“But, how do I bake without eggs and what is a good vegan egg replacement?” If you’re a cook, and recently vegan, this might be an ALL CAPS kind of question in your head. And its a really good question, too. Egg products (whole eggs, yolks, and whites) are huge in the cooking world. Everything from quick breads, to cookies and pies, and entire dishes like a quiche (and we have a great recipe for quiche right here, by the way) use eggs.
So, when you’re wondering about the best vegan egg replacement for baking, don’t fret, because there’s a plant to the rescue and that plant is CHIA.
Chia seeds provide the best, most reliable vegan egg replacement for those recipes you are trying to veganize, like cookies, pies, and other delicious baked goods.
Chia For Vegan Baking
There are many plant-based sources for eggs that you can find on any quick online search. Tofu, nutritional yeast, Himalayan black salt, flax seed all have their uses. But it is CHIA that is superior for baking.
What Is Chia?
Chia seeds come from the plant Salvia hispanica L., which is a plant related to mint, and were once a major food crop in Mexico and Guatemala. Cultivated as a food source as early as 3500 BC, it was regularly used in Mayan and Aztec cultures. All by themselves (yes, you can happily crunch away on a handful) they provide a surprising nutritional profile
Chia Seeds are Good For You
The simple, tiny chia seed is packed full of nutritional benefits. Just 2 tablespoons a day provide:
11 grams of fiber
4.2 grams of Omega-3 (no fish involved!)
4 grams of protein
Calcium, iron, B-vitamins, manganese, zinc, and phosphorus
Why Chia Is The Best Vegan Egg Replacement For Baking
There are two primary reasons that chia is the choice for baking:
chia has a neutral taste
ground chia reliably provides the thickening, and binding, of an egg in your baking
It’s a whole food, economical, and nutritious!
1 tablespoon of chia seed, ready to grind and become a vegan egg!
Tips for Using Chia Seed as a Vegan Egg Replacement
Buy whole seed (not meal)
grind the seeds – do not use whole
have a dedicated grinder for herbs and seeds. We just use a small Krups coffee grinder (but there are plenty of inexpensive options that are easy to find)
Buy in bulk. It’s fairly easy to find large bags of chia seed at the supermarket, natural foods markets, at big box stores, and online. Always good to reduce packaging!
Ground chia seed after 15 – 30 minutes, ready for usePrint
Chia seed is an excellent, reliable, replacement for eggs in vegan baking. A simple to use, economical choice for all your baking.
Ingredients
Scale
1 Tbs Chia Seed
3 Tbs Water
Instructions
Finely grind the chia seeds.
Place in a small bowl and add 3 Tbs water.
Stir to mix completely
Let sit for at least 15 minutes (great time to do other prep for your recipe!) and up to 30 minutes
Once the mixture has “thickened” simply add to your recipe as a replacement for each egg and blend well
Notes
Grinding is important. If you use whole chia seeds the mixture is more like tapioca pudding (and, actually, works well if you want to make that exact thing) and less like an egg.
A dedicated grinder for your chia seeds is very helpful. We simply use a small counter-top coffee grinder.
Make your chia seed egg(s) at the time of use, rather than making ahead and storing in the fridge. Fresh is the way to go
Georgia is an unpretentious foodie who, at 50, transitioned from a vegetarian diet to a whole foods plant based diet and is loving it. She works as a nurse, plays as a quilter, loves to run, hates to race.
She thinks dogs are actually angels (in dog suits).
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