There are many possible substitutions for eggs including Ener-G egg replacer. Choosing the best substitute depends on your preference and the particularities of a given baked good. I will elaborate further in the future. For now, let me offer one of my own favorites: Chia/Salba seeds, a nutritious alternative recommended by our well-known local nutritionist, Cheryl Harris.


I’ve tried Chia/Salba seeds as an egg substitute in cookies and they work beautifully. My favorite version is a delicious nut cookie that combines these extra-nutritious Chia seeds with toasted pecan slices (mmm!). My first experiments with egg-free muffins involved using starch based egg substitutes. They worked, but to me the muffins always had a slight sour taste, especially when I mixed a banana with the muffin dough. 



So I remembered Cheryl’s recommendation to try using the "GF Superstar" and gave Chia seeds a try. I was amazed - beautiful muffins without any aftertaste! At first, you may find it takes you a few minutes longer to use Chia as an egg substitute, but once you’ve tried them several times it will be as easy as “making muffins in your sleep.”

• For muffins: For 1 large egg substitute 1 tablespoon of Chia/Salba seeds mixed with ¼ of water. Grind Chia seeds in a coffee grinder before mixing it with ¼ cup of water and letting gel for about 5-10 minutes.
• For cookies: You may either use 2 teaspoons of Ener-G egg replacer mixed with 2 tablespoons of water or 1 tablespoon of Chia seeds mixed ¼ cup of water. Grind Chia seeds in a coffee grinder before mixing it with water and letting gel for about 5-10 minutes.
• You may use either the darker colored/black or the lighter colored marble/or golden Chia seeds. Please note that the darker colored seeds will also add some extra color to your baked goods.
• For lemon bars: We currently offer two suggestions, one that substitutes eggs with a delightful tofu and lemon filling, and a second that proposes using Enger-G replacer and apple sauce instead of eggs.
• When adding a melted olive oil chocolate chip mixture with your muffins or cookies, we suggest using Chia seeds instead of a chemically based egg replacer. The results seem to be slightly better. Mix in the Chia seeds at the very end after the chocolaty dough has cooled. 

If you’re vegan, you’ll want to combine the tips for dairy-free and egg-free substitutions. Once you’re using extra light olive/canola oil and the Chia seeds, however, vegan muffins tend to be extra moist. So, if you decide to add ingredients like fresh blueberries make sure to wash blueberries and let them dry before adding them to the dough. You don’t want extra water to cause your beautiful muffins to collapse! If adding frozen blueberries, keep them in your freezer until you are ready to fold them with the dough.

Like extra-crunchy muffins? Bake vegan muffins a few minutes longer than you would a regular muffin made with egg and butter. You may also reduce amount of olive oil from 125 ml (1/2 cup) to about 100 ml (7 tablespoons).

Add a little extra nutrition and fiber: The extra-moist nature of the vegan alternatives offer the opportunity to add extra nutrition and fiber. For those of you who can enjoy healthy gluten-free oats I suggest adding 1/4 cup of them as shown in the vegan orange chocolate chip muffin. It will add texture, taste and nutrition. When adding such dry ingredients as almond meal, GF oats, coconut flakes it is best to use 125 ml (1/2 cup).

When adding a melted olive oil chocolate chip mixture with your muffins or cookies, we suggest using Chia seeds instead of a chemically based egg replacer. The results seem to be slightly better. Prepare the Chia/Salba seed gel as per our general egg-free suggestions. Mix in the Chia seeds at the very end after the chocolaty dough has cooled. 

Remember, the recipes here are just the start. I’ll have many more for you. Plus, I am certain that several of you will devise even more nutritious and delicious baked treats – please share your recipes!