Hear it from Kids: Are Cookies Baked with a Flax Egg Tasty? + An Easy Flax Egg Recipe

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“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.

I was worried that after going plant-based, our family would lose some of our food-related traditions, like cookie baking.

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.

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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