5-Minute Flax Egg (Vegan Egg Substitute)

A flax egg (or flaxseed egg) is a vegan egg substitute for baking. It’s just ground flax meal mixed with water, and takes 5 minutes to make. Even if you’re not vegan, you can use flax eggs as an egg replacement for baking in a pinch when you run out of eggs. Learn how to make a flax egg with the perfect flax egg ratio in this post.

Ever read a recipe and come across “flax egg” in the ingredients list, then wonder to yourself, “what is a flax egg?“? Consider this your comprehensive guide to flax eggs! As a Registered Dietitian and recipe developer, I can assure you a flax egg is a real ingredient that serves an important purpose in vegan recipes.

A flax egg is a vegan egg alternative in baking recipes. It is simply ground flax meal mixed with water. The flax meal absorbs the water, leading to a gelatinous texture that is similar to raw egg.

You can use flax eggs as a vegan egg substitute in most baking recipes, including vegan cookies, vegan blondies and brownies, vegan baked oatmeal, and more.

Step-by-step video

Ingredients in flax egg

You need just two ingredients to make flax eggs: flaxseeds (or flax meal) and water.

Flax meal is simply finely ground flaxseeds. You can purchase pre-ground flax meal, or make your own.

How to grind flaxseed

There are a few kitchen tools you can use to grind flaxseed into flax meal:

• Food processor
• Blender
• Spice grinder/coffee grinder

For this particular recipe, I used a NutriBullet blender and it worked perfectly.

To make flax meal, just add whole flaxseeds to a food processor, blender, spice grinder, or coffee grinder. Grind it up until powdery.

How to make a flax egg

Flax eggs are incredibly easy to make. Just mix together ground flax meal and water in a small bowl, and let it sit for about five minutes to thicken.

The flax egg ratio is 1 tablespoon ground flax meal to 2 1/2 tbsp water. This is equivalent to one large egg in a baking recipe. You can double or triple the flax egg recipe as needed.

Flax eggs are fine to use in several baking recipes, like cookies, cakes, quick breads, brownies, blondies, pancakes, and baked oatmeal.

Tip: Use fresh flax seed that is no more than 3-4 months old to make flax eggs. Flax seeds are rich in healthy fats, which limit their shelf life. Store flaxseed and flax meal in the fridge or in a cool, dark, place for best results.

When not to use flax eggs in recipes

While flax eggs are a good vegan egg replacement in many baking recipes, there are times when you should avoid using flax eggs as an egg substitute. Regular chicken eggs are best for:

• Any egg recipe, such as scrambled eggs or omelettes.
• A baking recipe with whipped egg whites, like meringue or macarons.
• Recipes where egg is used for a coating, like French toast.
• A baking recipe or dessert recipe where eggs are a key ingredient, like custard, mousse, or souffle.

Can I use chia seeds instead of flax?

Yes! Chia seeds are another ingredient you can use to make a vegan egg substitute for baking. To make a chia egg, mix 1 tablespoon of chia seeds (either whole or ground) with 2 1/2 tablespoons of water. Let the mixture sit for 5-10 minutes to gel.

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