Eggs substitutes in pancakes

saintor1
saintor1 Posts: 376 Member
in Recipes
This is not about "eggs are fine".

I found plenty of websites with suggestions. This morning I tried to use 1/4 cup applesauce instead of an egg and I was already putting flax seeds before.

Two practical problems.

I use a blender because usually it chops the banana better. The blender didn't process the mixture easily and it just jammed. I added some milk, then it would not bake (!). It even sticked to the SS frying pan. I changed the pan and used a cover. The pancakes were a mess. Any actual experience of a better way to replace eggs in pancakes?

Replies

  • lynn_glenmont
    lynn_glenmont Posts: 10,091 Member
    1) you need to replace your blender if it can't manage the soft ingredients in a pancake batter
    2) you made it too thin when you added the milk, so it wouldn't bake
    3) it stuck to the pan because you've eliminated all the fat.

    What kind of replacement are you looking for?
    Vegan? (you can buy vegan egg substitute, or liquid from canned beans or cooking your own beans -- google "aquafaba").
    Something to use because you've run out of eggs? (try keeping dried/powdered eggs on hand)
    Something that doesn't have fat (see #3 above)? (you can find recipes that rely on things like bananas, but honestly, you're going to end up with something that I wouldn't call a pancake)

  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    What are trying to accomplish by eliminating the eggs? They help tbe pancakes rise. Applessuce makes them wetter and harder to rise. Its generally recommended to mix pancake batter by hand in a bowl, not a blender. It should be slightly lumpy after mixing. A blender whips the life out of tbe batter causing it not to rise. Covering the pancakes makes them soggy.
    Try perfecting tbe basic batter first then experiment with adding bananas. You are making too many changes at once without having a basic pancake technique mastered . Its not that hard if you stick to tbe basics.
    I suggest you go back to your basic batter and try subbing the applesauce with a little extra leavenig agent. Keep everything else the same. See how that works out. Also Google "how to make perfect pancakes" for some basic techniques.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    I am a pancake pro. I've been instagramming my pancakes every Sunday for the past 18 months and have pretty well tried every combination out there. I won't make an all-banana pancake on principle.

    The egg adds protein, fluff, and stickiness. If you prepare well, white flour can do the same thing. About a teaspoon of Xanthan gum could help too. Another stickiness candidate is chia seeds soaked overnight.

    Whatever combination of ingredients you have, this is the consistency you want:
    1446679114-delish-pancake-mistakes-tastegarden-tumblr.gif

    Here's how I would prepare an eggless batter. I'd soak a cup of flour with 1 1/2 cups milk and 1 teaspoon xanthan gum, stirred well, overnight. This will help with the stickiness. I'd preheat my pan brushed with oil. Then I'd quickly stir in a tablespoon sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and 2 teaspoons baking powder.

    The butter or oil in the batter also makes sure the batter doesn't soak up all the oil on the pan and stick.

    If you want to go high-protein-gluten-free-high-fiber-eggless, try this recipe:

    http://www.grouprecipes.com/143143/fluffy-free-pancakes.html/saved

    Replace the eggs with three teaspoons chia seeds soaked in three tablespoons of water overnight. Don't bother whipping up the chia seeds.
  • saintor1
    saintor1 Posts: 376 Member
    edited December 2017
    Evil is in the details!

    ignatca, I read about the seeds. But guess what? They [flax seeds] have been part of my recipe, for a long time. I didn't know that to use them as egg substitutes, they would need to soak for so long, though.

    You add baking powder just at the last minute? Maybe this is one reason why my mixture gets jammed.... but it didn't with an egg. Do you use a blender? BTW, I use oat, not white flour, another reason for the use of a blender. I'll try to do it by hand.

    As for the context, this recipe is my Tuesday/Thursday breakfast. Monday/Wednesday/Friday I eat 2 eggs (but leave the yolk in the dish) and bacon. At 50yo, my total cholesterol (167mg/dl) and blood pressure (110/70) are not an issue, yet I want to bring my total cholesterol sub 150mg/dl at my next medical due next quarter. Call it a personal challenge. Might consider egg whites.





  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Flax and chia seeds work differently in cooking. You don't need to soak flax overnight if you are using it as an egg substitute. You do need to grind the flax seeds and mix the ground flax meal with water (1 tbsp ground flax, measured after grinding + 3 tbsp water, though some people prefer a slightly different ratio). Many people let their flax eggs sit for 15 minutes or so--I've seen recommendations of anywhere from 5 minutes to an hour--to allow the flax meal to hydrate. Some people do the same with chia, minus the grinding, but I've only used chia soaked overnight. I prefer flax over chia in my baking.

    I think the banana is probably weighing down your pancakes and keeping them from rising, plus you're removing a leavening agent. Eggs act as both a binder and a leavening agent, but applesauce is just a binder, and so is banana. So your recipe is adding some dense ingredients to the batter, plus taking out a leavening agent that would help your pancakes rise.

    More on the science of baking with flax: http://www.veganbaking.net/recipes/egg-replacers/flax-seed-egg-replacer

    There's evidence to suggest that dietary cholesterol has very little impact on the level of cholesterol in the blood. (https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/panel-suggests-stop-warning-about-cholesterol-in-food-201502127713) If cholesterol is your biggest concern, then an egg in your pancake recipe probably won't make much of a difference on your blood cholesterol numbers.

    If you want just a simple vegan pancake recipe, I've used this one many times with good results: http://www.layersofhappiness.com/best-ever-extra-fluffy-vegan-pancakes/
  • lorrpb
    lorrpb Posts: 11,463 Member
    Eggs long ago were shown not to raise your blood cholesterol levels.
  • livingleanlivingclean
    livingleanlivingclean Posts: 11,751 Member
    edited December 2017
    I use egg whites in my protein pancakes all the time... Definitely works.

    There are plenty of vegan pancake recipes on Google though, none that I looked at had apple sauce in them!
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Well you are in luck. The yolks of the egg contain cholesterol. So switch to egg whites. I make fluffier pancakes by whipping the eggs to fluff them folding them in.

    Seeds are not equal. Chia are very high in soluble fiber. Soak them and they plump up. I think flax behave differently as described above.

    If you are replacing wheat flour with oat you have subtracted all the gluten, a gooey stringy protein that holds baking together. Again oat will behave differently.
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    Most pancake recipes call for mixing the dry ingredients together and the wet ingredients together separately then quickly combining the two (lumps allowed).

    I only ever use a blender to whip eggs. Pancakes are a delicate batter.

    But you are messing around removing the egg so changes have to be made. Flour changes if it is left to soak for a while. That was what I was hoping could replace the gooey-ness of the egg.

    I think you are using the blender to force ingredients to do what they don’t do naturally.
  • Treece68
    Treece68 Posts: 780 Member
    You can buy egg replacer it is 1 1/2tsp to 1 egg. I have used it for baking a lot and it works great.
  • LivingtheLeanDream
    LivingtheLeanDream Posts: 13,342 Member
    Pancakes don't necessarily need eggs, they just make them lighter/fluffier.
  • saintor1
    saintor1 Posts: 376 Member
    edited December 2017
    Success with just the egg whites. It even creates a better texture .
  • ThinGoldLineNS
    ThinGoldLineNS Posts: 265 Member
    Flax egg from "The Minimalist Baker"

    •1 Tbsp (7 g) flaxseed meal (ground raw flaxseed)
    •2 1/2 Tbsp (37 ml) water

    1. Add flaxseed meal and water to a dish and stir. Let rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Add to recipes in place of 1 egg.
    2. It's not an exact 1:1 substitution in every recipe because it doesn't bind and stiffen during baking quite like an egg does. But I've found it to work incredibly well in pancakes, quick breads, brownies, muffins, cookies, and many other recipes.

    Another option is aquafaba...the "water" from your can of beans.

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