18 Egg-Free Desserts, Because Eggs Are Ridiculously Expensive Right Now

If you're craving something sweet but can't find eggs or simply don't feel like breaking the bank, not to worry—there are plenty of delicious egg-free desserts you can whip up, including a cozy apple crisp, an easy one-bowl shortbread, and a five-ingredient British banoffee pie.

Feb 11, 2025 - 21:00
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18 Egg-Free Desserts, Because Eggs Are Ridiculously Expensive Right Now
A slice of banoffee pie.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Egg prices are soaring in the United States: The New York Times recently reported that the price of eggs is 37% higher than a year ago, the result of a widespread egg shortage caused by avian flu. You've likely noticed this at your grocery store; for the past two weeks, my local supermarket has been sold out of eggs, and last week, our associate visuals director Amanda spotted a dozen eggs retailing for $12 at her neighborhood bodega.

If you're craving something sweet but can't find eggs or simply don't feel like breaking the bank, not to worry—there are plenty of delicious egg-free desserts you can whip up. Below, you'll find our favorite eggless confections, including a cozy apple crisp, an easy one-bowl shortbread, and a five-ingredient British banoffee pie.

Shortbread Cookies

Overheav view of shortbread cookies with coffee
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

White whole wheat flour gives this one-bowl shortbread an earthy, nutty flavor while keeping the dough tender, and plenty of butter ensures that each bite has a pleasantly crumbly texture that melts in your mouth. Plus: The dough takes just five minutes to make.

Whipped Banana Ice Cream

Overhead view of banana ice cream
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

You can make our creamy banana ice cream with just one ingredient—but a couple of pantry ingredients make it so much better than any other "nice" cream. For extra smooth, custardy ice cream, briefly soften and slice your frozen bananas before puréeing, then use a food processor to whip the fruit.

Vegan Chocolate Brownies

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Vicky Wasik

With aromatic cocoa butter for richness and flavor, plus a toasty, nutty hint of malt powder to help with browning in a nondairy formula, these fudgy vegan chocolate brownies taste as good as they look.

Rice Krispie Treats

Overhead view of a square rice krispie treat
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

A box of cereal, a bag of marshmallows, a few tablespoons of butter, and salt are all you need to make these classic treats. A generous hand with salt balances the sweetness of the marshmallows, while brown butter adds rich, nutty flavor.

Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake

Side view of cake
Serious Eats / Maureen Celestine

It's time to bring back this retro cake, which takes just 10 minutes to prep and relies on a classic condiment—mayonnaise!—for its moist, fudgy texture.

Easy Edible Cookie Dough

Overhead view of edible cookie dough
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

All of the pleasure of eating raw cookie dough, with none of the food poisoning risk! This five-minute recipe makes enough for one or two people, depending on if you feel like sharing.

Banoffee Pie

Banoffee pie on a plate.
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

This low-effort dessert with gooey dulce de leche, sliced bananas, and whipped cream is a British classic—and is one you can make without a single egg. Simmering canned condensed milk for an extended period of time is a hands-off way to create a thick, dark dulce de leche, and topping the banoffee pie with unsweetened whipped cream helps to offset the sweetness of the filling and bananas.

Knickerbocker Glory

Side view of Knickerbocker glory
Serious Eats / Larisa Niedle

It may be cold outside, but that's not stopping us from digging into an ice cream sundae. Featuring vanilla ice cream, fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and a fan wafer, the knickerbocker glory is a British classic—and is exactly what we need to brighten our day.

The Best Apple Crisp

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Vicky Wasik

Apple crisp is easier than pie, and this one might taste even better. Here, a mixture of firm, tart apples and softer baking apples produces a filling that's balanced in both flavor and texture. Topped with a crumbly mixture of toasted pecans, sugar, lemon zest, and grated nutmeg, this apple crisp is what we turn to when we want a cozy dessert that tastes like pie but comes together in half the time.

Millionaire's Shortbread

Side view of millionaires shortbread
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

With layers of tender shortbread, rich caramel, and dark chocolate, millionaire’s shortbread is a luxurious confection worth making at home. Cooking the butter, sugar, and heavy cream to 235ºF (113ºC) results in butterscotch that's satisfyingly chewy and not too firm or runny, and a topping of dark chocolate helps offset the sweetness of the filling.

Eggless Chocolate Mousse

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Vicky Wasik

Repeat after me: five-ingredient chocolate mousse! No eggs or gelatin are required, just plenty of good-quality cocoa powder, sugar, milk, and cream.

Cornflake Marshmallow Treats

Overhead view of cornflake crispies
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Rice Krispies treats get all the love, but I’m going to let you in on a little secret: cornflake crispies are better. Corn’s naturally sweet and earthy flavor profile lends itself well to desserts, making it a fun, versatile ingredient to use in puddingsice creamcookies, and more

Brown Butter Shortbread Cookies

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Vicky Wasik

Brown butter, toasted sugar, and malted milk powder make a shortbread cookie that's as tender and meltingly rich as a French sablé, but extra toasty and caramelized.

Vegan Meringue Cookies

aquafaba-cardamom meringue cookies on a blue plate on a pink background
Nik Sharma

Turn aquafaba—the cooking liquid of beans and legumes like chickpeas—into an eggless "meringue." Light, pillowy, and crisp, these cookies taste exactly like their non-vegan counterpart.

Banana Split

Side view of banana split
Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

Three very large scoops of ice cream complete with fudge sauce, caramel sauce, and strawberry sauce—plus plenty of whipped cream, chopped walnuts, and a maraschino cherry. The banana split is a classic for a reason, and one that will make you feel like a kid again.

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake

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A no-cook, no-bake cheesecake is the perfect dessert if you don't feel like turning on the oven...and if you don't have any eggs.

Homemade Jell-O Style Chocolate Pudding

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Sarah Jane Sanders

Creamy, silky chocolate pudding that's even better than the store-bought stuff.

Khao Niao Mamuang (Thai Coconut Sticky Rice)

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Vicky Wasik

This Thai dessert of glutinous sticky rice, seasoned with salty-sweet coconut milk and served with tender, fragrant slices of mango is simple, delicious, and comforting.