-rising flour
- 1 tablespoon (12 g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (240 g) milk any kind, at room temperature
- ¼ cup (65 g) applesauce
- 4 tablespoons (56 g) unsalted butter melted and cooled, or oil
Instructions
- Melt butter and set aside to cool.
- In a large bowl, whisk together milk and applesauce.
- Add self rising flour and sugar and stir.
- Continue stirring while drizzling in melted butter.
- Mix until just combined. Let batter rest for 15 minutes.
- Heat a nonstick over medium-low heat. Add butter or oil if desired. Portion about ¼ cup batter into the pan. Cook until bubbles form and edges look set (2-3 minutes).
- Flip and cook another 1-2 minutes until golden brown.
- Repeat with the remaining batter. Place cooked pancakes in a covered pancake warmer, or on a plate covered with aluminum foil in a 200°F oven to keep them warm while you finish cooking the rest. Stack them up, add your favorite toppings (e.g., syrup, butter, fruit), and enjoy!
Save This Recipe! 💌
I'll email this recipe to you, so you can come back to it later, plus you'll get great new recipes from me every week!
Cynthia Christensen says
Love, love, love the applesauce pancakes!!