No eggs? No worries. This easy banana bread recipe rises to the occasion
With egg shortages, baking your favourite banana bread might feel like a challenge, but it doesn’t have to be.
This egg-free banana bread recipe is the perfect workaround, using clever substitutes that deliver the same moist, fluffy result without a single egg. Whether you're dealing with dietary restrictions or just can’t get your hands on a carton, we’ve rounded up the best egg alternatives so you can keep baking, no matter what.
The recent bird flu outbreak is really starting to squeeze egg supplies and drive up prices – and that’s if you’re lucky enough to find them on supermarket shelves at all.
But we say, don’t let the state of this increasingly rare commodity stop you baking!
delicious. Food Director Lucy Nunes put three egg substitutes through their paces to see if they pass the banana bread taste test.
She replaced the two eggs in our most popular banana bread recipe in three separate bakes with:
- Version 1: 2 tbs ground flaxseed mixed with ½ cup (125ml) water until fully combined (version #1)
- Version 2: ½ cup (125ml) aquafaba (the liquid in a can of chickpeas, version #2)
- Version 3: 1 tbs baking powder mixed with ⅓ cup (80ml) water and 2 tsp vegetable oil (version #3)
Related story: There’s a national shortage of this dairy staple: here’s what’s happening
So, what is the best egg substitute?
The delicious. team sampled each loaf (not knowing which version they were trying) and found that all three variations do actually work and tasted yum! Version #1 got the most votes for texture, while #3 was the favourite for taste, with a slightly more caramel/molasses flavour.
“Version 1 rose the most, and was the fluffiest and lightest in texture," Nunes says. "Version 2 had a slight dome when rising and version 3 sunk slightly. It also had a slightly darker crust, denser texture and slight molasses taste.
“There are no allergies in my family, so I usually bake with eggs. And I bake a lot! Suddenly, when there are no eggs in my supermarkets for four days in a row, it gets me thinking outside the box.”
Related story: Knead to know: Why are we so obsessed with bakeries right now?
Can I use egg substitutes for something other than banana bread?
While there will still be a bit of trial and error involved, as a general rule, to swap out one egg in a recipe, you’ll need:
- 1 tbs ground flaxseed mixed with ¼ cup (60ml) water until fully combined
- ¼ cup (60ml) aquafaba
- 2 tsp baking powder mixed with 2 tbs water and 1 tsp vegetable oil
You can also try your hand at this eggless pavlova.
What else do I need to know?
Nunes picked up a couple of tips on her quest for a successful egg-free bake.
The ground flaxseed, when mixed with water, only needs a stir with a fork to combine and thicken up – there's no need for it to stand for 5 minutes.
A 400g can of chickpeas has just over ½ cup (125ml) of aquafaba, so is enough to tackle the banana bread recipe egg free.
It’s best to use the baking powder/water/oil mixture as soon as you’ve combined it and it's still frothy. If you leave it for a few minutes, the frothiness disappears.
Eggs vs. egg substitutes: how do they stack up?
This experiment got Nunes thinking about whether egg substitutes have more to offer us than just a stopgap.
“These egg-free ingredients are much cheaper than actual eggs, so I’m really considering incorporating these a bit more into my baking,” she says.
Worth thinking about next time you’re planning a bake-off, egg shortage or not!
Related story: Let them eat chocolate! Woolworths' clever solution to egg shortage
Ingredients (12)
- 1½ cups (225g) Macro Organic Plain Flour
- 1 cup (150g) self-raising flour
- 1 cup (250g) lightly packed brown sugar
- 2 tsp mixed spice
- 1 tsp bicarb soda
- ⅔ cup (160ml) milk
- ⅓ cup (115g) golden syrup
- 75g salted butter, melted, cooled, plus extra softened butter, to serve
- 1 cup mashed overripe banana (about 3 bananas)
Egg substitute (choose one)
- 2 tbs ground flaxseed mixed with ½ cup (125ml) water until fully combined
- ½ cup (125ml) aquafaba (the liquid in a can of chickpeas)
- 1 tbs baking powder mixed with ⅓ cup (80ml) water and 2 tsp vegetable oil
Don't forget you can add these ingredients to your Woolworths shopping list.
CloseMethod
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1.Preheat oven to 180°C/160°C fan-forced. Grease a 9cm-deep, 11.5cm x 20cm loaf pan. Line base and sides with 2 layers of baking paper, extending the paper 3cm above the edges of the pan.
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2.Combine flours, sugar, spice and bicarb in a large bowl. Make a well in the centre. Whisk milk, golden syrup, butter and your chosen egg substitute in a large jug until smooth. Add to flour mixture and mix with a wooden spoon until well combined. Fold in banana. Spoon mixture into prepared pan, levelling top with a spatula.
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3.Bake for 50 minutes-1 hour, until a skewer inserted in the centre of the loaf comes out clean. Stand in pan for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.
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4.Serve cut into thick slices with extra butter.
Recipe Notes
Banana bread will keep for up to 3 days wrapped in plastic wrap or in an airtight container, stored in a cool place. It can also be thickly sliced, individually wrapped in plastic wrap and frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight and serve toasted.
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