Here’s an easy trick for making your rolls, scones, pie crusts, and lots of other baked goods look and taste even better: Brush them with egg wash before baking. They will brown more deeply and take on a beautiful, lustrous shine.
An Egg-Free Way to Make Baked Goods Shine
What is Egg Wash?
The classic egg wash is made by mixing one whole egg with a little milk or water. In the oven, its proteins and sugars trigger flavorful Maillard browning, while its fat lends shine.
But what if your baked goods are vegan? Is there another way to get this same effect without using any animal products? To find out, we searched for plant-based alternatives that contained protein, fat, and sugars and landed on a lineup of eight contenders:
- Unsweetened soy, oat, and almond milks
- Vegan mayonnaise, butter, and egg
- Aquafaba (chickpea canning liquid)
- Refined coconut oil
I brushed the products onto scones, rolls, and pie dough before baking them, comparing them to the same items brushed with real egg wash—and found a clear winner.
Sign up for the Cook's Insider newsletter
The latest recipes, tips, and tricks, plus behind-the-scenes stories from the Cook's Illustrated team.
What Is the Best Vegan Substitute for Egg Wash?
Only one of these options managed to create beautiful browning as well as shine: the vegan eggs.
In fact, the brand we tested, Just Egg, which is formulated to contain similar amounts of protein and fat as real eggs, produced results identical to regular egg wash. So if you’re looking to add shine to your baked goods without adding egg, vegan eggs can be your best bet. (One caveat: Because different brands of egg substitutes are formulated differently, they may not all give the same results.)
Other Decent Vegan Egg Washes
If you don’t keep vegan eggs on hand, though, we did achieve acceptable results with several other products.
The plant-based milks and aquafaba created rich, even browning. Their downside: None of them produced much shine. So, if you’re willing to compromise a little on aesthetics, these are worthy choices as well.
Not Recommended
Steer clear of vegan butter, vegan mayo, and coconut oil. All three products made the rolls look dry and matte.
What’s more, the vegan butter and vegan mayonnaise imparted unwanted flavors, while the coconut oil left a slightly greasy residue on our hands.
10,000+ foolproof recipes and why they work Taste Tests of supermarket ingredients Equipment Reviews save you money and time Videos including full episodes and clips Live Q&A with Test Kitchen experts
Start Free TrialAbsolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too. I've done this using a rimmed sheet pan instead of a skillet and put veggies and potatoes around the chicken for a one-pan meal. Broccoli gets nicely browned and yummy!
Absolutely the best chicken ever, even the breast meat was moist! It's the only way I'll cook a whole chicken again. Simple, easy, quick, no mess - perfect every time. I've used both stainless steel and cast iron pans. great and easy technique for “roasted” chicken. I will say there were no pan juices, just fat in the skillet. Will add to the recipe rotation. Good for family and company dinners too.
Amazed this recipe works out as well as it does. Would not have thought that the amount of time under the broiler would have produced a very juicy and favorable chicken with a very crispy crust. Used my 12" Lodge Cast Iron skillet (which can withstand 1000 degree temps to respond to those who wondered if it would work) and it turned out great. A "make again" as my family rates things. This is a great recipe, and I will definitely make it again. My butcher gladly butterflied the chicken for me, therefore I found it to be a fast and easy prep. I used my cast iron skillet- marvellous!
John, wasn't it just amazing chicken? So much better than your typical oven baked chicken and on par if not better than gas or even charcoal grilled. It gets that smokey charcoal tasted and overnight koshering definitely helps, something I do when time permits. First-time I've pierced a whole chicken minus the times I make jerk chicken on the grill. Yup, the cast iron was not an issue.