Egg Substitute Recipe (For Binding)

This egg substitute for binding is made from just two things, ground flaxseed and water, simmered briefly and then cooled. One batch stands in for 1 egg in recipes where the egg’s job is to hold the other ingredients together.

Binding is what keeps something like meatballs from falling apart: the egg holds the ground meat and seasonings in shape while they cook. The flaxseed mixture can take over that role when eggs are off the table. It does not replace eggs that are in a recipe for leavening, so it is not the right swap for bakes that depend on eggs to rise.

Simmering turns the flax into a gel much like raw egg white, about 1/4 cup of it, the same amount a standard no-cook flax egg makes from 1 tablespoon of flax and 3 tablespoons of water. That quicker version is in the notes for times when the stove is not convenient.

Flaxseed Egg Substitute (For Binding)

Ground flaxseed simmered in water for 5 minutes into about 1/4 cup of gel, then cooled and used in place of 1 egg as a binder. Not suitable where eggs provide leavening.

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Prep Time 2 minutes mins

Cook Time 7 minutes mins

Cooling time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 19 minutes mins

Servings: 1 egg replacement (about 1/4 cup)

Course: Pantry Staple

Cuisine: American

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed
• 1/3 cup cold water

Method

 

1. Coat a small saucepan with nonstick spray or a thin film of oil.
2. Pour in the cold water, add the ground flaxseed and stir lightly to combine.
3. Set the pan over medium-high heat. As soon as the water boils, after about 2 minutes, turn the heat down to low.
4. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until the mixture has thickened into a gel like raw egg white and reduced to about 1/4 cup.
5. Let it cool to room temperature, about 10 minutes, before adding it to a recipe. It thickens a little more as it cools.

Notes

This quantity replaces 1 egg used for binding, as in meatballs, meatloaf or veggie patties. For 2 eggs, double both ingredients.

Do not use it where the eggs in a recipe are there for leavening, such as sponge cakes, souffles or meringues.

No-cook version: stir 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed into 3 tablespoons of water and let it stand for 5 to 10 minutes, until thick and gel-like. It replaces 1 egg in the same way.

Make-ahead: cover and refrigerate the cooled gel for up to 3 days, and stir it before using.

Ground flaxseed turns rancid quickly at room temperature; keep it in an airtight container in the refrigerator or freezer.