Flax Eggs are the perfect vegan egg substitute for baking. They require only 2 ingredients and can be whipped up in minutes.
If I only had a dollar for every time that I’ve been asked, “What is a flax egg?” I would be able to take a great vacation! So, let’s answer that question that I know is on your mind.
Flax eggs are…
- Vegan
- Gluten-free
- Extremely simple to make
- Require no cooking
- Perfect for vegan baking
- Great vegan egg substitute in waffles & muffins
What is a flax egg?
To put it simply, a flax egg is a vegan egg substitute for baking that is made up of only two ingredients–ground flaxseeds (or chia seeds) and water. Flax eggs are plant-based, whole food, gluten-free, and perfect for a vegan egg substitute.
What’s the problem with regular eggs?
I love the quote from Dr. Neal Barnard with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. “There are only two problems with eggs– the yolk and the white.”
The Yolk is loaded with cholesterol that can lead to heart disease, and nearly 70% of an egg’s calories are from fat—a big portion of which is saturated.
Egg White is pure animal protein. Animal protein has a number of negative effects on the body including causing inflammation, putting a burden on the liver and kidneys, raising IGF-1 hormone levels, as well as causing a rise in cholesterol levels.
Cholesterol in eggs compared to fast food
- Big Mac 65mg
- Big Mac with cheese 80mg
- Burger King Whopper Sandwich 90mg
- Burger King Whopper with cheese 115mg
- One medium-sized egg 187-213mg
For more information on eggs, check out our article Nutritional Value of Eggs.
Flaxseed benefits
Flaxseed is a rich source of healthy fat, antioxidants, and fiber. The seeds contain protein, lignans, and the essential fatty acid alpha-linolenic acid, also known as ALA or omega-3.
The nutrients in flaxseed may help lower the risk of diabetes, cancer, and heart disease. For this reason, it is sometimes thought of as a functional food, a food that can be consumed to achieve health purposes.–Medical News Today
- Flaxseed has long been thought to offer health benefits.
- It contains fiber, fat, protein, and various minerals and vitamins.
- These nutrients may offer protection against cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems.
- Consuming ground flaxseeds enables the body to absorb the nutrients more effectively.
So flax is good for us, but how can it be used in foods we already eat? As an egg substitute for baking, that’s how!
How to make a flax egg
Making a flax egg is as easy as vigorously whisking together 1 tablespoon of flax meal and 3 tablespoons of warm water and allowing it to sit for a few minutes to become a flax seed gel that has the consistency of regular egg whites.
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Flax meal is just flaxseeds that have been ground up. So if all you have on-hand is whole flaxseeds, simply grind those seeds up in your blender or coffee grinder to make flax meal.
Most of the time, I take it one step further and blend the flax meal or flaxseed, along with the water, in my blender to make it smoother and speed things up a bit.
I have found that blending the mixture in my Vitamix, instead of just whisking together makes a nice thick smooth texture of this egg substitute. It also eliminates the need to let it sit and allows for use immediately.
Check out my video below showing how easy it is to do this in a blender.
How do flax eggs taste?
Flax eggs are tasteless in baked goods like waffles and brownies but don’t try to eat them raw. Consider yourself warned. They don’t taste good raw, just like regular eggs don’t either.
The great thing is that when they are combined in baked goods, there is no weird taste at all. Only the flavors of the yummy dishes they are used in.
Substituting flax eggs for chicken eggs
Flax eggs can usually be substituted in recipes calling for regular eggs at a 1:1 ratio. That means, if a recipe calls for 1 egg, you could use one flax egg as a replacement. This works in recipes for:
- Waffles
- Pancakes
- Muffins
- Cakes
- and more
One word of caution, though. Flax eggs are not for scrambling but are rather used in recipes as a binder.
They are an excellent egg substitute for pancakes, waffles, and other baked goods.
Flaxseed substitute
There is a substitute for flaxseed in a flax egg. Chia seeds work well too. Substitute the chia seeds equally, grind the seeds, and use them just as described here for the flax seeds.
Recipes that use a little flax egg
- Gluten-Free Vegan Waffles
- Oatmeal Walnut Raisin Cookies
- Apple Pie Oatmeal Cookies from Fat-Free Vegan
- Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins from Minimalist Baker
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Flax Egg
Flax eggs are the perfect vegan egg substitute for baking. They require only 2 ingredients and can be whipped up in minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon flax meal (made by grinding flaxseed)
- 3 tablespoons warm water
Instructions
- Combine flax meal and warm water in bowl.
- Whisk together vigorously.
- Allow to sit for 5-minutes (or up to 30-minutes) to gel-up and become an egg white consistency.
- Use in baking recipes. One flax egg = one regular egg.
If preferred, simply place flaxseed or flax meal in blender with water and blend. Stop to scrape down sides blend another few seconds. This makes the flax egg very thick and smooth, and it eliminates the need for allowing it it sit. The egg can instead be used immediately in baking.
Notes
Detailed instructions, in-process photos, and my personal helpful tips can be found in the article above.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 1 Serving Size: 1 flax eggAmount Per Serving: Calories: 30Total Fat: 2.5gCholesterol: 0mgCarbohydrates: 2gFiber: 2gProtein: 1.5g
To obtain the most accurate representation of the nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator. You are solely responsible for ensuring that any nutritional information provided is accurate, complete, and useful.
Simona
Sunday 21st of March 2021
Hi, my recipe says 7 egg whites, so to substitute it with flaxseed I should put 7 tbs of flaxseed + 21 tbs of water?
Terri Edwards
Monday 22nd of March 2021
Hi Simona- That's a lot of eggs for a recipe, and I'm not sure that flax eggs will work in an instance such as this. May I ask what you are making?