How to Stretch Eggs in Cooking and Baking, According to an Expert

You probably don’t need me to tell you that eggs have gotten significantly more expensive recently, up to an average of about $8 per dozen. Experts say the steep prices are due to widespread avian influenza, inflation, and labor shortages. Even at $8 a dozen, eggs are still competitive price-wise with chicken, pork, and beef (a dozen eggs is 1 ½ pounds of food), it sure can induce sticker shock at the grocery store. 

With the price of eggs so high (if you can even find them—shortages have been reported), you might be wondering how to stretch the eggs you do have in your cooking and baking. I spoke to Lisa Steele, a fifth-generation chicken keeper and author of The Fresh Eggs Daily Cookbook. She shared some clever tips for making eggs go further in your cooking and baking without omitting them altogether or sacrificing flavor. “Using them wisely can make a big difference,” she says.

Stretching Eggs in Scrambles and Omelets

Instead of giving up your morning scrambled eggs and toast, make just one or two eggs go further, says Steele. “Remember that each egg equals about three tablespoons of volume. So instead of scrambling two eggs, go halfsies with a rich, thick dairy product like cottage cheese, ricotta, or cream cheese.” The method couldn’t be simpler: whisk together one egg and three tablespoons dairy, season, and cook as usual. “Just make sure the dairy you add is thick; three tablespoons of milk or heavy cream would make the eggs too runny,” Steele notes.

Another way to use fewer eggs, but still end up with the same amount of scrambled egg or omelet, is to bulk up the dish with veggies. “By adding cooked veggies, really whatever bits you have in your fridge, you can make a rounded meal with one egg instead of two,” Steele says. Saving money and eating more vegetables? That’s a win-win.

Another trick? Steele suggests an arm workout. “If you whisk those eggs really well, you’re going to beat a lot more air in to them. There will be more volume, so it’s going to feel like more eggs.” This can be a smart strategy if the eggs you’re serving will be feeding a crowd as part of a larger spread.

Stretching Eggs in Baking

Eggs are multitaskers in simple baking recipes like quick breads, cakes, and cookies. They add moisture, bind ingredients together (thanks to the protein in the white), and contribute richness (courtesy of the yolk). So while you can try replacing all of the eggs in a recipe, the structure and texture of your finished product will likely be better if you only replace some of them.

One strategy is to use applesauce, mashed banana, or mashed avocado for some of the eggs, suggests Steele. “In baking, the general rule is to use a quarter cup of these mashes in the place of one egg. Obviously, make sure your flavors won’t clash.” The fruit may make your baked good denser, but it will stand in for the moisture eggs bring, and you’ll still have some binding power from the eggs you’re still using. You could also try a flax egg or chia egg instead of the fruit mash. 

These partial substitutions work best in baking recipes that don’t rely on eggs for lift or volume. If you have your eye on a flourless chocolate cake or pavlova, either bite the bullet and use the required amount of eggs, or choose a less egg-centric recipe.

Many a pie, biscuit, or scone recipe includes an egg wash—an egg whisked together with water— that is brushed on the dough before baking to add color and shine. “That always feels wasteful, but especially now,” says Steele. “You end up throwing most of the egg away.” Instead, try brushing the dough with heavy cream. “It’s still going to give you that golden color, and you don’t have to waste an egg.”

How to Make Eggs Last Longer

If you’re working through your eggs more slowly, that likely means you’ll have some hanging out in your fridge for longer than usual. The good news is that, properly stored, eggs can last a long time, says Steele.

“When you get the eggs home, be sure to store them pointy side down,” says Steele. This helps protect the yolk from any bacteria that might be in the air sack that forms over time in the blunt (rounded) end of the egg. 

Like on most foods, you can ignore the expiration date on the package, but do try to choose the freshest eggs possible so you have the longest lead time. You can tell when the eggs were packed by looking for the three-digit Julian code on the package, usually near the sell-by date. That Julian code represents a day of the year; “001” means January 1st, “060” is March 1st, and “365” means December 31. So choose the most recent number when possible. According to the USDA, you can store eggs for up to five weeks, but Steels says that’s probably a conservative estimate. 

You can also freeze eggs. Whisk whole eggs together and freeze them individually or in two- or four-egg portions, depending on how you usually use eggs. Defrost them in the refrigerator overnight and use them for omelets, frittatas, scrambles, or baking.