Good morning. Did you know that 76% of home bakers have abandoned a recipe halfway through because they were missing an ingredient? We've all been there - staring at a recipe that calls for buttermilk or cake flour when all you have is regular milk and all-purpose flour.
In today's newsletter:
Substituting Eggs: Specifically, how to substitute them in cookies
Science Corner: Why flaxseed gel works better than applesauce in cookies
Community Crossword
🔍 Looking for a specific substitution? Try our quick-search tool to find exactly what you need in seconds.
What's happening with baking
If you've been shopping for eggs lately, you might have noticed that they're costing a pretty penny. In 2025, egg prices have shot up, and it's leaving a lot of us scratching our heads. So, what’s behind these crazy prices? A mix of new tariffs, bird flu outbreaks, and general inflation is to blame.
Sally from Sally's Baking Addiction made these fantastic breakfast cookies. And yes, you didn't know you needed it until now.
We've been obsessed with these chocolates after our friend brought some kinder chocolate from Dubai. You've got to try this recipe.
This Week's Featured Substitution:
Eggs in Cookies
It is really hard to get egg substitutions right. There are so many fails, there are even subreddits dedicated to people not using eggs correctly! To make sure we don't end up like them, let's go over some basic options on how to replace eggs in your recipes.
Best options for structure and binding:
1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons water (let sit for 5 minutes)
¼ cup unsweetened applesauce + ¼ teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons aquafaba (the liquid from canned chickpeas)
The Science Behind It: Eggs provide structure, moisture, and binding in cookies. Flaxseed creates a similar gel-like consistency, while applesauce adds moisture but needs extra leavening. Aquafaba has proteins that mimic egg whites' structure-building properties.
Pro Tip: Different substitutes will affect texture differently! Flaxseed creates a chewier cookie, while applesauce makes them softer and cake-like.
When you're ready, here's how we can help:
Check out our glossary - Brush up on your baking terms. It's a great companion to the guide.
Sponsor this newsletter - Get in front of 500+ passionate home bakers.
Explore our ingredients - Check out our extensive list of ingredients and substitutions, packed with history and nutritional information.
Join the community - Got questions about substitutions? Post on our subreddit, and I'll do my best to answer your questions as quickly as I can
See You in the Next One!
Have a substitution you want us to cover? Have you seen any amazing recipes that use substitutions recently? Send them all our way, and we might include them in an upcoming newsletter!
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