Homemade aquafaba – vegan egg replacer

Homemade aquafaba – vegan egg replacer

vegan-meringue-kisses-top-down

If you’ve visited my blog a few times, the chances are that you’ve heard of aquafaba – a miraculous plant-based egg replacer – as I’m in love with its amazing properties and use it often. If this is the first time you hear about it, here goes: aquafaba is a legume cooking liquid that has been discovered to emulate egg whites.

If you would like to read up more about this discovery and the science behind it, check out this informative website set up by the people who discovered that what we all used to chuck down the drain is, in fact, an invaluable cooking ingredient.

People report success with many varieties of legumes (cannellini, black beans and lima beans to name just a few), but I myself love chickpeas and so chickpea aquafaba is the only type I’ve ever used. Below is full explanation on how to get this magic liquid out of dry chickpeas.

You can also use the brine from a tin of chickpeas, but there are a few problems with that. Firstly, most tins contain harmful BPA, which has been linked to many serious illnesses, so many people try to avoid it. Secondly, ideally you do not want any salt in your aquafaba and all tinned chickpea brands I am aware of add sodium. Thirdly, using tinned aquafaba is more expensive than making your own. Finally, people have reported issues with consistency with some brands – some brands work, some don’t. For all these reasons, I prefer to prepare aquafaba from scratch.

What can I use it for? I hear you ask. Pretty much anything you would use an egg white for…Here is a round-up of SOME of the foods aquafaba has helped me make or to make better. If you love experimenting in the kitchen, I recommended joining a group called Vegan Meringue – Hits and Misses on Facebook, where you’ll find plenty of encouragement, great tips and knowledge from a bunch of amazing vegan cooks.

things to make with aquafaba

1. fudgy brownies
2. creamy strawberry cheesecake
3. airy chocolate mousse
4. vegan meringues
5. moist orange semolina cakes
6. vegan lemon meringue pies
7. Sriracha vegan mayo
8. Greek zucchini fritters
9. Mediterranean meatballs
10. crispy veggie tempura
11. smooth, oil-free hummus
12. crispy low-fat granola

whipping-aquafaba

serves
1 cup
PREP
0 min
COOKING
120 min
serves
1 cup
PREPARATION
0 min
COOKING
120 min
INGREDIENTS
  • 2 cups of dry chickpeas
  • 8 cups of water
METHOD
  1. Soak dry chickpeas in plenty of water (chickpeas should be well covered) for about 8 hours. I tend to leave them to soak overnight.
  2. Discard soaking water and rinse the chickpeas. Place them into a pot, which you have a lid for and cover with 8 cups of water. Do not add any salt or baking soda.
  3. Cover the pot with a lid and bring to the boil. Be careful as chickpeas like to boil over if the heat is too high so keep an eye on them until they come to boil. Skim the foam that has come to the top and discard.
  4. After the chickpeas come to boil, decrease the heat to low-medium and simmer the chickpeas (with a lid on) until tender. It takes about 60-75 minutes.
  5. Once the chickpeas are ready, turn the heat off and leave the chickpeas to cool down in its cooking water (this infuses the cooking water with more protein, which gives aquafaba its miraculous properties of an egg white).
  6. Remove chickpeas from the cooking water with a slotted spoon. Make sure the spoon is clean and has no grease residue on it as even trace amounts of grease inhibit aquafaba’s foaming properties – this is especially important if you intend to whip your aquafaba into a meringue.
  7. Depending on the intended application of your aquafaba, you may want to reduce the liquid a little to make it more potent. I find that this is especially necessary for when you intent to use it as a binder, in vegan meatballs for example. Please remember also that the more reduced the liquid the more intense chickpea flavour will be so when you intent to use it for desserts, like meringues or chocolate mousse, you do not need to reduce as much or at all. To reduce aquafaba, return the remaining cooking water to the stove. Set the heat to low-medium and reduce aquafaba (without a lid) for about 30-45 minutes until some of the water evaporates and you are left with thick yellow liquid.
  8. Let the reduced liquid come to room temperature and then transfer to a clean container and store in the fridge – once chilled aquafaba will turn gelatinous and resemble an egg white. If you are not in a rush to use your aquafaba, pop cooked chickpeas back into the container with aquafaba and store them together overnight – this will make aquafaba even more gelatinous. Store in an air-tight container for 3-4 days.
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NUTRITIONAL INFO
calories
15
1%
sugars
0 g
0%
fats
0 g
0%
saturates
0 g
0%
proteins
1 g
2%
carbs
3 g
1%
*per cup
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5.0
24 reviews, 140 comments
REVIEWS & QUESTIONS
Siri:
Hi Ania
I have linked this helpful vegan recipe in my website , thank you so much.
    Ania
    Ania:
    My pleasure! Thank you, Siri! Ania
Sheina:
When I made it, my aquafaba was basically water. Any idea why?
    Ania
    Ania:
    The only idea I have is that you used too much water and so you ended up with very thin aquafaba. Simmer it down without the lid for the excess water to evaporate and for aquafaba to thicken. Hope that helps! Ania
Sheina:
Why do we need a lid on?
    Ania
    Ania:
    As otherwise the water will cook out!
April:
What happens if I used backing soda? Will it still make the aquafaba?
    Ania
    Ania:
    I am not sure, I have not tried that. I never add anything to my chickpeas when planning to use aquafaba. Ania
Reeta:
After soaking the chickpeas could I then do the cooking part using a pressure cooker? Would this be quicker than boiling for 60-75 mins?
Thanks
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Reeta,
    I suppose so although I have never used a pressure cooker so I don't really know what I am talking about :) Ania
Has anyone tried to make aquafaba meringue marshmallows¿ It's not that I want to make any I wonder how well it'd work, I guess it would work if aquafaba merigues work.
Neha:
My mum accidentally salted the chickpeas while boiling them. Is adding salt a problem or is it still okay to use.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Neha,
    It really depends on your taste (and how much salt was added) and what you plan to use it for. If you want to make a chocolate mousse for example, salt enhances the taste of chocolate and I often add it to anything that is chocolate flavoured. Hope that helps! Ania
Kim:
My question is in regards to canning food. Can you can the aquafaba without the chickpeas?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Kim,
    Sure, I don't see why not! Good luck! x Ania
Edward:
Hey i just tried to make aquafaba yesterday, and now its in the fridge cooling. I followed every step but somehow im not sure about it, it was way to liquid before i put it in the fridge and i dont know if half the water i put with the chickpeas evaporated. Is that ok? I guess i will found out later haha
    Ania
    Ania:
    It should be okay once it cools, especially if you leave some chickpeas in it for a while - it will make it a bit thicker. Ania
Lynn:
Is there anything different about aguafaba made in a slow cooker? i.e. Do you know if it is watery, compared to aguafaba made on the stove? At this point I am thinking of using it for desserts, so didn't plan to reduce, per your instructions above.
The aguafava I made in the slow cooker seems thinner than that from a can of garbanzos. Is your stove top aguafaba as thick as what comes out of a can? I am wondering if I need to reduce my slow cooker aguafaba when using for desserts (primarily) - brownies etc, as if slow cooker aguafaba is thinner, the batter may have too much moisture in it.
Appreciate your thoughts.
Thanks!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Lynn,
    It's hard for me to say as I do not own a slow cooker and the viscosity of the aquafaba depends on the application. I would simply try whisking it and if it whisks into stiff peaks fine then you are good to use it as is. Otherwise reduce, cool down and try again. One context when it is good to have it more gooey is when used for breading things, for example, like in this recipe. I hope that helps! Ania
Dora:
Hello Ania, I was wondering if there was any need to reduce the aquafaba we get, if it is too use for a cookie recipe, like your brookie recipe for example. And also, I didn't get it well, if we want to store the cold aquafaba in our fridge for some time, do we have to whip it before storing?
Thank you in advance,
Dora
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Dora,
    Sure, you can reduce but simmering on a stove without the lid - excess water will evaporate in the process and the resulting brine will be thicker, especially once it cools down it will become apparent. You can store it as it is, you do not want to whip it up for storing. You can also freeze it, in larger amounts or in ice cube form. Hope that helps! Ania
Beatrice:
Hi, I've been cooking vegan for a while but I've never actually baked since then as I was unsure how. I'm glad I stumbled across your website as I've tried the vegan scones the other week. Now I'd like to try some more recipe and some have the acquafaba in it. I was wondering, since we don't have cups as a measurement here, what the measurement would be in grams and milliliters?
Thank you and greetings from Austria,
Beatrice
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Beatrice,
    I am really pleased to hear that you enjoyed the scones and I hope you'll enjoy some of my other recipes too! I use US cups whereby 1 cup equals 240 ml. Hope that helps! Ania
Gina Otey:
Please would like to follow this page.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Gina, I assume what you mean is you would like to be added to the mailing list? I am adding you right now. Cheers! Ania
Lindsay:
Thank you so much for this. I made mine yesterday and left the chickpeas to cool and soak in the pot overnight after they finished cooking. I was a little concerned as I ended up with about six cups of Aquafaba, whereas you've said in the comments that the yield is about one cup. But I whipped some up for making a sponge cake and it works like an absolute dream. My mind is exploding right now with all the things I want to make!
    Ania
    Ania:
    I know, right? It blew my mind too when I first tried it. Glad you had a success with it! x Ania
Cari:
Does anybody make this frozen in a health food store?
    Ania
    Ania:
    I'm not sure about that, but you can always use the brine from jarred or tinned chickpeas, just make sure it's low sodium variety. Hope that helps! Ania
Kari:
Great tips for making the most of this. My mom used canned chickpeas when she made a lemon meringue with Aquafina, but I wanted to cook my chickpeas from scratch. I'm using mine in an angel food cake. I really want it to come out as good as hers did!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks, Kari! I'm glad my post comes in useful. I have never tried making an angel cake myself, but from an aquafaba forum I belong to I know that it is quite difficult to get right as the original recipe uses many eggs and a straight swap does not render an amazing result, but is certainly worth experimenting with and I am sure you will nail it eventually. Ania
oliver:
Hello,
how much aqua faba liquid in volume does this make please?
Thanks.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Approximately 1 cup! Hope that helps! Ania
Thank you so very much for sharing your recipe. I was able make this and used it for pancake as well as for the banana bread recipe. My 4th child has egg allergy and now she is old enough to know what her siblings were eating. It was hard for me to see her not able to eat what everyone else was eating. But for the first time she enjoyed our family treats with us last couple of days. So thank you again for sharing your Recipe!
    Ania
    Ania:
    That's brilliant to hear, I am so happy to hear that your kid is about to enjoy familiar flavours again! Ania
Louise:
Hi I have soaked 200 grams of dried chickpeas for over 12 hours. I have drained the juice off. Do I need to do anything else to it? the chickpeas are being used for falafels.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Louise,
    It really depends on the recipe for falafels that you are using. If you are using my recipe, then you don't need to do anything to them - simply grind them up and start making the falafel mixture. Good luck! Ania
Gabe:
Looking between this recipe and the one you have for hummus, how would you alter the hummus recipe to utilize the chickpeas used here?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Gabe,
    I'm sorry, but I don't think I understand your question...hummus can be made with either tinned and home cooked chickpeas so there is no alteration needed. Let me know if I am missing something! Ania
Peenal jaichand:
Hey ,
I actually wanted to know if I can cook the chickpeas in the pressure cooker and if yes then for how long??
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi,
    I think you've already asked me that question. Here is my original reply: I am sure you can, BUT I don not own a pressure cooker so no idea how long it would take. Normally, they take 1 hr 15 minutes so I imagine less than that. Sorry I could not be of any more help! Ania
Peenal:
Hey Ania,
Can I cook the chickpeas in a pressure cooker ??? Because I feel that is a faster method... If yes we can cook in a pressure cooker then for how long???
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Peenal,
    I am sure you can, BUT I don not own a pressure cooker so no idea how long it would take. Normally, they take 1 hr 15 minutes so I imagine less than that. Sorry I could not be of any more help! Ania
sahira rafiq:
my ones keep melting in the oven and turn to a puddle. what have i done wrong?
    Ania
    Ania:
    I assume you are talking about mini meringues? It could be due to a range of things: incorrect sugar used (refined sugar is the only one that gives it sturdy enough texture), not enough sugar, aquafaba had not been whipped enough, oven temp. too high. It's one of these things that takes a little of time to master. Hope that helps! Ania
Wen Osch:
Off-topic, but....your photo reminds me of Mariel Hemingway. I wonder if you've heard that before.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi,
    No, I haven't and to be perfectly honest, I've had to google her...:) Ania
Jenny:
Can I use aquafaba as a replacement for olive oil in salad dressings? I want to toss roasted veg, but I hate the massive amount of oil that dressings always seem to use.
Thanks!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Jenny, you are welcome to try, but I don't personally use it in that way. I did use it to make a low fat granola, for example, but it was combined with spices and maple syrup and baked, which meant that AF flavour did not come through. Not entirely sure it will be nice to eat raw, as a salad dressing. Hope that helps! Ania
Lisa Bohm:
So happy to have found your site. I was recently in Paris and had chocolate mousse at a vegan restaurant, among other foods, and it was delicious. It was made with aquafaba. So I tried your recipe last night and it'll be ready today, can't wait. I have tasted it this morning and it's delicious. So happy it was successful. Thanks for your recipes and helpful hints. I'll be delving further into this site. Vegan for 15 months - feeling good - helping the animals
    Ania
    Ania:
    That's fantastic to hear, Lisa!! Thank you for your kind words and so happy to hear you've gone fully vegan and loving it! Ania
Trisha:
So from 8cups of water it would reduce down to 1 cup of Aquafaba?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Yes, that's right!
Trisha:
Hey Ania, i’m Preparing the Aquafaba for the cream for black Forrest cake. With this receipt above how many mls or cups of Aquafaba does it make? (Ie. how much Aquafaba from 2cups of of chick peas?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Trisha,
    It really depends on how much you'll reduce it, but I would say about 1 cup. Hope that helps! Ania
Inge:
Well this is insanely helpful, thank you so much! Definitely going to try it!
    Ania
    Ania:
    That's great to hear, Inge! Ania
Paulina:
I tried making aquafaba in a pressure cooker pot and maybe that is not the right way to do it because my mayonnaise didn't thicken.
I was wondering that maybe that was the mistake or if I should have waited until it cooled down to.
Regards
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Paulina,
    I don't have a pressure cooker, but I've heard that it is absolutely fine for making aquafaba. Yes, you need cold aquafaba to make mayo, for sure. Also, the oil needs to be drip-fed at first and only use it starts to emulsify, trickled in very slowly. Hope that helps! Ania
Ridhi:
Awesome blog!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks so much, Ridhi! Ania
Colleen:
Thank you for teaching people not to take eggs from chickens ❤️
    Ania
    Ania:
    My pleasure, Colleen. Not only does it save chickens, it is also way healthier :) Win win! Ania
Natalie:
Thank you so much for your recipe! It helps me with my son's allergy to eggs. But what do you do with chickpeas, can I use it in meals or it's better to throw away.
Thank you in advance.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Natalie,
    No, don't throw them away, they are perfect in so many dishes - I love chickpeas so you'll find many many recipes with them on my site - here is the search result. Hope that helps! Ania
Faith Ukwuomah:
I've been interested in making aquafaba of late.
Please, I would like to know if I can use water from lentils instead of chickpea water?
And also, how do I store homemade aquafaba should I eventually make it?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Faith,
    I am not sure if lentils would work as I have never tried. I only have tried chickpeas and white beans ones. It needs to be stored in an air-tight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. It can also be frozen for later use. Hope that helps! Ania
Judy Roddy:
Hi! I am relatively new to veganism and my youngest daughter turns 5 soon she wants a purple velvet cake would Aquafaba work as an egg white replacement? I’m not a great baker and I’m going to ask my mother in law for help with that part I just need to have all of the vegan dairy free earth friendly ingredients ready. Especially since she’s not vegan. If Aquafaba won’t work what would you suggest I use instead? I’ve had really dry vegan red velvet cake and it was a huge disappointment I’m looking for that moist almost fall apart melt in your mouth. Thanks in advance! *Judy *
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Judy,
    Aquafaba is great at replacing egg whites, but when it comes to moist cakes I find that fruit / veg puree is better. For red velvet cake, I would recommend using pureed beetroot (like I did in this case). I think a rule of thumb is to use 1/4 cup (60 ml) per egg. You could also use silken tofu (blended beforehand) in the same way. Hope that helps! Ania
Lindsey:
Hi there, thank you for this. I'm vegan and am finally making cookies with aquafaba for a Christmas potluck. If I make the aquafaba 3 days in advance and store in my fridge will it be okay when I make the cookies? And I'm assuming whipping is not necessary? Thank you so much.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Lindsey,
    AF usually lasts about 4-5 days so I would give it a sniff before using (you'll know once it's gone bad!). Whether you need to whip it or not depends on the recipe you are using, but if you are replacing unwhipped egg whites in an omni recipe, then you can add it as is. Hope that helps! Ania
Sabrina:
Hello,
I'm not living vegan but I have some serious issues with eggs. I found this recipe and I was wondering if aquafaba tastes anything like chickpeas? Sounds strange to me that my macaroons could taste like chickpeas ^^
Best wishes from Germany
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hello,
    I imagine that aquafaba on its on does taste like chickpeas a bit, but once you turn it into meringues / chocolate mousse etc. it doesn't anymore as its subtle flavour is masked by cacao / sugar and any other, more dominant flavours that are added. Hope that helps! Ania
Susan Dechant:
Can this be used as whipped cream, say over berries? Just curious.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Susan,
    I would not say that it's like whipped cream as it lacks fat - it's more like having uncooked meringue over berries, but if that's what you're after then sure! Ania
Doug:
Thanks for the recipe and also how to make aquafaba. Can't wait to make some of your desserts. I love chocolate and healthy.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks, Doug! I hope you'll enjoy them! Ania
Bob brown:
can you make it in a slow cooker
    Ania
    Ania:
    I'm pretty sure it can be done although I don't own one, unfortunately.
Cookingtherapist:
I love your photography , styling and way of writing with great recipes.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Thanks, that's so nice to hear! Ania
Lia:
Hi Ania,
I'm pretty new to veganism. Long time vegetarian (more than half my life) and even longer baker. My question is, have you ever made or heard of an Aquafaba being made of the water from small white beans. I don't particularly care for chickpeas, but I've used the small white (Navy) beans forever. I understand it's the same principle, I'm just uncertain as to whether or not the beans will turn to mush after being boiled. It seems like that will ruin the 'egg whites'.
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Lia,
    I haven't ever made aquafaba from small white beans but I am pretty sure it can be done - your best bet is to join the Facebook group that I linked to in the body of the post and ask a question there. I'm sure someone will be able to help. I am pretty sure though that you shouldn't overcook the beans so much that the fall apart for the aquafaba, so perhaps cook the beans until tender, take aquafaba away and finish cooking in some fresh water if you like them mushy. Hope that helps! Ania
Amy Spencer:
Hi Ania. I whipped my Aquafava for 30 minutes and never got beyond a semi stiff consistency. i was very careful not to allow any grease or salt in the containers or implements. Any thoughts?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Amy,
    It's hard to know without more details. Did you use chickpea brine or any other beans? Did you use a glass / metal bowl or a plastic one? Did you add a few drops of (vinegar or lemon juice) - that usually helps to stabilise the foam although it should really work without it. Did you use aquafaba from a tin or homemade? Ania
I like to cook my dry chickpeas in the slow cooker 8 hours on low without soaking. Anyone tried using the aquafaba from this method?
Danette:
Hi, When you put the chickpeas back into the water, does it go in the fridge, and for how long?
Thank you!
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Danette,
    Yes, they go into the fridge, overnight is usually sufficient! Hope that helps, Ania
Prout1:
Does it have the same fart effect?
And on the last point you say overnight when leaving chickpeas in the container and 4-5 days if not with chickpeas?
It's confusing to me if you could clarify please?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi,
    If your stomach is sensitive to chickpeas than possibly you may have the same effect with aquafaba. I don't suffer from any issues so I guess it's an individual thing.
    I cannot find the bit you are referring to (4-5 days without chickpeas). Returning cooked chickpeas back into aquafaba is an optional step that makes aquafaba a bit more potent (gelatinous), but it has no bearing on how long aquafaba keeps for. In my experience it keeps for 3-4 days.
    Hope that helps,
    Ania
      Prout1:
      Thanks for your quick reply.
      My first Aquafina is in process...
      So if I understand well, the Aquafina is ready after the first 24h in the fridge with or without chickpeas and will last for 3-4 days right? So if I make chocolate mousse with it on the 3rd day, will the mousse last for a day in the fridge?
      I'll let you know about the fart outcome issue lol
        Ania
        Ania:
        Hi,
        I recommend making the mousse as soon as aquafaba is ready (12 hours / overnight in the fridge is plenty) as it MAY go bad on you if you wait until the 3rd day.
ruxandra:
hi! i m preparing to make your chocolate mousse recipe and it s my first attempt at aquafaba. can i ask why you have to discard the water you let the chickpeas soak in
?
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Ruxandra,
    The reason why we soak dry chickpeas is to shorten their cooking time considerably and to neutralise phytic acid (which has been linked to malabsorption of certain nutrients) so that's why you have to discard the water after soaking. Hope that makes sense! Ania
Amanda:
I just want to say a big thankyou for sharing Aquafaba , I use chickpeas a lot and have always thrown away the water , I am a great believer of not waisting anything, and what an amazing result its fab alright.😀
    Ania
    Ania:
    Aw, thanks so much Amanda. I'm so pleased to hear that this has come useful to you. Like you, I hate food waste too, plus it's so nice to be able to have 'real' meringues, chocolate mousse and other similar egg-whites based foods as a vegan. All the best! Ania
Laurice:
Hi Ania
This is really useful, thanks! Are the chickpeas ready to use after the aquafaba has been removed or should they be discarded?
Thank you,
Laurice
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Laurice. Yes, you can use the chickpeas, absolutely!
Louise:
Could you make and then freeze? If so for how long would it keep...
    Ania
    Ania:
    Hi Louise,
    Yes, you certainly can. Once frozen it will keep for a few good months, for sure.
    Hope that helps,
    Ania
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