Meet this fabulous egg substitute. Prepare vegan recipes for your favorite recipes to use in mayonnaise, dressings, desserts and favorite foods.
Aquafaba is produced from the concentration of starch in the water when cooking chickpeas. To prepare aquafaba, we can use the liquid from canned chickpeas. However, it is not recommended due to the high content of added ingredients such as sugars and preservatives. Alternatively, we can use the following recipe that we are happy to share with you:
Technically, aquafaba is made by cooking other legumes. Chickpeas, however, tend to create the best and starchiest liquid. That is why chickpea water is the most common when using aquafaba in other recipes.
It wasn't until 2015 that Goose Wohlt, a software engineer looking for ways to make eggless meringues, discovered the magic of faba bean water. We already know that it works as a thickener, stabilizer, binder, and emulsifier, but it's safe to say that uses for aquafaba are still being discovered.
What can you do with aquafaba?
These are the most common uses that we know of. If you know more ways to use it, leave it in the comments!
- Whole egg substitute in baked goods such as pancakes and muffins
- Make eggless meringue or pavlova
- Make vegan whipped desserts, like chocolate mousse.
- Make vegan butter
- Make vegan whipped cream or ice cream
- Make vegan mayonnaise or aioli
- Make extra creamy hummus
- Soup thickener
How is aquafaba made?
Soak 1 pound (2 cups) dried chickpeas in water overnight. Be sure to cover the chickpeas with several inches of water, as they expand as they soak.
Drain the soaked chickpeas, then add them to a large pot with 8 cups of water. Do not use salt or spices. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours.
Once the chickpeas are cooked, turn off the heat and cover with a lid. Let the chickpea cool in the cooking liquid. This step leaves extra starch in the liquid, which is what gives aquafaba its magical egg-like properties.
When cool, remove the chickpeas with a slotted spoon, then bring the cooking liquid to a simmer and cook for another 30 to 45 minutes. During this time, the liquid should reduce and become a thicker yellowish liquid, similar to the liquid that comes out of canned chickpeas.
Let the aquafaba cool and then store it in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or freeze it for months. When making this from scratch, be careful not to introduce oil or fats into the liquid. These can cause problems if you plan to whip the liquid later.
How do you replace eggs with aquafaba?
As you can see from the list above, aquafaba has many uses, but one of my favorites is as an egg substitute in pancakes and baked goods like muffins. Mimics many of the characteristics of eggs when baking. In fact, we used it to make these wonderful vegan blueberry muffins. Here's a general rule of thumb when replacing eggs with aquafaba:
3 tablespoons aquafaba = 1 large egg
2 tablespoons aquafaba = 1 egg white
How is it used?
Aquafaba can be used as an egg substitute in three ways:
Use a whisk and beat until light and foamy, then use as an egg binder in cookies, pancakes, and muffins. Beat until soft peaks and mix with batters that benefit from greater lightness, such as waffles, muffins and cupcakes. Beat until stiff peaks and use to make meringue, ice cream or vegan macarons.
How do you whip up aquafaba?
The most foolproof method we've found for whipping aquafaba is to use a stand mixer and a small amount of cream of tartar. You can blend it with a hand mixer or even a food processor, but if you have one, a stand mixer with its large whisk attachment is best.
Is cream of tartar required for whipping aquafaba?
You can whip aquafaba without cream of tartar, but we recommend adding cream of tartar to help the foam stay whipped as long as possible. Whipped aquafaba on its own will deflate fairly quickly. You can beat it again, but who wants to? So instead, we added a little cream of tartar to help stabilize things. Once blended, you can use it in your favorite recipes.
The aquafaba can take a while to blend, so don't let that discourage you. If yours doesn't whip as fast as you expected, keep at it. Some people have noticed that it took them 10 minutes to spank! We generally see gentle peaks within 4 or 5 minutes, but if that's not true for you, keep going, you'll get there eventually.
How long can you keep aquafaba?
Store unwhipped aquafaba in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Freeze aquafaba for months. As a tip, consider freezing it by the tablespoonful in an ice cube tray. When completely frozen, remove the frozen aquafaba from the tray and then place it in a freezer-safe resealable bag or container and freeze for months. When you're ready to use it, thaw as many tablespoons as you need in the refrigerator and then use it in your recipes.