While undoubtedly popular for the last number of years in plant based and health conscious cooking, Flax Eggs is a vegan baking substitute still being discovered by eaters that want to reduce their use of animal products in the kitchen. Made with two simple ingredients, ground flaxseed and water, Flax Eggs is a nutritious, fibre-rich, easy to use, and economical substitute for eggs in simple baking.
In this straightforward preparation, ground flaxseed and water are blended together, thickening remarkably due to the presence of mucilage in the coat of the flax seed. Left aside for about 10 minutes or so, a sticky or gluey mixture is created that closely mimics the consistency and binding power of eggs.
Where to use Flax Eggs
Flax eggs can be used where indicated specifically, in a recipe such as Super Chocolatey Banana Bread, and also used to adapt existing recipes that don’t rely heavily on eggs, especially those that are already largely plant based, whole grain, or whole foods based. Whenever I come across a naturally inclined baking recipe, such as a simple muffin, cookie, or loaf recipe, and it only calls for the straightforward addition of 1 or 2 eggs, I know it may be a good contender for Flax Eggs.
It’s important to note that while Flax Eggs provide a similar binding power to eggs, they do not provide any “lift” to baked goods in the same manner as eggs. So baked goods that rely on eggs for their light and fluffy characteristics, or where eggs are whipped or separated, would not be suitable for Flax Eggs.
How to Make Flax Eggs
You simply need ground flaxseed to make Flax Eggs - you can either purchase the seed whole, and grind it finely at home in a spice or grain grinder, or you can easily purchase the ground seed, found readily in supermarkets, health food stores, and bulk bins. While flax seed comes in a lighter or darker variety I usually just buy what is available, and I make sure to keep my ground flax seed in a glass jar in the fridge as it is somewhat perishable.
While some preparations for Flax Eggs call for variously differing ratios of ground flax to water, I have settled on one set proportion that I use time and time again with successful results.
For each “Flax Egg” combine one level tablespoon of finely ground flax seeds with three tablespoons of room temperature water.
In other words: 1 tablespoon water + 3 tablespoon ground flax = 1 flax egg
If the recipe I am using requires 2 eggs, I simply double the amount of both ground flax and water.
When making Flax Eggs, simply combine the needed amount of ground flaxseed and water in a small bowl, thoroughly whisking or mixing. Leave the mixture aside for at least 10 minutes, during which time the mixture will gel and become quite gloopy. Often a small amount of water settles on the top of the mixture - when you are ready to use the Flax Eggs in your recipe, simply mix again, and then use as directed.
I use flax eggs so often that I always have a jar of ground flax in the fridge, and am sure to fill it up again at my local bulk store when I start to run low. If you’re open to experimenting, simply keep the characteristics of Flax Eggs in mind - great for simple whole grain or whole foods baking that only requires an egg or two - and consider swapping out standard eggs next time to see how easy it is to produce a delicious baked good that is egg-free. If you would prefer to start with a tested recipe featuring Flax Eggs to see how they work, I invite you to indulge in a large slice of Super Chocolatey Banana Bread to see what you think!
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