As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. In addition, I participate in several other affiliate programs that allow me to earn while I recommend products I love.
You’re just about to whip up some cookie dough for a delicious batch of cookies, and you suddenly realize: you have no eggs!
So can you make cookies without eggs?
Is it even possible, or will it end in a baking disaster?
Have heart, because we’re going to go over all of your options when it comes to eggless cookies, including how to make cookies without using eggs, whether you even have to use eggs in cookies, and what’s going to happen if you leave eggs out of your cookie dough completely.
Eggs are an important part of many cookie recipes, as they give the cookie some structure, a bit of moistness, and most importantly, act as a binding agent.
It can also contribute to the “rise” of the cookie a bit.
Our Favorite Quirky Kitchen Gadgets
- Select-A-Spice Auto-Measure Carousel – Get your exact spice amount without measuring spoons with this spice carousel. Simply twist the dial for a perfect 1/4 teaspoon measurement!
- Silicone Utensil Rest with Drip Pad – This utensil rest keeps my countertops neat & drip-free!
- Snap N Strain Pot Strainer and Pasta Strainer – I love this strainer because it fits on all pots and pans while also being compact and easy to use!
- Herb Scissors Set – I use these scissors to cut and mince fresh herbs directly into any dish without the tedious work of cutting each herb or dirtying up a cutting board.
- Knife Sharpener – I love how quirky and nifty this rhino shaped knife sharpener is. It definitely puts the FUN in functional!
Can you make cookies without eggs?
Let’s just say that you don’t have eggs, full-stop, and you don’t want to replace it with anything.
Is it okay to make cookies without eggs?
Will the cookies actually bake and turn out like cookies?
The answer is that if you leave eggs out of a cookie recipe that calls for them and don’t replace them with something, you’re not going to have great results (read below to find out more).
However, there are a lot of cookie recipes formulated without eggs, so it is technically possible to make a cookie without eggs and we’d suggest you use one of those if you don’t want to deal with substitutions for eggs in cookies.
What would happen to a cookie if you didn’t use eggs?
In short, cookies without eggs in a recipe that calls for them will probably end up ruined.
If you don’t substitute the eggs with anything, you’ll end up with a dense, tough, and definitely cry and crumbly cookie as you’ll lose that binding agent and that structure.
It’s not worth making your cookies if you just leave the eggs out completely and don’t replace them.
What to use instead of eggs in cookies
If you do have the time (and inclination) to try and replace eggs in your cookies, then it’s important to talk about what can actually be used as an egg substitute in cookies!
Below is a great list (each of the measurements is simply the amount you should use to replace one egg).
Before you go on, though, you should make sure that you’re aware that each will give you a slightly different outcome in your cookies as some of the ingredients will give you the binding properties, but not as much moisture, while some (like milk or applesauce) will give you more of that moisture, but won’t help your cookies rise or hold their structure in the same way as a real egg would.
- 1tbsp ground flax seed + 3 tbsp water
- 1/4 cup greek yogurt
- 1/4 cup applesauce
- 4 tbsp sweetened condensed milk
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
Exactly how to make cookies without eggs
So you’re all out of eggs, and you want the final options on what to do to make cookies without eggs. Here we go!
1. Bake your cookies without eggs and know they’ll be different
If you’ve got the time and you don’t mind a little bit of a baking experiment, you can just leave the eggs out and “see what happens.”
It’s highly possible you’ll end up with a baking disaster and dry cookies, but there are some recipes that may react okay if you leave the eggs out.
See what happens for yourself if you’re really daring, or move on to our other two options for a safer bet.
2. Use an already egg-free cookie recipe
There are a lot of cookie recipes out there that don’t even use eggs in the first place.
A lot of people are allergic to eggs, and plenty of people like vegans don’t eat them, so there are many cookie recipes that just skip over it alltogether.
Things like peanut butter cookies don’t require eggs, as well as shortbread and things like some oatmeal banana cookies.
Choose one of those recipes instead and say goodbye to the eggs.
3. Try substitutes for eggs in cookies
From flax seed to applesauce, there are a lot of options for egg substitutes in cookies, but each is going to react differently in the recipe and provide different qualities.
We prefer the flaxseed and water substitute the best, but give it a try with other ingredients you have on the list and see how it changes the texture or taste of your cookie.
It shouldn’t completely ruin your cookies, though you may end up with a different end product than if you had used eggs in the recipe (but it could also be a happy accident and be even more delicious!)
Hey! Want more expert cookie baking hacks? Check these out!
- Exactly how long homemade cookies last
- Can you bake cookies on aluminum foil?
- 7 easy ways to soften hard cookies
- Oops! Burned cookies! Here are 9 ways to fix them
- Help! My cookie dough is crumbly!
- Why are my cookies burnt on the bottom?
- How long does cookie dough last?
- Tips on Making Your Cookies Chewier
- How to avoid cakey cookies
- Exactly how to freeze cookie dough
- How long should you chill cookie dough?
- Tips on Making your Cookies Super Moist
- What to do if you put too much butter in your cookie dough
- How to bake frozen cookie dough
- Expert cookie storage tips
- Using salted or unsalted butter in cookies
- Help! How to make cookies without butter
- Help! How to make cookies without vanilla extract
- How to make cookies without brown sugar
- Can you use cake flour in cookies?
- Help! I have no eggs for my cookies!
- Can you use bread flour in cookies?
- Exactly how to make cookies more puffy
- How to make cookies without baking powder
- How to fix wet and sticky cookie dough
