I use flax seed meal and water, whisked together, almost exclusively as an egg substitute. It is the ideal substitute in most baked goods. Now these are normal baked goods, such as muffins, cookies, and cakes. No egg substitute will work successfully in dishes that are egg-dependent, such as quiche or meringue.
The process is very simple. For every egg in the original recipe, use 1 tablespoon flax seed meal and 3 tablespoons water. Whisk them together and let the mixture sit for about 5 minutes. It will get gummy, just like eggs. Then the mixture can be incorporated into the recipe where it calls for egg(s). There are no other adjustments needed in the recipe.
I have noticed that usually, you will not be able to tell any difference in baked goods where flax seed meal has been substituted for the eggs. However, small items like cookies may be more crumbly. I recommend making cookies as bars. Anything that bakes as a bigger solid — such as muffins, quick breads, cakes, or bar cookies — will do just fine.
If you use too much flax seed meal/water mixture (or if you use any flax seed meal/water mixture in pancakes), the risk is that what is baking will remain gummy inside. That is why I don’t use any egg substitute at all for pancakes or pancake-style flatbreads. They just don’t cook inside before getting burned on the outside.
You can grind your own flax seeds in the Vita-Mix dry container (on HIGH), in a heavy-duty blender, or in a coffee grinder. A food processor will not achieve a fine enough grind. Grind the seeds until they’re fine, like a flaky powder. When the meal begins to clump together, that is generally fine enough.
People often tout the benefits of flax seeds because they contain Omega-3, an essential fatty acid that we need and generally don’t consume enough of. However, flax seeds, when baked, lose the Omega-3. They must be raw to get that benefit. Still, as an egg substitute, flax seed meal offers excellent results and you will still get fiber, so all is not lost.
On the other hand, don’t think that sprinkling whole raw seeds on your salad or yogurt will give impart an Omega-3 benefit. In their whole form, the seeds will pass right through your body — you must grind them to get the full benefits.
It is best to grind just the amount of flax seed meal you need, at the time you need it, because exposure to light and oxygen will compromise the nutritional benefits. The next best option is to grind a few days’ worth or a week’s worth of the flax seed meal and store it in the freezer in a dark colored jar, to minimize light exposure.
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Thank you for sharing this…as I first started reading, I didn’t understand how it would work, but when you mentioned the gumminess, it clicked! I have a nephew with egg allergies, and this is a great thought! Much better than the artificial substitutes, which use corn syrup solids!
Interesting. I’ve used the exact opposite proportions (1 T flax, 3 T water), as recommended by the Post Punk Kitchen website. They have some other substitution ideas there, too.
I don’t mind gooey pancakes – if there’s no egg, there’s not really a problem. But, I also cook them at a lower temperature than most, so they cook through more evenly.
As I understand it, the LNA (omega-3) and lignans in flax can withstand heat up to 350 degrees for 2 hours. So, depending on the recipe, those essential oils may still be preserved.
Jason, that is interesting, and especially so because I use the exact opposite proportions, too!
Oh, my, I can’t believe I mixed them up when I wrote the post. I need a proofreader, and not myself! I edited it now. Please forgive my mistake – and thank you very much for bringing it to my attention!
Thank you for sharing the temperature at which the essential oils are degraded. I have always wondered this!
-Wardeh
Just to clarify – ground flax or defatted flax flour can safely be used in baking because the very high level of natural antioxidants protects the Omega-3 from breaking down – several studies confirm this. This does not mean you can cook with flax seed oil except for use in products like breads.
David
David – I’m glad you brought this up, I’m always glad to learn more! Where would I find more information about these studies that confirm what you’re saying? Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this wonderful info! I recently found out I’m allergic to eggs and have been trying to figure out what to do with flax (as I had heard of it used as a substitute). Love your site!
I was “googling” how to use flax meal as an egg substitute. Thank you for such clear, concise directions. Great post; thanks!
I just used flax meal as a sub for eggs in my whole wheat pancakes, very good! But here’s what I did: Soak the meal as directed but then mix it in with the liquid ingredients and blend to about twice the volume. Then add to dry ingredients. The pancakes did rise, though not quite as fluffy as with eggs, they were not gooey inside at all!