Brownies without egg

Question

My son has a severe egg allergy. We've tried a couple of egg-less brownie recipes but they always end up terrible. I've tried making a batch with an egg replacement and one without. In both cases, the brownies start to rise a little, then completely collapse in the center. The result ends up being a oily brownie that has no moisture and doesn't taste very good.

Any suggestions on how to make good tasting egg-free brownies that are moist and flavorful?

Update

The egg replacement we use is called "Egg Replacer" made by Ener-G Foods, Inc. It's gluten free, wheat free, and nut free. My wife just reminded my that using this left the brownies in a liquid state for the most part and never really hardened.

Answer 1

I have used the flax method as detailed in the New York Times with good results. I make a lot of chocolate chip cookies and I haven't found anyone that can really tell the difference. Some claim to be able to tell but also say that it is just different and not better or worse.

2 tablespoons ground flax seed mixed with six tablespoons water (or 2 eggs)

http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/09/04/replacing-eggs-with-flax/

Actually for cookies I typically use slightly less that 5 tablespoons of water. This makes the cookies a bit thicker rather that thing. Do what you like.

Answer 2

My guess is what is happening is that the baking powder is rising properly, but without the egg, there isn't enough to set and hold the brownies in shape. So it collapses back down as soon as the baking powder finishes reacting.

You could try replacing the egg with flax seeds, tofu, soy yogurt, or bananas.

Edit: Also try using a little less baking powder, even if that seems counter-intuitive.

Answer 3

I've been using bananas in 100% of my brownies the last 3 years with much success. It also has the added advantage that your brownies have a gentle banana flavor to them as well, which IMHO fits perfect with every kind of brownie in existence. I generally use 1-2 (about 8 in / 20cm in length) but sometimes use 3-4 for that extra banana kick.

nom nom.

Answer 4

I too have tried lots of things, including Ener-G Egg Replacer; and yuk. However, I have successfully made brownies for my daughter who has an egg and nut allergy.

To replace the egg, in addition top your ingredients, add 1/2 teapoon baking powder, then mix 15g potato flour and 150ml water over a gentle heat until it just thickens and is clear remove from heat and beat it into your ingredients. The brownies will be moist and chewy. A good resource on this is called "Allergy-free Cookbook" by Alice Sherwood. I also made carrot cakes with the potato flour stand-in, and though it didn't seem to blend well, once cooked it worked perfectly well.

Answer 5

When you take out eggs you're taking out:

1. Fat
2. Leavening
3. Liquid
4. An emulsifier for the fat and water

So, let's try to add those back in:

1. Extra chocolate chips (1/4 C).
2. More heavily beat your liquid ingredients. Once you add your dry ingredients, mix only as much as needed. This will be the hardest element/texture to replicate.
3. A little day old coffee (1/8 C or 1/4 C), which will also increase the natural flavor of the chocolate.
4. A little sour cream (1/8 or 1/4 C).

You'll need to experiment with the amounts, but then again, who's going to complain about more brownies :-)

Answer 6

Trader Joes sells a non-fat baking mix that is straight out of the box and only adds vanilla yogurt for moisture. The result is fudgy and moist, although as it's fat free, it's not as rich as a regular brownie.

So here's what I'd try, assuming you don't have access to Trader Joe's. Take a standard brownie mix. Add vanilla yogurt (I like greek yogurt, which has a lower moisture content, but you might need the moisture in this recipe). Mix until the proportion bears some resemblance to brownie batter, probably a little more dry, since you won't have the benefit of egg proteins firming up and holding things together. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean. No eggs, hopefully fudgy.

That recipe approximates the fat-free version, but I don't know why you wouldn't get better results using a full-fat yogurt. I'm less sure about adding vegetable oil, since it might be too runny. I'd go for lard or butter, since, well, why not?

Hope this helps. It will still require some experimentation, but it might give you a few ideas.

Answer 7

You can replace egg with 1 tbsp vinegar + 1 tsp baking soda per egg required. OR You can also mill some chia seeds, soak in water over a few hours and the resulting gel can be used in grams as per size eggs you would normally use.

Answer 8

What are some of the recipes you use?

I know in some cases you can use vegetable oil instead of eggs in making brownies.

The issue with vegan-baking is that it takes a while to get the measurements right, and as hard as you'll try it won't taste the same as the dairy counterparts; however you hope to get something close, tasty, and pleasant to look at

Answer 9

I just made brownies from a box mix without adding any egg:

Egg replacement: one large banana 2 TBS of peanut butter 1/4 cup rolled oats (cooked with 1/3 cup water)

Blend the above ingredients until you have a smooth, homogeneous mixture.

I added that the dry brownie mix along with 1/4 vegetable oil and enough water to get the consistency to "thick, but just pour-able". It was stiffer than regular brownie batter, more like cornbread batter.

I baked at 325F for 35 minutes, though next time I think I'll turn the heat down a little more and cook for 40 minutes, the center fell just a little bit this time and the corners were getting closer to "hard" than "chewy".

You could probably leave the peanut butter out, but I think it helps emphasize the chocolate flavors over the banana flavors.

The oats, like flax and chia, are fairly high in protein and soluble fiber which provide structure in the baked brownie, but because of their lower fat content, they're less likely to go rancid in your pantry, and they're much cheaper and available pretty much anywhere that sells cereal.

Answer 10

I just made packaged brownies and used 1/4 Cup applesauce = 1 egg. You can also use applesauce to replace oils in recipes.

Answer 11

Much to my surprise when I first tried it, a can of beans is a decent egg substitute in brownies.

The protein holds everything together, the flavor of the beans is masked by the strong chocolate flavors, the color is slightly darker than usual (but again, masked by the chocolate), and it's egg-free. It is moderately drier than using eggs and oil in the same mix, but I still find it fudgy enough.

1 box brownie mix
1 can black beans (15.5 oz)

Puree the black beans, including the liquid from the can, into a paste, and mix with the brownie mix. Bake as usual.

Answer 12

I have used this recipe to make really nice brownies without egg. You can even replace water in the recipe with 50% water+50% coffee for more chocolate flavour.

Ingredients
190 grams or 1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
250 grams or 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar or organic sugar
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
45 grams or 1/2 cup cocoa powder (unsweetened or dutch processed)
180 ml or 3/4 cup oil. 180 ml or 3/4 cup water, at room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup chocolate chips or toasted nuts (optional)

Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180 C or 350 F.
Like a 8 inch pan with parchment paper or butter and grease well.
In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder and cocoa.
Add the oil, water and vanilla,and stir until smooth. Stir in the chips or nuts if using.
Pour batter into the prepared pan. It will be thick. Smooth the top.
Bake for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in centre comes out with few moist crumbs.
Cool completely in pan.

http://floursandfrostings.com/the-most-amazing-vegan-brownies/

Answer 13

Here are some suggestions I found.

-1/4 cup of applesauce, per one egg. This may also provide a new take on brownies from a flavor standpoint because they can be easily flavored by cinnamon and nutmeg.

-1/4 cup of banana puree per egg. This one I can personally stand by, as I have made it multiple times and you can't taste it. You can also substitute it for avocado or pumpkin, which will be even milder. The amount is the same for all the fruits.

-1/4 cup yogurt or buttermilk per egg. While I haven't tried it, I have also seen that it makes the brownies especially light and airy.

If a recipe calls for EGG WHITES ONLY, the liquid at the bottom of chickpeas works just as well.

Answer 14

I have recently become a fan of a brownie recipe that not only doesn’t use eggs, it doesn’t use flour.

Ingredients:

• 6 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
• ⅔ cup sweetened condensed milk
• a dash of salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup walnut pieces

Directions:

1. Grease an 8x8 pan.
2. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler.
3. Stir the milk into the chocolate.
4. Remove from heat.
5. Stir in the salt, vanilla, and walnuts.
6. Pour into the pan and bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes.
7. Cut in squares while still warm.

I found this recipe, as “No Flour Brownies”, attributed to a Mrs. John J. Gasparotti in The Artist in the Kitchen, a Friends of the St. Louis Art Museum cookbook.

As you might guess from the ingredients it is moist and flavorful. It does not create high-rising brownies, but it does have a brownie-like texture, which surprised me the first time I made them.