Vegan Cooking Tips

Vegan Egg Replacement: How to Make a Flax Egg

If you’re trying to eat fewer animal products, you can run into a problem when baking. Most baked goods call for at least one egg — so what can you use for an egg replacement?

The answer? A flax egg!

Flax egg in a bowl

The flax egg is an easy vegan substitute for eggs because of its similar consistency. All you need to do is mix a tablespoon of ground flax seed with 2.5 tablespoons of water, then let it sit at room temperature for 3-5 minutes to thicken up a bit.

Then presto, you’ve got a vegan egg replacement for all your favorite baked dishes, from breads, to cookies, to waffles.

Why not just use eggs, you ask?

The answers depend on why you’re trying to go more plant-based. Some vegans have a moral objection to eating any animal products, while other plant-based eaters just want to cut out unhealthy foods.

There’s some debate over whether eggs are actually good for you; the paleo crowd eats eggs by the handful, and many experts laud the high protein and many vitamins found in eggs. But people with heart disease or diabetes who are watching their cholesterol intake might want to limit their egg consumption.

We’ll be honest: we eat eggs occasionally. Nicole’s currently obsessed with avocado toast with a fried egg on top, for instance. And I sometimes eat a boiled egg as a snack at work.

Use a flax egg to get the benefits of flaxseed

But here’s the thing: replacing your eggs with flax when you can is actually a great way to enjoy the benefits of flaxseed! For instance:

A tablespoon of flaxseed is half the calories of an egg, but it packs a punch in lots of ways.

Convinced yet? Give this easy flax egg recipe a shot and let us know what you think!

Flax Egg

This easy and healthy recipe makes a great 1:1 replacement for eggs in most baked goods.
Prep Time 6 minutes
Cook Time 0 minutes
Cuisine American, Vegan
Servings 1 flax egg

Ingredients
  

  • 2 1/2 Tablespoons water
  • 1 Tablespoon ground flax

Instructions
 

  • Mix water (2.5 Tblsp) and ground flax (1 Tblsp) in a small bowl (I use a ramekin).
  • Let sit for 3-5 minutes.
  • Add to your baking dish for an easy vegan substitute!

Notes

Note: this is not our original recipe, but rather a popular use of flax used by many vegans that we also use frequently.
Keyword easy, gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian

Elana is the world's biggest extrovert who works full-time as a pediatric speech-language pathologist in Dayton, Ohio. When she's not devising plant-based twists on her favorite childhood recipes, she can be found practicing acroyoga, researching how to keep her plants alive, and going on international adventures.

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