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...
Lummox JR says
Perspective from a non-vegan looking for a quick and easy runny egg yolk experience: the texture is perfect but the flavor is way off. I think nutritional yeast is mostly to blame; IMO it's just not the right fit for this recipe. While it imparts a very savory flavor and has some of the right notes, in this application it also has an extremely off-putting overcooked cereal taste (which you can also smell while heating this mixture).
When I tried this, I subbed 6 drops yellow food coloring for turmeric because I hate it; otherwise everything else was basically as-is. 3/4 tsp. black salt was way too much, resulting in extreme sulfur flavor, so I cut that down to 1/4 tsp. on another try which I think was correct. (It's almost too subtle, but that's actually what you want in a good egg.) For the second attempt I also added 1/8 tsp. MSG, which improved the savory profile.
When I try this again I'm gonna play around with other options for the savory component. Since I'm not constrained to vegan options my first thought is to use grated Parmesan, because cured egg yolks have been compared to Parmesan in flavor. I'm not sure what a vegan alternative would be, although a mushroom powder could work if it doesn't darken the mixture too much; or a mild miso might be worth a try. Also I intend to bump up the MSG by a lot more; MSG was a big step in the right direction for sure, so I think I'll try 1/2 tsp. next time.
I definitely plan to revisit this one way or another, because now that the idea of an egg yolk toast dipping sauce is in my head I can't get it out.
LD says
How can you review a vegan recipe and suggest non-vegan changes? That's ridiculous.
KJ says
@LD... Not everyone utilizing a vegan website is full-on vegan (yet). Some people are looking for ways to move away from animal products and are unsure of how to do it, but reviews like Lummox JR's are helpful.
Cathy says
I agree I agree..
Cathy says
first post was to LD I totally agree with you.
Me says
Go Veggie make an amazing vegan parmesan. Adding MSG to anything is akin to slow suicide. So harmful and not recommended for any healthy diet.
Andy says
Xenophobic clap trap. MSG is no worse for you than salt. A very useful ingredient. Search the history around MSG misinformation and myths.
Deanna says
Home run recipe! Even my struggling vegan husband liked it. Oddly, I had the black salt but had never used it before. It was perfect in the recipe. This is probably the fifth recipe of yours I have made and they all have been very good. I even made your sugar cookies this week for the holidays. Your recipes are making it super easy to stick to these healthier food choices, as I’ve switched to a plant based diet to heal my body and control blood sugar and crazy hormones. It’s working!! Thank you for your help on this journey!!!!!!!!
Sam Turnbull says
Aww you're most welcome, Deanna. And congratulations!! 🙂
Andrea Ball says
I have been a vegetarian for 32 years and a vegan for about 5 months. I was recently lamenting the thought of never having a runny egg yolk again and stumbled upon this recipe. It was absolutely delicious. I couldn’t believe the power of the black salt! I can’t wait to try your other recipes and have requested your cookbook for Christmas. Next step, vegan cheese. I had sworn off trying this again after two failed attempts with recipes from other websites, but I’m willing to give it one more go now that you have given me back my runny egg yolk. Thanks for making me feel like this can be a lifetime commitment.
Sam Turnbull says
Aww you're most welcome, Andrea, so happy you enjoy! I have several vegan cheese recipes and they are very popular so I hope you give them a try and love them!
Angela says
This is one of my favorite recipes from you, thank you so much for creating it! I added some extra-firm silken tofu to mine and it tasted and looked exactly like egg drop soup! Maybe an idea for a new recipe? =) Thanks again!
Sam Turnbull says
Amazing!
KATHLEEN A WALLACE says
Oh I forgot to add - I whirred everything (I used arrowroot vice cornstarch) in my blender, then simmered a bit to heat/thicken, stirring all the time.
Wendy says
I was just wondering if arrowroot would work instead of cornstarch. Or tapioca starch too?
Sam Turnbull says
absolutely!
Jen says
YES! The only thing I miss since I began my vegan journey 3 years ago are eggs! I thankfully stumbled onto this recipe and was so excited........until I realized I was out of cornstarch. So thankful to find my question about substituting arrowroot answered here already! Off I go to make what I hope to be your life changing recipe!
KATHLEEN A WALLACE says
I made this with a few subs - instead of oil, I used half a small avocado. I also added sea salt to taste and decreased the water to 3/4. It did turn slightly green but the taste was absolutely amazing. Thanks so much for this!
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you were able to make it your own 🙂
SoVie says
This is amazing! I just had it again for breakfast, and it's really delicious. I just tweak the recipe a little to add less liquid, otherwise it takes much longer than 5 minutes to thicken, and I make that half water, half plant-based milk for more nutrition. I also add the Kala Namak at the very end so that it retains all its flavor. Yum!
Sam Turnbull says
Glad you enjoy!
Melissa says
I recently found out I can't eat egg and was so sad mainly because I would miss this. I love eggs! I found your site through pinterest! This recipe is amazing! I love it. I even drizzled this on fried rice!
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks so much Melissa! Thrilled you enjoyed it so much. I have lots of other egg inspired recipes for you to try out as well 🙂
Tara says
I accidentally threw too much turmeric in mine. lol (was trying to 1/4 the recipe - I read one cup water and thoughts - this is wayyyy too much for one slice of toast! 1/4 of the recipe is enough for two slices - maybe give measurements for a smaller amount?) but man was this ever amazing! I grew up always having soft boiled eggs with toast so this really hit the spot!! I am really coming to trust all of your recipes because it's rare to find one that's not incredible. As usual, well done and thanks for the recipe.
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Well, it must have been really really yellow! So glad you enjoyed it so much 🙂
Amanda says
Wow! Just enjoyed this for breakfast! It's genius! A runny yolk was always the best bit of the egg. I'm now thinking about a fried egg sandwich using tofu for the white and then spreading the dippy sauce on the bread. Thank you Sam. x
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Amanda! You can try my vegan breakfast sandwich recipe which uses this sauce if you like. Enjoy!
Beth says
Oh my god, this is yum!
I've whipped up a batch this morning to have as both breakfast and with a bibimbap at lunch, so delicious! X
Sam Turnbull says
Yay!! Thrilled you love it so much, Beth 🙂
L Ugone says
Do you think that I could make French toast with this ?
Sam Turnbull says
I wouldn't recommend it as this isn't designed to bind like an egg, it's just designed to taste like egg yolk. You can try my vegan French toast recipe here. 🙂
Diane Chandler says
Oh my!! This stuff is the bomb.com! We love it!! And you have to try it with a minor tweak - I subbed the 2 tablespoons of oil with 2 tablespoons of a runny tahini and after it thickened on the stove - I added 1 teaspoon of refined coconut oil. OMG! It’s pure egg yolk perfection!!!
Sam Turnbull says
So happy you enjoyed, Diane 🙂
Linda says
So delicious! Exceeded my expectations! (You are always doing that) I used avocado oil. So far, have used it on a vegan breakfast sandwich, and as a dip for whole wheat English muffin. Thanks for another great recipe! Linda
Sam Turnbull says
You're most welcome, Linda! Glad you enjoyed 🙂
Caroline says
Insanely good! I'm vegan just over two years, clearly remember how dippy eggs taste, followed your recipe exactly (but blitzed all the ingredients in the bullet then dumped in the pan) and BOOM! Less than 3 minutes it was served, 30 seconds later it was gone and I was told to whip up another batch stat by the fam!! Literally that fast and easy, no recipe adjusting needed, a permanent addition to my file! Thanks!
Sam Turnbull says
Haha! Amazing!! So happy you and your family loved it so much, Caroline 🙂
Raiana says
The taste is great, I just added some tapioca flour to make it all but thicker. This is one of my faves for breakfast!
Sam Turnbull says
Awesome! So happy you're a fan, Raiana 🙂
Amber says
Can this be used to make egg custard?
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Amber, this is a sauce that replicates the taste of an egg yolk, but it doesn't really work the same way as an egg yolk would in baking so I don't think it would work for this. I have a recipe for vegan creme brulee in my cookbook if that's similar to what you are looking for. Hope that helps!
Kelly Williams says
I am wondering how this will keep say in a lunch box. My son is obsessed with "dippy" eggs (he is vegetarian, I am vegan) but he is a very picky eater and trying to plan ahead for when he starts school this fall...
P.s. love your blog and Instagram:)
Sam Turnbull says
Thanks Kelly! The egg yolk will congeal as it cools so it might not be the best for a lunchbox. Enjoy!
Kathleen says
I'm pretty new to eating a plant based diet, so i had to try this. It was really good and the taste was eggcelent, but the oil didn't do it for me texture wise, which was okay and i still ate it. The next time i make this I'm going to add ground flax to the water instead of the oil. I may even try it with chia seeds 🙂
Also, the next day i had my vegetarian daughter try it and she said it tasted like chicken broth. I thought the thing after she said that, but i put it on toast and it tasted like yolk to me.
Sam Turnbull says
Welcome to your new plant-based lifestyle Kathleen! Not sure if you used it or not, but the black salt (kala namak) is key for the egg flavour 🙂
Krissay says
Hi there. I’ve tried making this twice and at first it looks like yellow yolk but then turns brown and reminds me of gravy lol. I used one tablespoon of oil instead of two and put it in the pot first. Is this where I’d be going wrong??. I followed everything else correctly. Im from New Zealand btw.
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Krissay, hmm that's odd I have never had that happen before. Do you think it's possible it got a bit burnt?
Krissay says
Hi. Umm I was thinking maybe it’s the black salt I used??. I bought it online and it’s black coloured. I think I might have been given the wrong type.
Ang says
Kala namak salt (black salt) is actually pink in color! Looks like you have the wrong salt!
Ashleigh says
I've been searching for black salt for about two years now, and over the weekend I finally managed to find it. I decided one of your recipes would be the perfect test for it, and settled on this one. Wow! It's incredible. It's been such a long time since I had eggs and this sauce is perfect. Your recipes never disappoint - even my non vegan family always enjoy them.
Thank you, Sam, please never leave us!
Sam Turnbull says
That's wonderful, Ashleigh!! So thrilled you enjoyed it so much!!
stacie mcwilliams says
did yours turn out ok, all I could taste was salt, I think ratio is really wrong, I added more water, cornflour, yeast, everything, as salt was horrendously too much, but egg flavour there
Sam Turnbull says
Hi Stacie, did you use kala namak, and not regular salt? Kala namack (black salt) is much milder in taste and not very salty, the strongest flavour is the eggy taste.