How to Substitute Egg Whites for Eggs in Baking

All of an egg's cholesterol is in the yolk.

A single large chicken egg contains approximately 213 mg of cholesterol -- more than two-thirds of your recommended daily maximum intake of 300 mg, according to the Mayo Clinic. This can be a problem if you are trying to limit your cholesterol intake but are an avid baker, as many baked goods include eggs. Fortunately, you can get around this limitation; all of an egg's cholesterol is contained in the yolk, leaving the whites cholesterol free. Substitute egg whites for whole eggs in baking to dramatically lower the cholesterol in a recipe.

Things You'll Need

• Bowl

Instructions

1. Count the total number of eggs in the recipe you wish to make, then double this number. This is the total number of egg whites you will need to include in the recipe. For example, if a recipe calls for four eggs, you would need to double this to eight egg whites.

2. Crack an egg sharply on the side of a bowl, then break it in half, holding it upright to catch the yolk in one half. Do this over the bowl to catch the egg whites.

3. Gently pour the yolk back and forth between the two shell halves until most of the white has fallen into the bowl. Discard or set aside the yolk and shells.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until you have the necessary number of egg whites.

5. Add the egg whites to the recipe as you would have added the yolks, and cook as normal.

Tips & Warnings

• If you are extremely concerned about not including any yolk in the recipe, separate the white into a cup, then pour it from the cup into the bowl. Repeat this process with each egg. This way, if you accidentally drip a little bit of the yolk into the cup, it will only contaminate the white from that egg rather than all of the whites you have previously separated.

• Consider adding 1 tsp. of oil to the recipe for each whole egg you replace with egg whites. This will help make the final product moist and tender, as the substitution of egg whites for whole eggs can lead to dryness.

References

• Mayo Clinic: High Cholesterol: Are Chicken Eggs Good or Bad for My Cholesterol?
• tasteofhome: Eggs, Egg Whites, Egg Substitute: Which Do I Use to Be Healthier?
• The Cook's Thesaurus: Eggs

Resources

• SELFNutritionData: Egg, Whole, Raw, Fresh