Have you ever wondered what the difference between duck eggs and chicken eggs was? Well, besides the obvious… One comes from a duck and one comes from a chicken. 😉
This summer when The Girl and I stopped by one of my favorite little farm stands in town to buy some {chicken} eggs and cheesecake, there was also a few cartons of duck eggs out for sale.
I had heard that duck eggs were supposed to be wonderful in baking, and so we bought a carton to give them a whirl.
I love stopping by that particular farm stand every time I drive by because there’s an apple orchard that lines the driveway and typically a flock of happy chickens, guinea fowl, ducks or geese wandering about the farm.
I know her animals are loved and well taken care of and it makes me happy to buy my eggs there. Plus it’s way more entertaining than grabbing a carton of eggs out of the refrigerated case at the grocery store. 😉
And those duck eggs we bought?
They were fantastic! We made a chocolate cake with them and could totally tell the difference. Who knew?
I didn’t really know anything about duck eggs before moving out to the boonies, so I did a little research before using them.
Here are just a few interesting facts about the difference between chicken eggs and duck eggs that I found:
Duck eggs are harder to find than chicken eggs and typically cost more than chicken eggs due to their size and availability, even though the cost of feeding ducks and chickens is basically the same.
Because duck eggs are larger, they have a thicker shell which tends to give duck eggs a longer shelf-life than chicken eggs.
Duck eggs are higher in calories than a chicken egg. A duck egg averages 130 calories while a chicken egg averages only 71 calories.
Duck eggs are higher in protein than chicken eggs. The average chicken egg contains 6.28 grams of protein, while the average duck egg contains 8.97 grams of protein.
Using duck eggs in baking tends to produce lighter breads and fluffier cakes because they contain more protein and fat and less water than chicken eggs.
Because duck eggs are larger and the fat content is higher than a chicken egg, when you use them in baking, a good rule of thumb is to use 2 duck eggs for every 3 chicken eggs you’d normally use in a recipe.
Duck eggs have 3 times more cholesterol than chicken eggs. Wowza! There are three reasons for this; larger overall size, a larger yolk and because duck eggs have a higher fat content.
Duck eggs contain 619 milligrams of cholesterol each. That’s more than twice the daily recommended limit!
And lastly, duck eggs are also higher in Omega-3 fatty acids – 71.4 milligrams in a duck egg vs 37 milligrams in a chicken egg.
So interesting!
Have you ever tried duck eggs before? Have you used them in baking? Did you notice a difference?
~Mavis
Deb says
Duck eggs are also great for egg salad sandwiches!
Lana says
My Dad had pet ducks when I was growing up. He would get one each year and when they grew up they would leave and go to the lake across the street. Then he would get another little ducking the next year. Occasionally we would have one that laid eggs and stayed around awhile. My Mom started using them in baking. As children we were convinced that we would surely die if we ate the eggs from Dad’s pet ducks. Mom told us later that she had been baking with them all along!
Tammie Hirv says
Yes!!!! Thank you for giving some screen time to the duck family! We have two who are gluten free in our home and using duck eggs in our baking with the gf flour has been a game changer!
Also, my mom is not able to eat chicken eggs without stomach issues and she is able to eat duck eggs without any problem. 🙂
Dawn says
I can eat duck eggs in baked goods, but to eat them alone–fried, scrambled, boiled, or even in a quiche–gives me terrible stomach cramps. I’ve read it isn’t that uncommon. So I just set aside and duck eggs we get for baking. And they do work wonderful for that!
Margo says
We used to have ducks and chickens. Duck eggs were fine for baking, except when I went to make a cheesecake. It changed the taste and not really for the better. Liked chicken eggs better for scrambled or poached eggs. Enjoyed having the chickens and ducks at the time.
Brianna says
I cooked a duck last year for Christmas and my daughter was crying about it. She baled her eyes out at the dinner table when I put the roast duck on it and we started carving and eating. I had bought it fresh from a local Hutterite colony. I was amazed at the amount of fat that was in the roasting pan. I filled up a quart jar with it. I am not surprised the eggs have so much cholesterol in part because of the extra fat a duck has.
suzanne says
We like to scramble duck and chicken eggs together. I’m not a baker but now I want to try something.
Linda Sand says
I have a friend who is allergic to chicken eggs but who can eat duck eggs.
Hanna says
Interesting facts. I had a couple of ducks. I made ice cream gelato with the eggs. Lovely treat. The ducks eventually wandered off. Never saw them again. They laid eggs so faithfully, much more so than the chickens, so I also sold the eggs for 50 cents a piece.
Elisabeth says
We had a pair of ducks when I was growing up. REALLY didn’t like the flavor of the free-range duck eggs when scrambled, but they were ok in baked goods. As a kid I didn’t notice the difference in baked goods. We also had geese, and thought the goose eggs were better. Same free-range lifestyle . . .
Patty p says
We have had ducks and geese on and off, in addition to the chickens. Duck and goose eggs are much richer and really add to the baked dish. I also use our turkey eggs in the spring when I can find them…since they are always trying to hatch some more poults out! The shells on the turkey eggs are much thicker than chicken eggs. I also tend to use them for baking or hard boiling. The duck and goose eggs have a waxy finish on the outside too.