Brownies are a crowd pleaser no matter the event! Whether you’re baking them for dessert, afternoon tea, or an indulgent snack, they’re sure to impress.
If you’re in a situation where you need to make eggless brownies, you’ve come to the right place.
In this article, I will provide you with a step-by-step guide on how to make brownies without eggs and the purpose of eggs in baking. So, next time you’re catering for an allergy or don’t have any eggs in the pantry, you’re covered!
Keep reading to find out more.
What Is The Purpose Of Eggs In Baking?
Eggs play an important role in traditional baked goods and are a highly versatile ingredient. The purpose of eggs in baking can vary, depending on what you are trying to achieve for a specific recipe.
Eggs can be used as binding and leavening agents in many different recipes. Since the majority of the egg is made out of water, eggs can also provide moisture to a variety of baked goods.
That being said, if eggs aren’t properly measured, you may end up with a dry, chewy, or tough texture.
When used correctly, eggs contribute hugely to baked goods. They can make recipes more tender, in turn creating light textures and delicate crumbs that all contribute to making baked goods so irresistible!
In the context of this article, one of the main purposes of eggs in brownies is to add moisture to the recipe.
If a recipe doesn’t have enough moisture it can result in a crumbly, dry brownie that will make you wonder why you bothered.
In addition to this, eggs are a leavening agent and provide air so that your brownies will rise and have a beautiful texture.
This doesn’t mean to say that you can’t make brownies without eggs, though.
Whether you’re vegan, have an allergy, or simply don’t have eggs at home, there are a variety of ingredients that can perform the same role as eggs. Some common replacements for eggs in a brownie recipe are yogurt or buttermilk.
Another common replacement is aquafaba, or the liquid leftover from cooked chickpeas. When whipped, aquafaba rises and thickens into a big, white, foamy mass that is very similar in appearance and texture to meringue.
What Is The Role Of Egg Yolk?
Egg yolks make up about a third of the egg and provide shortening and tenderizing properties to various different dishes.
This adds depth as well as a great amount of richness due to the fat content and also provides a lot of color to a recipe. The fat gives baked goods extra-rich flavor and a velvety texture.
Egg yolks also have the ability to bind liquids and fats together, creating an emulsion that prevents them from separating.
However, egg yolks are significantly higher in calories when compared to egg whites.
What Is The Role Of Egg Whites?
Egg whites contain 86% water, with most of the volume of egg and is much lower in calories when compared to egg yolks.
The fascinating thing about egg whites is that they can expand up to eight times their volume, making them a fundamental ingredient to recipes such as meringues and soufflés.
However, over-whipped whites can quickly become clumpy, grainy, and difficult to fold into your batter. In addition to this, using too many whites in a batter can result in a dry final product.
How To Make Brownies Without Eggs
Catering for someone with an egg allergy is made easy with this fudgy eggless brownie recipe!
Equipment That You’ll Need
- Two mixing bowls
- A saucepan
- A balloon whisk
- An 8-inch square baking pan
Ingredients
- 85 gms butter, at room temperature, cut into pieces (6 tbsps)
- 150 gms dark cooking chocolate, 70% to 75%, finely chopped
- 1 cup caster sugar
- 1/3 cup freshly boiled water (70 ml)
- 1/4 cup cocoa powder
- 1/4 cup thick, plain yoghurt or curd
- 3/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 tbsps cornflour/cornstarch
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 tsp salt if using unsalted butter
Instructions
Step One
To begin this recipe, you will need to preheat the oven to 347°F. Next, you need to prepare your 8-inch square baking pan by lining it with non-stick baking paper. Make sure that you leave a little overhang so it is easier to remove once the brownies are baked.
Step Two
Add the chocolate, butter, and cocoa to a heat-proof bowl. Add water to a saucepan and place on a high heat until the water is simmering.
Add the bowl of chocolate on top of the saucepan, making sure that the bowl isn’t touching the water.
Stir the contents until it is melted and well-combined. If there are still a few small lumps of chocolate, remove the bowl from the heat and stir to melt them completely. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.
Step Three
Combine the sugar and hot water together in a bowl and use a balloon whisk to whisk the mixture until all of the sugar has dissolved.
Step Four
Next, you will need to add the vanilla extract to the sugar mixture and stir, before pouring in the melted chocolate mixture. Combine with your balloon whisk until you have a smooth mixture.
Step Five
Once combined, you will need to add in the yogurt to the mixture and stir until well combined. Following this, you will need to sift the flour, salt and cornstarch and add it to the mixture.
Step Six
Fold in the dry ingredients slowly and combine until you are left with a thick, smooth batter. Make sure that you use the balloon whisk for this part to ensure that there are no lumps of flour throughout the batter.
Step Seven
Once the batter is well combined, it’s time to add the brownie batter to your prepared baking pan. Smooth the top with a spoon to make sure that it is evenly distributed throughout the pan.
Step Eight
Place your brownies into your preheated oven and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. You will need to wait until you see a crust has formed on top and a toothpick poked in the center comes out with moist crumbs but no wet batter.
Note: These cooking times could vary depending on the type of oven that you have. There is a fine line between cooking and overcooking these brownies.
When timing these brownies in the oven, remember that you’re aiming for a fudgy texture. For this reason, it’s important that you do not bake your brownies until the toothpick is completely clean.
If you overcook the brownies for this long, the result will be dry and over-baked.
Step Nine
Allow the brownies to completely cool before you lift them out of the baking pan with the overhang of baking paper.
Step Ten
Slice the brownies into 16 equal pieces, wiping the knife down after every cut to ensure a sharp edge on each slice.
You can keep these brownies at room temperature in an airtight container for 4 to 5 days. Alternatively, if you want your brownies to last that bit longer, you can extend their life by storing them in the refrigerator for about 10 days!
The great thing about keeping them in the refrigerator is that they will also be extra fudgy in texture when it comes to eating them!
Notes When Making Eggless Brownies
- One of the most important factors to this recipe is the rich, deep, chocolatey flavor. Make sure that you use good quality dark chocolate for this recipe. The key is to use a bar that has minimal ingredients. Both 70% or 75% dark chocolate work well in this recipe, as the brownies aren’t too sweet or too bitter in flavor. The result of using dark chocolate is the perfect balance of super rich and indulgent brownies that aren’t too sickly.
- This recipe can become dry if you’re not measuring out the dry ingredients properly. When it comes to measuring a dry ingredient like flour, you will need to add it into the measuring cup carefully, spoon by spoon, without shaking the cup. Always make sure that you level it off before adding it to the brownie mixture. After all, they say that baking is a science!
- While you can stir in chocolate chips in the batter if you like, it isn’t recommended that you swap chocolate chips for the melted chocolate. You want the batter to be smooth and silky, and making this recipe without the melted chocolate can change the texture of the batter and brownies completely!
- Brownie recipes typically don’t call for baking powder or baking soda, which is what gives them their fudgy texture. You might be tempted to add a dash of baking powder for some lift in this recipe, but it isn’t necessary. Try baking them first, and you can alter as you wish for the next batch should you deem it appropriate!
In Summary
You can make brownies without egg as long as you use an egg substitute such as yogurt. This will provide your recipe with the binding agent and moisture that it needs for a truly indulgent, fudgy result all of your guests will be impressed by.
When making brownies without eggs, you won’t have the richness from the eggs. As a result, you will need to make sure that you opt for a good quality dark chocolate to provide the rich chocolatey flavor that we all know and love so well about brownies.
Have fun and happy baking!
