What Is A Flax Egg & How To Make Them?

Not everyone can or wants to eat chicken eggs. And when it comes to vegan substitutes, few ingredients are as versatile as flax egg.

So, what is a flax egg? Can you make it at home? How to use it? Let’s talk about flax eggs and how they can improve your life!

What Is a Flax Egg?

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Flax egg is a trendy egg substitute, and there are very few of those out there. After all, substituting an egg’s consistency is no easy feat — so many recipes call for eggs! If you are allergic to eggs, don’t like eggs for whatever reason, or have adopted a vegan diet, flax eggs are for you.

Flax eggs are ground flax seeds mixed with water; surprisingly, the result is similar to egg whites. Flax egg is a beautiful substitute for eggs in any sweet and savory recipe, especially in baking goods, from muffins to bread.

The best part? You don’t even need to buy flax eggs; you can make them at home in ten minutes — no cooking required. Before making flax eggs, let’s talk about their pros and cons. Is flax egg worth it? Or is it just another trendy vegan ingredient that doesn’t deliver? Read on and find out. Spoiler alert — flax egg works beautifully.

Is Flax Egg Worth It?

If you can’t or won’t have eggs, you’ll need a substitute for them. Of course, you can always have a bowl of cereal instead of a couple of sunny side-ups and toast; that’s an easy breakfast substitution, but what to do when a recipe calls for eggs?

Enriched doughs and batters, those used to make cupcakes, muffins, cakes and most types of bread, call for eggs, and it’s because eggs keep the rest of the ingredients together; they’re a natural binding agent.

Well, flax eggs are also all-natural, and since they have a consistency similar to eggs, they can fill in for chicken eggs in any recipe with surprising results. No, flax eggs are no perfect substitutes for eggs, but they’re close. In the right recipe, you can’t even tell the difference.

So, is flax egg worth it? It’s worth a try. And since it’s incredibly inexpensive and easy to make, you lose nothing if flax egg doesn’t meet your expectations, but it will.

How To Make a Flax Egg?

To make a flax egg, you need a flax meal, and although flax meal is available online, you might want to grind your own flax seeds at home. Flax seeds are packed with essential oils and other compounds, which degrade quickly once you ground the grain.

Whole flax seeds, on the other hand, have a long shelf-life. To make flax egg, purchase either brown or yellow flax seeds and grind them in a spice or coffee mill to get flax meal. Generally, one tablespoon of flax seeds produces two tablespoons of flax meal.

Now, combine the flax meal with warm water and let it sit for 10-20 minutes. As the flax meal hydrates, it thickens and gets a texture similar to egg whites. Use one tablespoon of flax meal for 2.5 tablespoons of water.

Finally, substitute flax egg for eggs at a 1:1 ratio. Sadly, as mentioned above, these are no perfect substitutes, so there are a few things to consider when using flax egg instead of eggs.

How To Use Flax Eggs?

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Flax meal thickens when hydrated, but unlike egg white, it will still be grainy. This is not a big deal but know that using flax egg will give a grainer texture and a speckled look to your bakes, especially if using brown flax seeds.

Flax eggs might be as thick and jiggly as egg whites, but unlike eggs, flax eggs won’t harden when cooked. This means that your bread might not be as firm as when you use regular eggs.

Flax egg is a wonderful choice if a recipe calls for one or two eggs. If it calls for more than that, the results might not be ideal. Also, flax eggs won’t whisk as egg whites do, so don’t expect to be able to fluff flax egg into a meringue.

Baking treats can undoubtedly benefit from flax egg, but it also has uses in the savory department. Use flax egg instead of egg when battering or breading fish filets, veal cutlets or fried chicken.

Alternatives to Flax Eggs

If you don’t find the slightly nutty taste in flax eggs appealing or simply don’t have flax seeds around, there are other white egg alternatives.

Chia egg is equally nutritious and just as thick as flax egg. Prepare it in the same way but use chia seeds instead of flaxseeds.

Aquafaba, the liquid in canned chickpeas, is a beautiful thickener and a vegan alternative to eggs. You can whip it, too, with lovely results. You’ll need two tablespoons of aquafaba for every egg white.

Agar powder comes from seaweed, and it’s a natural thickener that can help you bake without eggs. Often sold as agar-agar, this all-natural ingredient doesn’t taste like seaweed at all, and although it can function as a binding agent and thickener, don’t expect it to harden in the oven.

Xanthan gum or powder, a similar thickener, can help as well. This powder thickens and gelatinizes with water, and it’s flavorless, so it won’t change your food’s flavor profile.

Is Flax Egg Good For You?

Flax egg is more than a reliable egg substitute; it is also nutritious. Flax seeds have lots of Omega-3 fatty acids, protein and dietary fiber. Flax seeds are excellent for keeping your circulatory and digestive systems in shape.

Learn how to use flax egg and other egg alternatives for diverse recipes, and you can say goodbye to eggs forever. Eggs have been a baking staple for centuries, but things change, and every day more people are looking for ways to substitute animal-based ingredients for distinct reasons.

For your health, the environment and peace of mind, flax egg can help you cook healthier without compromising flavor or texture. Flax egg is still not well known, but it’s gaining fans worldwide. Only time will tell if flax egg or another egg substitute will claim the egg’s spot in the kitchen. Right now, flax egg is the most promising egg alternative out there, so try it!

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