Whether you are vegan, allergic to eggs, or simply baking sans ovo, there are times when the need for an egg substitute arises. Aquafaba, aka chickpea water, has recently been touted as the vegan savior of them all; praised for its ability to be whipped, emulsify, and act as a binder in any recipe. It's used in vegan cakes, cookies, and even cocktails.

But I knew that just because it could be used as an egg substitute didn't necessarily mean it was the best one. So what's a vegan truly to do when a baking emergency comes calling? In order to answer that q, I put the options to the test.

To evaluate the baking performance of homemade egg substitutes like chickpea water and ground flax meal, as well was prepared mixes that tout their ability to sub in as eggs, I picked a straightforward recipe—vanilla cupcakes—and I baked, and baked, and baked. (FWIW, the recipe I used wasn't vegan; I wanted to know how these egg substitutes would stand up in any baking recipe, vegan or no.) The result? Tons of vanilla cupcakes, all in the name of egg substitutes. "I was surprised how different the cupcakes turned out, even when using two egg replacers from the same brand," says our food director, Rhoda Boone. "The textures, the flavor, the final color were so different."

Truth be told, aquafaba does work, and pretty well. But so do some other options. Here's what I found:

Photo by Chelsea Kyle, Prop Styling by Sophie Strangio, Food Styling by Olivia Mack Anderson

Our Favorites

Our favorite of the bunch, Bob's Red Mill 100% Vegetarian Egg Replacer is a mix of soy flour, wheat gluten, and dehydrated corn syrup. When combined with water, it produces a sauce-like texture that can be added to batters in lieu of eggs. The resulting cupcakes were most similar to standard egg cupcake, with a fluffy texture and sweet taste. "I would use this," says Rhoda.

BUY IT: Bob's Red Mill 100% Vegetarian Egg Replacer (pack of 4), $42 on Amazon

If you don't have Bob's egg replacer on hand, or don't want to buy it, we found aquafaba to be a good second option. Using 3 Tbsp. water from a can of unsalted chickpeas as a substitute for one egg, the cupcakes were pretty close to the original, with a similarly fluffy texture and taste. However, the top of the cupcakes didn't dome like the originals, and they had a slightly crystallized texture. So aquafaba works, but it's not perfect.