Egg substitute for brownie mix: 1/4 cup yogurt per egg
Ratios for every egg substitute that works in boxed brownie mix, from Greek yogurt and applesauce to mayonnaise and aquafaba, plus the two swaps that failed testing.
Use 1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt per egg. America's Test Kitchen ran seven substitutes through boxed brownie mix and yogurt won outright, with the tester unable to detect a difference from the egg version. Unsweetened applesauce at 1/4 cup per egg came second, and 3 tablespoons of mayonnaise also worked.
Every egg substitute for brownie mix, with ratios
| Substitute | Ratio | Best for | Watch out |
|---|---|---|---|
| Plain Greek yogurt (2%) | 1/4 cup per egg | Any boxed brownie mix | Use plain. Vanilla or fruit yogurt drags in sugar the mix already has. |
| Unsweetened applesauce | 1/4 cup per egg | Fudgy brownies, and cutting fat | Sweetened applesauce makes the brownies cloying. |
| Mayonnaise | 3 Tbsp per egg | Moist, tender brownies | ATK tested a full 1/4 cup and found it too greasy. Do not round up. |
| Mashed banana | 1/4 cup per egg | When you have overripe bananas | The banana flavor comes through. |
| Aquafaba (chickpea liquid) | 1/4 cup per egg | Vegan boxed brownies | Bakes up cakier than fudgy. |
| Flax egg | 1 Tbsp flax meal plus 3 Tbsp water | Vegan baking generally | Not one of the seven ATK put through brownie mix. |
| Nut butter | 3 Tbsp per egg | Nut-forward brownies | Also outside the ATK brownie test, though UW Extension names brownies as one of its best uses. |
| Vegetable oil | Skip it | Nothing | ATK's verdict on 1/4 cup per egg was "total grease bomb. 0/10. Would not recommend." |
| Sweetened condensed milk | Skip it | Nothing | A 1/4 cup dose turned the brownies cloyingly sweet on top of an already sweet mix. |
Aquafaba is the one dose worth a footnote. ATK and King Arthur Baking both pour 1/4 cup per egg, while University of Wisconsin Extension lists 3 tablespoons whipped. Two of the three tested it in baked goods, so 1/4 cup is the number to use.
How to swap the egg in brownie mix
- Read the box for the egg count and measure per egg. A two-egg mix takes 1/2 cup of yogurt, not 1/4 cup total.
- Whisk the substitute into the wet ingredients first, before any powder goes in. Yogurt and applesauce need a few seconds of work to smooth out.
- Add the dry mix and stir until no dry powder is left.
- Bake as the box says, then check early with a toothpick. High-moisture substitutes can run a little longer, so judge by a moist-crumb toothpick rather than the clock on the box.
What changes in the brownies when you swap the egg
Egg substitutes slide brownies along the fudgy-to-cakey axis. Purees push toward dense and fudgy, which is why yogurt and applesauce read as brownie-normal. Aquafaba goes the other direction and gives you a cakier square, and ATK was impressed with it anyway after going in skeptical.
Flavor is where the options separate. ATK's tester could not pick the yogurt version out of a lineup. The applesauce version kept its texture and the apple got buried under the chocolate. Banana is the swap that announces itself, so save it for a day when banana in a brownie sounds good to you.
When not to substitute the egg in brownie mix
Boxed mixes are formulated tightly. Swapping one egg is reliable. Replacing both eggs in a two-egg mix drifts further from the texture the box was built around, and King Arthur Baking says the same thing: the more eggs you replace, the more noticeably different the result. If the box wants two and you have one, use the real egg and substitute only the second.
Do not add extra oil to make up the missing egg. That was the single worst result in the ATK lineup.
Eggless brownie batter is still not safe to taste
Pulling the egg out of brownie mix does nothing for raw-batter safety. CDC says most flour is raw and untreated, that it can carry E. coli and Salmonella, and that those germs die only when the flour is baked or cooked. A boxed mix is mostly flour, so an eggless bowl is no more lickable than a regular one.
Related swaps beyond the egg in brownie mix
Cookies follow different rules from brownies, so check egg substitute for cookies before you carry these numbers over. If the yogurt tub is what you have on hand, substitute for sour cream in baking and can I use Greek yogurt instead of sour cream cover the other end of that swap, and there is a dairy-free substitute for sour cream guide for when yogurt is off the table. A missing cup of buttermilk has its own fix. For a fridge-door version of all of it, grab the printable ingredient substitution chart.
Egg substitute for brownie mix FAQ
What can I use instead of eggs in brownie mix?
1/4 cup of plain Greek yogurt per egg. It was the clear winner in America's Test Kitchen's boxed-mix testing, and the tester could not detect a difference from the egg version.
How much applesauce replaces an egg in brownies?
1/4 cup of unsweetened applesauce per egg. ATK found the texture held and the apple flavor was masked by the chocolate. Sweetened applesauce pushes an already sweet mix over the line. Only need a little? See can you freeze applesauce.
Does mayonnaise work in brownie mix?
Yes, at 3 tablespoons per egg. ATK called the result moist and tender. A full 1/4 cup tested too greasy, so measure the tablespoons.
Can I add extra oil to the brownie mix instead of the egg?
No. ATK rated 1/4 cup of vegetable oil per egg a "total grease bomb, 0/10", the worst result in the whole lineup.
Can I eat eggless brownie batter?
No. Raw flour carries E. coli and Salmonella risk whether or not there is an egg in the bowl, and only baking kills those germs.
Bake brownie mix with what you already have
Well Stockd tracks what is in your kitchen, and its substitution engine suggests swaps from your own shelves when a recipe calls for something you are out of. Frozen and canned forms count, and you can reject any swap you do not want it to offer again. For the shelf-life half of that, see the app to track food expiration dates and the best pantry inventory app guides.
Sources: America's Test Kitchen, King Arthur Baking, University of Wisconsin-Madison Division of Extension, CDC.
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