Whether you’re having a hard time finding eggs or just want a healthier, cholesterol-free swap, flax eggs are a great alternative for your baking needs. Plus, flaxseed provides many health benefits as described in my post, How to Eat Flaxseed.

What is a flax egg?

Flax eggs only require two ingredients: water + flax meal (or flax seeds ground up). Flax meal is a pantry staple in our house and I use it every single day. And because it’s shelf-stable, it’s a simple way to reduce trips to the grocery store. Plus, adding flax meal is an easy way to add extra fiber to your diet too.

Flaxseed meal has a light, nutty flavor, I love adding it to oatmeal and my smoothies. It’s also great to add to soups, salads, and baked goods.

Flax eggs aren’t new, but if you’re plant-based, vegan, or have an egg-allergy you may be familiar with them already. If you’re not familiar though, welcome to the world of flax eggs. I think you’ll be surprised just how easy it is to make one.

When can you use a flax egg?

Flax eggs work great in baked goods like cookies, pancakes, waffles, and other flour-based recipes. Flax eggs create a gel-like substance (this is the fiber working it’s magic!) that helps bind the ingredients together.

Flaxseed Meal or Flaxseed?

You can either use flaxseed meal, which is flaxseeds ground up or flaxseeds. But you will have to grind the flaxseeds up to make the flaxseed meal. To grind your own, add flaxseeds to a food processor or a coffee grinder (just make sure it’s clean!) and grind it until it’s a flour-like substance. Store any leftover flaxseed meal in an airtight container in the fridge.

You can buy them in bulk for just a few dollars per pound at most natural food stores or save a trip to the store and grab it here.

How to make a flax egg

To get the best ratio of flaxseed meal to water just add 1 tbsp of flaxseed meal with 3 tbsp water. Now that you know the best flaxseed meal to water ratio the rest is incredibly easy.

You simply mix the two together in a bowl and then let it sit to thicken up.

I like to make my flax eggs first when I’m making something so that by the time I need to add the “eggs” my flax eggs are ready to go.

Tips for making a flax egg

Make them as needed

You can make as many as you need for the recipe you’re making and they work as a 1:1 ratio for eggs.

So if the recipe calls for three eggs, you’d make three flax eggs. I wouldn’t try to make them too far in advance because they don’t keep very well.

Make them first

Before you mix the rest of the ingredients and get started on the recipe, make the flax egg first. This will give it time to set and become gooey.

Let rest for 10-15 minutes

After you stir to combine, let them rest for 10-15 minutes. Although, I’ve let them rest for as little as 5 minutes and it was completely fine.

Stir once

This is optional but I like to stir the flax egg once during the rest period so that it really mixes well.

Benefits of a flax egg

In addition to convenience, there are four health benefits of a flax egg: fiber, the fact it has no cholesterol, the Omega 3s, and lignans.

Flaxseeds can be used to improve digestive health, lower blood pressure, and cholesterol, reduce the risk of cancer. It’s also been helpful to those with diabetes. Flaxseed eggs are not only a good cholesterol-free option but it will actually bring your cholesterol down instead of up. It’s rich in Omega-3s fatty acids which has heart health benefits and reduce the risk of stroke.

They also boast of lignans. Lignans are plant compounds that have antioxidant and estrogen properties, both of which can help lower the risk of cancer and improve overall health. Flax seeds contain 800 times more lignans than any other plant foods.

Another benefit of using flax eggs is that they are high in fiber. Fiber is key if you want to lose weight and promotes digestive health.

If you’ve never tried a flax egg before, I hope this laid out not only how easy it is but all the health benefits it has.

Flax egg recipe

Serving size: 1 flax egg

Ingredients:

1 tbsp flax meal

3 tbsp water

Directions:

Mix together the flax meal and water until well combined in a bowl.

Let the egg mixture sit for 10-15 minutes, or until gloppy or gooey.

How to Make a Flax Egg