The 8 Best Egg Wash Substitutes to Use for Pie Crusts, Pastries, and More

Whether you’re a beginner or an expert in the kitchen, you’ve probably used an egg wash in a recipe. It is used for everything from getting a shiny, crackly pie crust to adhering breadcrumbs to chicken cutlets. If you’ve run out of eggs, don't eat eggs, or simply don’t want to crack a whole one just to have most of it go to waste, there are a variety of egg wash substitutes that make seamless swaps. Kierin Baldwin, a chef-instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education, shared her favorite egg wash substitutes, including dairy and plant-based options you may not have considered.

What Is Egg Wash?

Simply put, egg wash is made by whisking whole eggs until they are smooth and thoroughly mixed. Sometimes, the wash is thinned out with water or milk, but it really just depends on how you’ll use it. Egg wash has many uses, but the most common is to promote browning and help things stick together. 

You’re probably most familiar with egg wash in the context of pie dough. It’s often used to brush over the tops of lattice pie crusts, pastries, and loaves of bread. Not only does the protein from the egg help the dish develop a golden brown color on top, but it’s also convenient to use when you want to sprinkle the top with something like sugar, nuts, or seeds. The moisture from the egg wash makes little bits of just about anything stick to the surface–that’s how sparkly sugar-topped pies and seedy everything-crusted bagels are made. 

In a similar sense, egg wash is often used when setting up a breading station. Flour, egg wash, and breadcrumbs are the three main components, and the egg is responsible for making sure the breadcrumbs stick evenly to whatever it is that you’re breading.

Water

Sometimes the simplest solutions are the best ones. Case in point: water. Very few of these substitutes are a perfect swap for everything egg wash is used for, but this ordinary ingredient will do in a pinch for one thing in particular. “For just sticking together doughs that I need to adhere before baking, often just plain water will do the trick since usually just wetting the dough will make it tacky enough to stick to itself,” says Baldwin.

Milk

Milk will work anywhere water does, according to Baldwin. It can also be used to brush on top of breads like classic sandwich bread or Japanese milk bread. “If you want a bit more browning and shine, you can dissolve a bit of honey or granulated sugar into the liquid,” says Baldwin. Milk won’t brown quite as well as standard egg wash, but with some added sugar, it will begin to caramelize on the top of the dough or pastry.

Heavy Cream

Heavy cream is Baldwin’s favorite egg wash substitute. In fact, she is proud to say that she actually prefers it over egg wash for most things. It can be used across the board for any application, and she prefers it for any item that will bake for a long time, such as pie. “Heavy cream will create browning of the pastry itself by promoting a Maillard reaction (otherwise known as caramelization) on the surface of the dough rather than being a separate layer of egg that cooks faster than the pastry).

Yogurt

Yogurt, whether you use a regular spread or the thicker, creamier Greek version, is ideal to use in place of egg wash for breading. “I use yogurt for breading because it has protein in it and will always help the breading adhere without fail,” says Baldwin. Just take a pastry brush and brush a light coating of yogurt over the seasoned food before tossing it in breadcrumbs.

Plant-Based Milk

Vegan milk alternatives are easily accessible these days and work just as well as cow’s milk when it comes to an egg wash substitute. Any plant-based milk will do, but we recommend one that is unsweetened and has a mild flavor and high protein count, such as soy milk.

Vegan Egg Replacer

Plant-based egg replacers like JUST Egg have a similar composition to chicken eggs, and the best part is that they come pre-whisked. They won’t brown as well as a regular egg wash, but vegan egg replacers will help things like sanding sugar stick to the tops of pastries and make breadcrumbs easy to adhere to when breading.

Mayonnaise

Admittedly, mayonnaise has eggs in it, which is why it works so well, according to Baldwin. It’s not the ideal substitute for someone with an egg allergy, but if you’re simply looking for a swap because you ran out of eggs, mayonnaise could be a lifesaver. Use it like you would yogurt for breading–just lather it on with a pastry brush.

Aquafaba

Aquafaba is the liquid leftover from canned chickpeas. It’s usually drained and disposed of, but it’s a great ingredient to play around with if you’re interested in plant-based baking. “If you want the really shiny surface that egg wash gives you, you can use aquafaba,” says Baldwin. She explains that egg white is mostly made of water and protein and aquafaba has the same two components, just from a non-animal source–it’s a natural substitute. Baldwin also likes to use it for breading. You just need something to moisten the surface you’re breading, so most of the substitutes mentioned above will work. She notes that the thicker the liquid, the better it will hold onto the breading, so you can whisk a touch of cornstarch into the aquafaba to make a slightly thicker slurry for breading.