What Is Egg product and How Can I Use It?
Egg product rewards a little know-how: how to choose it, cook it, store it, and substitute in a pinch. Browse 9 recipes to cook with it.
Key Points
- Egg product is pasteurized egg sold out of the shell, either plain whole egg or a yolk-removed blend.
- Most recipes calling for it mean carton egg substitute; see the liquid egg substitute page for full ratios.
- The standard swap is about ¼ cup of carton egg product for one large whole egg.
- It scrambles and bakes lean dishes well but cannot make custards, hollandaise, or stable meringue.
- Use an opened carton within about 3 days; unopened cartons freeze for up to a year.
What is egg product?
Egg product is the catch-all term for processed, pasteurized egg sold out of the shell, in cartons or frozen tubs. It might be plain whole egg, or it might be a yolk-removed blend of mostly egg white, the same category grocery shoppers know best as liquid egg substitute.
The defining feature is pasteurization. The egg has been heated just enough to kill salmonella, which makes it safe in dishes where the egg stays raw or barely cooked and gives it a longer, more predictable shelf life than shell eggs.
For shell eggs and general egg handling, see the eggs hub.
What Counts as Egg Product
Most cartons fall into two camps. Plain pasteurized whole egg is just real egg, beaten and pasteurized with nothing removed, useful for food-safe scrambles and large-batch cooking.
The yolk-removed kind, sold as liquid egg substitute, is roughly 99% egg white with the cholesterol and most of the fat stripped out and a little color and gum added back. That is the version most home recipes mean when they call for "egg product."
So this page overlaps heavily with that one. In practice "egg product" on a Recipeland recipe almost always means a carton egg substitute, and the liquid egg substitute page carries the full conversion ratios and baking notes.
How to Use It
The standard swap is about ¼ cup of carton egg product for one large whole egg, and most cartons print that ratio on the side.
It does its best work in dishes built on cooked egg white: scrambles, omelets, frittatas, quiches, and breakfast wraps like this Breakfast Tortilla Wrap or a Bread Shell Breakfast Pizza. Cook it gentler and slower than whole egg, because without yolk fat it turns rubbery under high heat.
It also stands in for the egg in lean baking, carrying muffins and quick breads such as No-Cholesterol Fruit-Filled Muffins.
Where It Falls Short
A yolk-free egg product cannot do the jobs that depend on yolk. Real custards, hollandaise, and stable meringues need yolk fat and emulsifiers, so they turn thin or weep when made with substitute.
Rich, yolk-heavy baking suffers too, baking drier and paler than it would with whole eggs.
Buying and Storage
Cartons live in the refrigerated case near the shell eggs, and frozen tubs sit in the freezer aisle. Check the label, since some versions fold in cheese or peppers for omelets.
Unopened, a carton keeps to its printed date, often a week or two out. Once opened, refrigerate it tightly closed and use within about 3 days. Unopened cartons also freeze for up to a year; thaw overnight in the fridge and use only in cooked dishes.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 蛋制品
- British (UK) term
- Egg product
- en français
- produit d'oeuf
- en español
- producto de huevo
Recipes using egg product
There are 9 recipes that contain this ingredient.
No-Cholesterol Fruit-Filled Muffins
Quick and easy Bisquick muffins filled with fruit jam. Ready in a flash and contain no cholesterol.
Breakfast Tortilla Wrap
Breakfast tortilla wrap loaded with cumin-spiced eggs, crisp bell pepper, juicy tomato, and crumbled bacon, all rolled in a warm whole wheat tortilla. A fast, high-protein handheld breakfast.
Bread Shell Breakfast Pizza
The crust is a filled Italian bread shell loaded with tasty "toppings". Hearty and vegetarian!
Eggs Benedict Without Real Eggs
Eggs Benedict with a cholesterol-free hollandaise made from egg substitute and evaporated milk, served on toasted waffles instead of English muffins. A lighter brunch twist on the classic.
Nice Baked Oatmeal
Baked oatmeal studded with dried fruit and baked in individual cups until just set. A make-ahead, kid-friendly breakfast topped with a fun fruit smiley-face the little ones love.
Healthy Garden Quiche
Crustless garden quiche with mushrooms, onion, shredded carrots, and light processed cheese in a cholesterol-free egg and skim milk custard. No pie crust needed for this lighter take.
Holiday Delight Cheesecake (Low-Fat)
Low-fat holiday cheesecake with nonfat cream cheese, lemon yogurt, and a graham cracker crust, topped with cherry pie filling and whipped topping.
Herbed Vegetable Fritatta
Layers of cubed potatoes, zucchini, mozzarella, scallions, and fresh basil bake in egg substitute for this veggie-packed Italian frittata. Broiled tomatoes finish it.
Hearty Spam Breakfast Skillet
SPAM breakfast skillet with hash brown potatoes, bell peppers, onion, eggs, hot sauce, and cheddar cheese. A one-pan breakfast scramble that feeds a crowd.
