Apple pie has been a staple in American cuisine for many years. The sweet dessert has brought comfort to thousands of people for generations.
However, some people have dietary restrictions that make eating apple pie almost impossible. At this point, you may be scouring the web for a recipe for apple pie without eggs.
If that’s the case, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s dive into how to make the classic dessert with a few substitutions.
Eggs in Apple Pies
To make a classic apple pie, we have to make dough for the base. Traditionally, this mixture consists of flour, sugar, salad, butter, a dash of water, and eggs.
Every one of these components is crucial to making a flaky, golden-brown crust.
As you can tell by this basic recipe, the majority of the elements are dry ingredients. This makes for a particularly crispy pastry.
However, to make sure all the components form a solid base, we need to add a little moisture. That’s where the eggs and butter come into play.
These help the dough stick together and give it a soft, pillowy consistency. This will allow you to shape the pastry, roll it out, and fit it perfectly into a mold.
Achieving the right consistency will also mean you can fill the dough without it going soggy.
On top of that, we use an egg wash on the pie before we place it in the oven. This will give the flaky crust the golden-brown hue that we want.
Plus, the egg wash will add the slightest bit of gloss, which makes any pie look almost too good to eat.
Egg Components
In order to understand how eggs play their role in apple pie dough, it’s a good idea to look at its components.
Believe it or not, the majority of an egg consists of water. It forms about 75% of the total weight and helps keep the yolk safe.
Other than that, eggs contain proteins, lipids and carbohydrates.
The proteins are the main binding agent in the recipe. They attach themselves to the flour particles and hold them together.
This will create a dough that can maintain its shape and doesn’t crumble as soon as you touch it.
Moving on, lipids will make the pastry a lot more pliable. Because of that, you’ll have a much easier time rolling it out and cutting it to size.
In addition, the combination of proteins and lipids will produce a compact dough. That means the crust won’t create giant air pockets as it bakes in the oven.
This should also reduce the chances of your dough shrinking as it cooks.
Finally, we add eggs to recipes because they can hold on to water particles. This makes for a much more moist crust.
Baking Apple Pies Without Eggs
Now that you know why we use eggs, we can take a look at some of the substitutes you can use.
However, before you break out the food processor, there are a couple of considerations to make.
For starters, you need to take the consistency of the dough into account. That means you can’t just add water in place of the eggs.
Other than that, we have to think about the taste. While eggs don’t add a burst flavor, they still play a key role in balancing out the ingredients of the dough.
So, without further ado, let’s jump straight into what you can use in an apple pie instead of eggs.
1 – Vinegar and Baking Soda
If the recipe you’re using calls for one egg, you may want to try substituting it with vinegar and baking soda.
The mixture will create a binding agent that has a similar consistency to that of an egg.
Here’s an example of what this recipe may look like:
- 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
- 14 tablespoons of cold, diced butter
- 4 teaspoons of sugar
- A pinch of salt
- 1 teaspoon of baking soda
- 1 tablespoon of vinegar
Combine the vinegar and baking soda first, before adding the rest of the ingredients.
This swap will only work if the recipe calls for one egg. Otherwise, the vinegar will throw off the moisture balance in the dough.
On top of that, the extra acidity may make for an unpleasant aftertaste.
2 – Silken Tofu
Not many people are familiar with silken tofu. It’s similar to normal tofu, but we make it with uncurdled milk.
This gives the ingredient a much smoother texture.
Because of the high protein content of tofu, it can behave similarly to eggs. Although, it has a thicker consistency. So, you may need to add a little extra water.
An example recipe may look like this:
- 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
- 14 tablespoons of cold, diced butter
- 4 teaspoons of sugar
- A pinch of salt
- ¼ cup of silken tofu
- 2-3 tablespoons of water
Once you take the tofu out of the container, place it in your blender. Then, turn on the gadget at the lowest speed setting possible.
While the blender is running, slowly drizzle a tablespoon of water. Keep doing that until the tofu turns into a smooth liquid, similar to a milkshake.
Finally, add the rest of the ingredients and mix the dough thoroughly.
It’s important to note that this may result in a dense crust. So, if you’re after a flaky, tender pie, this isn’t the best substitute.
3 – Ripe Banana
To keep the fruit theme going, you can exchange eggs for ripe bananas. Not only will they bring the dough together, they also make for an incredibly moist crust.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 2 ½ cups of all-purpose flour
- 14 tablespoons of cold, diced butter
- 4 teaspoons of sugar
- A pinch of salt
- ¼ cup of mashed ripe banana
Before you add the banana to the recipe, make sure you mash it really well. You want to get rid of any lumps to ensure you get a smooth dough.
This will produce a silky mixture that you can roll out.
The only downside to this substitution is the flavor. If you’re not a huge fan of the fruit, then this recipe may not be for you.
Final Thoughts
If you’re trying to figure out how to make apple pie without eggs, there are a couple of factors to consider. These include texture and flavor.
With a basic apple pie, you can substitute eggs with quite a few ingredients.
For example, you can try a mixture of vinegar and baking soda, silken tofu, or ripe banana. With this information in mind, you’re ready to head to the kitchen and get to baking.
Sarah is the founder of Baking Kneads, LLC, a blog sharing guides, tips, and recipes for those learning how to bake. Growing up as the daughter of a baker, she spent much of her childhood learning the basics in a local bakery.