Dealing with an egg allergy or a shortage of eggs? You can bake without eggs. Follow this tip for making a flaxseed meal egg substitute.
Ten years ago, my youngest daughter was diagnosed with allergies to peanuts, walnuts, pecans, cashews, and egg whites. Since then, she’s outgrown some of those allergies, but something I learned during that season has transformed my baking:
Flaxseed Meal
Flaxseed Meal can be used as a substitute for eggs in baking. High in dietary fiber and Omega 3 fatty acids as well as a source of protein, flaxseed meal is a nutritious addition to the standard diet.
And when you can’t use eggs, either due to a shortage, food preference, or food allergy, it makes for a great egg substitute.
Make a flaxseed meal egg substitute for baking:
You can use flax seed meal as an alternative to or substitute for eggs in baking.
Here’s how to do it:
For each egg you need, mix 1 tablespoon flax seed meal with 3 tablespoons water. Allow the mixture to set for two minutes and then use as you would an egg.
I’ve been amazed at how well this works for most of the things that I’ve tried. Muffins turn out great, as do pancakes and biscuits. Yeast breads haven’t worked out so well, and you won’t want to use this egg substitute in recipes that rely on eggs for leavening, such as crepes, popovers, or cream puffs.
But for regular baking recipes that call for one or two eggs, flax seed meal is a great replacement for eggs.
Where can you buy flaxseed meal?
You can find flaxseed meal at ALDI, Sprouts, and Whole Foods. You can even order through Amazon here.
How should I store flaxseed meal?
For longest shelf life, store flaxseed meal in the fridge or freezer.
What else can you use flaxseed for?
Flaxseed is a great addition to granolas, baked goods (with or without eggs), smoothies, and yogurt. I regularly include it in my Yogurt and Muesli.
If you prepare this recipe, be sure to take a picture and hashtag it #GOODCHEAPEATS. I can't wait to see what you cook up!
Flaxseed Meal Egg Substitute
Instructions
- Place the flaxseed meal in a small dish. Add the water and stir to combine.
- Allow to set for five minutes.
- Use as substitute for an egg in baking.
Notes
Nutrition
Jacinthe says
Another good replacement for egg is 2 tbsp of soy flour mix with 2 or 3 tbsp of water.
cherie says
I’ve never heard of that – but I have long used soy flour as a substitute for eggs in baking when I’m out of eggs LOL – I think in the same proportion . . .
Katie Gregg says
Have you by any chance figured out how to make egg-free French toast? I’m sensitive to eggs, and oh do I miss my French toast!
Jessica says
I have not. But, maybe someone else has?
Rebecca Baggaley says
@Jessica,
There’s a great recipe in “Quick and Easy Vegan Comfort Foods” by Alicia Simpson. It uses chickpea flour and my kids can’t tell a difference!
Esley Hermina says
@Katie Gregg, You can make a eggless french toast by using cashew milk.1/2 cup cashew,(washed and rinsed) 2cup of water. put the cashew in a blender,pour water to cover, then blend for about30 sec. add pinch of salt,vanila,rest of water blend for a nother minut. strain the milk.re blend the strained milk with dates or honey any sweetner. pour in a pan dip in the bread, put on fire there you have your toast. Eggless
Jessica says
thanks, Esley! I wish it were nutfree, too. 😉
Leigh says
My son has egg and nut-allergies, too – and I was excited to see a banana french toast recipe: basically you mash up a banana and use it in place of the egg in the batter. However, it was terrible. I might’ve done something wrong – but if you search on egg-free banana french toast, you might find a recipe and give it a try – maybe you’ll have better luck than I did with it! I’ll try any substitute once… 😉
L says
@Esley Hermina,
I make eggless french toast with fruit pectin. I do a 2:1 ratio of water and pectin. I heat the water up in the micro, add the pectin then let it sit for a couple of minutes. It kind of mimics egg whites. then i mix it with some milk (or rice, soy, almond, your choice), add a tbsp of flour and a pinch of cinnamon and sugar.
Steph @ The Cheapskate Cook says
That’s a fantastic, healthy egg alternative! I’ve been using flax meal in baking and cooking for a long time. Apparently grinding them fresh (with a coffee grinder or somehting similar) maintains their nutrient cotent best.
Flax seed makes me happy.
Susan T. says
Eggs act as structure builders when baking. I know the protein in the egg coagulates when you bake and I think I remember that helped the cell structure. Of course, sometimes the texture doesn’t change that much in certain foods. So, I know that diffrerent types of flour have more gluten- like cake flour has less and then bread flour should have more. Eggs give moisture and sometimes the fat in the yolk acts as a tenderizer but giving a little more moisture and maybe oil would combat that. The aeration you get from eggs in your cakes wouldn’t matter so much if you choose denser type cakes. I would look for some yeast recipes without eggs if the yeast breads give you more troubles. Also, email Fleishmanns’ yeast as I am sure they have the info on egg free tips or recipes or how it affects the yeast since they have a whole test kitchen. I have always had good success with their recipes. Good luck, I know it is hard. I work as a dietitan but don’t really work with food allergies but I have had patients tell me about FAAN, foodallergy.org as a great way to network with others.
Jessica says
Thanks so much for your great feedback!
Angel R. says
@Jessica,
Alot of people who are of meditarranean/balkan descent, especially those that follow the Orthodox religion do not eat eggs, dairy or meat on Fridays. My baba (grandmother) always made bread that did not contain any eggs, dairy, or oil (possibly even yeast as well, but don’t remember for sure). From what I remember it sounds similar to breads such as soda bread.
Here is one that you can try.
http://hemmingshalfdozen.com/recipes/potato-sandwich-bread-dairy-free-egg-free-gluten-free/
It uses potato flakes though. Once my baba is better as she just had spinal surgery I will ask her for her recipe as it is a very good bread (but dries quick because of the lack of ingredients for moisture such as milk, eggs and oil.
Jessica says
Thanks! That sounds great!
erin says
you could try the grandmother bread recipe over at
chickens in the road . com if your recipe won’t work with the flax seed replacement.
it doesn’t have any egg in it.
Ni says
I’m with Steph @ The Cheapskate Cook. I like to grind flaxseeds myself because they’re much cheaper to buy in bulk, especially somewhere like WinCo foods.
Andie says
Hi,
About a year ago I faced the same Egg White dilemma, and here are some things I have discovered…
Plain greek yougurt strained through a coffee filter works very well in baking to replace eggs without loosing the proteins that are so helpful
Sometimes you can add an extra banana for moisture and binding.
Flaxseed is AMAZING
Energy egg replacer works in somethings well (pumpkin pie) but other things not so well.
Cherrybrook Kitchens’ products are a God Send (I love their pancakes, brownies and cake mixes)
For dessert I often make batches of Bird’s Custard (frozen in an ice cream maker is my favorite way to make it)… his wife was allergic to eggs so he created this custard for her. It is a British product but I can get it at all the groceries near me.
I often search VEGAN recipes to make sure it is egg free since there aren’t a lot of recipe sites dedicated to egg free cooking. Then I add in real cheese or dairy products instead of soy.
I am a nanny but if you email me I will try to compose a list of the sites and other tips that made my transition easier… the first few months were definitely the hardest. ~Andie
Jessica says
Thank for the great input, Andie! I noticed that she reacts to homemade ranch dressing, supposedly from the egg in the mayo that I use. Mayo shouldn’t have egg whites, but this one does.
Ammie @ Domesticallyobsessed.com says
My husband is highly allergic to eggs and deathly allergic to nuts. I make cakes, muffins, and pancakes for him all the time, so it is definitely possible to eat well and enjoy the same foods as everyone else if you know your way around a kitchen. Don’t know if you have tried pancakes yet, but I have tested out a ton of mixes, and aunt jemima works best. Pour mix in a big bowl, add whole milk, whisk well, to goupy consistency, and cook on medium-ish heat, wait for bubbles just like regular pancakes, and flip and then voila, done. I had to try this out a few times to get the right pancake consistency, but another key is using a nonstick pan. The eggless pancakes get stuck and crumble on stainless or cast iron. But they come out tasting the same, people really never know there are no eggs in them.
Nora@ The Dollar Hollering Homemaker says
Another great place to find the flaxseed is at Trader Joes. I buy mine for 2.69 a package which lasts forever!
Kika says
My daughter is allergic to eggs and I’ve found that I can often omit the eggs and simply use extra moisture: honey or applesauce, for instance. This works fine in muffins, cookies and pancakes.
Julie says
I have started to suspect an egg allergy in my son. He’s 6 months old and we gave him a few bites last night, and the rest of the evening he was unusually fussy with a sudden runny nose and red-looking eyes. He had also had some vaccines yesterday, but he’s never reacted to them in that way, and it was only after the egg that he started acting differently. I was just wondering what symptoms arose in your daughter. I’m also nursing and wondering if behaviors/issues I’ve ignored (dry skin patches sometimes, over-fussiness sometimes) are due to MY eating eggs (we eat them pretty often around here!) Just curious. I also have a 3.5 year old who recently took a liking to hard boiled eggs almost daily, and around the same time started complaining of a week-long bellyache-so now of course I’m wondering if she has a sensitivity too. Thanks!
Jessica says
Well, I believe that babies under a year aren’t supposed to have egg whites. That is usually the allergen. And some recommend avoiding it for the first two years. I would talk to your pediatrician before you feed him eggs again.
My daughter had extreme eczema very early on and could have been from the eggs and nuts I was eating.
Mary says
My 7-year-old son has had egg allergies his whole life so far. When he has a reaction, he throws up almost immediately and breaks out in hives, head to toe. However, different people react in different ways.
Elizabeth says
I just came across this website and liked the information about egg substitute! Thanks. But I can’t help but notice in the picture, the brand of flax used is not safe for tree nut allergic people due to cross-contamination issues.
Jessica says
Thanks for noting that. I’m sure others will benefit from the observation.
barb says
If you are making bread etc, with flax meal, and you want to substitute flax or chia meal for the egg, does it work when your “flour” is already from the flax?
Jessica Fisher says
I cannot answer that. I’m sorry. I’ve never used flour made from flax. :/