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Egg Substitutes

Appears in
Veggie Burgers Every Which Way: Fresh, Flavorful, and Healthy Plant-Based Burgers
Veggie Burgers Every Which Way

By Lukas Volger

Published 2021

  • About
Around a third of the recipes included here are egg- and dairy-free. Without eggs, some other kind of binder is needed to help hold the burgers together. That said, most veggie burgers, once they’re cooked, will firm up a bit as they cool, and this can be a helpful way to deal with a delicate burger. The following is an incomplete list of my favorite vegan veggie burger binders.
  • Steamed potato and potato starch: In veggie burgers, the combination of steamed potato and potato starch (or cornstarch or arrowroot) is one of my favorite egg substitutes because it contributes a pleasant flavor. But use caution: Steamed potato works as a binder but does not expand while it cooks as eggs do; if overused, potato can make the burgers wet and heavy. The addition of a small amount of potato starch helps to resolve the density problem by limiting the amount of cooked potato but making use of its binding properties.

    I prefer to use Yukon Gold potatoes because I like the flavor. To steam, peel a small potato (about 2 ounces/28 g), cut it into ½-inch (1.25 cm) pieces, and place in a steaming basket. Bring a bit of water in a small saucepan to a simmer, add the basket, and cover. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until the potato can be effortlessly pierced with a fork or skewer. (Alternatively, leftover roasted or boiled potatoes can be substituted.) Allow to cool slightly, then mash with a fork. Half a small potato plus 1 teaspoon potato starch is roughly the equivalent of an egg.

    Most grocery stores carry potato starch, though cornstarch and arrowroot powder are interchangeable. My favorite brand is Bob’s Red Mill.

  • Ground flaxseed: For the equivalent of a single egg, take 1 tablespoon flaxseed and grind to powder in a spice grinder. (Alternatively, use 2½ teaspoons ground flaxseed.) Whisk in 3 tablespoons water until it emulsifies. This isn’t the strongest binder, and flax has a distinctive, grainy-grassy flavor that isn’t exactly subtle. But in recipes like Seeded Edamame Burgers with Brown Rice and Apples, the additional flax flavor adds a terrific dimension.
  • Blended tofu: Firm or extra firm tofu, once it’s blended up in a food processor or blender to become a paste, has some strong binding properties, particularly when combined with a starch like potato starch, cornstarch, or arrowroot powder.
  • Egg replacer: There are a few brands of “egg replacer” on the market and a few of them are vegetarian only (usually because they contain gelatin or algae); be sure to check the label. Many vegan cooks swear by Ener-G Egg Replacer. I do not expressly call for egg replacer in any of the recipes here, but it is a viable alternative to eggs in the burgers.

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