“What about cakes? And cookies?” My 8-year-old son gasped when we told our kids we were giving up animal products and going plant-based.
“Cupcakes?” My daughter squeaked.
“Coco?” My toddler piped up in an attempt to voice his dismay at being deprived of his (and Cookie Monster’s) favorite dessert: cookies.
Thank GOODNESS we don’t have to give up cookies—or other desserts—on a vegan diet!
Here’s what our kids thought of their first attempt at using a flaxseed egg to bake vegan chocolate chip cookies! (And the super simple flax egg recipe we used!)
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A Vegan Diet Won’t Stop Us from a Family Baking Sesh!
My kids and I baked together a lot before switching to a vegan diet. Baking is a tradition in our house. I’ve baked with my grandmother, mom, sister, and brother for as far back as I can remember. And I passed that tradition down to my kids.
But, I was worried that after going plant-based, our family would lose some of our food-related traditions, like cookie baking.
Thankfully, this experience taught me that doesn’t have to be the case!
We can doctor up our favorite family dessert recipes by swapping butter with vegan butter. And there are several types of vegan chocolate chips or chocolate baking bars you can use instead of semi-sweet or milk chocolate.
But those are easy substitutes for the kids to comprehend: Vegan butter and vegan chocolate chips look the same as dairy butter and milk chocolate chips.
We were nervous to sub the eggs though.
I’ve replicated scrambled eggs with tofu and the kids have been “meh” about it. Given their response to a cooked egg replacement, you can imagine my apprehension at attempting a raw egg alternative.
Early on in our plant-based journey, I focused all of my time in the kitchen replacing our go-to meals with plant-based meals the whole family will enjoy.
And if I’m being honest, that’s taken serious brain power, time and effort.
Which is why I put off baking! My mind was full with so much new info!
But, my kids all celebrate their birthdays in the next two months, and I love to bake their birthday cakes (or cookies) for them, so it’s been on my to-do list to get some practice reps baking with egg replacements before the big day(s)!
Aaaand let’s be real. The kids and I wanted cookies!
And you cookie lovers out there can relate to this: When you’re craving homemade cookies, you’re motivated to try pretty much anything!
We were ready to face our fears and finally use an egg replacement in cookies!
No Egg? No Problem! An Easy Flax Egg Recipe
I’ve seen some pretty cool options for replacing eggs with plant-based substitutes. But I decided to go with a flaxseed egg replacement for these cookies.
I wanted to see if a flax egg resembled a real egg.
How to Make a Flax Egg:
You may be wondering how the heck to make a flax egg. It’s SO easy. And since we use flaxseed meal in our oatmeal every morning, we already had it in the fridge! Use this flax egg recipe to replace one egg.
- 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal
- 2-and-a-half tablespoons of water
The kids added the flaxseed meal and water to a small bowl and whisked the two ingredients together.
Then we put the bowl to the side for about 5 minutes or so while we did more cookie prep. It needs time to thicken so it’s similar to an egg’s consistency. When it’s first mixed, it’s very watery.
That’s it! See how easy it is to make a flax egg substitute?
Plus, I snag any opportunities I can to pump the flaxseed and Omega-3s.
While we waited, we gathered the rest of the ingredients, set up chairs for my little helpers, and pulled my KitchenAid Stand Mixer out of the cabinet she’d been hiding in.
For the past 13 years (Yes, she’s lasted that long!) my pistachio-colored baking partner has been on the counter at least once a week mixing up breads, muffins, cakes, cookies and more! We hadn’t used her for baking in five months—since before we went vegan. The kids and I were happy to have her back.
Once the prep was done, we checked in on our flax egg. The kids were shocked at how thick it was! Here’s some of the things they said:
- “It’s kinda slimy.”
- “How did it get so thick?”
- “Mom, this is weird.”
- “This is gonna be disgusting.”
The consistency was similar to an egg and the contents even rolled around in the bowl just like a real egg would.
Since I felt confident that using a flaxseed egg replacement in cookies may actually work, I proceeded with a little more pep in my step. (The kids followed along, but were a little less enthusiastic after seeing the concoction.)
We threw in the first ingredients. Then tipped the small bowl holding our “egg” over and watched the contents plop on top of the mound in the mixing bowl.
Answering Important Questions from Newly Vegan Kids
As the kids took turns adding the ingredients, lots of questions popped up. Although we’ve been eating a vegan diet for several months, we are still adjusting to this new way of life.
Every time we’re around food, our children voice their concerns about whether or not what’s in front of them is vegan. So today was another opportunity to talk with them about being plant-based.
Here’s what they asked while we baked:
- “Is this flour vegan?”
- “Is this sugar plant-based?”
- “What’s an animal product and what is a plant product?”
- “What plant does this ingredient come from?”
- “Where is the ‘egg’ now?”
As we scooped the dough onto the baking sheet, the most important question was asked….
“How does this taste??”
The Big Question: How Does a Cookie with a Flaxseed Egg Compare?
When those cookies came out of the oven, we didn’t wait for them to cool all the way. We wanted to taste them while they were warm and soft to see how they compared to the right-out-of-the-oven cookies we used to eat.
After the first bite, the kids exclaimed:
- “Delicious!”
- “Melty!”
- “Gooey!”
- “Mo!” (My toddler’s word for when he wants “more.”)
That mouth-watering, delicate texture brought back memories of all our other cookie baking days. The warmth spread through our bodies after the first bite, leaving us happy, content, and proud. Soft chocolate smudged on our fingers and mouths as we smacked our lips and giggled at how nervous we’d been to try this when the result turned out so satisfying!
And those flaxseed egg cookies were delectable the next day, too!
We bit into that now-cooled-off cookie and encountered a crunchy exterior and a soft, buttery center. The kids said:
- “We can still eat cookies!”
- “Wow! It really worked. These are yummy!”
- “When can we make them again?”
- “Coco!” (Looks like “cookies” will remain my toddler’s favorite dessert.)
In my book, talking about Round 2 is a sign that the cookies were a success!
Combining Old Family Traditions and a New Plant-Based Lifestyle
I feared that our traditions centered around food would be lost when we went plant-based.
Today, baking together exceeded my expectations:
- It continued the discussion with our kids about why we changed our diet.
- It expanded our understanding of how we can replace animal products with plant products.
- It brought us closer together because we worked towards a common goal.
I found comfort knowing my kids want to continue our tradition of baking just as much as I do. And I was inspired by their willingness to put extra effort into weaving together our new plant-based lifestyle with our long-standing family traditions.
You heard it from the kids: These vegan chocolate chip cookies made with a flax egg were “gooey,” “melty,” and “yummy!” You better believe I’m attempting cupcakes, muffins, and frostings in the near future!
And my KitchenAid mixer is doing a happy little jig at the prospect of routine baking days ahead!
Want to see the flax egg in some sugar cookie action? Check out my family’s vegan sugar cookie recipe!
What Do You Think About Flax Eggs?
Have you baked cookies with a flaxseed egg replacement? How did your kids like the taste?
Connect with me in the comments below by sharing your family’s experience!
And if you liked this post, please consider sharing it on social media or pinning it for later.
Stay mindful, even when your mind’s full.
Chelsea
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon flaxseed
- 2.5 tablespoons water
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together flaxseed and water.
- Set aside for about 5-10 minutes to let thicken.
Notes
*In my experience, it's not exact, but 1 flax egg replaces 1 regular egg. I've had success in pancakes, cookies, muffins and some breads. *This is not my original recipe. It's a popular egg replacement in many vegan recipes. *Nutrition Facts are a rough estimate.
36 comments
These look super yummy! Glad your kids liked them.
I’d never heard of a flax egg before, but since I’m allergic to eggs I’ll be on the look out for them for sure. Cute blog!
Thanks Maggie! Eggs are something I missed the most when we went plant-based but I’ve found several replacements that work. If you ever are looking for something, there’s Vegan Egg and JUST Egg that are premade and in stores but you can also make replacements like this flax egg. 😉
Oh my goodness! We have been wanting to try this. Chicken eggs have casein in them, which is something my son is better off avoiding. Looks pretty easy to try.
Hi Kristin! Yea, you can’t beat 2 ingredients for an egg substitute recipe lol. There are other replacements on the market like JUST egg that are good but I haven’t used that in baking yet.
I’ve used flax eggs for decades, starting when my oldest daughter was diagnosed with an egg allergy back in 2000. I use them in cookies, pizza crusts, and breads. Some recipes do better than others, but flax eggs have been a staple and a godsend!
Wow! In pizza crust? I’ll have to try that too. Yea, I’ve found a few times when flax eggs didn’t pan out, like in a brownie recipe I tried to modify. But they’ve been working great for cookies!
Everyone looks so happy! I am glad you were able to find alternatives for them.
I’ve heard about using flax seeds as a substitution for eggs but i’ve never tried it.
Very interesting! One of my daughters and SIL (and my two grandsons) are using more plant based recipes, but aren’t going vegan or vegetarian for health reasons. They have fun coming up with new twists to recipes, too.
This is wonderful! Starting your children early in life will just become regular life to them! I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I have never even heard of flaxseed eggs. Very interesting.
Glad to hear that they were a hit with the kids. This is my struggle with getting the family to eat more vegan…if I serve something that is plant based, I don’t tell them what it’s made of because they complain even before they have tasted it.
Bonnie, I confess to occasionally doing that very same thing when I bring something to a party or get together. I don’t say anything until people ask, “Wow that’s good what’s in it?” Lol! And our kids were sceptical at first when we switched, but after talking with them about our plan to change our diet, they have been more open to it. But it’s taken time that’s for sure!
That smile says it all! They look just as good as the real thing!
I think it’s great that you are making this lifestyle change while your kids are young. My kids (and my husband – let’s be real) are so set in their ways now that they have to be the ones to initiate changes, otherwise they will totally rebel! I would have to sneak something like this in.
Hi Charlene, aw, I’m sorry. Yes, it can be so difficult to make changes to our diet to get everyone on board.
Interesting. I have never heard of this before.
I bet the new recipe was delicious. I discovered flaxseed after having my older son. I used to use it to make boobie cookies to produce more milk while I was breastfeeding. I’ve learned to use it in some other recipes too and it’s great.
Amy that’s awesome! I nursed all three of my kids and people brought me cookies like that but I never thought about what was in them… I think I was so tired I just saw chocolate and was pumped to eat it lol!
I’ve never heard of a flag egg before.
I’ll have to try this with my kids and see what they think.
The cookie look great. “Just don ‘t tell ’em” is my motto. Not the kids – they need to learn. The husband can be kept in the dark. He’s still got the food attitude of a four-year-old.
Taryn, LOL!
These look delicious! I wish I could get my husband on board with things like this because I’ve had to make diet changes due to some so far unknown health issues so I’ve been having to have groceries just for myself and groceries for him and our roommate and it is just so expensive and so much work to cook twice the food because he doesn’t want to try anything.
I’m sorry Eva. That’s so hard when you have to make several dishes. That’s why my husband and I decided we all had to go all in on plant-based because if only he did it, he wouldn’t succeed. It’s a lot easier when we can make the kids the same things we eat.
I think the smile says it all in regard to this recipe 🙂
“This is gonna be disgusting” – LOL! Gotta love kids. Glad they wound up liking them!
Yup we do this all the time. Sometimes use banana or applesauce as a replacement too depending on what we are making. So easy!
Wow these look DELICIOUS! My husband and I are transitioning to being vegan and I was looking for great vegan cookie recipes, these look perfect!! 🤩
What a wonderful success! I’ve not heard of this before.
They certainly look delicious and your crew gave them the thumbs up!
This sounds like a great alternative to eggs!! I have a friend who can’t have eggs, I’ll have to try this out!! I didn’t notice the recipe, could you send it to me?? Thanks!
Hi Annette, great! And yes, the flax egg recipe is so simple. It’s listed above, but it’s just 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal and
2-and-a-half tablespoons of water. Stir. Then let it sit for at least 5 minutes until it thickens. Enjoy!
Success! I’ve been plant based for four years now and yes, we can still have treats. They are just healthier. I use flax eggs when I bake and they work so well.
Wow Cindy! Four years! That’s great! My grandmother has done it for several years now and comes up with all sorts of substitutes. I can’t get the flax egg to work with my brownies yet the way they do with cookies, but I’m still experimenting!