Substitutes for egg whites
For each large egg white, stir 2 teaspoons of dried egg white powder into 2 tablespoons of water. For an egg-free meringue, use 2 tablespoons of aquafaba per white.
Out of egg whites mid-recipe?
Tell Sous Chef what you are missing. It swaps the ingredient and rewrites the steps that use it, and keeps your original recipe.
What are you making?
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Frozen egg whites, thawed
Great fit2 tbsp thawed frozen egg whites
For this dish: Thawed whites whip like fresh ones.
How: Measure 2 tablespoons of thawed whites for each white the recipe calls for.
What changes: The same as fresh whites. Useful when you have leftover whites in the freezer.
Contains eggs.
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Meringue powder
Great fit2 tsp meringue powder and 2 tbsp water
For this dish: Made for meringue cookies and toppings, and stable once whipped.
How: Mix 2 teaspoons of meringue powder with 2 tablespoons of water for each white (Wilton). Wilton made it for recipes that beat whites to stiff peaks.
What changes: Mostly pasteurized dried egg white, plus sugar, cornstarch and stabilizers (Jessica Gavin), so it is sweet. It whips less airy than fresh whites. Wilton advises against it in cakes, cookies and breads.
Contains eggs.
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Aquafaba (chickpea liquid)
Great fit2 tbsp aquafaba (liquid from canned chickpeas)
For this dish: Whips to stiff peaks with cream of tartar, and the meringues bake up crisp.
How: Use 2 tablespoons per white. To whip, add 1/8 teaspoon cream of tartar per 2 tablespoons and use an electric mixer; it takes longer than egg whites. If the liquid is watery, simmer it until it thickens, then cool (King Arthur).
What changes: Egg-free and vegan. Milk Street found aquafaba meringues could pass for classic ones. It can taste faintly of beans, so add vanilla.
No major food allergens in these ingredients. Check labels on packaged products.
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Dried egg white powder
Works2 tsp dried egg white powder and 2 tbsp water
For this dish: It whips, but follow the package directions for meringue.
How: Stir the powder into the water until it dissolves. If your package gives a different ratio, follow the label.
What changes: Rehydrated, it is egg white again. Both extension charts list this ratio.
Contains eggs.
What egg whites does in a recipe
Egg whites are mostly water and protein. Whipped, the proteins trap air in a stable foam for meringues, soufflés and angel food cake. Heated, they set firm. One large white is about 2 tablespoons. Egg products copy this best, and King Arthur calls aquafaba pretty much the only egg-free swap that whips to a meringue.
Swap it in your recipe with Sous Chef
A substitution is more than one ingredient line. The steps that use it change too. Sous Chef edits both on a working copy of your recipe, so the original is always one tap away.
You ask Sous Chef
"I don't have egg whites."
Sous Chef edits the recipe
2 tsp dried egg white powder and 2 tbsp water
Stir the powder into the water until it dissolves. If your package gives a different ratio, follow the label.
When not to substitute
For macarons and other recipes where the meringue is the whole structure, use real egg whites. Jessica Gavin notes fresh whites give the best results for macarons.
Common questions
How much aquafaba equals one egg white?
2 tablespoons. King Arthur and Milk Street both found that amount stands in for one egg white.
Can I use meringue powder instead of egg whites?
Yes, for meringues and royal icing: 2 teaspoons meringue powder plus 2 tablespoons water per white. Wilton suggests real eggs for cakes, cookies and breads.
How much is one egg white?
About 2 tablespoons. Utah State University Extension lists 1 large white as 2 tablespoons, and 8 large whites as 1 cup.
Related
- Eggs substitutes
- Cream of tartar substitutes
- Powdered sugar substitutes
- All ingredient substitutes
- How to substitute an ingredient
Sources
- Ingredient substitutions (Colorado State University Extension)
- Ingredient Substitution, FN 255 (Utah State University Extension)
- A guide to aquafaba (King Arthur Baking)
- Guide for substituting eggs (King Arthur Baking)
- What is aquafaba? (Milk Street)
- Meringue powder (Wilton)
- What is meringue powder? (Wilton blog)
- What is meringue powder? (Jessica Gavin)
- What you need to know about egg safety (FDA)
Cook with what you have.
Import any recipe into Sous Chef and ask for the swap. It rewrites the ingredient list and the steps, and never loses the original. Free on iPhone.