Plant-based egg success
- Plant-based food market valued at $16.55bn
- Plant-based egg market expected to hit $834.5m by 2035
- Growth driven by ethical concerns, health benefits, and environmental awareness
- Major brands like Starbucks adopting plant-based egg products
- Familiarity and context influence consumer acceptance
The plant-based food and beverage market is growing. And while there are very real concerns that growth is slowing, it continues to hold a steady CAGR of 10.7% – a growth rate most sectors could only dream of.
What’s more, the global plant-based food and beverage market is already valued at $16.55bn (€14.30bn) showing its significant standing in the industry (Grand View Research).
“Rising concern about animal health and animal cruelty has been encouraging people to shift from animal-based to plant-based meals,” says a spokesperson for Grand View Research.
Added to this, environmental issues, and the potential health benefits of a plant-based diet are fuelling sales worldwide.
And it’s for this reason that sales of plant-based eggs are starting to eggs-plode… sorry!
“The plant-based eggs market will see enormous growth in 2025 to 2035 due to rising consumer demand for ethical and sustainable food,” says a spokesperson for Future Market Insights.
The market is currently valued at $168.2m, and projected to hit $834.5m by 2035 – that’s an impressive CAGR of 17.4% (Future Market Insights).
The rise of plant-based eggs
Plant-based eggs are increasingly gaining popularity as a high-protein food with reduced cholesterol.
And it’s not just consumers in the supermarket making the switch. Restaurants and fast food outlets are starting to follow suit, adding plant-based egg products to their menus.
US-based JUST Egg, a plant-based egg brand, recently signed a deal with Starbucks, to sell plant-based egg sandwiches.
In fact, such is the growth of this trend, that scientists have even taken to studying the phenomenon.
Researchers from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign explored how different elements, including price, the type of food product, and the eating environment, affect consumer decision-making.
“We wanted to measure the consumer’s perception about plant-based eggs,” says Da Eun Kim, a doctoral student at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Instead of directly asking people if they would purchase a plant-based egg, the researchers asked participants to imagine they were about to eat breakfast. This meal would take place either at home or in a restaurant, and consumers had a choice between scrambled eggs or pancakes made with plant-based eggs.
How consumers like their eggs
The results, say the research team, were both surprising and informative.
“We expected the setting to be more important, as we thought the novelty of the plant-based egg product would lead people to want to eat it in a restaurant where chefs know how to prepare the product in a way that tastes good,” says Brenna Ellison, a professor at Purdue University. “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.”
Consumers were also found to be more likely to purchase plant-based eggs when they were mixed into something familiar, like pancakes, instead of served on their own.
The team asked participants to rate how plant-based eggs would compare to traditional ones. Unsurprisingly, expected taste and appearance still favoured real eggs. But the plant-based version came out on top for environmental impact and animal welfare. This reflects a broader trend in food science, where ethical motivations are beginning to influence consumer choices.
Does this mean every consumer will want to purchase plant-based eggs?
“Probably not,” says Professor Ellison. “However, we did find that consumers who had previous experience trying plant-based eggs were more likely to purchase them compared to people without that experience. This suggests that consumers had a positive experience with the product previously.”
While familiarity with plant-based eggs is helpful, familiarity with the end product, such as pancakes, could also be key.
“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,” says Professor Ellison.
Future of plant-based egg market
As the plant-based food sector continues to evolve, plant-based eggs are proving to be more than just a niche innovation. They’re becoming a symbol of how ethical, sustainable, and health-conscious choices are reshaping consumer habits.
While real eggs still dominate breakfast tables, the growing acceptance of plant-based alternatives, especially when integrated into familiar foods, signals a shift in how consumers think about protein.
With major brands, researchers, and consumers all leaning into the trend, plant-based eggs may soon become a staple in kitchens and menus worldwide.
