Inflation 2025: 5 Affordable Egg Alternatives To Bake With Amid High Prices
With bird flu and supply chain issues contributing to the soaring price of eggs, many consumers are looking for alternatives to save money. As reported by USA Today, the U.S. Department of Agriculture expects egg prices to increase 41% this year.
While you might be satisfied with swapping out your morning eggs for more affordable breakfasts, what can you do if you’re an avid baker whose recipes call for eggs? Fortunately, whether you’re cooking up pancakes, cookies, cakes, etc., almost any dish that typically uses eggs can be made with a more affordable substitute.
Granted, the taste and texture won’t always be exactly the same, but oftentimes you may not even notice that eggs are missing. Be mindful, however, that different replacements serve different purposes based on what role the eggs play in the recipe.
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To avoid waste, do a little online research to see if other bakers can vouch for that ingredient being a good substitute for eggs in whatever you’re trying to bake.
That being said, here are a few of the top alternatives to consider if you’re trying to save money, which typically work in a wide range of dishes.
Also see these hacks for cutting your grocery bill in half.
Carbonated Water
One of the most economical ways to replace eggs is with carbonated water. This performed well in a muffin recipe among egg substitutes as tested by The Kitchn. Replace one egg with one-quarter cup of carbonated water. It adds moisture and is a leavening agent, which also makes it great for things like cakes and cupcakes, according to Healthline.
As reported by SoFi, a dozen eggs cost an average of $4.95 in January 2025, which comes out to about $0.41 per egg. Carbonated water is very affordable, so you can replace your eggs for much less. And if you have a device like a SodaStream, you can save even more.
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Water, Oil and Baking Powder
Another way to replace eggs for minimal cost is to use items you probably already have in your pantry, such as the combination of water, oil and baking powder. The ratio can depend on the recipe, but as with Kids with Food Allergies suggested, replacing one egg with a combination of vegetable oil, water and baking powder works well as a leavening agent.
Much of this cost will depend on the brands you’re using, but generally this replacement will just cost you a few cents and isn’t one you’ll likely notice since they’re ingredients you likely have on hand.
Applesauce
Unsweetened applesauce is a common egg substitute that is particularly useful for denser baked goods like cookies and brownies, according to KitchenAid. And don’t worry about applesauce adding an apple flavor, as that doesn’t typically show up in the finished product. Instead, it more so just serves as a binding agent. You can use one-quarter cup of applesauce to replace one egg.
In terms of cost, you may have to be a bit more mindful of what brand you’re buying and the unit price, but you can find some that work out to much less than $0.40 per egg.
Ground Flaxseed
Another binding agent alternative is ground flaxseed. But don’t just dump these in raw. Mix 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed with 3 tablespoons of water in a separate bowl and let it sit for about few minutes to thicken and form into a gel-like substance, per KitchenAid. Then add it to recipes that need binding and can handle a slight nuttiness, like some cookies or pancakes. In many cases, though, you may not even taste it.
Here too, the price can vary substantially, but you can likely get the price down to lower than an egg per replacement. For example, you can get a 16-ounce bag of flaxseed at Walmart for $3.48. When you break that down to just what you’ll need to replace an egg, it comes down to much less than $0.41.
Cornstarch
Lastly, some starches like cornstarch work well as thickening agents instead of eggs, per KitchenAid. This could be good in some puddings, for example. The exact ratio will depend on the recipe, but a common replacement is 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons of water to replace one egg.
Depending on what brand you buy, this could work out to just a few cents per egg replacement.
Editor’s note: Pricing and availability may vary depending on location.
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