Author: Want to learn how to make Vegan Egg Yolk? Every now and then I have a random spark of a crazy idea. I was browsing Pinterest looking for some inspiration for a new recipe when I stumbled upon a photo of a soft boiled egg with toast being dipped into the center. I knew I wanted it immediately! Not a real egg yolk,of course, but just the idea of a savoury, rich, smooth breakfast sauce that you can dip strips of toast into. And so I made Vegan Egg Yolk. Oh yeah I did! I really, really did.
It's not unusual that I get inspired by non-vegan recipes. That's how I get most of my inspiration for this blog and end up creating fun vegan recipes such as my Quick & Easy Cottage Cheese, Vegan Tofu Taco Crumbles, Heart of Palm Calamari, Vegan Mushroom & Walnut Pate, and Crispy & Chewy Sesame Shiitake.
The key flavour in this recipe is black salt (also called kala namak). If you are new to black salt the first thing you will notice is that it isn't black at all. It's pink. But don't confuse it with Himalayan salt, which is a totally different thing. The coolest thing about black salt is that it tastes exactly like eggs. So weird! I ordered mine from Amazon.
This Vegan Egg Yolk takes just 5 minutes to make and uses just 6 ingredients. It is completely cholesterol-free (unlike the cholesterol bombs of an egg yolk) and is incredibly super-delicious with toast dipped into it.
Rich, creamy, savoury, umami, with a crack of pepper on top! Oh yeah! I am loving my breakfast today!
Common Questions:
Can you freeze Vegan Egg Yolk?
Yes, you can. Be sure to let cool and then store in your freezer in an air-tight container. As this is a sauce made with corn starch, when defrosting, it will begin to thin out so you will need to rethicken again. Let defrost then gently heat on the stove or in a microwave, adding a splash more water if needed.
Can you make vegan egg yolk ahead of time and reheat it?
Yes, you can. Store the prepared vegan egg yolk a sealed container in your fridge for up to 4 days. Gently reheat on the stove or in a microwave, adding a splash more water if needed.
To make Vegan Egg Yolk:
In a small pot, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Now stir in all of the remaining ingredients.
Put over medium-high heat and whisk while it cooks. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the dipping sauce thickens. Serve hot with strips of buttered toast and a crack of pepper.
This vegan egg yolk...
- tastes like egg!!
- 6 ingredients
- 5 minutes
- the perfect savory breakfast
What to serve this with:
Vegan Breakfast Sausage
Easy Vegan Sheet Pan Pancakes
Super Easy Vegan Croissants
Vegan Banana Nut Muffins
Banana Peel Bacon
If you try this recipe let us know by leaving a comment, rating it, and don't forget to tag @itdoesnttastelikechicken on Instagram.
Bon Appetegan!
Sam Turnbull
(click stars to vote)
Vegan Egg Yolk
Servings: (makes about 1 cup)
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Ingredients
- 1 cup water
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons light oil, (such as canola or vegetable)
- 2 teaspoons nutritional yeast
- ¾ teaspoon black salt, (also called kala namak)
- ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric
Instructions
- In a small pot, whisk together the water and cornstarch. Now stir in all of the remaining ingredients. Put over medium-high heat and whisk while it cooks. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes until the dipping sauce thickens. Serve hot with strips of buttered toast and a crack of pepper.
Nutrition
⭐ Did You Make This Recipe?
I’d love if you left a rating and comment, it helps others find the recipe and makes my day! 💕More Vegan Egg Recipes you might enjoy...
Ashley says
Can I use arrow root instead of corn starch?
Sam Turnbull says
Yep! Enjoy.
Jania says
Hi! Eggs is the only thing i was missing from being vegan.... and this is so amazing ! I loved it. Is it possible to make a bigger batch and freeze it in small portion and pop it in microwave when i need it ?
Sam Turnbull says
So thrilled you love it so much, Jania! I haven't tried that myself, but I imagine that would work just fine. If you give it a go, let us know how it turns out. Enjoy!
Ruth says
Jania, I have frozen left over Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce, taken it out the night before, and nuked it. It turned out fine!
Kimberly says
I haven't tried this yet, but am wondering how necessary the oil is, or if there's a whole food substitute, as I prefer not to use oil? I'll be trying this one way or the other. Thanks
Sam Turnbull says
Egg yolks are about 75% fat so mimic the taste and mouthfeel the oil is needed. But if you are ok with the egg yolk texture being a little off, then simply replace it with more water. Enjoy!
Onions Aren't the Only Things that Make Me Cry says
Hi Kimberly! Not sure if you'll see this as it's been a while since you commented, but there's an earlier comment someone left saying they substituted the oil with tahini and it turned out well. If I were to make this recipe, it's what I would use as well!
Marie-France says
I cannot wait to try this! Could I use potato starch instead of cornstarch? Also, I cannot eat soy or legumes, do you have a recipe for a “meaty” patty that I could make instead of using tofu?
Sam Turnbull says
Yes you can substitute potato starch, but make sure the egg sauce doesn't come to a boil. You could try my beet burgers. Enjoy!
Kathryn Gannon says
Why is everybody avoiding oil good oils are needed for your health.
linnie says
BY THE WAY Sam, your recipes are really wonderful!! I'm always referring people to you site. It's my favorite!!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you so much! Thrilled you're enjoying it so much 🙂
Gretchen Baer says
Today is the 2nd time I have made this recipe. I was honestly blown away the first time I made it!! Im curious on the shelf life though. Should it be used right away or can I store the leftovers and re-heat as needed?
Sam Turnbull says
I prefer it use right away but you can store it in an air-tight container in the fridge for 2-3 days. It will thicken and congeal so you may have to add a bit more water to it and whisk well when reheating. Hope that helps!
Ken Saveth says
I LOVE the Vegan Fried Egg and Vegan Dipping Sauce. My only question is that the color of 4he sauce is off (not yellow enough). Is this just due ri the ingredients? Or. An I tweak it to get it more yellow.
Thanks for your time Sam.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed, Ken! Yes, that's just due to the ingredients as they can vary from brand to brand and even from harvest to harvest. The black salt should be pink and colour and provide almost no colour, and the yellow colour comes from the turmeric. Hope that helps!
Yesi says
Hey Sam!
Can't wait to try this but quick question:
Should the black salt be in powder form or like actual salt form?
Sam Turnbull says
The salt I use comes in a form like this one. So however you would refer to that 🙂
CHERYL G says
Thank you for this recipe Sam!
I have been experimenting with veganism for the last year. What I'm finding is: if I can find a good vegan replacement for something, I replace it. So I'm vegan-ish.
OMG this dipping sauce tastes at least as good (maybe better since it's not sticky) as a real egg yolk, and there's no worrying about the whites still being snotty. The ONLY tweak I had to make was add sea salt to taste before cooking. If you don't have black salt, I highly recommend getting it on Amazon - if you really like runny yolks like I do, it's absolutely necessary. It provides that distinctly eggy taste. If you don't like that eggy taste, just leave it out.
Sam Turnbull says
That's awesome, Cheryl! If you stick around my blog and cookbook, I'm sure you'll find that anything can be veganized and taste just as good, if not better than the original 🙂
Gabbi says
This recipe is just as good as everyone in the comments is saying..... you can make the sauce in the time it takes for the toast to pop up and it tastes AMAZING. I'd made my peace with not ever being able to have egg and soldiers again but this recipe has changed everything. Thanks Sam this site is amazing, you are so clever.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww thank you so much, Gabbi! So happy you enjoyed 🙂
Bella Amaya says
I made this for the first time for breakfast this morning. It was so good! I used to love over easy eggs before becoming Vegan. Thank you for sharing these super easy creative recipes Sam!
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Bella! So thrilled you enjoyed 🙂
Teresa Zwemer says
This recipe is nostalgia in a cup! The first bite brought me back to sitting at the bar in my childhood kitchen with my legs swinging back and forth, too short to reach the floor, waiting for my mom to finish my over-easy egg with toast so I could dip up the golden yolk.
I cannot express how delicious this recipe is. I serve mine with sprouted whole grain toast and my own version of tofu egg (Slice firm tofu into ¼ to ½ inch slices and sprinkle with the egg spice mixture on both sides. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and fry the ‘egg’ slices to your preferred level of crispness. Top with fresh cracked black pepper.
Egg Spice Mixture
1 teaspoon Indian black salt (available at Indian markets)
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon nutritional yeast)
I like to dip the tofu egg into the last drops of the dipping sauce to make sure I don't miss out on any of the delightful sauce!
Thank you again!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww so thrilled you loved it so much, Teresa! I loved your story 🙂
Ruth says
Thanks Teresa Zwemer for sharing your Egg Spice Mixture recipe. I just tried it with the Vegan Toast Dipping Sauce, and it was amazing!
Cate says
Unfortunately it tasted too egg salty for me.
Too bad that you can't buy kala namak that doesn't taste salty - I just want the eggy flavour.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Cate. You can always reduce the amount of kala namak to taste. Another good trick is next time just cook it a little longer which will reduce the salty taste.
Cate says
Thankyou for your reply Sam. I really love how you take the time to reply to everyone who may have a small complication making a recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
You're welcome! I always want to make sure my recipes work well for everyone so everyone can enjoy delicious vegan food 🙂
Singh says
Just AWESOME!
Sam Turnbull says
Thank you!!
Ruth says
Hi Sam! You are brilliant for figuring out how to create the tastiest part of a soft-boiled egg! I bought the black salt for the first time yesterday, and as soon as I opened the package I could smell the sulphury taste of eggs. I followed your recipe to the letter, and am so impressed how your recreated a "nostalgia food" for me, without the egg white, which I never cared for, or the bits of broken shell that always fell into the yolk!
This was my breakfast this morning, and it is so good!
I started eating whole food, plant based in December 2017, but often miss foods from before. I received your Fuss Free Vegan as a gift (that I requested!) and love how you've created so many delicious recipes. You make the best flavours that we miss, without harming any animals. I also love your website and your videos! You're so much fun to watch. I really appreciate that you are a fellow Canadian as well. Keep doing what you're doing! Thank you.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww wow, thank you so much, Ruth!! Thrilled you are enjoying all my content so much 🙂 Glad I could recreate something you missed. Let em know if you ever have any recipe requests 🙂
N says
OMG!!! I have lost count of the times I have made this so far!!! Just love it so much!!!!! Thank you, Sam 🙂 You're so awesome, lady!!!!! Love you!!!!!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww you're most welcome, N! Thrilled you love this recipe so much 🙂
Sadia says
I loved this! It tasted exactly like egg yolk, my only issue is whether it can be stored in the fridge for later use. When I put it in the fridge and tried to warm it up the next day it ended up turning dark brown. Any suggestions?
Sam Turnbull says
So thrilled you loved it Sadia! Yeah I always make it fresh since it only takes 5 minutes. If you reheat it with an added splash of water in a small pot on the stove it should refresh pretty well. Hope that helps!
Cassandra says
I am going to make this for breakfast tomorrow 🙂 just a couple silly questions..
1) Is it 66 calories for 1 serving or the full almost 1 cup? Lol I hate that I am asking that haha.
2) do you think you would be able to use this as a batter for breading and frying/baking things?!
Thanks, love you and your recipes 🙂
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Cassandra, the calories are for one serving. This recipe mimics the flavour of an egg yolk, but I don't believe would provide the same gooeyness that is needed for breading. Instead, I would recommend mixing ground chia or ground flax with water for breading. Hope that helps! 🙂
Lorraine Anderson says
I made this for the first time, had it with the soldiers of my childhood, then with carrot sticks , celery and cauliflower. My new plan is to use it in nachos, and/or lasagne. When newly plant based I looked at these recipes and thought "no". Now my fuss free vegan is full of extra recipes, comments, notes. I hope it will be a treasure trove for my granddaughter, although I may just have to buy her her own copy
Sam Turnbull says
Thrilled you are enjoying all of my recipes so much, Lorraine!!! 🙂
Bettüü says
Omg i love that dipping, every sunday with some toasts. And its so simple.
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you love it!
Bianca Luna says
AMAZING RECIPE! Honestly, I didn't realize how much I missed dipping my toast into egg yolks until I saw this recipe. Totally awakened the part of me that loved eggs before I went vegan. I just made this and its SO GOOD! I decided to use half water, half non-dairy milk to make it a bit "creamier" while still maintaining that translucent egg yolk look. And I upped the oil a little and it was absolutely perfect! Well done recipe!
Sam Turnbull says
That's so awesome, Bianca! So very happy you loved it so much 🙂
Tiffany Brooks says
Much to salty
Sam Turnbull says
Did you use kala namak (black salt)? It is way milder than table or sea salt.