No Egg Brownie | Recipe

Got no eggs and want to make brownies? No problem, I got your back. Here is a recipe on how to make brownie using brownie mix and no egg.

The other day I was craving for some sweet and the brownie mix in the pantry was calling me. I couldn’t resist and ended up baking brownie using flax seeds as a substitute for the egg as eggs are hard to find right now. It turned out to be the best brownies I ever made. The brownie was perfectly fudgy and rich in the middle with a flaky crackling top crust. It was so good, I just have to share it even if it is simple.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup + 3 tbsp of water
• 1 tbsp of coffee
• 1/3 cup of canola oil
• 1 tbsp of flaxseed meal or ground (Check out the Tips and Tricks)
• 1 box of Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate Premium Brownie mix
• Optional: almond slices/coconut flakes (or your favorite nuts)

If you do not have a brownie mix, check out the Tips and Tricks section on how to bake brownie using flaxseed meals as egg substitute.

Procedures

1. Preheat oven to 325°F.
2. Into a bowl, add water, coffee, oil, and flaxseed. Mix using a whisk until everything is fully incorporated.
3. Add the brownie mix and mix until all the dry ingredients are well blended.
4. Pour into a cast iron pan. Sprinkle on some of almond slices/coconut flakes. Bake for 40–50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Note, the baking time depends on your pan size. I used a 9" cast iron pan and it took me 40 minutes.
5. Enjoy and share it.

Tips and Tricks

I don’t have a brownie mix, what do I do?

If you have no brownie mix, no problem. Just follow your favorite brownie recipes and substitute the egg with flaxseed meal using the following ratio of 1 tablespoon of flaxseed and 3 tablespoons of water for each egg.

What is Flaxseed?

Flaxseed is the seed of the fruit of a flax plant scientifically known as Linum usitatissimum. The seed is brown and shaped like an apple seed with a nutty taste and is made up of 35% oil, a majority of which is linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, and 30% protein. It is about 30% dietary fiber. Fun fact, due to its high omega-3 content, flaxseed is used in the poultry farm to feed chicks that produce higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids.¹

Flaxseed meal vs ground Flaxseed

There is a huge difference between Flaxseed meals and ground Flaxseeds. Flaxseed meals are the crushed flax seeds leftover from the flaxseed oil extraction process. Ground Flaxseeds are whole flaxseeds that were ground into a fine powder. Since Flaxseed meals are stripped of their oils and fats during the flaxseed oil extraction process, ground flaxseeds are more nutritious.

Flaxseed as an egg substitute

Flaxseed works great as an egg substitute, especially in baking. I learned about this egg substitute through The Homemade Vegan Pantry cookbook by Miyoko Schinner, the founder of Miyoko’s Creamery and the queen of vegan cheese (according to the company website). According to Harold McGee in his On the Food and Cooking book, the reason why it works really well as an egg substitute has something to do with the gum in the seed coat. When mixed with water, the gum forms a thick gel which made flaxseed a great emulsifier and foam stabilizer.

References

1. Magee, Elaine. “Flaxseed Health Benefits, Food Sources, Recipes, and Tips for Using It.” WebMD, WebMD, www.webmd.com/diet/features/benefits-of-flaxseed#1.
2. McGee, Harold. McGee on Food & Cooking: an Encyclopedia of Kitchen Science, History and Culture. Hodder & Stoughton, 2004.
3. Gorham, Jenna. “Whole-Milled Flaxseed vs. Flaxseed Meal: There’s a Difference.” Manitoba Flax Seed Milling Company, 29 Feb. 2020, manitobaflax.com/ground-flaxseed-vs-flaxseed-meal-difference/.