Drew Barrymore Swears by This Egg Substitute

The high price and limited supply of eggs has everyone searching for egg alternatives, and there are plenty out there—from applesauce in baked goods to scrambled tofu for breakfast. Still, if you’re craving a classic egg dish like an omelet, you might be coming up short looking for a delicious replacement. Drew Barrymore tackled this topic on a recent episode of her show, exploring simple ways to replace eggs when it comes to cooking. 

One clever trick she shared during the show was swapping in chickpea flour for eggs—it’s a great hack that even has nutritional benefits. And since, as Barrymore notes at the beginning of her segment, egg prices are starting to become “astronomical,” now is a great time to try out a fun plant-based alternative that might just win you over.

In the segment, Barrymore is joined by Ross Matthews and Valerie Bertinelli for a lesson in egg alternatives from Danny Seo, one of Drew’s chief contributors. When Seo shows off a glamorous looking omelet *not* made with eggs, Barrymore is quick to identify it as a chickpea omelet—and identify herself as a “big fan” of the sub. “It looks like an omelet and cooks like an omelet,” Seo says, and after sampling, the hosts emphatically agreed that it’s delicious. 

Making an omelet out of chickpea flour is simple. Seo recommends using ¼ cup chickpea flour and mixing it with ⅓ cup water to start. Heat a nonstick pan with a bit of oil over medium heat and add the batter. Cook until the underside is golden, about 3 to 5 minutes, then flip and cook an additional 3 to 5 minutes. To boost flavor and nutrition, consider cooking up ¼ cup of your favorite vegetables before making your omelet and mixing in a few spices and fresh herbs.

You could even use some of our favorite omelet recipes for inspiration—add some avocado and smoked salmon when your omelet is almost finished, for example, or go cheesy with some broccoli and Parmesan.

Chickpea flour is a new ingredient to many of us, but it’s been a part of French cuisine for centuries as the base for socca. Socca are essentially large chickpea pancakes that are often enjoyed as “street food” in the city of Nice and surrounding areas, including parts of Italy and in other countries around the world. It’s made similarly to Seo’s omelette, but includes oil and is cooked in a hot oven like bread or pizza. 

While not nutritionally the same as eggs, chickpea flour is still a great plant-based source of protein. It’s packed with antioxidants as well as minerals such as folate and iron, but also phosphorus and manganese. It also provides fiber and is a fantastic alternative for anyone following a vegan lifestyle. 

So, the next time you leave the egg section of the supermarket empty-handed, consider swinging by the flour alternatives aisle and trying a recipe like our Vegan Chickpea Frittata for brunch.