Price Drop and Familiar Recipes Boost Consumer Interest In Vegan Eggs, Study Finds

A new study has found that consumers may be more willing to try vegan eggs if they were cheaper and included as part of a familiar dish, such as pancakes.

The study found that while consumers generally favor the taste and appearance of traditional, animal-derived eggs, most also believe that plant-based alternatives are better for animal welfare and the environment. Those who had previously tried vegan eggs were also more likely to purchase them later, indicating mostly positive experiences with alternatives.

Consumer Perceptions and Purchase Behavior Towards Plant-Based Eggs used an experimental “vignette” method to explore how setting, price, and food type influence “purchase behavior” and uptake of plant-based egg alternatives. The study surveyed 1,600 people via an online survey and measured the likelihood of purchase on a five-point scale.

Reducing the price of plant-based eggs notably increased the likelihood of purchase, as did using them as an ingredient rather than a standalone meal, such as in pancakes vs scrambled. Location, – for example, at home vs at a restaurant – had minimal effect on the likelihood of purchase.

“Introducing them as an ingredient, especially in a product that consumers are comfortable with, is a way to get people over any ‘mental hurdles’ associated with trying plant-based eggs,” said Brenna Ellison, a professor at Purdue University and one of the study’s lead authors, per SciTechDaily.

‘The texture was very similar’

Photo shows a stack of pancakes on a plate next to a cup of black coffee — Adobe Stock Consumers were more likely to try vegan eggs in a familiar dish, such as pancakes

Amid this year’s bird flu-induced US egg shortage, over 50 NYC bodegas added Just Eat’s plant-based Just Egg to popular sandwiches. While vegan eggs are historically more expensive than chicken eggs, the reduced availability of the latter made alternatives temporarily cheaper.

This fall in price resulted in overall higher uptake and a significant number of returning customers. Just Eat reported that Just Egg sales in January 2025 grew at five times the rate of the previous year. Furthermore, 56 percent of shoppers who purchased plant-based egg products returned to buy more afterwards, a phenomenon corroborated by the new study.

Da Eun Kim, the other lead author and a doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, told SciTechDaily that there are still “sensory barriers” to plant-based egg uptake. “I’ve tried the liquid version that comes in a bottle, like egg whites,” said Kim. “The taste was different, but I was surprised the texture was very similar to traditional eggs.”