The Best Vegan Alternatives For Deviled Eggs

While deviled eggs may conjure ideas of Thanksgiving and 1950s cocktail parties, they have a much longer history that dates back to ancient Rome. At the time, Romans served spiced and sauced eggs as appetizers for their fancy meals. The first evidence of stuffed eggs is in 13th-century Spain and the preparation made its way to U.S. cookbooks by the mid-1800s. Referring to deviling as a food term gained popularity in the late 18th century. In a sense, the deviled eggs we know today didn't appear until the mid-20th century, when adding mayonnaise to the recipe became more common. 

That's all well and good, but what are vegans and people who don't eat eggs to do when they crave a deviled egg? Substitute foods have come a long way in recent years. However, vegan alternatives to deviled eggs aren't the easiest item to find on menus and in fridge displays. In a world where you can buy vegan haggis, mass-market vegan deviled eggs may one day be on the way. For now, we have some flavor-packed alternatives for you to try.

There are a couple of ways to use tofu as a deviled egg alternative. You can use it as part of the filling or make it the egg white. To make a tofu base, start by pressing the tofu to remove excess moisture. The shape here won't fool anyone, but flavor and texture-wise, these are a worthy alternative to deviled eggs. Once the tofu is to your liking, rub it with kala namak, a unique type of black salt. Its sulfuric content and taste make it an excellent addition to plant-based egg dishes. 

If you want to use tofu for the yolk, it's best to use something soft like silken tofu to ensure a smooth texture. You can then mix the tofu with whatever fixings you'd like. Consider adding mustard and turmeric to give it the color needed to pass these off as eggs. Don't forget to add more kala namak for flavor. You can use this filling in just about any of the egg white options we suggest, such as over firm tofu or in a pickled mushroom.

Vegan chef Tabitha Brown created a deviled egg substitute using pickled mushrooms, which she says came to her in a dream. She first marinates white button mushrooms in pickle brine to approximate the texture and flavor of egg whites, then sprinkles them with kala namak. Next, she makes a chickpea filling to substitute the egg yolk. Though she doesn't have an exact recipe, she uses relish, mustard, chickpea, and other seasonings in the filling.

Her take on a pickled mushroom is reminiscent of a pickled egg recipe. Make sure to make a quick or short-pickled mushroom – only keep the mushroom in brine for a short amount of time — so that it retains most of its original texture. The mushrooms need to be solid enough to hold up to the filling rather than so rubbery that the texture completely changes. You can eat a quick-pickled mushroom in as quickly as two hours. Avoid using fermented mushrooms for this vegan deviled egg. Fermentation — which uses yeast, bacteria, or similar microorganisms to change a food's chemical structure — breaks down the mushroom too much to support a filling. 

Chickpeas or hummus are a great replacement for a yolk filling to pair with any of the alternative egg whites we suggested. For example, if you want to fill potato skins with something different, hummus or a chickpea mixture would be a great option. Eggs and chickpeas contain similar amounts of phosphorus and calcium, as well as plenty of protein, so nutritionally they are a good swap.

Chickpeas have a grainy texture similar to that of an egg yolk when mashed. For color, consider adding turmeric or mustard. You can also mix chickpeas with other ingredients, such as tofu, to add extra protein and structure to the filling. If you use ready-made hummus, look for different versions with added ingredients like beets or red peppers. Olives and olive brine are also a traditional addition to deviled eggs, and what goes better with hummus than olives? Chop some up and mix them into your filling before loading up your choice of whites.

A popular option for vegan and non-vegan deviled eggs is to use an avocado mixture for the filling. The creamy and unctuous texture of avocados creates a mouthfeel akin to eggs but in a plant-based format. If you want to add more potassium to your diet, avocados are an excellent choice. (Chances are, you do; surveys consistently demonstrate that Americans do not consume sufficient potassium in their diets, per the National Institutes of Health.) 

Avocados work well in emulsions, just like eggs, which is part of why they do well in this type of recipe. When blended together, the other liquid ingredients won't separate from the avocado. Another option is to use guacamole instead. This swap will change the flavor profile, but it will be equally delicious in its own way. You can get fancy when it comes to decorating your deviled guacamole eggs. Pipe the guacamole using a star tip or just spoon it in if you want to eat your veggie egg right away. To make the avocado taste a little eggy, make sure to season it with kala namak.

Lentil pâté is similar to hummus, so this is sort of like using chickpeas as a replacement, but with a slightly different flavor profile. Some people even mix lentils with egg yolks to make deviled eggs. To make this vegan, you can make a traditional Passover dish consisting of a lentil and walnut pâté as a filling. You can use the recipe as is, but if you add a bit of kala namak, it will give your mixture an eggy flavor. Of course, add any other mix-ins you'd like. Use this mix as a filling for pickled mushrooms or agar and plant milk whites.

Lentils are very high in protein, and you can use any color of lentil for this filling. Just make sure to whip and mix them properly so they are smooth and mimic the texture of an egg yolk. A chunky mixture won't be a very convincing vegan alternative to a deviled egg.