How to make a flax egg – an easy lesson on how to make a flax egg with only two ingredients – the ultimate natural vegan egg alternative!
“What is a flax egg?” is one of the most often asked inquiries. So naturally, I began to write a little post about it, but I quickly discovered that this was still lacking information.
So let’s discuss flax eggs! We inhabit a bizarre parallel universe where flaxseed is frequently more accessible than genuine eggs. Making flax eggs using only water and ground flaxseed in your kitchen might potentially save you a journey to the shop. In addition, if you have chia seeds on hand, you may use this method to produce chia seed “eggs.”
You might already be familiar with flax eggs if you’re vegan or if someone in your household has an egg allergy.
Can I substitute eggs for this? What is the flavor like? Is it necessary to utilize flax seeds? After answering all of your questions, I realized I wanted to write a complete blog article about the benefits of flax eggs!
What is a flax egg?
A flax egg is a vegan egg replacement produced from powdered flax seeds and water. It’s all-natural, vegan, gluten-free, paleo, whole30, and others. It fits wonderfully into any meal type you’re consuming.
P.S. Are you allergic to flaxseed meal? Don’t worry; I’ll go through what you can substitute soon.
So, what are flaxseeds?
To jump into some science, flaxseeds are derived from the flax plant. Flaxseeds are a very healthy seed that you should definitely incorporate into everything you eat! They are high in fiber, assist digestion, and have a somewhat nutty flavor. Flaxseed oil is also available. Flaxseeds come in brown and golden brown hues.
Flaxseed Health Benefits
- 3 g protein per serving
- 4 g fiber
- Aids with digestion
- High in omega-3 fatty acids
Flax Egg vs Egg
To bind the components together and provide moisture, recipes can either include eggs or flaxseeds. In terms of nutrients and baked high quality, they each have particular qualities and advantages.
Use flaxseeds if you want more omega-3 fatty acids and decrease cholesterol. Eggs can be replaced with flaxseed or flax meal to make a recipe vegan, reduce the amount of cholesterol, or increase the range of nutrients you consume. Flaxseeds absorb moisture and expand into a gel-like consistency when combined with water.
When compared to baked products produced with eggs, flax-baked foods may not rise as much and may dry out a little quicker. However this is not an issue for most of the recipes using a flax egg, and there are many other vegan egg alternatives that are more suitable like chia or aquafaba.
How to Make a Flax Egg?
To make your flax egg, mix one tablespoon of ground flaxseed meal and three tablespoons of water. Then put in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set and thicken. It’s really that simple. If you want, you could leave it for up to 30 minutes. I’ll even put it in the freezer for 10 minutes every now and again.
The slurry will thicken and become goopy (like an egg), and you will have your flax egg! It’s incredible how straightforward it is to create. Simply double the recipe for two flax eggs, and so on.
What kind of flax meal would you use?
For years, I’ve been using Spectrum Essentials Organic Crushed Flaxseed (aka flax meal, which is ground-up flaxseeds) (affiliate link). However, keep in mind that it should be replaced every 3-4 months. I previously used one from Brandless, but they no longer produce food products.
What do flax eggs taste like?
Definitely do not eat this raw, just as you would not eat an uncooked egg. You won’t observe any change in the taste of your baked items. I’ve used flax seeds in brownies, cakes, pancakes, muffins, and quick bread recipes several times. That is one of its best features! Furthermore, you receive a lot of nutritious value with no odd flavor or aftertaste.
Now comes the challenging part…
Can I use flax eggs in place of real eggs?
Yes, although there are certain exceptions:
Baking using Flax Eggs:
In theory, you may use a 1:1 flax egg to actual egg ratio in:
Shakshuka is out since flax eggs do not fry like regular eggs. Just a quick note!
Using flax eggs instead of eggs in brownies
Perhaps it’s just me, but this seems unusually difficult. Real eggs in brownies greatly aid in the rising. I recommend starting with a dish designed for flax eggs, like my vegan chocolate brownies.
Is it necessary to utilize flaxseeds?
No – the good thing is that you can create flax eggs using chia! Chia seeds may be substituted evenly, ground, and used in the same way.
Chia Egg or Flax Egg, which one is better?
It all depends on what the recipe calls for. A flax egg is more used while a chia egg is for specific recipes. To directly replace one egg in quick bread, muffins, cookies, cakes, patties, etc., use one flax egg or one chia egg.
Use chia eggs when the additional binding is required, depending on how the recipe calls for them, and flax for the majority of other purposes.
Can I use Flax Egg as a substitute for all recipes?
Flax eggs can’t be whipped, so they don’t provide much “lift” for your baked items. In other words, flax eggs won’t work as a substitute if your recipe calls for beating egg whites until frothy (such as angel food cake or soufflé). In these cases, aquafaba would be a better choice.
Troubleshooting for Flax Eggs
- Make sure your flax meal is fresh! I discovered this the hard way. You must replenish your flax meal every 3-4 months, but most importantly, it should be thick and gooey after mixing, as seen in the above photo. Refrigerate your flax meal to keep it as fresh as possible.
- Ensure that you thoroughly combine it. After 15 minutes, you don’t want a thick layer on the bottom and water on top; you want it thoroughly mixed. I normally mix it for about 15 seconds before putting it in the fridge for 15 minutes, as in 15:15:15.
- Remember to put it in the refrigerator to thicken it.
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List of Ingredients (Just Two Ingredients!)
- 1 tbsp flaxseed meal
- 3 tbsp water
Directions
- Combine the items in a small bowl. Place it in the refrigerator for 15 minutes to set. After 15 minutes, give it another 30-second stir to combine any remaining water on top. The mixture should thicken and turn goopy.
- You may use flax eggs instead of ordinary eggs.
Notes
Flax meal is made from ground flax seeds. If you can’t get a flax meal, crush up flax seeds in your blender, spice grinder, or coffee grinder until finely powdered, as shown in the photographs.
