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What If I Made Boxed Brownies Without Eggs? An Experiment.

I tested seven egg substitutes for boxed brownies. Here’s what worked (and what didn’t). 
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Published Jan. 20, 2023.

What If I Made Boxed Brownies Without Eggs? An Experiment.

Store–bought brownie mix easily comes together with water, oil, and an egg. What exactly does the egg do? It binds, emulsifies, and adds richness and density. 

Eggs, as you may have noticed, are either hard to come by these days or they’re very expensive. So I asked myself: Do I actually need the egg? 

I ran to the kitchen and tested seven egg substitutes for boxed brownies. I chose ingredients that were 1) pantry friendly and 2) cheaper than eggs. 

In all my tests, I used our favorite supermarket brownie mix: Ghiradelli Chocolate Supreme, which calls for one egg. Here’s what I found. 

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Egg Substitutions That Worked

  1. ¼ cup yogurt: I used 2 percent plain Greek yogurt. I was wowed. By far my favorite!
  2. ¼ cup applesauce: The texture of the brownies wasn’t compromised. The apple flavor was muted by the brownies. Plus, you’re sneaking in some fruit! Bonus. 
  3. 3 tablespoons mayonnaise: These brownies came out moist and tender. ¼ cup of mayo was slightly too greasy, but 3 tablespoons was perfect. 
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Egg Substitutions That Worked OK

  1. ¼ cup mashed banana: Similar to applesauce, this worked great. However, the banana flavor was prominent. There’s nothing wrong with chocolate and banana together. Just keep in mind that you will taste it.
  2. ¼ cup aquafaba: I was skeptical about using chickpea liquid but was impressed overall. The brownies baked beautifully, though they were less dense. If brownies that are more cakey are your thing, try aquafaba! 

Fudgy Brownies (No Eggs Required)

We found we could whip up a batch of fudgy, egg-free brownies just as easily as we do conventional ones.
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Egg Substitutions That Didn’t Work

  1. ¼ cup more vegetable oil: Total grease bomb. 0/10. Would not recommend. 
  2. ¼ cup sweetened condensed milk: Though the brownies baked fine, they were cloyingly sweet. If you’re making brownie mix from scratch, you could cut back on the sugar. But for boxed mix, this is a no go. 

In summary, yes, you can substitute that egg in your brownie mix with Greek yogurt. To be perfectly honest, I couldn’t even tell the difference!

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