Have you ever tried replacing eggs with ground flax seed in your baking? We spotted this tip on the Bitten blog last week and were instantly intrigued.
We've been known to sprinkle flax seeds over our morning oatmeal or mix a few spoonfuls into bread dough for the boost of fiber and omega-3 fatty acids. But this is the first we've heard that it can be used as an egg replacement!
Apparently there is a gum in the seed coating that becomes thick and gelatinous when the seeds are ground and whisked with water. Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking says this makes a good emulsifier and will help the structure of baked goods - much like eggs!
The basic ratio is one tablespoon of flax seeds and three tablespoons of water to replace one egg. You'll need to grind the flax seeds into a fine powder using a coffee or spice grinder (or use 2 1/2 teaspoons pre-ground), and then you simply whisk in the water until it becomes gelatinous. Cory Ramy on the Bitten blog also chilled the mixture before using it. Add flax "eggs" to the recipe exactly as you would regular eggs.
It sounds like the flax seeds can have a strong nutty or earthy flavor, so we think it would work best in recipes that compliment those flavors. We could imagine it working well for things like whole grain muffins, oatmeal cookies, and savory scones.
Even if you're not vegan or avidly healthy conscious, we think this is a great trick to have up our sleeve! What has been your experience with using flax seed as an egg substitute?
• Replacing Eggs with...Flax? from the Bitten blog.
Related: Do You Ever Use Egg "Products"?
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our little mountain co-op makes the best muffins using this flax seed method. I'm not a vegan--but I always opt for the vegan version of their muffins as they are so moist--and so healthy.
As great as flax seeds can be, you might want to take it easy with them as they have a (how shall I put this?)... um, "loosening effect" on human by-products. Was that innocuous enough?? :)
Just to comment on you saying you put whole flax seeds on oatmeal etc.. it actually needs to be ground for you to get the health effects from it. Our bodies cannot break down the whole seeds so they just.. go through you.. whole. But grind them up, and then you can get the full benefits!!
I use this egg substitute in pancakes and they come out great! It's amazing how egg-like the mixture of ground flax/water ends up being.
I've used flax quite a bit in baking for vegan friends. The flavor isn't too strong (not nearly as overpowering as soy aftertastes from milk substitutions), but I tend to use it in cookies or whole wheat recipes rather than fluffy cakes, since you're not going to get the exact same loft and binding as with eggs. I'd recommend starting with recipes developed with flax, rather than just doing a one-to-one substitution. With those it's-not-quite-the-same disclaimers aside, I should say that it really can produce amazing baked goods. I use it in the following gooey chocolate chocolate chip cookies:
http://mostlyfoodstuffs.blogspot.com/2009/08/chewy-chocolate-chocolate-chip-cookies.html
And this adaptation of yeast-raised waffles:
http://mostlyfoodstuffs.blogspot.com/2009/08/yeast-raised-whole-wheat-waffles.html
Do you mean 2 1/2 teaspoons pre-ground? Or do you want to use more flax in the mixture when pre-ground?
What a marvelous idea! I'm definitely going to try this the next time I bake cookies! :D My favorite cookies are:
http://www.heidisheavenlycookies.com ! I can't wait to try out a new recipe!
Good catch, SoSue! It should be teaspoons.
This is great! My son has egg allergies so this is just what we are always looking for! http://forthebirdsblog.com
Thanks EmmaC, I wasn't sure. I've got the Food Substitutions Bible and the measurements were way different as well!
Wow, neat! I've seen that suggestion on the flax seed package, but never took it too seriously. I'll have to try it!
ABreadADay.com
I have some flax seed meal from the DeKalb Farmers Market and I used it in salmon burgers. They were delish and anything to add fiber into my family without an off taste goes well by me.
I have used this for years and it really does work as a binder, although not quite as well as a real egg. You can use chickpea flour in the same manner.
I've had great results with ground flax seeds, but the trick is to whip the seeds and water in a blender for a good 60 seconds so it gets nice and thick. It works much better than just mixing them by hand.
I wish I would have seen this a week ago. I heard you can substitute flax eggs, but didn't know how much. We didn't have any eggs for our cookies so we substituted mayo for it. They turned out great, but I'd love to try flax. Thanks!
I use ground flax seed in my homemade meatballs! I find it helps keep the mixture together and results in a tender meatball at the same time.
What can I use as an egg substitute in making pastry cream? Can I us this gelatinized form of flax seed? will it noy chanhe the color of the pastry cream? Please give some suggestions. Thanks