Egg allergy is becoming more common and is a very real issue, especially when it comes to environments we can’t control such as lunch time at school. For many, the concept of finding an alternative to egg especially when it comes to lunch boxes is more than a little overwhelming and for good reason. We use eggs to bind, add bulk to a dish, make cakes light and fluffy and add flavour, so when we are told we need to find an alternative this is sometimes daunting, unless we are Vegan :).
So what are the choices and how do we still make our favourite dishes without fuss? There are quite a few tasty options. The fun part however is working out the right ratio of what will actually work for your recipe. Yes, there are “egg-substitute” packets, but really, why bother. There are so many other incredibly tasty and nutritious alternatives;
- Bananas are a great binder and extra special because they are packed with potassium and magnesium as well as essential fibre to really offer the best in nutrition. Common rule of thumb here is approx. 1/2 cup of pureed banana is equivalent to a standard egg.
- Chia and water is a great substitute and adds extra omegas and fibre to your dish! 1 tbsp. chia mixed with 3 tbsp. water is equivalent to 1 standard egg. Just whisk together and allow to sit for 5-10mins to form a gel.
- 1tbsp Flaxseeds plus 3 tbsp. water is equivalent to 1 standard egg
- 2 heaped tsp of arrowroot or potato starch (available from any health food store) is equivalent to 1 standard egg
- 1/3 cup of steamed pumpkin is equivalent to 1 standard egg. By steaming the pumpkin the pumpkin flavour is really quite mild and makes a great binder for cakes and muffins. For a stronger pumpkin taste bake the pumpkin and allow to cool. Sweet potato also works well here.
If you are ambitious by all means adapt some of your favourite recipes with these egg free alternatives, but if you are feeling stuck or after a little inspiration check out two of my favourite websites; deliciouslyella.com or pureella.com. The best recipe websites when looking for tasty egg-free alternatives are Vegan so google away and see what you can find :). One thing you will need to look out for though is kids who also have nut allergies so make sure you look at the ingredients and substitute where necessary.
Here is a great tasty egg and nut free recipe by Pure Ella that your kids will love!
A healthy banana muffins recipe that is naturally gluten free, dairy free, egg free/ vegan, nut free and all natural. These are also refined sugar free muffins that are sweetened with bananas and a low-glycaemic sugar.
- 2 tablespoons ground flax seeds
- 6 tablespoons warm water
- 1 cup light spelt flour or all-purpose gluten-free flour
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 1½ teaspoons baking powder, aluminum free
- ¼ teaspoon of fine sea salt
- ½ cup coconut palm sugar
- ½ cup coconut oil, melted but not hot (or grape seed oil)
- 2 very ripe bananas (total of 1 cup smashed)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ¼ cup hemp hearts (optional)
- optional : ¼ cup chopped walnuts
- Preheat oven to 325F (approx. 160°C ). Prepare a muffin pan with liners or parchment paper sheets.
- In a medium bowl, mix ground flax seeds with warm water and set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
- Back in the bowl with the flax seeds; smash the bananas into the flax seeds, add sugar, oil, vanilla extract and mix well.
- Add the wet ingredients into the dry and mix well.
- Add in the hemp seeds and stir to combine.
- Scoop into the muffin pan evenly.
- Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out dry and clean.
- Allow to cool for about 15 minutes before serving.
- Optionally, for a bigger brain health boost – you could also add 1bout ¼ cup chopped walnuts to this recipe! I just chose to make these nut-free so that my daughter could take these to school.