Today, we’re diving into everything you need to know about a different kind of egg washing: How to make egg wash. There's no need to prep the eggs before using them to make an egg wash. After social media rumors were swirling earlier this year, we asked our friends at the USDA to help us clear up if it’s wise to wash eggs (in their shells) before using them. (Spoiler alert: There’s no need if you picked them up at the supermarket.)
What Is Egg Wash?
Egg wash typically involves a beaten whole egg, egg yolk, or egg white, mixed with a splash of a liquid, like cream, milk, or water. Cooks often brush egg wash onto sweet or savory baked goods before they head to the oven for one or more of the following reasons:
- To promote an eye-catching golden hue.
- To add a shiny, glossy look.
- To help seal edges.
- To aid in adhering a topping or crust to a food.
- To create a crisper crust.
Think of egg wash like a well-chosen Instagram filter for your goodies; it adds a top coat that transforms an already beautiful scene into something that looks a little more professional.
Egg washes are also often employed to coat meats, vegetables, cheeses, and beyond in a crunchy coating. “F.E.B.,” or flour, egg, breadcrumb, is shorthand for the standard breading process.
Test Kitchen Tip: Since raw eggs are part of the process for how to make egg wash, it’s important to follow proper food safety practices to reduce the risk of cross contamination. Wash your hands well after cracking eggs, clean and disinfect any surface that may have been splashed with raw egg, and only use egg wash on recipes that will be baked.
Egg Wash Ingredients
- Eggs: Opt for just egg whites, egg yolks, or, so you don’t have to fuss with leftovers, use the whole egg. Beating it with a fork or whisk is helpful to even out the consistency and make it a cinch to combine with the liquid.
- Water, milk, or cream: A splash of water is the secret to the fluffiest scrambled eggs, according to our Test Kitchen, and it’s also one of your choices to thin out the egg portion of the egg wash. Again, the more fat you include (water has none, non-skim milks have some, and cream has the most), the more sheen and more golden-brown your baked goods will be.
Consider all of your options for how to make egg wash based on your desired results.
- Whole egg + water: This is probably the most common and classic egg wash recipe. It renders a nice golden shine.
- Whole egg + milk or cream: Either of these combos will create a similar shine as the water-infused egg wash. Bonus: The fat in the milk or cream can help transform your baked goods from pale to lightly golden brown.
- Egg yolk only: A beaten egg yolk was all the rage in the egg wash world back around 1960. (If you have a vintage red plaid cookbooks, you might spy this egg wash style making an appearance!) It leads to a nice golden finished product.
- Egg white only: For a result that looks more glazed than golden, or to help items like sprinkles, sugar, or spices adhere to the top of recipes, egg white washes are ideal.
- Whole egg only: To amp up the golden brown factor so it’s darker than the other options, try a beaten whole egg.
Test Kitchen Tip: Since mayonnaise is simply an emulsion of egg, oil, and acid, it can also work for a makeshift egg wash if you don’t have any eggs handy. Try this to add extra fat and shine to savory baked goods like Honey Milk Bread Rolls, or to use as “glue” for breading on items like chicken, fish, or pork before you oven-fry, air-fry, or deep-fry the protein.
Ingredients
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1 large large egg
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1 tablespoon cream, milk, or water
Directions
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Beat the egg and one tablespoon of your desired liquid (cream, milk, or water) in a small bowl with a fork until well combined. Use as directed in the recipe.
When to Use Egg Wash
Just before baking, use a silicone brush to evenly brush the exterior of the baked good with egg wash. If you notice any egg wash pooling on the surface or around the base of the recipe, use the brush to even things out. Alternatively, use paper towels to soak up any excess that surrounds your baked goodie. (Pools of egg wash can impact flavor and lead to an uneven appearance.)
Now that you know how to make egg wash, you’re all set to put it to great use to dress up recipes like:
- Enriched doughs, such as Challah, Kringle, and Tsoureki
- Pies
- Hand pies (the egg wash works well to help the edges seal)
- Calzones
- Pot pies
- Breaded chicken, pork, steak, cheese or vegetables
How to Store Egg Wash
If you happen to have extra egg wash after your initial desired use, transfer it to an airtight container or mason jar (don’t forget the lid) and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Or feel free to toss any leftover egg wash into your egg mixture to whip up a frittata, quiche, egg casserole, fried rice, omelet, or batch of scrambled eggs.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
| 122 | Calories |
| 10g | Fat |
| 1g | Carbs |
| 7g | Protein |
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings Per Recipe 1 | |
| Calories 122.2 | |
| % Daily Value * | |
| Total Fat 10.1g | 13% |
| Saturated Fat 5g | 25% |
| Cholesterol 202.9mg | 68% |
| Sodium 75mg | 3% |
| Total Carbohydrate 0.8g | 0% |
| Dietary Fiber 0g | 0% |
| Total Sugars 0.6g | |
| Protein 6.7g | 13% |
| Vitamin D 1.2mcg | 6% |
| Vitamin C 0.1mg | 0% |
| Calcium 37.8mg | 3% |
| Iron 0.9mg | 5% |
| Potassium 83.2mg | 2% |
| Fatty acids, total trans 0.2g | |
| Vitamin D 50.4IU | |
| Alanine 0.4g | |
| Arginine 0.4g | |
| Ash 0.6g | |
| Aspartic acid 0.7g | |
| Caffeine 0mg | |
| Carotene, alpha 0mcg | |
| Choline, total 149.4mg | |
| Copper, Cu 0mg | |
| Cystine 0.1g | |
| Energy 511.6kJ | |
| Fluoride, F 1mcg | |
| Folate, total 24.1mcg | |
| Glutamic acid 0.9g | |
| Glycine 0.2g | |
| Histidine 0.2g | |
| Isoleucine 0.4g | |
| Leucine 0.6g | |
| Lysine 0.5g | |
| Methionine 0.2g | |
| Magnesium, Mg 7mg | |
| Manganese, Mn 0mg | |
| Niacin 0mg | |
| Phosphorus, P 107.7mg | |
| Pantothenic acid 0.8mg | |
| Phenylalanine 0.4g | |
| Proline 0.3g | |
| Retinol 140.4mcg | |
| Selenium, Se 15.8mcg | |
| Serine 0.5g | |
| Theobromine 0mg | |
| Threonine 0.3g | |
| Vitamin E (alpha-tocopherol) 0.7mg | |
| Tryptophan 0.1g | |
| Tyrosine 0.3g | |
| Valine 0.5g | |
| Vitamin A, IU 489.3IU | |
| Vitamin A, RAE 141.3mcg | |
| Vitamin B-12 0.5mcg | |
| Vitamin B-6 0.1mg | |
| Vitamin K (phylloquinone) 0.6mcg | |
| Water 46.7g | |
| Zinc, Zn 0.7mg | |
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
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