What Are Vegan Eggs? How They're Made & What They Taste Like

Vegan eggs are much like your usual chicken or duck eggs - except they’re totally animal-free! Whenever we talk about plant-based eggs, people often jump to the conclusion that they can’t be better than your usual.

Especially when talking to those unfamiliar with the vegan lifestyle, plant-based alternatives like eggs have gotten quite a bad reputation. Firstly for being bland and having no taste. The second is that they’re “yucky” and have an off-putting texture. The next argument is that plant-based eggs aren’t as versatile as when you’re using chicken eggs. The last point non-vegans usually mention is that vegan eggs aren’t healthy at all.

At this point, regular folks are left wondering if vegan eggs are actually good. And we’re here to stand up for them and say that they are! We’ve come a long way when it comes to egg replacers. As the years went by, we and the other people in the community have been educating ourselves about the many reasons why vegan eggs are wonderful!

What Are Vegan Eggs?

Let’s start off by quickly summarizing what vegan eggs are. They are alternatives for any eggs laid by animals. They are completely free from any animal-based ingredients. They come in a wide variety of textures, flavors, or use cases. We’ll expand on this as we go along. 

What Are Vegan Eggs Made Of?

To achieve all that eggy flavor and texture, there are usual ingredients often used to make a batch of vegan eggs. What are vegan eggs made from and what is egg replacer made of usually? Here are the most common.

Soy or Tofu

Probably the most popular egg alternative for cooking, tofu is known to match all the textures of a good scrambled egg. You and other non-vegans may have heard of a tofu scramble at this point. That’s indicative of how tofu has become quite a popular eggy ingredient!

Tofu also has the ability to soak up sauces and seasonings that you add to it, making it easier to match the flavor of eggs. 

Chia and Flax Seeds

Home cooks are likely familiar with these already. Chia seeds and flax seeds have become popular egg replacers for at-home cooking. They take little time to prepare and they are wonderful as combining agents and replacements for eggs in baking recipes.

For us, chia and flax seeds remind us of raw eggs with their gloopy texture. Think egg whites!

Aquafaba

Also known as chickpea water, aquafaba is a versatile substitute for eggs. When you’ve got a can of chickpeas, don’t throw out the water they come in. Save it. A couple of tablespoons or so will already be equivalent to one egg. Vegan bakers know just how precious aquafaba is!

Chickpea water can be used to simply replace egg whites or even whole eggs.

Check Out - Vegan Baking Substitutes - How To Replace Eggs, Milk & Butter in Your Recipe

Are Vegan Eggs Healthy?

We’ll get right into it. Nutritionally, vegan eggs and animal eggs won’t be exactly the same. You won’t get the same amount of protein, vitamins, and minerals. That’s not to say that it doesn’t have these nutrients - in fact, vegan eggs do. There’s just no alternative that gives you the same nutritional value - but some are close!

Not having the same nutritional content can be a good thing in certain instances. Vegan eggs are practically cholesterol-free! That’s not the case for the usual chicken egg. Folks with high cholesterol levels will be happy to make the switch to plant-based with this kind of benefit. That’s for sure.

A serving of vegan eggs also packs fewer calories than a regular egg. By adding some to your diet, you can still feel full without adding too many calories! It’s worth noting that some vegan eggs in the market do contain a tad more sodium than regular eggs. That’s likely a result of trying to make them taste so close to regular eggs.

We can still strongly end this segment by saying that we think vegan eggs are healthy and great! We wouldn’t think twice about having them for breakfast.

What Do Vegan Eggs Taste Like?

If you’re buying ready-to-cook or heat-and-eat vegan eggs, brands have taken the time and effort to make them taste like your usual order of eggs. Scrambled eggs look and taste like the real deal. You can even find plant-based eggs that resemble sunny-side-up or hard-boiled eggs! There’s no thinking twice when you purchase vegan eggs from top brands. They've done the work for you!

If you’re making your own egg replacers at home, then there’s more versatility taste-wise. You can have yours a little less salty if you’d like. Your homemade versions may not be the same as the ones you can get from the store. But if you don’t mind, go for it! 

Also Read - Top 7 Vegan Egg Substitutes For Baking

Egg-Citing Choices Right Here

When you’re ready to jump on the vegan egg train, no place is better than Vegan Essentials. After all, you get a clear view of all the vegan eggs and egg replacers we have and choose which one you like best!