Baking Egg Free For Your Kid With Allergies

The holidays are just around the corner and that means you’ll be seeing lots of sweet stuff like cookies, brownies, home-made candy, pastries, pies and cake.

Kids are known for having a sweet tooth, but what about the kid with food allergies?  Aren’t eggs a major ingredient in baked goods?

Fear not! Most eggs can be substituted very easily. Your child can still have those holiday treats, safely and without feeling deprived or singled out. (The latter is especially big—you know how kids want to be like all the others).

 

Eggcellent Substitutions!

 

The first thing you need to do is figure out why the egg is in the recipe in the first place.  It’s usually either because it’s a binding agent (holding all the ingredients together) or a leavening one (to make it rise).

FRUIT:   This is one of our faves! It actually can “health up” a food that isn’t really that great for you (but, come on, it’s the holidays, after all!)

Mashed fruit is a great binder. Replace one egg with ½ mashed banana or ¼ cup apple applesauce. Note that your baked goods may contain a hint of the fruit flavor, so go with one you like and you can’t go wrong!

 

 

FLAXSEED:  Make a flaxseed egg!  A great source of fiber and omega 3s, this is another one of our faves. For every egg your recipe calls for, take 1 Tbsp flaxseed and mix it with 2 ½ Tbsp of water. Let it set a few minutes and then mix it into your recipe – voila!

 While you can buy pre-ground flax seeds, we don’t recommend it; they get rancid pretty quickly, so we’d rather you buy the whole ones and grind them as you need them.

 

 

VEGETABLE OIL:  Use ¼ cup vegetable oil to replace one egg as a binder, but be very careful not to go over as you risk making your baked good too “oily.”

(Some use baking powder to cut back on oil by mixing it with two tbsp water and two Tsp baking powder!)

 

VINEGAR AND BAKING SODA:  This will make your cakes, cupcakes and muffins will be light and fluffy; just combine 1 tbsp vinegar with one tsp baking soda.

 

YOGURT or BUTTERMILK:    This will make your treats light and fluffy!  Some kids with food allergies can’t tolerate any dairy and, if that’s the case in your house, you can find plant-based yogurt or make a non-dairy buttermilk by mixing non-dairy milk with 1 Tbs apple cider vinegar or lemon juice.

Simply use ¼ cup yogurt for one egg. Some sites will tell you to also use ½ Tsp baking powder to help your baked good rise. So you may do some additional groundwork, as with any recipe or substitute, to find out what’s best for your endeavor.

Most people with an egg allergy are sensitive to egg whites, and not the yellow yolks. If this is the case for you or your child, you can substitute the egg white by mixing one Tbsp of plain agar powder with 1 Tbsp water. However, my advice is to avoid the egg all together or get the green light from your physician before trying this…..which brings us to….

 

IF YOUR RECIPE CALLS FOR AN EGG-WHITE GLAZE…substitute some melted margarine.

 

And a final note on substitutions for any food allergy: Always, ALWAYS check your labels and consult with your doctor first. Our intent here is to let you know that you DO have options, and that an egg allergy or any food allergy does not mean the end of good meals – only a different way of making them. : )

 

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING:

1. If you go with a commercial egg replacement, be sure it’s a replacement, not a substitute. Substitutes usually address cholesterol control, not allergies, and they’re often in the dairy section of supermarkets—near the eggs.
2. Pay attention to the formula, and the number of substitutions. If you need to substitute about 90% of the ingredients, chances are the finished product won’t look anything like the original recipe!
3. Some substitutions may change the texture—slightly. It’ll still be pretty much like the original!     

Don’t forget about the AllerMates Goodie Box. Sign up and every other month your child will receive his or her own box full of healthy and allergy free treats, educational (but fun!) and safety materials. Our Top 8 Allergen Free version is egg free all the way!  For more information, click here.                                              

 

Have a substitute for baking egg-allergy friendly you want to share with our Community? Please tell us about it in the comments below—we’d love to hear how you let your kid with food allergies enjoy the holidays—safely!

xo

Iris