Flax meal in place of eggs for baking

[Anonymous]

I've seen the suggestion to use flax meal as an egg substitute quite a bit, but haven't tried it myself--if you've tried it, how well does it work? I'm guessing the texture isn't going to be the same, but will my kids still be willing to eat I bake? I'm trying to make healthier baked goods, like banana bread, muffins, pancakes, etc. Plus my family goes through so many eggs, and that Costco bag of flax meal is just sitting in the cupboard. . .

[Anonymous]

I just add a little flax meal to stuff I'm baking. I've never heard of using it as an egg substitute. Interesting concept.

[Anonymous]

Eggs are so healthy!

One thing to consider with the flax meal is that the fats in it can go rancid. Give it a smell. And maybe move it into the freezer for storage.

From my vegan college days, I know eggs do a number of things in recipes:

They are a leavening agent
They add richness/fat
They are an emulsifier (help bind the wet and dry components)

Not sure how flax meal could do all those things, but hey, I've never tried it!

[Anonymous]

I use 1 Tb flax and 3 Tb water for every egg. Mix and let it sit for a few minutes until it gets gelatinous, then add it to the recipe. I've used it in pancakes, quick breads and cookies. The last come out tasting slightly nutty. It's not a bad flavor, but a bit unexpected. Especially if I'm making sugar cookies, I up the vanilla and sugar to hide the taste.

[Anonymous]

I've also seen someone boil the flax seeds and it produces what looks like egg whites which helps as a binder for bread, etc.

[Anonymous]

Did it when making a granola type cookie. They did not stick together as well. Added more maple syrup to compensate but still not as good. There are a lot of egg-free sites that tell you about egg subs including flax.