Most People Won’t Eat Vegan Eggs Plain — But This Works todayheadline

Plant-based eggs are gaining shelf space in grocery stores and showing up on more breakfast menus, but most Americans still aren’t ready to swap their scrambled eggs for the vegan version.

A new study from researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Purdue University reveals why. Using a national survey and an experimental vignette design, the researchers found that people are far more likely to buy plant-based eggs when they’re mixed into something familiar, like pancakes, and sold at a lower price — not served on their own.

Testing What Makes Consumers Bite

Led by doctoral student Da Eun Kim and professor Brenna Ellison, the study is one of the first to examine consumer behavior toward plant-based eggs in the U.S. Their method was simple but revealing: ask people to imagine a typical breakfast and choose between two meal scenarios — scrambled eggs or pancakes, each made with plant-based eggs, eaten either at home or in a restaurant, and offered at varying price points.

“We wanted to measure the consumer’s perception about plant-based eggs,” Kim said. “A vignette experiment allowed us to create hypothetical scenarios and isolate what consumers really think.”

Ellison added, “Surprisingly, the location of where you were eating, whether it be at a restaurant versus at home, didn’t have as much of an effect as we imagined.”

Price, Familiarity, and Form Matter Most

The data, collected from a nationally representative sample of over 1,600 U.S. adults, revealed clear preferences:

• Lower prices increased likelihood of purchase
• Pancakes made with plant-based eggs were preferred over scrambled versions
• Previous experience with plant-based eggs strongly predicted willingness to buy

Consumers were less interested in trying plant-based eggs on their own. But when incorporated into a familiar dish, the hesitation dropped. “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,” Ellison said.

Perceptions: Taste Lags, Ethics Lead

The team also asked participants to compare plant-based eggs to traditional ones across a range of food and nutrition attributes. As expected, traditional eggs still came out ahead in taste and appearance. But plant-based eggs were rated more favorably in terms of environmental impact, animal welfare, and lower cholesterol content.

“There are still sensory barriers,” Kim noted. “I’ve tried the liquid version that comes in a bottle, like egg whites. The taste was different, but I was surprised the texture was very similar to traditional eggs.”

Who’s Buying Vegan Eggs?

The study also identified demographic trends in purchase behavior:

• Younger adults were more likely to buy plant-based eggs
• Black consumers and those living in urban or Northeastern U.S. regions were more receptive
• Political liberals and food assistance recipients showed greater interest
• Consumers with kids were more likely to consider buying plant-based eggs

Meanwhile, older adults and those in the South or rural areas were less likely to show interest.

A Soft Landing for a Hard-to-Sell Product

While the plant-based egg market remains a small slice of the overall egg industry — just 0.5% of total U.S. egg sales — it’s growing fast. Sales reached $71.1 million in 2024, up from just $45 million in 2021. Egg shortages caused by avian flu and rising interest in sustainability have helped push the category forward.

Still, familiarity is key. “Consumers who had previous experience trying plant-based eggs were more likely to purchase them,” said Ellison. That, she said, points to the importance of easy, accessible first encounters — like a pancake breakfast — rather than forcing a direct comparison to the classic scramble.

What This Means for the Food Industry

For marketers, chefs, and retailers, the takeaway is clear: don’t just slap a “vegan” label on scrambled eggs and expect them to fly off the shelf. Instead:

• Feature plant-based eggs as ingredients in dishes consumers already like
• Keep prices competitive with traditional eggs
• Highlight environmental and animal welfare benefits

As Kim and Ellison’s research shows, it’s not that consumers won’t try plant-based eggs. They just need the right nudge — and the right recipe.

Published in the journal Foods on May 8, 2025. DOI: 10.3390/foods14101742

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