Thanks to ongoing issues with bird flu, egg prices in the U.S. continue to rise, costing only slightly less than a gold bar at Fort Knox (at least it sure feels that way!). In response, some savvy home baking aficionados are looking for ways to cut down on their egg use without sacrificing the taste of recipes like cornbread, which calls for eggs. The best substitutes have eggs’ ability to emulsify ingredients as well as make the ingredients stick together. They also turn baked goods into solid structures — a tasty batch of cornbread in this case. And in most cases, the eggs provide a bit of moisture to a recipe, too.
Fortunately, many of these subs are not only readily available, but also inexpensive. For example, unsweetened apple sauce, bananas, or yogurt count among the most common egg substitutes in cornbread recipes. A fourth of a cup of one of these alternatives per egg in the recipe will do the trick. It’s worth noting that soy yogurt works here, too. If you’re into flavored cornbread, opt for vanilla soy yogurt rather than plain yogurt.
That said, those aren’t the only egg substitutes around. About 3 tablespoons of aquafaba, the juice from canned beans — usually chickpeas — works very well as an egg replacement. This one’s especially attractive to home bakers because its consistency and chemical makeup are very similar to eggs.
Other viable egg substitutes
If you don’t have canned beans on hand, flax or chia seeds can be another option for egg substitutes. It’s worth mentioning here that these will make the ingredients of the batter stick together as eggs would. However, they, and other egg substitutes like apples or bananas, may slightly change the flavor or texture of the cornbread.
On the creamier side of things, silken tofu not only sort of looks like egg whites but also has the ability to make some recipes a bit heavier. If you like your cornbread to be hearty and heavy, this may be one of your better options. However, do be aware that some baked goods don’t turn as brown with these alternatives as they would if they’d been made with eggs.
Finally, some people swear by the oil-water-baking-powder combo. Cornbread that subs out the eggs with these ingredients is filled with light, airy pockets that make biting into the quick bread a true delight. It’s also one to consider if you like your cornbread a little on the crispy side — a feature that is a byproduct of this egg sub and one that is bound to make the cornbread all the tastier once you slather on a bit of your favorite compound butter recipe or spruce up your cornbread with some creative ingredients.
