Egg Roll Wrappers substitute

Best substitute

Spring roll or lumpia wrappers

Use the same amount or 2 sheets per roll for a sturdier shell as the egg roll wrappers you are replacing

Best for fried egg rolls

Different texture

Spring roll or lumpia wrappers are the easiest swap and go one for one, but they are much thinner, so the roll fries glassy and delicate instead of bubbly and chewy; use two sheets per roll if you want closer to the original heft. Four wonton wrappers overlapped in a square and sealed with water make one egg roll wrapper in a pinch. Phyllo works if you brush and stack three sheets, though it shatters into flakes rather than crunching in one piece. The wrapper here is doing one job and doing it distinctively: it is thick raw dough, so when it hits hot oil the moisture inside turns to steam and lifts the surface into blisters, which is exactly why an egg roll crunches differently from a spring roll.

Other egg roll wrappers substitutes

Ranked, with the exact amount to use

2Wonton wrappers, overlapped
Close match
Use 4 wrappers, overlapped in a 2x2 square and sealed with water, for every egg roll
Same family of dough, just cut small.
What changes
Overlap the edges by half an inch and press to weld them into one big sheet.
Best for
egg rolls, small fried rolls, using up a packet of wontons
Works better than it sounds because wonton dough is a close relative of egg roll dough, so the flavour is right. The seams are the weak point: press them firmly, and place the seam side down when rolling so the filling does not push through. Alternatively make four small rolls with one wrapper each, which fry faster and give you more crust per bite. Slightly thinner and less bready than the real thing.
3Phyllo (filo) pastry
Taste and texture differ
Use 3 sheets for every roll, each brushed with oil
Wafer-thin sheets of unleavened wheat dough, stacked with fat between the layers.
What changes
Best for
baked rolls, shallow-fried rolls, party appetisers
Fried or baked, phyllo gives an excellent crunch of a completely different character: it shatters into fine flakes that go everywhere, rather than the single blistered crack of an egg roll. It browns much faster, so drop the oil to about 335F and watch it, and it goes soggy sooner because there is no thick dough layer to hold the filling's moisture away. Keep the stack covered with a damp towel while you work; it dries out in minutes.
4Rice paper (banh trang)
Taste and texture differ
Use 1 large sheet for every roll, or 2 stacked for strength
The gluten-free choice, dipped in warm water for a couple of seconds before rolling.
What changes
Best for
gluten-free fried rolls, fresh unfried rolls
Deep-fried rice paper bubbles up into a wonderfully glassy, brittle shell, but it is a short-lived crunch: within five or ten minutes it goes leathery and chewy, so these have to go straight from the fryer to the table. Rice paper is also sticky when hydrated, so roll each one as you dip it, keep them from touching, and fry at 350F. It cannot be baked to a crisp the way wheat wrappers can.
5Homemade egg roll wrappers
Close match
2 cups (250g) flour, 1 egg, ¾ cup (180ml) water, ½ teaspoon salt makes 12 to 15
Raw wheat dough is what egg roll wrappers are, so making them is straightforward, just slow.
What changes
Best for
egg rolls, large fried rolls, when the shops have none
Mix to a soft dough, knead five minutes, rest covered 45 minutes, then roll each piece paper-thin and dust with cornstarch. Because the dough is raw rather than pre-cooked, it blisters and bubbles in the fryer exactly like the packet kind, which no thin spring roll wrapper does. Roll them thinner than feels sensible; anything thick stays pale and doughy inside.
6Flour tortillas
Taste and texture differ
Use 1 small (6 inch) tortilla for every roll
A last resort that only works for baked or air-fried rolls, not deep frying.
What changes
Best for
baked or air-fried rolls, quick weeknight fake egg rolls
Tortillas contain fat and often leavening, so they puff, blister unevenly and taste unmistakably of bread rather than of a fried noodle-dough shell. Deep-fried they go greasy and hard. Brush lightly with oil and bake at 400F for 12 to 15 minutes, turning once, and you get a decent crisp wrap. Call it something else and everyone will be happy with it.

What is Egg Roll Wrappers?

Egg Roll Wrappers is the thick, usually egg-enriched square of raw wheat dough, six to seven inches across, that fries into the bubbly blistered shell of an American Chinese egg roll, and that thickness is the point: it is what gives the wrapper its heavy shattering crunch instead of a delicate one.

Cooking tips

Cool the filling completely before rolling, and drain it hard, pressing cabbage and beansprouts in a sieve. Hot filling steams the wrapper from inside and gives you a limp, grey roll no matter how good your oil temperature is; wet filling makes the seam unseal in the fryer.
Seal with a cornstarch slurry, one teaspoon of cornstarch stirred into two tablespoons of cold water, rather than with egg or plain water. On a thick wrapper, plain water evaporates before the seal sets; the starch paste turns to glue in the oil and holds the flap down.
Fry at 350 to 360F and no hotter. Thick raw dough needs three to four minutes to cook through, and hotter oil colours the outside before the middle stops tasting of flour. If you swap to thin spring roll wrappers, the same oil temperature is right but the time drops to two or three minutes.
Roll tightly and press out every pocket of air. Air pockets expand in the fryer and blow the roll open, which is both a mess and a burn risk. Fold in the sides like an envelope, then roll away from you with steady pressure.
Egg roll wrappers dry out and crack fast because the dough is raw, so keep the stack under a damp towel and re-wrap the packet tightly. They freeze well in the sealed sleeve but do not survive refreezing; thaw in the fridge overnight and peel the sheets apart gently while still cool.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between egg roll wrappers and spring roll wrappers?

Egg roll wrappers are thick raw wheat dough, often with egg, and about six to seven inches square. Because they go into the oil raw, the moisture in the dough turns to steam and the surface blisters into that bubbly, chewy-crisp shell you get on a takeout egg roll. Spring roll and lumpia wrappers are much thinner and are lightly cooked before packaging, so they fry into a smooth, glassy, delicate crust. Both are wheat, both are interchangeable, but the crunch is genuinely different.

Do egg roll wrappers actually contain egg?

Often but not always. Many brands list wheat flour, water, egg and salt; a few are entirely eggless despite the name, and the pale yellow colour can come from the dough alone. If you are cooking for someone with an egg allergy or eating vegan, read the ingredient list rather than trusting the name on the front.

Can I bake or air-fry them instead of deep-frying?

Yes, with lower expectations. Brush or spray the rolls all over with oil and bake at 425F for 15 to 20 minutes, turning halfway, or air-fry at 390F for about 10 to 12 minutes. The wrapper dries and crisps rather than blistering, so it is harder and crackerish rather than bubbly, and any spot you missed with oil stays pale and tough. Thin spring roll wrappers actually air-fry better than thick egg roll ones.

Can I use puff pastry instead?

Not for an egg roll. Puff pastry is laminated with butter, so it rises into flaky layers and tastes strongly of pastry, and deep-frying it makes a greasy mess. If it is all you have, cut it into squares, fill it and bake it as small turnovers at 400F. That is a nice thing to eat, but it is not an egg roll.

How many wrappers do I need for a pound of filling?

About 10 to 14 egg rolls, using roughly a third of a cup of drained filling per wrapper. If you switch to thinner spring roll wrappers, use a little less filling in each because the sheet tears more easily, which usually means two or three extra rolls from the same batch.

Related substitutes

More pasta & noodles substitutes

Egg Roll Wrappers substitute

Other egg roll wrappers substitutes

2Wonton wrappers, overlapped

3Phyllo (filo) pastry

4Rice paper (banh trang)

5Homemade egg roll wrappers

6Flour tortillas