I think one of the worst parts of developing a new set of intolerances at this point in my life is having to figure out how to modify my baking and cooking to produce the recipes I enjoy without eggs.
When you start looking for egg substitutes and substitutions EVERYONE tells you to use applesauce. I’m here to tell you that applesauce may work in some limited ways, but it is NOT a general purpose egg substitute, and honestly, I’ve not liked it in any of the attempts I made of it. And we won’t discuss using mashed bananas, ew. I haven’t tried tofu yet, but I’m not holding my breath. I’ve had a hard time finding commercial egg substitutes at the store. I’m not sure if I’m not looking in the right section, or if its a 2020 thing and they’re just harder to find right now.
However some things do work.
That is an egg free cupcake with nutella buttercream frosting.
Cupcake recipe here (note, the link here will take you directly to the recipe portion of the page). Frosting recipe here (ditto).
Note the lack of “egg substitutes” in the recipe. Instead she uses BOTH baking soda AND baking powder (in the self rising flour), BOTH butter and oil, sour cream, and vinegar to help boost this recipe in place of eggs. It works, it works beautifully. The big key is to not over bake them, the pictured cupcake actually only baked for 18 minutes, only bake them till the toothpick comes out clean and not a minute longer. To long and they turn dry, and it happens very quickly.
For the frosting you can use off brand chocolate hazelnut spread, but be aware that the differing oil contents do affect the final texture of the frosting.
ALSO, the pictured cupcake had been frosted and then frozen for a week! After being pulled back out of the freezer I let them set on the countertop for a couple hours and they thawed out very quickly and with no melting of the frosting at all!
The lengths one has to go to to avoid issues with allergies is amazing. But it looks like you have hit upon a successful recipe – looks delish!
I would say to use bananas in something like that, the use of green bananas would probably work better since they don’t have such a bananany taste and they don’t add as much moisture or sugar taste as an over-ripe banana. In order to use green bananas, slice/dice them up and microwave for 15-30 seconds, until they are just barely soft enough to mash. Naturally, that doesn’t help if you just plain don’t like bananas 🙂
I ate bananas as a kid, but these days I don’t care for them at all. So yah.
leaves more bananas for me! 🙂 🙂
I was wondering if one could get carrageenan OTC in small amounts. it is an emulsifier used in many foods for “mouth feel”, including ice creams, but many other things too. it is (or can be) derived from seaweed. wonder if it might provide some egg-like properties due to the gel-ification of some types.
Carrageenan is actually on my short list (ok, its a long list) of things that might be setting off my stomach. So if I can get ahold of some to try I plan to do so. But yes, its one of those things I need to try.
I think the thickener made from algae is called agar.
Agar is a thickener and/or vegan gelatin replacement, depending on how its used.
Carrageenan is an emulsifier, commonly used in many ice creams, including all of the ice creams I’ve reacted to (and not in any of the ones I haven’t). It’s also in the Samoa’s Girls Scout cookies, which I also react to, though not as strongly.
They’re both made from red algae/seaweed though.
and the answer is that I can get both Agar and Carrageenan on amazon. Might have to give that a try at some point