Flax eggs are one of the easiest egg substitutes. This alternative is perfect for vegan baking, those with egg allergies, or any time you don’t have eggs on hand for a recipe.
What is a flax egg? It’s a vegan egg substitute made from ground flax seeds and water. Ground chia seeds can also be used to produce similar results.
When mixed, the flax meal will start to “gel” with the water, creating the consistency of an egg that can be used in baking. Flax seeds contain omega-3 fatty acids and add extra fiber to your recipes.
How to Make a Flax Egg
If you start with whole flaxseed, you must grind them first. Add a few tablespoons of seeds to a coffee grinder, spice grinder, or high-speed blender, and pulse briefly until the seeds are finely ground.
(A food processor won’t work to grind the seeds because the bowl is too big.)
You can skip this step if you start with a bag of flaxseed meal or ground flaxseeds you bought at the store.
Add one tablespoon of ground flaxseed to a small bowl with three tablespoons of water. Mix well with a spoon or small whisk, then let the bowl rest for 5 minutes.
The mixture will thicken as it rests. This will make one egg replacement.
Once the mixture has thickened, it’s ready to use in your recipe. However, this egg substitute won’t work perfectly in all cases, so check out the tips below.
Detoxinista Tip
The most common flax egg ratio is 1:3, meaning one tablespoon of ground flax seed to 3 tablespoons of water. However, you can use less water for the flax egg when making something with a very runny batter, like quick bread.
When making banana bread or cake that calls for more than one regular egg, try using a 1:2 ratio (1 T ground flax + 2 T water) for the flax egg replacement.
How to Use Flax Eggs
Chicken eggs not only act as a binder in recipes, but they also help with lift and structure. Flax eggs don’t do everything, so adjust your expectations when using them.
Use flax eggs in recipes like:
- Cookies. Cookies are relatively flat and usually require only one egg. Flax eggs will work well here!
- Brownies. If you love a brownie with a gooey center, then flax eggs will work here, too. They don’t provide as much rise and structure as eggs, but they usually hold a brownie recipe together.
- Recipes that call for all-purpose flour. Wheat flour and all-purpose flour contain gluten, which makes them both very forgiving in recipes. Flax eggs will usually work well in muffins and breads made with regular white flour.
Detoxinista Tip
It’s a good idea to swap your leavener when using flax eggs. If a recipe calls for a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda, use double that amount of baking powder when using a flax egg. It will help add some of the lift that regular eggs provide.
Don’t use flax eggs in:
- Recipes that call for more than 3 or more eggs. In general, the more eggs you need to substitute, the more issues you may run into. Using more than 2 flax eggs could result in baked goods that are gooey or have an underbaked texture.
- Paleo & gluten-free recipes. When using almond flour or coconut flour, flax eggs may not provide the required structure. (If you don’t mind a gooey cookie or brownie, they could still be helpful in that case, but experiment at your own risk.) Even grain-based flours, like oat flour and buckwheat flour, work better with real eggs, so the result could be more gummy or dense when leaving the eggs out.
- Flourless recipes. If a recipe doesn’t call for flour, it probably relies on the eggs for structure. Flax eggs won’t work very well in this case.
For tested egg-free recipes, start with a vegan recipe, which will naturally be egg-free anyway!
Ready to try some recipes that already use flax as the binder? Try Date Brownies, the Healthiest Cookies Ever, or my Vegan Cauliflower Pizza Crust.
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Add the ground flax seed and water to a bowl and stir well. Let the mixture rest for at least 5 minutes.
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When the flax egg looks thicker, you can use it as an egg replacement in baking recipes. (See tips in this post for which recipes work best with a flax egg.)
- Nutrition information is for 1 flax egg. This information is automatically calculated, and is just an estimate, not a guarantee.
- You can use ground chia seeds instead of flax seeds, to make a chia egg.
- Flax eggs work best in recipes that call for all-purpose or whole wheat flour and don’t call for more than 2 eggs. Try them in cookies or brownies where you don’t mind a slightly softer, gooey center.
- Do NOT use flax eggs as an egg replacement in recipes that call for almond flour or coconut flour. Flax eggs won’t provide the structure that chicken eggs do, so they also aren’t a great fit for flourless recipes.
- See the full post above for more tips on using flax eggs.
Calories: 37kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 0.3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 4mg | Potassium: 57mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin C: 0.04mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.4mg
If you try this flax egg recipe, please leave a comment and star rating below letting me know how they worked out for you!