Re-thinking eggs.

Chickens are remarkably clever and social animals, and just like the dogs and cats we share our homes with, each one of them has a distinct personality. Like any animal, they deserve a life free from cruelty.

To meet the consumer demand for eggs, the egg industry still confines laying hens to cruel battery cages, and sentences millions of unwanted chicks to death each year on the very first day of their lives. By choosing to eat kindly, you can help transform their world.

Hens and their chicks sadly suffer in all egg systems.

When a layer hen’s exhausted body slows in egg production, she is considered ‘spent’ and sent to slaughter. To replace ‘spent’ hens, millions of chicks are hatched yearly, of which roughly half are male chicks who are considered economically ‘worthless’ to the egg industry. They aren’t the same breed of chicken used for meat, and they will never lay eggs, so they are killed by maceration or gassing soon after hatching. Sadly, male chicks are discarded in all ‘production systems’; cage, barn or free range.

Hens are naturally doting mothers; when given the chance to raise their chicks, they’ll even start communicating with them while they’re still in the egg, so when they hatch, they’ll already recognise her. The female chicks bred into the egg industry are raised to be used as nothing more than egg-laying machines – they lay eggs day after day, but never get to nurture their young.

Millions of these female hens will live short lives of deprivation in the cage egg industry, confined with less space per bird than one A4-sized piece of paper, unable to even stretch their wings.

This industrial-scale system has been designed to meet the consumer demand for eggs and products that use egg as an ingredient. Fortunately, this means the power is in our hands to reduce that demand, and ultimately change the system.

Of course! Egg-free cooking is simple and delicious, and you can still enjoy everything from cupcakes and pancakes, to breakfast scrambles and quiche.

After some inspiration for egg-free recipes? Here are nine of our favourites that are not only tasty, but also kinder to hens and chicks…

To be honest, it’s easy to find recipes for egg-free cupcakes online nowadays, but we’re putting this chai-spiced raspberry one front and centre because it’s our go-to recipe for a soft, fluffy little cake-in-a-cup with a bit more pizzazz than your classic chocolate or vanilla variety.

This is perhaps one of the more surprising treats to make our list – because if you’ve never heard of aquafaba, you may not realise there’s another way to achieve that crunchy, airy, whipped sweetness we associate with meringues and pavlovas. Gone are the days of beating eggs, and so begin your days of saving chickpea water (a.k.a, aquafaba). There’s a reason this obscure egg-alternative seemed to take the internet by storm a few years ago – as this fun and simple recipe demonstrates, the resulting treat is indistinguishable from its egg-borne counterpart.

A lot of egg-free pancake recipes simply omit the eggs from your ‘standard’ recipe, and honestly? You’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference. This recipe incorporates a touch of cornflour to give them a hint of crumbly cakey-ness. If you can get your hands on a commercially-produced ‘egg replacer’ product, give these spiced pumpkin pancakes a go, too!

This banana bread is a crowd favourite, always. It calls for a couple tablespoons of ground flaxseed, which is a popular way to help bind your egg-free baked goods – but full disclosure, we can confirm this recipe is just as big a hit with friends and family when that little ingredient is forgotten!

A sinfully rich, fudgy chocolate cake like this will have you questioning whether it was all a big hoax that we ever needed eggs for baking! If you’re looking for a healthy cake, well, this is not it. But if you’re looking to treat yourself to something decadent or send shockwaves through the birthday party, this is it.

A savoury muffin might be just what you need for a quick bite in the morning or a little afternoon pick-me-up. This one calls for precisely zero eggs, and tastes like a warm Italian summer day, herbed and salted to perfection.

Another morning classic that doesn’t need the eggs – this artichoke and olive quiche is heartier than its eggy counterpart, using beans and cashews to make it rich and nutritious, while leeks and spring onions infuse it with savoury flavours that will insist you reach for seconds.

For many people, it’s the classic eggs-on-toast meal that they can’t imagine living without. But we have many a kitchen experimenter to thank for the invention of the now ubiquitous tofu scramble. The texture of tofu, gently crumbled, perfectly mimics the feel of scrambled eggs. And there’s a lot more room to play with different flavours when you’re working with a blank slate like tofu – start with this basic spinach scramble, and then try mixing it up with other spice combos or your favourite sauces.

Ever heard the expression, “you eat with your eyes first”? It’s incredible the tricks we can play on our own minds just by simulating particular smells and visuals. Similarly to how you can add liquid smoke to a veggie burger to give it that hot-off-the-grill taste, you can also simulate the experience of a fried egg by making tofu and sauce look and feel like a fried egg… If it sounds far-fetched, just try this sausage and egg ‘mock muffin’ recipe and see for yourself!

Sometimes, you’ll just want to make a familiar dish—and you can still do so with tried-and-tested egg substitutes. The internet is your friend here, and whatever you may be craving has probably already been made egg-free!

For a quick, no-fuss egg substitute, look for ready-to-make packet egg-replacers in major supermarkets, specialty shops, or online, or you can whip up your own.

Here are the most tried and tested swaps for baking:

What’s aquafaba? This magical ingredient can be used to make many things, including fluffy, melt-in-your-mouth meringues – learn more about aquafaba here.

This is just the tip of the iceberg! For tips, inspiration, and recipes on making animal-friendly food choices, visit VegKit.com or order your free Veg Starter Kit today.