One thinks of Chia, and one has a flashback (if you are old enough to remember this) to the Chia Pet craze of the late 70s and early 80s. I admittedly had a chia pet that my cat used to decimate regularly.
Chia seeds were vaguely on my horizon as one of the “happening” food trends and the “new” superfoods a few years ago, even though they have been around for a long, LONG time. No pun intended.
Chia seeds came on my horizon when the pandemic started hitting, and stores ran out of staples, like eggs. Thankfully the shortages didn’t last long, but it sparked my curiosity with what else can we use in baking and cooking as an egg substitute? Even powdered eggs were in short supply for a time. I’d used egg replacer in the past but never really investigated alternatives before.
In my quest to find and try egg replacers that actually tasted good, were at least semi-good for you, and worked well as a binder, I tried quite a few things.
Applesauce, Ground Flaxseeds, Commercial Egg Replacer, Tofu, Vinegar and Baking Soda, Yogurt, Buttermilk, Arrowroot Powder, Aquafaba (the liquid left from canned beans and chickpeas, Agar-Agar, Gelatin and Chia seeds were all egg replacements I have experimented with over the last 6 months.
Some replacers had mixed results, and some I found were better for replacements than others. Most of these replaced eggs well for baked goods but were poor substitutes for eggs in other mediums. I tried them with savory (and some sweet) recipes like Caesar dressing, hollandaise (yes that too), puddings, mousses, or breading a product (i.e. dipped in egg, then flour, then breading product) or used as a base for a batter for frying.
I know there are several others I have not yet gotten to (and may), but these are ones I’ve tested so far:
Applesauce; use unsweetened or add less sugar for baking. Not a good replacement for thickening savory dishes or a replacement for breading or batters (for frying).
Ground Flaxseeds; not bad as a binder for baking; I found you needed to add more moisture to any baking recipes plus, I did find even small amounts had a flax taste to it, not bad if you like flax seeds but not my favorite. Flax seed ground does make a nice breading material for chicken though, adding a nice, slightly nutty flavor. Not a good replacement for thickening savory dishes or a replacement for breading or batters (for frying).
Banana, great as binder, adds a bit of a banana flavor to any baking (not a bad thing unless you don’t like bananas), makes baked goods moist and a bit denser than recipes with eggs. Not a good replacement for thickening savory dishes or a replacement for breading, but it is a good substitute for eggs in batter dishes for frying (again, as long as you don’t mind the slight banana taste) make sure the banana is pureed well.
Commercial Egg Replacer; I’ve used this in the past for baked goods and had a little bit stocked in the pantry for the imminent (but thankfully never happening Zombie apocalypse). Bob’s Red Mill and Ener-G were the two I’d most frequently baked with. Egg replacer works fine as a replacement for baked goods, not so much for savory items. Not a good replacement for thickening savory dishes or a substitute for breading or batters (for frying).
Tofu; Silken soft tofu pureed up makes a decent replacement for baked goods but tends to make the final product denser than recipes with eggs. I use tofu in cooking, but firm tofu cubed or baked in slabs. This works “ok” pureed to thicken savory dishes but it doesn’t thicken quite enough to my taste.
Vinegar and Baking Soda; Apple cider or distilled white works the best. Use with cakes, sweet or quick breads. Not the best for substituting in cookies. Not a good replacement for thickening savory dishes or a replacement for breading or batters (for frying).
Yogurt; Similar to Vinegar and Baking soda, Use with cakes, sweet or quick breads. Not the best for substituting in cookies. This is a good replacement for thickening savory dishes (whole milk plain yogurt) and is a good replacement for breading or batters (for frying).
Buttermilk; same as yogurt.
Arrowroot Powder; I love arrowroot; I use it as a thickener for soups and sauces frequently, its great for breading (especially Chinese food), and it is an excellent replacement for eggs for pretty much any use.
Aquafaba; (the liquid left from canned beans and chickpeas); best used as a substitute for egg whites, also a great replacement for breading savory items to bake or sauté. It does do some odd things with batter for frying, I’ve found though.
Agar-Agar; A decent replacement for eggs in baking, it will create a denser and stiffer texture in baked goods. Great as a thickener for savory dishes (be leery of using too much though, or you end up with a big gloppy mess.) Not recommended as a replacement for breading or batters for frying.
Gelatin; see the Agar-Agar comments
and last but not least
Chia seeds….
Ground-up chia seeds; 1 Tablespoon to 3 Tablespoons of water for about 5 minutes = one egg.
If you don’t grind them but still soak them, they will look like frog eggs. The seeds will be surrounded by a gelatin-like coating. If using whole, you need about 4 Tablespoons + water to equal one egg.
Chia is a great replacement for eggs, both ground and unground for baking goods. Not a great replacement for breading and “interesting” but not a bad way, ground as a substitute for eggs in batters.
I think I’ve primarily fallen in love with them because they add a great extra added flavor and texture to baked goods (whole chia seeds), and I’ve experimented with putting them in granola bar mixes and chocolate brittle/barks. Cracked black pepper, chia seed (whole), and lime are an amazing combination in chocolate brittle/bark. Hot, tart and crunchy at the same time. And I’ve made a really good energy bar with Chia as well (recipe coming soon).
In savory recipes, I have been adding them to my veggie burgers (not formerly a fan of veggie burgers prior either, but I am now) and it is great for using as part of a breading crust for chicken, the afore mentioned veggie burgers, and fish.
Just be careful if sautéing with it and using it as part of your breading, chia seeds POP when they get really hot. So I either mix with other ingredients for a crust and bake or sauté off on medium heat until the product is lightly browned and then finish in the oven.
Some additional perks of using Chia seeds:
- High in fiber, about 5 grams of fiber per Tablespoon.
- 1 oz of Chia seeds has about 1/2 grams of protein.
- Chia has one of the highest sources of Omega-3s of almost any food.
- Chia contains calcium, more than skim milk.
- Chia is apparently great for weight loss, but that’s a great additional benefit after the taste, texture and versality of it have come first in my book.
- You can use it to grow microgreens. They are extremely easy to grow and actually healthier and safer to eat than sprouts. (using chia pet seeds, though for this is not recommended as apparently they have probably been sitting around for awhile).
I’d also recommend checking out an article by the Harvard School of Public Health which has some additional information about chia seeds, and there are literally hundreds of other articles touting the superfood if you do a little browsing on Google.
One thing to note, I’ve read this in several places as a suggestion, and I’ve seen how much Chia expands with moisture; it is very much NOT recommended to just pop handfuls of chia seeds as I’ve seen several articles recommend just chowing them down as a snack.
That is not unless you prefer a visit from the local rescue squad.
One additional thing I’ve found as I’ve researched the history and uses of chia seeds. Cats (and dogs) can eat the greens (same as with humans, please don’t mix directly with food if you are not going to soak it first!), and when planted outside, the flowers are a great nectar source for bees and butterflies!
What more could I ask for? Delicious, Nutritious, and good for pollinators! The perfect top off to my chia obsession would be a Baby Yoda Chia Pet. Oh wait… they have those too! And two different zombie chia pets as well. (I had mentioned the zombie apocalypse did I not?). Not a big fan of zombie movies (although Shaun of the Dead IS awesome), but from a food standpoint, apocalypse food prepping has a strangely fascinating aspect to me.
The pandemic with people hoarding toilet paper always made me chuckle, I’d rather horde Chia seeds, at least they are edible and multiuse. Somehow sautéed toilet paper with a nice garlicky marinara just doesn’t have the same appeal.
****Photo top right has a picture of Better Body Foods Chia seeds, this is not an official endorsement or paid product placement, merely the fact that I’ve tried a bunch of different brands since first falling in love with chia seeds and it’s the best one I’ve found so far out there. Plus from Amazon (sorry but no one local has it that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg) it’s more cost effective. I’ve apparently bought over 20 containers since March so that’s probably saying something, both about the product and the fact that I’m apparently chia crazy.