Eggs are one of the most popular foods in the US. On average, each American eats around 386 of them per year. While some love eggs in an omelet or scrambled with bacon and sausage, for others, it’s all about the runny yolk. You know what we’re talking about. It’s that gooey, golden liquid that comes out of the center of a soft-boiled egg or a fried egg sunny side up that’s perfect for dipping your toast into.
You might think there is no way that same texture and flavor can be achieved with plant-based ingredients, but we’re happy to reveal they can certainly be replicated. Find five ways to make a delicious vegan egg yolk from scratch below.
Is egg yolk good for you?
Egg yolk contains plenty of nutrients, including vitamin D, vitamin B12, and folate, as well as healthy fats and protein. However, due to its high cholesterol content, many experts have warned against eating eggs regularly.
In 2019, for example, one study published in JAMA Network noted that for every 300 milligrams of cholesterol a person consumes through food, they have a 17 percent higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. This is because cholesterol can accumulate in the walls of the arteries, causing them to narrow and harden. This increases the risk of heart disease and strokes. For context, one egg contains around 186 milligrams of cholesterol.
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The USDA no longer recommends that people limit cholesterol intake, and in contrast to the above study, this is because it has concluded that “dietary cholesterol itself isn’t harmful.” Instead, the USDA encourages people to reduce their intake of saturated fat, trans fats, and sugars to reduce their risk of heart disease.
However, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) has also urged people to reduce their intake of eggs for health reasons. The organization, which counts more than 17,000 doctors as members, notes that around 60 percent of the calories in eggs come from fat, “much of which is saturated.” It adds that “industry-funded research has downplayed the effects of egg consumption on cholesterol levels.”
What is vegan egg yolk made of?
If you’re concerned about the health impact of eggs, but don’t want to miss out on that delicious yolky taste and texture, it is possible to make vegan egg yolk with plant-based, cholesterol-free ingredients. Nutritional yeast, turmeric, kala namak (black salt with a sulfurous eggy flavor), silken tofu, tomatoes, and butternut squash are just a few, plant-based ingredients commonly used to recreate egg yolk.
How to make your own vegan egg yolk: 5 recipes to try
From dippy yolk to fried egg, we’ve gathered some of the best ways to make egg-free yolk below.
Sam Turnbull
1 Dippy Vegan Egg Yolk
Taken from the Craving Vegan cookbook, you will be amazed at just how well this recipe mimics the golden color and delicious, velvety, runny texture of a real egg yolk. It’s made with just a few simple ingredients, including kala namak, turmeric, cornstarch, and canola oil. Drizzle it over your favorite breakfast foods or just enjoy it as-is with a stack of toast for dipping.
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Thee Burger Dude
2 Vegan Fried Egg
Those who love a classic sunny-side-up fried egg will adore this recipe from Thee Burger Dude. The whites have those delicious crispy edges, while the yolk—which is made with sodium alginate and calcium lactate—is golden and runny, just as it should be. “If you loved fried eggs and don’t eat them anymore, then I can pretty much guarantee you will love these,” promises recipe developer Brian Watson. “They are great on their own with a little salt and pepper.”
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Veggie Society
3 Vegan Butternut Squash Yolk
If you just want a simple yolk-like sauce for breakfast sandwiches and for dipping your toast into, then this creamy emulsion is perfect. It’s made with ingredients like olive oil and butternut squash, and it is deliciously silky and smooth. If you prefer, it can also be made with yellow heirloom tomatoes when they’re in season.
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Brown Girl Vegan Eats
4 Vegan Salted Egg Yolk Tofu
This dish is a little different from your classic dippy egg, but it’s just as delicious. It’s a plant-based take on a Singaporean dish known as salted egg yolk chicken. In this recipe, Brown Girl Vegan Eats creates a similar taste and texture with ingredients like tofu and nutritional yeast.
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Plant Power Couple
5 Potato and Carrot Vegan Egg Yolk
If you want to make the ultimate vegan breakfast sandwich, you need gooey vegan egg yolk. In this recipe, Plant Power Couple creates just that using a very simple combination of ingredients like potato, carrot, nutritional yeast, and kala namak. “I swear this yolk sauce is magic,” says recipe developer Brittany Roche. “When I first tried it, I was leaping for joy.”
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Charlotte is a VegNews editor and writer based in sunny Southsea on England’s southern coast.
