In baked goods, eggs are usually used for leavening, or lightness, and to act as a binder. In some recipes, eggs are beaten or whipped, incorporating air into the product and decreasing the product's density. The type of baked good determines whether you can leave out the egg entirely, or whether you need to replace it with another ingredient to perform the function of the egg in the original recipe.

If you omit the eggs in a recipe and don't replace them, you might want to add a tablespoon or two of additional liquid — soymilk, fruit juice, water, and so on — for each egg omitted, just to help the product retain its original moisture content.

In baked goods that are light and have a fluffy texture, you'll want to replace eggs with an ingredient that provides some lift. Try any of the following to replace one whole egg in a recipe:

• 1/2 ripe mashed banana: This works well in recipes in which you wouldn't mind a banana flavor, including muffins, cookies, pancakes, and quick breads.
• 1/4 cup any kind of tofu, blended with the liquid ingredients in the recipe: If you use light tofu, you'll reduce the fat and calories in the finished product.
• 1-1/2 teaspoon commercial vegetarian egg replacer, such as EnerG Egg Replacer, mixed with 2 tablespoons water: This product is a combination of vegetable starches and works wonderfully in virtually any recipe that calls for eggs. Natural foods stores usually sell this by the 1 pound box.
• 1/4 cup applesauce, canned pumpkin or squash, or pureed prunes: These fruit or vegetable purees may add a hint of flavor to foods. If you want a lighter product, also add an extra 1/2 teaspoon of baking powder to the recipe because using fruit purees to replace eggs can make the finished product somewhat denser than the original recipe.
• 1 heaping tablespoon soy flour or bean flour mixed with 1 tablespoon water: This thickens and adds lift.
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch beaten with 2 tablespoons water: This also thickens and adds some lift.
• 1 tablespoon finely ground flax seeds whipped with 1/4 cup water: This also thickens and adds some lift.