Can you substitute whole eggs for egg whites in baking?

Question

Will using egg whites instead of whole eggs have an effect on the finish product when baking?

Yes, it will have quite a difference. I once wrote an answer detailing what egg whites and egg yolks do in cake flour, read it: cooking.stackexchange.com/questions/14025/…. Note that changes which are bad for a cake is not necessarily bad for a bread or other baked goods.

Mike Baranczak · Accepted Answer · 2011-04-21 17:23:37Z

up vote 6 down vote accepted

It will definitely make a difference. Yolks contain various things like fats and emulsifiers that affect the flavor and texture of baked goods.

If you want more details, then tell us what you're baking.

answered Apr 21 '11 at 17:23

Mike Baranczak
70935

Echilon · Answer 2 · 2011-04-23 13:45:34Z

up vote 0 down vote

According to ChickenPing (http://www.chickenping.com), you can use 2 yolks and 1 tbsp water (for cookies) OR just 2 yolks (for custards).

answered Apr 23 '11 at 13:45

Echilon
253110

	While this link may answer the question, it is better to include the essential parts of the answer here and provide the link for reference. Link-only answers can become invalid if the linked page changes. – TFD Oct 1 '12 at 8:29
	In addition to @TFD's comment...chickenping.com seems to just be a site for a recipe-organizing app. What part of that site would tell you how and why you could substitute whole eggs for egg whites? – Laura Nov 2 '12 at 13:53

2 Answers