Can you substitute egg whites for whole eggs when baking?

Answer 1

It is not a good idea to substitute whole eggs for egg whites when baking! If you think about it, you will realize that it will change the entire consistency of your mix when you do that. If the recipe has called for egg whites, very probably it also says that the egg whites should be whipped until frothy, then folded into the batter.

You cannot do that with the egg yolks present. The whole purpose of using egg whites ONLY is to make the batter light and fluffy. Egg yolks are more heavy, and cannot be whipped into a light, frothy consistency.

{if the recipe does not state to beat the egg whites separately, it may be ok to substitute whole eggs, especially in recipes for cookies or brownies. In some of these recipes the whites only are used to reduce the fat and cholesterol content; in these cases, it's perfectly fine to substitute whole eggs, using 1 whole egg for every 2 whites called for.}

Always try to follow the recipe EXACTLY. Changes and substitutions are always possible, but you need to learn when you can substitute an item. Sometimes you simply cannot make substitutions and still make what you want. If you want to make a nice, light, low-calorie salad for lunch, but you find that you do not have any lettuce, you cannot have a salad because there is no substitute for the lettuce! (Unless you happen to have other greens in the lettuce family, such as endive, spinach, radiccio, etc.)

Substitute 2 egg whites for each whole egg. This substitution may make baked goods less tender. To compensate, try adding 1 teaspoon of oil per egg called for in recipe.

This is just fine for cooking or baking cookies/cakes. When it comes for recipes where you have to whip the egg white, this would not be suitable. Otherwise, this substitution is just fine.

Answer 2

Actually you can't. It will change the consistancy. Making the baking time different.

ya you can do it but we have to ba careful as sometimes it can change the baking time.

aimee-

i do that all the time and nothing happens it actually comes out better

~ Yes you can depending on what you're making. If you are making something where is is absolutely necessary that you have egg whites, such as a meringue or angel food cake, the substitutution won't work. But if you're using whole eggs to substitute for whites in say, a brownie or sauce recipe, it will work. Again, it depends on the recipe and what you are trying to accomplish.