How to Make a Flax Egg

Learn how to make this incredibly simple vegan egg substitute using only 2 ingredients which are ground flax seeds and some water. In less than 10 minutes this flax egg will be ready to use for all your baked goods and treats.

I'm always on the hunt for healthy alternatives in baking, the search just never stops with me.

However, with that being said I'm so excited to show you how to make a flax egg, it's so easy, cost effective and relatively quick too.

It wasn't until I started to try my hand at vegan baking that made it apparent just how crucial an egg replacement is. Don't get me wrong you can use banana, applesauce, aquafaba, nut butter etc...

However sometimes these alternatives can create further barriers for people who suffer from allergies.

When we bake for instance a sponge cake, we need something that acts as a binding agent and yields structure for the rest of the ingredients to hold together.

Unfortunately, butter or milk cannot supersede the role of a binder, so what do we do in such a predicament?

After doing some digging, along with some trial and error this is where my flax egg recipe comes in handy.

What is a flax egg?

A flax egg is pretty much self explanatory, it's a vegan/egg free substitute to a chicken egg by the wider society in baking and otherwise.

These animal free eggs are made using flaxseeds which have been ground/milled and mixed together with a small amount of water.

The mixture is left to sit/rest during that time the flax/water will congeal and resemble a gelatinous texture just like an egg.

What's so cool about this "egg"?

• It's simple and easy to make
• You only need 2 ingredients
• You can use it in MOST recipes which call for egg(s)
• It's dirt cheap
• Great for people who have an egg allergy as well as vegans
• Any dietary/lifestyle can use this i.e keto, paleo, gluten free, low carb etc...

Ingredients you will need

• Flax seed: I used whole flaxseed and simply ground them in my coffee grinder and use accordingly
• Water: Hot water is best as this will congeal a lot quicker

The recipe steps

• Add your whole flaxseed to a spice/coffee grinder (picture 1).
• Mill the flax into a fine consistency (picture 2).

• Add the hot water to the flaxmeal and stir so it is combined evenly (picture 3 & 4).

• Leave to rest for about 5 minutes (you can leave for longer if you wish) during this time the mixture should have turned gelatinous and that is your egg (picture 5 & 6).

The pros and cons of using a flax egg

While vegan egg(s) might be hailed as the ultimate egg replacement, it does come with its limitations so keep that in mind;

The cons

• You can't use a flax egg to make scramble/fried eggs, omelettes, quiche or frittatas. It just isn't design to work that way.
• No complex recipes. Don't even think about using your flax egg for sophisticated/complex recipes i.e choux pastry, puff pastry
• The infamous brownie....the verdict is still 50/50 on this one, so I would be mindful of using it in a brownie recipe.
• It doesn't hold up well for recipes that call for creaminess i.e pumpkin pie
• Don't use this in recipes that call for more than  3 eggs this is where things begin to go south with structure and texture being compromised.

The pros

Just like most vegan recipes you will most likely need to adapt with your usual applesauce, nut butter and milks etc...

This is where you can tailor in your flax eggs for recipes such as;

• Pancakes
• Muffins
• Quick Bread
• Cakes

Can you use chia seeds instead of flax?

Both chia seeds and flaxseeds have become a popular choice for vegan, allergies and anyone looking to explore their options and broaden their horizon.

Due to their glutinous nature of both of these choices when wet, they act as a perfect egg replacement.

Can you use this recipe to make mayonnaise?

No, you cannot but do try my vegan mayo recipe instead.

 Flax egg(s) is the equivalent to how many eggs?

1 flax egg equals the use of 1 large egg

Can you double, triple etc.. the batch?

Yes, you can double or triple the amount you need but remember not to use more than 3 eggs for a recipe. 4 or so more doesn't work out very well.

Can you make a huge bulk batch?

No, see written above, only make what you need fresh at any given time.

Can you use milk instead of water?

Yes, milk should work with no problems just make sure the milk is HOT.

Notes and tips

• Hot water. While some people make their eggs" using cold/warm water I highly recommend using HOT water. This congeals a lot quicker and virtually eliminates any waiting time.
• Only make the amount of flax eggs that you need at any give time.
• DO NOT quantify in bulk at all.
• DON'T go over 3 "eggs". Recipes that call for more than 3 vegan eggs need to be revised and adapted with using other ingredients. Keep your usage within a maximum of 3.
• For best results use for fairly simple recipes i.e cakes, muffins, pancakes etc.. pastries/quiches are a NO NO.
• It's okay to use brown or golden flaxseed, both work just fine.
• It's better and more nutritious to use whole flax and mill it using a coffee/spice grinder.
• Be sure to stir your "egg(s)" before using/adding to a recipe.
• DON'T use flax flour, only whole flax or flax meal as a secondary option.

Recipes to try

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