Learn how to make a flax egg which is a quick and easy vegan egg substitute. This all natural kitchen hack is fantastic for vegan or egg-free baking!
What is a flax egg?
Whether you or a family member have an egg allergy or are vegan, it can be difficult to say no to so many delicious baked treats that call for eggs.
Many other typical baking ingredients are quite easy to replace. For example, coconut oil can be used instead of butter, or almond (or soy) milk substituted for dairy milk. But eggs can be a little tricky.
There are commercial egg replacement powders available for purchase. Unfortunately, these are usually highly processed. If you are looking for a more wholesome egg substitute for baking, this flax egg recipe might be just right for you.
A flaxseed egg is a simple mixture of flax meal and water that can be used in many baking recipes to replace chicken eggs.
How to Make a flax egg
Making a flax egg is as easy as combining 1 tablespoon of flax meal with 3 tablespoons of water. This 1:3 ratio equals about 1 egg.
Whisk the mixture well until combined and let it sit for 5 minutes. Then you are ready to use the flaxseed egg replacement in your recipe.
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How to make flax meal
If you are anything like me, you might not always have ground flax meal at home, but only whole flaxseeds. Making your own flax meal (also called milled flaxseed or ground flaxseed) is super quick and easy.
You just need a spice mill or electric coffee grinder. Place a couple tablespoons of whole flax seeds in the grinder and pulse until the seeds break down into a powdery meal.
Don’t let the grinder run continuously for too long as that will heat up the flax seeds and release their oils. It could very quickly turn into flax paste then.
So only pulse to keep the seeds cool and turn them into fluffy flax meal. Be sure to store any leftover ground flax in the freezer to keep it from going rancid. I actually store my whole flax seeds in the freezer for the same reason.
I have also tried to make flax meal in my food processor but that didn’t work out at all. However, when I want to make a larger batch of flax meal I use my high speed Blendtec blender with the twister jar and that always turns out well.
I haven’t yet tried my Vitamix to grind up flax seeds. Let me know in the comments if you have, and whether it works or not.
How does a flax egg work
Flax seeds can absorb a lot of water and have gelling properties. Water activates that viscoelasticity.
So that when you combine flax meal with water, it forms a congealed mixture that is quite similar to the texture of an egg.
Do Flax eggs really work?
Instead of asking whether flax eggs actually work I think the question should be ‘when to use flax eggs?‘
You won’t be able to make a vegan omelette from flax eggs, but it is a great egg replacement in baking. And flax egg also makes a great egg substitute for binding meatballs and bean burgers.
From cookies to quick breads and cakes, I’ve had great success in many recipes with this vegan egg replacement. But be advised though, that while the consistency is very similar to chicken eggs, the replacement is not a 100% perfect and might not work in every recipe.
In my experience, if a recipe only requires a small amount of eggs (1-2) the flax egg substitute will most likely turn out fine. In recipes that call for a large amount of eggs, the flaxseed egg substitute might not have the best results, or might significantly alter the final texture.
You may need to do a little bit of experimenting to turn you favorite recipes into egg free (or vegan) versions.
Chia Egg – Another vegan egg substitute
Chia seeds also works well as egg alternative. It is then called chia egg.
The method and ratio is the same as with flax eggs but there is no need to grind up the chia seeds first. Just combine 1 tablespoon of whole chia seeds with 3 tablespoons of water for every egg you want to replace.
Items I use to make a flax egg
I usually buy my organic, non-GMO flax seeds in bulk and store them in an airtight container in the freezer to keep them fresh and from going rancid.
To grind up a small amount of flax seeds I use my electric coffee grinder.
When I need to grind up a larger amount of flax seeds I use my Blendtec blender with the twister jar.
Recipes that use flax egg substitute:
How to Make a Flax Egg
Learn how to make a flax egg which is a quick and easy vegan egg substitute. This all natural kitchen hack is fantastic for vegan or egg-free baking!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon ground flax seed also called flax meal
- 3 tablespoons water
Instructions
If you only have whole flax seeds, use an electric spice mill or coffee grinder to grind the whole flax seeds into finely ground flax meal. Pulse in short bursts (instead of grinding for long continuous periods) so the flax seeds don't overheat and turn into see butter.
In a small bowl stir together 1 tablespoon of ground flax with 3 tablespoons of water until fully combined.
Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes. It will thicken and turn gelatinous - very much like an actual egg.
Use the gelled flaxseed egg in your cake, cookie, or muffin/cupcake recipes.
Recipe Notes
Ground chia seed also works well as egg replacement. It is then called Chia Egg and it is the same ratio: 1 part whole chia seeds + 3 parts water
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