How To Make a Flax Egg

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Measuring spoon filled with flaxseed meal for our How to Make a Flax Egg tutorial

Measuring spoon in a bowl of flax egg
Gooey flax egg dripping from a measuring spoon into a bowl

How to Make a Flax Egg

A step-by-step tutorial of how to make a flax egg, egg substitute for baking!
Author Minimalist Baker
Print
Flax egg dripping off a spoon into a bowl
4.71 from 58 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Total Time 5 minutes
Servings 1 (flax egg)
Course Vegan
Cuisine Baking, Vegan
Freezer Friendly No
Does it keep? No

Ingredients

  • 1 Tbsp flaxseed meal (ground raw flaxseed)
  • 2 1/2 Tbsp water

Instructions

  • Add flaxseed meal and water to a dish and stir. Let rest for 5 minutes to thicken. Add to recipes in place of 1 egg (as original recipe is written).
  • It’s not an exact 1:1 substitution in every recipe because it doesn’t bind and stiffen during baking quite like an egg does. But I’ve found it to work incredibly well in pancakes, quick breads, brownies, muffins, cookies, and many other recipes.

Video

Notes

*This is not my original recipe, but one I discovered on many vegan baking blogs and have since adapted for my own use.
*Nutrition information is a rough estimate.

Nutrition (1 of 1 servings)

Serving: 1 flax egg Calories: 37 Carbohydrates: 2 g Protein: 1.3 g Fat: 2.2 g Trans Fat: 0 g Cholesterol: 0 mg Fiber: 1.9 g

Below are some of my recipes which use flax eggs:

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins // Simple Vegan Brownies // 1-Bowl GF Banana Bread // Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookie Pancakes // 1-Bowl Vegan Banana Nut Muffins // Turmeric Chickpea Fritters // 1-Bowl Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins //  Toasted Coconut Pancakes // Simple Vegan Stuffing // Refined-Sugar-Free Turtle Brownies // Peanut Butter Cup Pancakes // Coconut Oil Blueberry Scones // Sun-Dried Tomato & Basil Meatballs

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  1. Kelly says

    I wish to make lasagna that calls for 2 eggs mixed with ricotta cheese. Do you think using flax egg in this would work and if so, should I whip up one flax egg or two? Thanks for the recipe. I hate fussing with raw egg!

  2. amanita says

    i used this in brownies and the butter completely separated. they were ruined. i’m sure it works in other recipes but not brownies.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Bummer! Sorry your brownies didn’t turn out, Amanita. Is it possible it was a more traditional brownie recipe that you swapped flax eggs into? If so, it might have been one that relies on eggs heavily for the texture. We’ve had success using flax eggs in the brownie recipes on our site!

  3. Vicki Gates says

    I am trying to save this recipe to Pinterest, but when I touch the icon at the top of your page it doesn’t go to Pinterest… just FYI. Love your recipes!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad you love our recipes, Vicki! We’re having trouble replicating the issue. Are you referring to the Pinterest social icon in black text on a pink background? Does the link go to anything? Would you mind sharing what browser you are using and if on mobile or desktop?

  4. Kayla says

    Is there a difference between golden flaxseed and cold meal flaxseed? I accidentally bought cold meal and every time I use it ,my baked goods don’t turn out right

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Kayla, golden flaxseed has a toasty flavor that can be nice when you want it, but can add bitterness to some recipes. Cold milled would be perfect for baking!

  5. Bat Abbit says

    Will a flax egg work in an enriched dough? I want to make a vegan pan de muerto which has eggs, butter, and milk. I can replace the milk and butter easy enough to make the recipe vegan but the eggs are a bit trickier. What do you think?

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Unfortunately not! It won’t become “eggy” because it doesn’t absorb liquid as well. To make flaxseed meal from whole flax seeds, you can grind them in a spice grinder or powerful blender!

  6. Helen says

    HI. Your recipes look great. I would give them 5/5 if I didn’t have other problems that are not dealt with:
    1) I am diabetic and vegan/flexitarian. I cannot have aquafaba, oats, rice flower and the like because they push my sugar too high. I can only use almond and coconut flower. For sweetness I can only use xylitol, erythritol, or stevia. I can’t have nuts cos I have gotten allergic to nuts, and definitely not banana. I can have grapefuit and avo only, with a little bit of green apple every blue moon.
    2) The video does not indicate how much oil must you add? Can I add coconut oil?
    3) Can I use xantham gum?
    4) The video does not indicate how much extra baking powder to add?
    5) When I replace the chicken eggs with the flax eggs, the seed bread initially rises beautifully and then collapses. So I land up with a v-shaped bread.

    Can you make something that meets my weird dietary needs pls? I have so many dietary restrictions. If you like, I can send you the recipe. I would really appreciate your help.

    • Cindy says

      This is probably something you should pay for. It’s bizarre you’re expecting a stranger to create a recipe for your “weird dietary needs” for free….

  7. Rebecca says

    Hi, so my son cannot have eggs due to allergies. I wanted to know if this will hold up and replace the eggs in meatballs if they are boiled? I wanted to make him a meatball soup

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Rebecca, that’s a great question! We haven’t tested it, but think it could work, especially if you increased the amount of breadcrumbs to make them more firm. Let us know if you try it!

  8. Susan says

    Can’t wait to try this recipe on vegan lactation cookies. What would be the right amount for 1 Large Egg + I Egg Yolk in the recipe. Will let you know the cookie results.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Susan, we’d suggest using 2 flax eggs (2 Tbsp flaxseed meal + 5 Tbsp water). Hope that helps!

  9. Becky says

    I’ve made these brownies a million times so time for a review. I use almond flour, I only use about 3/4 cup of chocolate, 3/4 cup sugar, no chocolate chips. Sometimes I use flax eggs if I’m out of eggs which gives them a slightly less soft texture and a slightly tantalising crunch to the top. I put nuts on top too. Ok, so I take a few liberties! Nevertheless, I love this recipe. I’m finally reviewing the recipe since I have a batch in the oven presently. It’s chocolatey goodness. Thanks!

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Becky, we’re so glad you love the brownies! Thank you for letting us know! It looks like you commented on the flax egg recipe. We’re curious which brownie recipe you’re referring to (we have several!). xoxo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Gracie, that sounds like it might be a really egg-heavy recipe, in which case flax eggs alone might not be your best bet! But if you want to try it, we’d suggest trying 3 flax eggs, or perhaps 2 flax eggs + some avocado oil or something else to mimic the fat content of egg yolks. Hope that helps!

  10. Virginia Isaharov says

    Is it prefferable to use room temperature water or does it not even matter the temperature of the water used to make a flax egg?

  11. Emma says

    Hi there, I’d like to make the s’mores cookies but I’d like to use an egg, can you advise what the equivalent would be instead of flax seed please
    Many thanks
    Emma

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Emma, we’d suggest 1 egg in place of the flaxseed meal + water. Let us know how it goes! xo

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi, We leave it out at room temperature. If for some reason you were going to leave it out for more than 30 minutes – 1 hour, you can refrigerate, but it may dry out a bit.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Leyani, we wouldn’t recommend it! Leaving out the egg vs. replacing it would be better. We have a few lasagna recipes on the site you could reference!

  12. Patricia says

    This was the perfect solution for my favorite sourdough pancake recipe. Unlike other egg substitutes that turned the pancakes gummy, the flax egg worked just like a chicken egg. I ground the flax seed in an electric spice grinder.

  13. Karla Michele says

    I am making black been burgers, along side the quinoa I adding oat flour in leu of bread crumbs, and a flax egg. Gr8 alternative for meat.
    Your video was easy to understand, as well very versatile when adding to different types of recipes.
    Thank you
    K.M.

  14. Thresia says

    It’s interesting! 😀 I’d like to give a try for your recipes as I’m a very new to GF, DF n SF recipes since I had thyroid gland surgery on 18th February. Thanks for explaining easy steps cooking recipes in your Blog, it’s helpful 😁

  15. Lea says

    I make brownies using 1 flax egg as the recipe calls for 1 egg.
    What I am wondering is if I use 2 flax eggs will my batch not be quite as runny.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Lea, two flax eggs will add even more moisture! We would suggest trying a bit more flour!

  16. Xinlei says

    I tried making a flax egg as the recipe says but it didn’t gelatinize even after 10 minutes. My flax seeds were coarsely ground, does that make a difference? Thank you

    • Abby says

      I agree with what she said about it needing to be finely ground. Unlike chia seeds flax is only absorbant when it’s ground up super fine. It could also be too much water sometimes I do 1 tbsp flax with 2 tbsp water depending on what I’m making.

  17. Karen says

    This worked great in some sour dough waffles. I like using the lighter golden flax that comes pre-ground. They are much milder tasting.

  18. Diana says

    Probably not what you intended, but we’ve been experimenting with ground turkey, and found it much too wet, and using an chicken egg to bind it, just makes it wetter. So I was making a half recipe of meatballs and recipe called for one egg. Since there is no such thing as half an egg unless you buy egg whites in a carton and I have a bag of ground flax we are also experimenting with I made half a flax egg. It worked beautifully.

  19. Sarah says

    Hi there! :) Thank you for sharing this!!

    I gave this recipe a try recently – I used it to replace egg in some homemade dog training treats I was making with silicone moulds as I wanted to include some flax into my dog’s diet.

    Sadly, it did not go overly well.

    Other ingredients were ground chicken, broccoli, dill and green tea (in place of plain water) and blended to a puree, then coconut oil, sifted coconut flour and the flax egg (or two) folded into the mix (with more water/tea added as needed).

    I spread the mix into moulds (dome/pyramid pan) and baked at 350F well for over 30 minutes… It was all very straightforward (for my second ever baking attempt) and was all going to plan….

    Within minutes of going in the oven, they puffed up nicely and were even bouncing and lifting in the mould as if trying to get out… However, I could not for the life of me get them to firm up!

    After 20-30 minutes I checked them only to find they were still super, super soft and smeared/collapsed at my touch — after 30-40 minutes the ones on the edges were burning on top but the mix inside the mould was still soft.

    I lowered the temp to 320F and kept them in longer, but nothing was helping. When it came time to try and get them out, there was so much mixture stuck to the moulds (normally things just fall right out) and it was quite the job to get them out (most just fell apart because they were too soft).

    The ones I could get out of the moulds went back in the oven on a flat tray at 320F to try and get other edges cooked, but they all just burned on the outside – there was no in-between (either no firmness and far too soft or just burnt to a crisp) — and I watched them like a hawk! :/

    When making these homemade silicon mould treats, the raw mixture is supposed to be similar to a pancake mix consistency (maybe slightly thicker)… With the flax, the mixture was very granular/grainy and I couldn’t get it to smooth out.

    Whilst I am baking dog treats, I am using fresh or cooked human-grade ingredients so figure it’s just baking — nothing special — I have no idea what I did wrong.

    Was it the coconut flour? Could it have been the flax eggs? I used 1 tbsp flaxseed meal to 2-3 tbsp water (cooled green tea), whisked and let set for around 5 minutes until they were quite thick, but still a little runny…

    Can you offer any advice?

    I’m going to try again with real eggs in a few days and see if that makes a difference – I dearly hope so as cleaning my moulds the other day was an absolute nightmare (I considered just trashing them several times, but they are new and were expensive so I managed to push through and get them 90+% cleaned off)… :)

    Many thanks in advance for any thoughts you might have!! :) ♥

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi! Sorry to hear they stuck badly and didn’t firm up. Since some of the ingredients you used have moisture, we wonder if just adding ground flax (which will soak up some moisture) might work better than a flax egg which adds moisture? Not sure if this is an option with dog treats, but perhaps greasing the pan could help? One other idea – perhaps try starting with a lower temp from the beginning so they can cook fully in the center without burning. Hope that helps!

    • Travis says

      Please do not feed your dog green tea – it has caffeine and can be fatal. Please look it up further, and use non-caffeinated teas in the future (green tea has a lot of caffeine)

    • Tina says

      Hi! Wet ingredients are what lend to a softer baked good – eggs, oil, water, etc. From your list of ingredients, it doesn’t sound like you have enough dry ingredients to bind this together. Even without knowing how much coconut flour was used, I suspect the same issue. Coconut is a very moist flour. Adding almond flour might help if you’re looking for an alternative to all purpose flour and your dog can have tree nuts. If you can use all purpose or whole wheat flour, the gluten in those help bind recipes also. I would also make sure the flax meal you’re using is ground very well, almost like a flour, rather than course and seedy. Good luck!

  20. Rebecca says

    I was in the middle of making corn muffins, when I realized I was out of eggs! I remembered that flax eggs was a thing, and I had ground flaxseed in the cupboard, so I looked up how make them, and found your instructions! They worked perfectly in the muffins (they rose well and were nice fluffy inside), and I don’t know if I would have been able to tell the difference from my normal muffins if I had been blindfolded. Thank you for the recipe and advice on how to use flax eggs!

  21. Wendy Hunter says

    Thank you for your website! I trust your recipes and visit your website at least once a week. I have been experimenting with egg free cooking and I have purchased some Milled Flax Seed, is that the same as Flax Seed Meal? It doesn’t seem to absorb all the water; certainly not in 5 minutes, anyway.
    Thanks, Wendy

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Wendy thank you for the kind words and support! According to Google, milled flaxseed and flaxseed meal are the same. Some brands of flaxseed meal have a finer grind than others which makes them better at absorbing water! Hope this helps!

  22. josie says

    this worked wonderful! I promised the kids to make muffins, and realised I used the last of the eggs this AM. then I remembered I could make flax eggs! worked great in their muffins. I eat low carb, I dont eat sugar or grains so personally idk how it tastes but its approved by my little boys.

    do you think you’ll ever consider making low carb treats for those of us who follow a low carb diet? that’d be amazing! I remember when I was vegan I used hundreds or your recipes and I used to have ur cook book! always enjoyed ur style of work. much love, Josie

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We’re so glad to hear it, Josie! We’ll add low carb ideas to our requests list. Thank you for the lovely review! xo

  23. Elizabeth says

    Success! My “egg” needed 15 minutes to reach desired gelatinousness (who would have thought gelatinousness would ever be desired in baking!). Following your advice to use this in cookie recipe, I made a flax egg for my flourless peanut butter oatmeal cookies. The cookies puffed and spread nicely and were crunchy outside, chewy/soft inside just like I like ’em! And bonus, without the egg, I can let the kids (and the kids-at-heart) sample the dough with abandon :-)

  24. Renata Mahata says

    In something like a pecan pie, would a flax seed egg work to create the slightly gelatinous layer or should you add cornstarch to help set the pie?

  25. JM says

    I SO wanted this to work- making GF free brownies from the America’s Test Kitchen cookbook, and tried to substitute flax eggs for the eggs. Epic fail. What a shame! I was excited about this recipe.

  26. jordan says

    Could I use another type of raw seed or nut for the “flax egg”. I am super awesome and have an egg sensitivity as we as a flax sensitivity. Bummer

  27. Lana says

    Hi, thanks for sharing this. Was just wondering, would this still work well if I were to strain the ground flaxseeds out?

    • Jennifer says

      This does work, actually. At least in some applications. Gretchen’s Vegan Bakery does that to make a substitute for aquafaba to make a Swiss Meringue Buttercream, and I think its done somewhere in Miyoko Skinners cookbook, and veganbaking. net describes it as an option giving instructions to boil the flax & water then strain out the flax. Sometimes it’s called a mucilage.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      We think that might work! It will depend on the specifics of the recipe though. Flax eggs usually do better when the egg isn’t critical for a fluffy texture.

      • Laura Seutz says

        Hi! I love your recipes and have always used chia seed eggs. Lately I have had a problem with my banana bread and Morning Glory muffins not cooking completely through. I have tried increasing the baking time and even lowering the oven temperature while increasing the cooking time. They always turn out gummy. Do you think switching to flax eggs would make a difference? Thanks Dana!

  28. Dhivya Rakesh says

    I’m planning to replace flax seed egg in my usual brownies recipe. I don’t add any leavening agent because beating the eggs gives me that rise. So while I’m replacing my recipe with flax seed, do I need to add anything else ?

  29. Maryse Kruithof says

    Hi Dana,

    I wanted to use flax eggs in brownies, and my recipe also needs a bit of coffee. Do you think it would be possible to swap the water for the flax egg with coffee to intensify the taste?

    Thanks!

  30. Janvi Mehta says

    Hi!
    Can I use lightly roasted flaxmeal instead of raw, because it is what I have in my pantry! :)

  31. Nayan Dubey says

    Hello
    I would just like to know if I can use the Flax Seeds as an Egg Substitute in more difficult bakes such as Puff pastries, Choux pastries , Tarts & the more traditional French n English Desserts

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Nayan, we think puff pastries would be more difficult, but maybe tarts would work! Let us know if you do some experimenting!

  32. Donna Mahlburg says

    Hi, would it work to use almond or coconut milk in the flaxseed egg recipe instead of water? I’m thinking for a cake, to get that extra nutty flavour. Also because nut milk is so high in water, I figure it should still work? Thanks!

  33. Vivi says

    I have tried making the flax egg with ground flaxseed I bought at an organic store and it doesnt thicken. It stays liquid. Why?

  34. Emily says

    Hi Dana,
    I often just want to make 1 of something as a treat but it’s pretty difficult to divide a real egg up! So would flax egg work if for example a recipe needed 1 chicken egg to make 4 cookies, I could just use a quarter of a table spoon of flaxseed meal? Thank you

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Yes, that should work well, but will depend on the recipe and whether it does well with a flax egg!

  35. Sophie says

    Hi!
    help haha I have a 6 muffin tray and not 12. How long do i cook for?? Can’t wait to try them :)

    THANKS!
    Sophie :)

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Sophie, we aren’t sure which recipe you are referring to, but we would say start with the recommended time and cook in additional 3-5 minute increments, using a toothpick to test whether they are done in the center.

  36. CarJa Person says

    I made the flax egg and used it in my turkey loaf recipe. I cook by portion so I made 4 individual turkey loaves exactly alike so that I could control the nutritional information. Each loaf had 1 flax egg. They were marvelous! The texture was almost identical to the mini loaves I’ve purchased. The family loved them. I will make them again. Thanks!

  37. Alison Griffiths-Brown says

    Thanks for the video on how to make flax eggs :)

    I’m looking to replace 3 large eggs in a nut roast, but want to get the same amount of protein I would from the eggs, this would mean using 100g (12 tablespoons) of flax. I’m guessing this would be way too much liquid when made into flax eggs?

    What would you recommend please?

    • Cheryl says

      I used flax eggs in pie crust and the crust came out hard. (For a Pumpkin pie which as you said didn’t firm up). I wonder if it’s the flax it some other issue that made the crust hard. Also, getting the flax myself from flax seeds which send to need a bit more water, and it works for most uses.

  38. Wes says

    Well, I attempted using this in a fresh pumpkin pie recipe that calls for 3 eggs… I’ve made it several times with wild success, unfortunately this flax egg recipe ruined the texture, it came out too loose and watery! If anyone has suggestions for adding this to pumpkin pie, maybe in a different ratio? let us know as it is the season!

    You’ve been warned.

    • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

      Hi Wes, sorry to hear it didn’t work out for you! We wouldn’t recommend this in recipes where you are looking for a creamy texture. It works well in cookies, pancakes, quick breads, and muffins. Better luck next time!

      • Cheryl says

        I used flax eggs in pie crust and the crust came out hard. (For a Pumpkin pie which as you said didn’t firm up). I wonder if it’s the flax it some other issue that made the crust hard.

          • Winy says

            Hi! I realised the Metric conversion for 1 tbsp is supposed to be 15g instead of 7g. Maybe that’s why it didn’t work well for some people.

          • Avatar for Dana @ Minimalist BakerSupport @ Minimalist Baker says

            Hi Winy, we double checked the brand we use and it shows 2 Tbsp = 13 g. Not sure what is causing the discrepancy!

    • Caroline says

      The pumpkin pie season is almost over, but I use cornstarch in my pumpkin pie as a thickener. Cornstarch and full fat coconut milk.

    • Lauren says

      I had this problem also… for 1 pie, use 1/2 mashed avocado in place of eggs. The flax egg works fabulous in breads, not so much for pies.

  39. Allie says

    I want to make the 1-Bowl Carrot
    Apple Muffins however, I am not in the know about what a BATCH of flax eggs are. It calls for 1 1/2 batches flax eggs. Sooooo is that 1.5 flax eggs, or perhaps there are 3 flax eggs in a batch?? Can you please clarify what a BATCH is?

  40. Alaina says

    Hi, when buying the ground flax, what texture should I get?
    At Costco I saw a medium texture ground flax but was wondering if that would change the texture of what I’m making

    • Esther Estes says

      I’ve tried several different brands of ground flax but my favorite is the one sold at Costco! I bought Dana’s The Minimalist Baker Everyday Cookbook (strongly recommend) and the Costco ground flax works beautifully for all the recipies requiring flax egg in this book… my favorite being the Buckwheat Pancakes which I make every Saturday morning by popular demand from my family.

  41. Steve Z says

    I’ve been using ground flax as an egg substitute for a long time, and have found the standard 1 T flax to 2 1/2 T water is too watery.

    For pancakes, muffins, banana bread, etc., I just add one Tablespoon of ground flax for each egg suggested by the recipe directly to the flour. It works great.

    For cookies where the egg gets mixed in with the “butter” and sugar, I use one T of flax to one T water, adding maybe another half Tablespoon of water if necessary. This also works great.

    Flax substitute for egg does not work well in pumpkin pie, alas. It comes out gummy… I’ve had some success with silken tofu (see the web for ideas) and am planning on a chia seed pudding base next time.

    Best wishes,
    Steve

    • joe says

      Hi all. In my experience using flax seed I found that
      buying the seeds whole and grinding what I need using a coffee grinder is best. Half a T of seed gives 1 T of meal. Fresh is best.
      When I mix I use the standard (sic) 1T meal + 2 and a half Twater the result is too watery no matter how long it rests. Boil them in MW for few seconds thickens instantly.