Eggless baking: what changes, and what doesn't

We get asked for eggless every week — for kids, for allergies, for people who just don't eat them. So it's worth explaining what actually changes, because "eggless" gets treated as a compromise and it doesn't have to be one.

What eggs are doing

Three jobs, and they matter differently depending on what you're baking. They bind, so the thing holds together. They add water, which becomes steam, which is lift. And the yolk adds fat and emulsifies, which is most of what makes a brownie feel rich rather than greasy.

Which job matters most tells you how hard the recipe is to convert.

What converts easily

Brownies, and it surprises people. A brownie doesn't want lift — it wants to be dense. Take the eggs out and replace the binding and the fat, and you're most of the way there. A well-made eggless brownie is honestly hard to pick out in a blind taste.

Thick cookies convert well for the same reason. They're not relying on rise.

What's harder

Anything light. Sponge, mousse, anything where the structure *is* whipped egg. You can get there, but it's a different recipe rather than a substitution, and pretending otherwise is how you end up with something dense and apologetic.

Ordering eggless

There's an eggless category on the menu — those are the recipes we've worked through properly and are happy to put our name on. If you want something from another category made eggless, message us before ordering. Sometimes the answer is yes with a couple of days' notice, and sometimes it's an honest no.

One thing we can't change: it's a home kitchen that also handles eggs, so an eggless recipe isn't an allergen-free environment. If it's an allergy rather than a preference, tell us and we'll be straight with you about what we can promise.