From the birthday cake at the party, to the stack of pancakes at the weekend, eggs can feel like they are everywhere when your child has to avoid them, and if you have an egg-free child visiting, it’s a minefield!

Whether it’s an allergy, an intolerance or a dietary choice, navigating life cooking without eggs can be very tricky, for both your children and for us as parents. For children, it’s hugely upsetting to miss out on party food or sharing snacks, and this can be especially hard as they get older and watch their peers enjoying food ‘normally’.  And for parents, it often means learning a whole new way to cook, having to scrutinise every label at the supermarket, and becoming an expert at forward planning for social events or days out with the family.

An egg allergy can start quite young and in fact your baby’s first reaction to egg can come as a real shock – especially if there’s no family history of allergies. For some, the reaction is immediate and clearly linked to egg and can be a mild or severe reaction.

But in the case of egg intolerance, symptoms can be more subtle and harder to connect. Things such as digestive discomfort or skin flare-ups may not seem obviously food-related, especially if these symptoms do not appear immediate. The delay in symptoms of up to 72 hours can make diagnosis feel like a complicated puzzle.

The good news is that many children can grow out of an egg allergy over time. But whether you’re managing an allergy, an intolerance or follow a vegan diet, the idea of avoiding eggs altogether can feel quite daunting. With a few creative swaps it is absolutely possible to enjoy family favourites – those birthday cakes, pancakes and more, can all be made without eggs and still be absolutely yummy. My blog is here to help guide you through. Read on to find out everything you need to know about egg allergies and intolerance, common foods you need to look out for, and how to substitute eggs in almost any recipe.

All about egg allergies

Eggs are the second most common food allergy amongst children, with approximately 1.5% of children affected by an allergy to hen’s eggs – coming only behind cow’s milk. Children often grow out of egg allergies, but it can be several years before they’re ready to try eggs or foods containing eggs again.

As with other food allergies, an allergy to eggs is a case of mistaken identity by your immune system. Instead of recognising egg proteins as safe, your body flags them as dangerous invaders. It then releases an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) to combat the allergen.

IgE then sends out a host of chemicals to fight off the egg allergens. One of those chemicals is histamine – the compound responsible for many of the allergic symptoms you feel as your immune system wages the war on egg proteins.

Symptoms of egg allergy

Symptoms of egg allergy usually appear within two hours after eating eggs or foods containing egg, but they can come on within minutes.

Symptoms may include:

• Skin reactions, such as hives or eczema.
• Allergic conjunctivitis (itchy, red or watery eyes).
• Gastrointestinal reactions, such as nausea, abdominal pain, vomiting or diarrhoea.
• Airway symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing or runny nose.
• Angioedema (swelling of lips, tongue, or face).
• Egg allergies may cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical care.

Some kids over time can rebuild tolerance to eggs, and follow an egg-ladder re-introduction programme, with baked egg in a cake as the first step. Our NatureDoc clinical team are experienced at guiding you through this, if it seems daunting to do this on your own.

Symptoms of egg intolerance

A food intolerance is not an allergic reaction but is usually an inability to properly digest the food.

People with an intolerance to egg may therefore experience mainly digestive symptoms like diarrhoea, bloating and stomach cramps.  If they also have gut permeability (leaky gut) then the reactions might be more widespread and lead to worsening of eczema, asthma or joint pain.

Children may also develop irritability and naughty behaviours or seem zoned out or drunk in response to foods that they are intolerant to. Mothers I’ve spoken to have talked about ‘Jekyll and Hyde-like’ personalities after ingestion of egg, but this seems to be quite rare.

Which foods contain egg?

Eggs can pop up in all sorts of shop bought foods, so they’re hard to avoid – but it is not impossible and food labels must state if there is egg in the ingredients in bold.

Egg white, yolk or whole egg are usually used in cakes, biscuits, muffins and breaded foods (think fish fingers) as well as the more obvious egg-based foods such as quiche and scotch eggs as well as pastry glazes.

This is why it is so hard for children as parties and quick fast food when travelling etc can be a real problem. We look after several children who are intolerant to eggs and their school only provide them with a jacket potato every day for lunch as a substitute, which is not ideal at all.  So, the need to be creative in the kitchen and to make mealtimes much more fun is vitally important not only for their nutrition but also their relationship with food.

The good news is that there are many great vegan alternatives in supermarkets and restaurants, and you can also learn to substitute when you cook at home.

How do I cook without eggs?

Eggs provide moisture, fat, flavour and structure as well as acting as a leavening agent in cakes, so it is no wonder that the thought of cooking and baking without eggs can make most of us feel a little out of our depth.

With my helpful chart below, you can replace eggs in any recipe. The swap you use will depend on the original purpose of the eggs as an ingredient; was it for: Thickening? Browning? Lifting?

In no time at all you will know the best substitute for your dish. Just remember, almost every recipe can be replicated and made egg-free – and it’s certainly fun to experiment!

Suggested swap for 1 egg	How much should I use?	Where will it work best?	Why/what are the benefits?
FLAX	1 tablespoon mixed with 3 tablespoons of water (leave for 5 minutes until it becomes thick).	Cakes, cookies and muffins. Brilliant in a brownie!	‘A flax egg’ can help bind ingredients. It has a fairly neutral taste and is high in fibre as well as omega 3. Flaxseeds do a similar job as an egg of thickening a cake batter.   NB Add a pinch – ½ teaspoon of baking powder to help rise.
OATS	2 tablespoons mixed with 3 tablespoons of boiling water. Fine oats work best. Allow 3-5 mins to thicken.	Cookies, waffles, pancakes.	Thickening. High in fibre.
AQUAFABA	3/4 tablespoons or ¼ cup. Whisk until the liquid becomes fluffy – it will look very similar to egg whites.   NB: Substitute one tablespoon of aquafaba for one egg yolk. And substitute two tablespoons of aquafaba for one egg white.	Cakes, chiffon cake, mousse, macaroons, meringue, etc. Use like an egg for coating breadcrumbs for homemade fish fingers, chicken nuggets etc.	This can be the shop bought or simply use the liquid from a tin of chickpeas.  This liquid has a similar consistency to egg whites and is great for when a recipe calls for just egg whites. Lift/rise. NB This is one of the best egg white substitutes.
CHIA	1 tablespoon mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. Leave in water until they become gelatinous.	Flapjacks, muffins and as a binder in homemade burgers etc.	These help to bind. They are high in fibre, protein and calcium. Add a pinch – ½ teaspoon of baking powder to help rise.
BAKING SODA + VINEGAR	1 teaspoon of baking soda mixed with 1 tablespoon of vinegar.	Cakes, pancakes, cupcakes etc.	It provides a lift/ rise and the browning missing from some vegan cakes.   One of the easiest replacements for eggs in a cake! NB This only works to leaven, not bind. You will need to include a separate binding ingredient.
MASHED BANANA	Mashed banana. Mix as you would an egg into your recipe. 1/4 cup or 60ml. Half an average sized banana.	Cakes, brownies and chewy baked goods.	Full of potassium and Vitamin C. Mashed Banana can add moisture and bind but they do impart flavour so do consider this when using it.   NB This can be slightly dense in bakes. Other pureed fruit/ vegetables such as pumpkin or sweet potato will also work well.
APPLE PUREE	¼ cup or 60ml	Cookies, pancakes, muffins and cakes.	Apple puree/ unsweetened apple sauce adds moisture and binds. NB Fruit purée only acts as a binder, so don’t forget to add a leavening agent such as baking powder for best results.
PLAIN YOGHURT	4 tablespoons of plain yoghurt or ¼ cup. Use as you would an egg in your recipe.	Muffins, cakes, cupcakes etc.	Yoghurt can help provide a smooth texture for your cakes and similar bakes. It is high in protein and contains a little sugar which results in a lovely golden finish (browning). You can also use a thick, unflavoured vegan yoghurt.  NB Yoghurt will not act as a leavening agent, so the result is a denser cake.
PEANUT BUTTER	3 tablespoons of nut butter (Peanut, almond, cashew etc).	Pancakes, cookies, brownies.	This is a great swap in cookies, flapjacks etc but does impart a flavour. Nut butters are high in protein and bind really well.
TOFU	¼ cup of 60ml.  Blend until smooth and mix into your recipe as you would an egg.	Quick breads, brownies, cookies and cakes. Salad dressings. Can be used as a scrambled egg substitute (add turmeric or saffron to make it yellow).	Silken tofu has a soft consistency and is high in protein. It provides moisture and is an extremely effective binder. It silkens in cakes and firms in dishes such as breakfast burritos. BLAND so add flavour as needed.
CHICKPEA FLOUR	2 tablespoons mixed with 2 tablespoons of water (1 teaspoon of oil) and let it sit for 5 minutes.	Pancakes, chapati, vegan scrambled eggs. This works very well when breadcrumb coating fish fingers etc. Combine with silken tofu for quiche. Use in meat dishes such as burgers and meatballs.	Thickening, moisture and binding. This is a very versatile swap.
CORNFLOUR	1 -2 tablespoon of corn flour mixed with 3 tablespoons of water. TIP- If using in something baked just stir straight into the batter/dough. For pie fillings or custard etc, combine with the remaining liquid from the recipe and gently heat on the hob, stirring until thickened.	Custard, pie fillings, lemon curd, vegan ice creams and puddings in general.	Thickening. Corn flour (or Potato starch / arrowroot, tapioca) is great for thickening liquids. Often used in supermarket egg replacements.
POWDERED GELATINE	Dissolve 1 tablespoon of unflavoured gelatine in 1 tablespoon of cold water. Then, mix in 2 tablespoons of boiling water until frothy. Agar-agar is a vegan alternative – 1 tablespoon mixed with 1 tablespoon of water to replace 1 egg.	Cheesecakes, milk puddings, ice creams and tarts.	A ‘gelatine egg’ has a dense texture and is used as a binder and thickener in recipes. It is a great way to add texture and flavour to vegan dishes and can be used in sweet and savoury recipes. Look for 100% grass-fed gelatine from healthy animals. NB when using it in baked goods, it’s important to use a leavening agent as well.
OIL / BAKING POWDER	1 ½ tablespoons of vegetable oil mixed with 1 ½ tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of baking powder	For recipes that use egg as a leavening agent.	If you don’t have a commercial egg replacement to hand this can be used as a leavening agent alongside many of the binding agents above.

Other swaps to try

For light and airy bakes, add carbonated water (1/4 cup to an egg). You can also try protein powder (flavourless or vanilla depending on your bake) mixed with warm water for egg whites, or 1 tablespoon protein powder with 3 tablespoons water and a little oil for each egg. Soya lecithin is also a great emulsifier so can be used as an egg replacement (1 tablespoon to replace one whole egg or one egg yolk in most recipes). Jamaican Ackee makes a good switch for scrambled egg (this is found in tins in supermarkets and Afro-Caribbean shops)

Cooking without eggs is all about experimentation and your own personal taste – have fun with it!

Common cooking questions

What is the best substitute for egg whites? – Aquafaba, for its consistency and fluffiness when whisked.

What is the best substitute for egg yolks? – Soya lecithin, for its emulsifying and binding abilities.

What is best to breadcrumb with? – Corn flour mixed with water, as it’s sticky enough to bind the breadcrumbs.

What is a good egg wash substitute? – Try 2 tablespoons of almond milk whisked with 1 teaspoon of agave nectar or maple syrup. You can also try melted butter or melted coconut oil for savoury bakes.

Round up

Whether it’s for allergies, intolerance, or personal choice, replacing egg in your diet hopefully now seems easier than you thought! It can also really help your child to be more involved in the kitchen and become master egg-free bakers! This blog was helped by Rosie, a 10 year old who is egg-free and bakes after school every day. She is now a very good little baker and sous chef to her mother, whipping up pizzas, breakfast feasts, muffins for visitors and cakes for her and her sister! This is excellent as it helps your child to understand food more, what works and what is good for their little body as they grow.

If your child is sensitive to eggs, or has complex allergies to navigate and you would like to work with a nutritional therapist to broaden their diet and ensure they are getting the right nutrients, then get in touch with the NatureDoc clinical team for a 1:1 consultation and we also offer both food allergy and food intolerance testing.