Pancakes are a favorite food of many, especially on a weekend morning. If you have an egg allergy, are vegan, or are simply out of eggs, you should know there are a number of ways to use an egg substitute for pancakes that is vegan. You can probably even use an egg substitute for pancakes you already have in your pantry!
Today we are going to take an in depth look at egg replacement in pancakes.
Can I Make Pancakes Without Eggs?
The answer is absolutely yes! It actually is not very difficult to replace the eggs in pancakes. This is for a number of reasons.
First and foremost the ratio of wet to dry ingredients. Think of your typical pancake batter – it is usually pretty thick!
The next reason is the way pancakes are cooked. They are cooked fast in a pan on the stove or griddle.
As long as you are using a nice hot pan, your pancake begins cooking as soon as the batter hits the hot surface. That means it has limited time to spread out and make a mess!
Substitute for Eggs in Bisquick and Other Popular Box Mixes
If you are looking for a substitute for eggs in Bisquick and other popular mixes, like my favorite, King Arthur Gluten Free Pancake mix, you have many options.
Here are some ideas for replacing eggs in Bisquick and mixes:
- 1/4 Cup unsweetened apple sauce per egg
- 1/4 Cup mashed banana per egg (about half a banana)
- 1/4 cup mashed sweet potato per egg, plus 2 Tablespoons water or milk of your choice
- commercial egg replacer
Each of these has benefits and drawbacks, but it is really up to you and your personal tastes.
You can also make Bisquick pancakes without egg by using this recipe!
What happens if you don’t add egg to pancake mix?
You may be wondering what happens if you don’t add egg to pancake mix. The truth is not much, although your pancakes will be lighter in color than those with eggs.
You may be surprised that it is not big deal to leave the eggs out of pancakes, since basically every pancake recipe ever has egg in it. I make pancakes without eggs all the time, and honestly, no one notices a difference. Let’s make sure we understand why it doesn’t matter and get into what exactly it is that eggs are used for in pancakes and baking.
What do eggs do in pancakes?
There are a few uses for eggs in baking. One is to make things get fluffy, and the other is to make things mix together well (called emulsification).
In the case of pancakes, eggs make things fluffy.
If you don’t want to add egg to pancake mix, try reducing the liquid to make the batter thicker, which will help them stay fluffy.
How to Make Pancakes Without Eggs
When it comes to making pancakes without eggs, you have many many options, but today I want to take a look at three of the most popular:
- Unsweetened Apple Sauce
- Commercial Egg Replacer
- Sweet Potato
While each of these will work, my absolute favorite is sweet potato, and you will soon learn why!
Unsweetened Apple Sauce for Egg Replacement in Pancakes
Apple sauce is a popular egg substitute for pancakes, and something many people usually have on hand.
To replace egg in pancake with apple sauce:
Simply use 1/4 cup of apple sauce per egg.
Depending on the texture of your apple sauce, you may want to reduce the amount of liquid in your pancakes so your pancakes stay fluffy. If your apple sauce is very thin, start by reducing the liquid in your pancake recipe by 1/4 cup. You can always add more to get the right texture.
Also be sure you are using applesauce without any additional sugar added, since apples do already have naturally occurring sugars.
Commercial Egg Replacer in Pancakes
There are a number of commercial egg replacers for baking that work in pancakes out there.
Simply follow the directions on the box to create substitute for eggs in pancakes, then mix into your batter as normal.
Most of these are a mixture of starches of some sort, but if food allergies are a concern for you, always make sure to read the package for the exact ingredients, as some may contain flax seeds or other types of seeds.
Sweet Potato for Another Vegan Egg Substitute for Pancakes
By far, my favorite egg substitute for pancakes that is vegan and allergy friendly is sweet potato.
For sweet potato egg replacement in pancakes:
Use 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of additional liquid for each egg in a pancake recipe for mix.
Sweet potato is very thick, even when it is mashed. It is super easy to make mashed sweet potato in your Instant Pot, and sweet potatoes stay good in your pantry for a long time. You probably have some sweet potatoes sitting around right now!
Why Sweet Potato in Pancakes for Egg Replacement?
Besides the fact that mashed sweet potatoes are easy to make, and I always have sweet potatoes on hand, there are a couple of other reasons I prefer sweet potato over apple sauce to replace the egg in pancakes.
Let’s take a look at the nutritional information of 1/4 cup Sweet Potato and 1/4 Cup Unsweetened Apple Sauce head to head:
As you can see, while unsweetened apple sauce does have slightly less calories and carbs than sweet potato, sweet potato is packed full of nutrients that apple sauce is not.
Egg Replacement for Pancakes, the Ultimate Guide
Let’s sum up what we just learned about replacing eggs and pancakes.
- Two useful pantry items for egg substitute in pancakes are unsweetened apple sauce and mashed sweet potato.
- There are also commercial egg replacement options that are starched based, or sometimes flax seed based. Proceed with caution if you have numerous food allergies.
- You can just leave the eggs out of pancakes. You may need to add a bit more liquid to compensate.
I prefer to use mashed sweet potatoes to replace the eggs in my pancakes. They are packed with nutrients, and I always have them on hand. They also do not change the flavor or texture of the pancakes too much, meaning they are a great choice for even the pickiest of eaters.
If you have to replace eggs due to an allergy like I do, I have some more ideas for substituting eggs in common foods. Don’t miss how to substitute eggs in brownies, substitute eggs in meatloaf, or substitute eggs in meatballs.
Looking for more useful cooking substitutions? Check out some of my other suggestions: