Baking with Flaxseeds

Sidonie Maroon, Culinary Educator For The Food Co-op

Soaring egg prices, driven by Avian Flu, makes it the ideal time to try eggless baking. While I enjoy eggs and hope they become affordable again, I’ve been baking without them for over a decade, achieving fabulous results.

Understanding Eggs in Baking

Eggs play a crucial role in baking, with egg whites and yolks doing different but important jobs. Egg whites are primarily composed of water and proteins, which contribute to the structure and leavening of baked goods. When whipped, they can trap air, creating volume and an airy texture, essential in recipes like meringues and soufflés. Egg yolks are rich in fats and emulsifiers, adding moisture, flavor, and a tender crumb to cakes and cookies. They also help blend ingredients smoothly, resulting in a uniform batter. Although baking traditionally uses eggs, alternatives exist, and with excellent outcomes.

Introducing Flaxseed

The beautiful flax plant (Linum usitatissimum) has been cultivated for thousands of years. It’s valued for its fibers, which are used to make linen.

The seeds are a superfood packed with omega-3 fatty acids, lignans, and fiber. These tiny seeds support heart health, aid digestion, and provide a source of essential fatty acids.

Flaxseed comes in dark and golden colors, both with the same nutritional benefits. It has a nutty flavor, and is best bought in bulk and ground, in a spice or coffee grinder, as needed, and stored in the refrigerator to protect its oils from rancidity.

How to make a flax egg

You may have heard of flax eggs as an alternative to eggs? It’s a great trick to keep up your sleeve. To replace an egg in baking, combine 1 tablespoon of ground flaxseed and 2 1/2 tablespoons of water. Let it sit for 5 minutes until gelled, then add it to your recipe. Flax eggs work well in pancakes, muffins, cookies and quick breads.

My Flax Egg Upgrade 

However, I never use flax eggs to bake. Instead, I use a combination of flaxseeds, fats, and apple cider vinegar to mimic the complete properties of eggs.

The apple cider vinegar reacts with baking soda to help rise like the whites. It conditions the dough, strengthening the proteins and helps stabilize the emulsion when mixed with oil and the flaxseeds.

The fat, usually butter, olive oil or avocado oil, adds richness, moisture and tenderness. When the oil is mixed with the vinegar it emulsifies, it creates a smooth, cohesive texture.

The ground flaxseeds form a gel that acts as a binder similar to the proteins in egg whites, this helps hold the structure together as it bakes.

Tips on Revising Recipes

If you’re revising a recipe from eggs to flax: stick with the fat amount called for, add 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed per egg to your flour, add 2 ½ tablespoons extra liquid per egg, and make 2 tablespoons of that liquid apple cider vinegar.

By the way, there isn’t a need to “make” flax eggs, instead just add the acid, fat, and ground flaxseed to the recipe.
I hope this shines some light on how to substitute eggs with healthy flaxseeds. A bonus, without the raw eggs, you can eat cookie dough guilt free or almost.

Havreflarn

Swedish Crisp Oatmeal Cookies
Makes 2 dozen cookies

A quick and easy Scandinavian treat you can make any time of the week. These cookies are thin, crispy, and buttery.

1 stick unsalted butter, melted (113 g)

1 cup old-fashioned rolled oats, (100 g)

¼ cup sunflower seeds (30 g)

2 tablespoons ground flaxseed (13 g)

3 tablespoons plus 1 ½ teaspoons tapioca flour (23 g)

½ cup brown sugar (82 g)

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon sea salt

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Melt the butter and set it aside. Grind the flaxseed and set aside.

2. In a food processor, grind the oatmeal until fine. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and process until fine, being careful not to overdo it (about 5 to 8 seconds).

3. Add the melted butter and other wet ingredients, pulse 5-6 times until combined.

4. Measure 1 tablespoon of dough per cookie, leaving 2 inches of space between each on the baking sheet. Bake for 8 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet. For perfectly crisp cookies, bake them in a dehydrator or oven at 145°F (63°C) for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Store uneaten cookies in the freezer.

Lime Coconut Bars

Makes 30 bars

These are so delicious and easy. I can’t stop thinking about them. Reminded us of a lime cheesecake, except with a better crust and more satisfying flavors.

Crust

1 cup cashews

1 cup pitted whole dates

½ cup coconut flakes

¼ cup flaxseed, ground

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Topping

3 eggs

½ cup coconut cream, or solid part of canned coconut milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

pinch of salt

½ cup fresh lime juice plus zest of whole lime (1-4 limes depending on size)

1 cup pitted whole dates 

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Prepare a 10-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom.

2. In a large food processor, pulse the crust ingredients together into a sticky mass. Press the dough evenly into the tart pan. Bake for 12 minutes and remove. (If you don’t have a food processor, finely chop by hand and proceed as directed.)

3. In a high-speed blender, blend the topping ingredients together until smooth. (If you don’t have a high-speed blender, use date syrup, or soak the dates in hot water for ½ hour and then drain and then blend in the food processor or in a blender.)

4. Reduce the oven to 325 F. Pour the topping onto the crust and bake it for 30 minutes, or until the top is set and golden. Cool and slice into small bars or slices. 

New Deal Diamonds

Coconut Carob and Cashew Bars

10-inch round tart cut into diamonds

These are a family favorite.

Rich and chocolaty and all without added processed sugar, eggs, dairy, gluten or chocolate! Although, just subtract the chicory and carob and add ½  cup of dutched cocoa powder for a chocolate version.

Base

1 cup raw cashews

½ cup unsweetened coconut flakes

1 cup pitted dates

¼ cup flaxseeds, ground

¼ teaspoon sea salt

Topping

1 cup raw cashews

½ cup pitted dates

3 tablespoons chia seeds, ground

¼ cup roasted chicory root

½ cup carob flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

¼ teaspoon sea salt

14-ounce can unsweetened full fat coconut milk

Making the Base

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Using a spice grinder, grind the flaxseeds into a meal.

2. Using a high-speed blender, grind the coconut flakes and cashews together, add the dates and flax. Grind into a rough paste. Put the paste into a bowl, mixing in the salt. Press into a 10-inch round tart pan with a removable bottom. I like to line the tart pan with a 12-inch round of parchment paper, so that it lines the bottom and sides of the pan. Press the dough into the bottom and bake in a preheated oven for 12 minutes.

Making the Topping

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Using a spice grinder, grind the chia seeds and roasted chicory together into a rough powder.

2. In a high-speed blender, blend the cashews, carob, coconut milk, dates, ground chia and chicory together until smooth.

3. Spread the topping onto the base and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes.

4. Cool and cut into bars on the diagonal (diamonds).

Banna Bread

Makes a 9-inch round bread

The recipe uses dates instead of sugar, which gives it a nice caramel undertone. For super sweet bananas, try ripening them, skins on, using a parchment lined baking sheet at 300F for 30 minutes.

Ingredients

Dry

½ cup raw pre-washed quinoa

¼ cup raw buckwheat groats

¼ cup raw chickpeas

¼ cup golden flax seeds

¼ cup tapioca starch

1 tablespoon psyllium seed husk powder

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon anise seed

½ teaspoon decorticated cardamom

¼ teaspoon black peppercorns   

Wet

¼ cup apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon orange extract

1 teaspoon lemon extract 

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

¾ cup pitted dates

1 ¾ cups banana puree (3 ripe bananas)

Directions

Line a nine-inch cake pan with parchment paper and preheat the oven to 350℉.

Using a high-powered blender at high speed for

1 minute, grind the dry ingredients into a flour. Sift into a mixing bowl and regrind any larger pieces.

Puree the wet ingredients until creamy (about ½ a minute). Using a rubber spatula, blend into the flour. Level the batter into the cake pan.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until the internal temperature is 200℉ Invert it onto a plate and allow it to cool before slicing.