Let’s learn how to substitute eggs in cornbread so that you know what you can use if you don’t want any eggs in your cornbread.
Usually, in baking recipes, eggs act as a binding agent, as an emulsifier. So we’ll have to see if eggs are used to make cornbread for the same purposes.
When it comes to making cornbread, we use eggs to give the batter a lighter texture and to help it rise when baking.
Eggs play quite an important role because they give the baked cornbread a light, airy feel. And they also add flavor.
When combined with sugar and oil, eggs enhance the natural sweetness and give our baked products a rich, buttery taste.
They don’t change the final taste of our cornbread but they do enhance the overall flavor.
Contents
How to Easily Substitute Eggs in Cornbread
Anyway, for the moment we should see which are the main egg substitutes for cornbread in case you don’t want to read an entire article on the process.
The main substitutes for eggs in cornbread are:
- flax egg (flaxseed meal + water)
- applesauce/pureed fruit
- silken tofu
- yogurt or buttermilk
- mayo/vegan mayo
I actually discovered some of these egg substitutes when I was talking about how we can make box brownies without eggs.
But I added a few more to those discoveries because we can actually use a variety of substitutes when we’re making cornbread.
Also, when I wrote about my egg substitutes for brownies, I recommended a mix that consisted of vegetable oil, water, and baking powder. A cornbread recipe already has those ingredients included so that mix won’t work in this case.
Still, I love that we have so many choices at our disposal. It means that we can choose whichever works best for us and what we have in the kitchen.
6 Main Ways to Substitute Eggs in Cornbread
We’ve enumerated which are the main substitutes but now we have to learn how to substitute eggs in cornbread by talking about how each replacement can be used in a recipe.
The main ingredients for cornbread are:
- cornmeal or corn flour – corn that has been milled to a certain consistency, corn flour is fine and smooth, while cornmeal feels gritty and most recipes are made with cornmeal
- flour – all purpose flour is used, unbleached is preferable
- baking powder
- canola oil
- sugar or honey
- salt
- egg(s)
Most recipes online are made with baking powder because most cornbreads are made as quickbreads. However, some people might also want to try to use yeast as a leavening agent.
Baking powder gives them a tender, crumbly texture. On the other hand, if we use yeast, the cornbread is going to be more bready and less muffin-like in texture. You can check out a yeast cornbread recipe here.
1. Vegan cornbread recipes
Let’s forget for a moment about the egg substitutes for cornbread that I mentioned above and let’s check out a vegan cornbread recipe.
As we’re going to see, a vegan cornbread recipe will not include any of the substitutes I mentioned above. So, maybe you’ll be interested in trying a vegan recipe before trying to replace the eggs in a classic recipe.
You can check out the full recipe here because I’m only going to give you the basics.
The recipe calls for:
- all purpose flour
- cornmeal
- sugar
- salt
- baking powder
- unsweetened almond milk
- canola oil
Another vegan cornbread recipe from minimalistbaker is actually made with a combination of flax egg and applesauce so it fits perfectly into this guide on how to substitute eggs in cornbread.
The recipe calls for:
- 1 ½ flax egg (1 ½ tbsp flaxseed meal + 4 tbsp water)
- ¾ cup unsweetened plain almond milk
- 1 tsp lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅓ cup vegan butter
- ½ cup organic cane sugar
- 2 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
- ½ tsp sea salt
- ¾ cups cornmeal
- ¾ cups all purpose flour
2. Flax egg: the best substitute for eggs in cornbread
One of the main ways to substitute eggs in cornbread is to use flax egg. It’s also very easy to use.
1 egg = 1 tablespoon flaxseed meal + 3 tablespoons of water
If we need to substitute 2 eggs, we’re going to use 2 tbsp flaxseed meal and 4 tbsp water.
Ground chia seeds work, as well.
However, I would recommend trying any of the two vegan cornbread recipes that I mentioned above because they both sound really awesome.
The first recipe is more simple, while the second is a bit more complex.
3. Applesauce/pureed fruit: easy-to-use egg substitute in cornbread
The second cornbread vegan recipe that I talked about from minimalistbaker and that you should check out was actually made with a combination of flax egg and applesauce.
On the other hand, if you want to keep things simple, you can use either flax egg or applesauce when you decide how to substitute eggs in cornbread.
Applesauce might be a more convenient solution for some because it can even be made at home.
For flax egg, we actually have to buy the flaxseed meal and there might be some people who can’t find it to buy where they live.
A classic applesauce is made with apples, cinnamon, and white sugar.
However, I recommend making unsweetened applesauce because a cornbread recipe already includes sugar.
Combine water, apples and a pinch of salt in a saucepan, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to a bare simmer. Cook uncovered for about 15-20 minutes. Mash with a fork or with a potato masher and you’re all done. You can now make your favorite cornbread recipe.
¼ cup applesauce = 1 egg
We can also use pureed fruit, like mashed bananas or pureed prune. The same replacement is made:
¼ cup pureed fruit = 1 egg
4. Silken tofu
A more unusual substitute for eggs in cornbread is silken tofu. However, it’s as easy to use as applesauce or pureed fruit.
¼ cup silken tofu or soft tofu = 1 egg
Just measure ¼ cup tofu and then puree it before adding it to the rest of the ingredients.
Silken tofu can also be used as a substitute for eggs in many other savory dishes: lasagna, vegan egg salad, breakfast scramble, quiches, etc.
5. Yogurt or buttermilk
I wouldn’t exactly recommend using either yogurt or buttermilk as an egg substitute for cornbread. This would be my last resort together with mayo or vegan mayo.
Why don’t I particularly like the idea of using yogurt or buttermilk or sour cream in cornbread recipes?
The reason is simple.
Cornbread recipes are made with baking powder. But yogurt, buttermilk and sour cream are all acidic ingredients so we can’t use baking powder.
You’ll have to use baking soda because it’s a base and it will react with baking powder. Thus, we’ll have to do two substitutes and suddenly things get complicated. Just stick to the replacements I’ve mentioned above, if you can.
For those who still want to consider these ingredients, the substitution is:
¼ cup yogurt/buttermilk = 1 egg
6. Mayo/vegan mayo
This is another easy to use substitute but I don’t necessarily like mayo so I just have a personal problem with it. It’s great if you want to use vegan mayo or mayo to substitute eggs.
¼ cup mayo/vegan mayo = 1 egg
All in all, we discovered some really interesting things while searching for ways to substitute eggs in cornbread, including two awesome vegan cornbread recipes that are worth a try.
