Resembling egg white in appearance and consistency, aquafaba (AF) is simply the viscous liquid which is left over from cooking dried chickpeas and other legumes.
Who discovered aquafaba?
Although chickpeas have been consumed right across Asia for at least 7,500 years, it wasn't until 2015 that the water from tinned chickpeas began to be used as an egg substitute.
French tenor, Joël Roessel, discovered that chickpea water had similar properties to eggs, and shortly after this, an American by the name of Goose Wohlt, found that if he whipped up this water it looked and behaved just like egg white.
He casually remarked on a Facebook vegan food group that he'd used bean water to make meringues, and of course, people immediately wanted to know more. In the blink of an eye, aquafaba (as Goose called it - literally, water of beans), became a thing,
The rest, as they say, is history, and aquafaba as a vegan egg substitute is now used all over the Western world.
If you want to know more about aquafaba, do head over to Goose's aquafaba website.
What are the best beans for making aquafaba?
Butter beans are actually my favourite for making AF... plus they are great in Middle Eastern dishes too! In almost any given recipe, I prefer to use butter beans to chickpeas, anyway. Except in perhaps hummus.
Making your own aquafaba
If you’re making aquafaba at home, and using it for sweet recipes, don’t add salt to the cooking water. Similarly, if you’re going to use the aquafaba from a can or jar of cooked beans or chickpeas, choose the unsalted variety, or at the very least, reduced salt.
What can aquafaba be used for?
Like egg whites, aquafaba can be whipped to make fluff, as a substitute for egg in baking - both as a binder and as a leavener, used to make meringues, macaroons, macarons (yes, they are two different things), and in a whole lot of other ways.
Check out these vegan recipes using aquafaba!
Facebook groups
There are two very good Facebook groups, Vegan Meringue Hits and Misses and Aquafaba Everything, where lots of people experiment and submit their recipes, tips, and photos.
Also, my chum, Zsu, has just published a book all about AF, called, appropriately, Aquafaba. Check out her other books too - they are all excellent.
Tips for making aquafaba
- If you find that your aquafaba is a bit thin, you can reduce it by boiling it rapidly for a few minutes; however, if you’ve stored it in the same container as the cooked beans or chickpeas, you shouldn’t have this issue.
- If you want to reduce the cooking time, soak the chickpeas or beans overnight. There are some folk who claim this doesn’t make a difference… they have clearly never cooked bullet-like dried chickpeas from Serbia!
- A pressure cooker will, of course, reduce the cooking time but since I don’t have access to one, I can’t tell you how long the chickpeas will take to cook.
- You could also use a slow-cooker to cook the chickpeas; cook on high for 6-8 hours, or low for around 12.
Cooking with aquafaba
Something which people always ask me is whether food made with aquafaba takes on the taste of the legumes from whence it came - the short answer is no, not in my experience.
I've used aquafaba for plain meringues, cookies, cakes, brownies, mousse, puddings, as well as in savoury dishes such as sausages, mayo, and fried green tomatoes, and not one person who has tried any of my creations was able to tell the difference between the aquafaba versions and those using egg white. I've never had beany-tasting cakes!
The only thing I will say is that from an aesthetic point of view, do match up your aquafaba to its intended use; it's not good to use aquafaba from black beans to make pavlova because no matter how good it tastes, grey meringue just looks icky!
How much aquafaba for one egg?
In general, 3 tablespoons of aquafaba is the equivalent of one egg.
How To Make Aquafaba
Instructions
- Place the dried chickpeas into a large pan, and add the water.
- Bring to the boil, cover the pan, then lower the heat.
- Simmer for a couple of hours, until soft, keeping an eye on the pan to make sure it doesn't boil dry. If necessary, add a little more water.
- Turn off the heat, and allow the chickpeas and aquafaba to cool in the pan.
- At this point, you can decant the AF into a suitable container, and store in the 'fridge, plus do the same for the chickpeas (or use them in a meal or hummus, or even brownies). You can also freeze the AF in individual portions. Or do what I do, and store the whole lot in an airtight container, and remove the AF as and when needed. Doing it this way, I find, gives me a much nicer and thicker AF.
- If stored properly in an airtight container, both chickpeas and aquafaba will keep in the 'fridge for up to a month. Frozen aquafaba should be good for around three months.
- To use; simply sub 3 tablespoons of aquafaba for each egg or egg white.
- 1 cup = US cup = 240 ml
- 1 tablespoon = US/UK = 15 ml
- 1 fl oz = US = 30 ml
denise beckett
Hi, for the slow-cooker method - do I add everything right away, like the dried beans and plain water, or do I boil it (finishing step2) and then pour everything into the slow-cooker?
Thanks so much for all this great information and I love that you added so many alternatives to all your suggestions.
Nico
Hi Denise,
Yes, put the dried chickpeas and water into the slow cooker, set the time, and leave it to do its thing! Couldn't be easier!
Thank you for your kind words, by the way - they're very much appreciated! xx
Radhika
Hi, thank you for the recipe . I had a question regarding some cake recipes that require you to separate eggs and whip the yolk separately and the egg white separately. If I want to substitute the egg with aquafaba in such a case, how do I do it?
Nico
Hi Radhika,
To be completely honest, I never make cakes which require me to do that! However, if I did, I'd use silken tofu for the yolk, and whip some aquafaba for the egg white. As I said though, it's not something I've ever done but I don't really see why it wouldn't work. If you try it, please let me know! xx
Amber
Will this work for pressure cooked chickpeas? Thankyou 🙂
Nico
Hi Amber,
Yes, although you may need to reduce the aquafaba if it's a bit thin. xx
Pedro
The recipe is good. Never realised that I can use anything other than chickpeas fir aquafaba.
However, to claim this cuisine as 'british' is both ridiculous and laughable. It's middle-eastetn/Arabic. It has nothing to do with britain. The british do not have a cuisine, unless you call greasy food 'cuisine'?
What is it with the brits always trying to rob other people's cultures because they haven't one of their own?
Nico
I was going to write a lengthy reply about what a dick move it is to come to someone's blog, and throw insults around (especially when it's clear that you don't know what you are talking about) but instead, I decided that a picture really does paint a thousand words...
Marghe
I guess nowadays the cusine is starting to be not so much related to a specific Country, speaking about wealthy countries, but more to a personal preference. It is true that here the food is pretty shit (I'm Italian in the UK and I see what people eat, whoa this is the united junk food kingdom) but things are changing because of blogs like this and I'm very very grateful, thank you Nico keep up the good work!
Nico
You're not wrong about food here, Marghe! Some areas have decent food but in others, it's dire. On the plus side, it does mean I don't spend much money eating out!
Thank you for your kind, and very welcome words - they mean a lot! xx
Michelle
You know, pizza was invented in Naples, Italy, yet many people think the Americans invented it, including many Americans. They also claim to have invented French fries, which they didn’t. So if any nation is guilty of trying to claim ownership of a food-invention, I’d say the Americans win that one, although I’m sure no country is guilt-free of doing the same. I wouldn’t say the Brits generally try to rob cuisines. Like what, exactly?! Plus, the British have invented a few classics to be fair, as well as other major inventions in the world, if you want to get picky. FYI, the British invented Yorkshire pudding, apple pie/crumble, scones, bread & butter pudding, custard, sticky toffee pudding, beef Wellington, the roast dinner, eton mess and the sandwich. I mean, come on, roast potatoes, alone, are a royal classic. They don’t just eat fish and chips in the UK and what beats an amazing sandwich with the best bread?! Or yummy toast. So yeah, the British gave us some good dishes!
Nico
Roast potatoes are the best! Thanks for your positive comment, Michelle - it's really appreciated! xx
Michelle Stone
Thank you so much for that. I think I will be using this loads.
Nico
No problem - happy to have been of help, Michelle! Have a great week! xx
Michelle Stone
Do you store your AF and beans together in the fridge so the AF goes thicker or do you separate them? Looking forward to trying this out.
Nico
Hi Michelle,
Yes, if I'm not using the beans or chickpeas immediately, or if I have some leftover, then they get stored in the AF. Otherwise, I tend to keep some back just to help thicken it while it's in the fridge. Let me know if there's anything else I can help with! xx
DDleo
So I tried to make some vegan mayo with aquafaba from a can of chickpeas. Followed the recipe 3 xs... watery mess each time. No matter how slow I poured the darn oil! SO, I read about 'reducing' the aquafaba from the can by boiling it, because different types from different brands can be watery, etc, so which I did, but er, it looks the same and has the same consistency as before, only different is there is less of it? So thats it? Until Im brave enough to try again, thats all? Was it supposed to become thicker?
Nico
Hi David,
I have no idea what's going on with your AF; reducing will definitely thicken it, and make it more viscous, so I really don't know how it remained the same consistency. Re. the mayo - did you use my veganaise recipe? Did you make sure your AF and oil were chilled before using? It sounds like your emulsion broke, due to over-blending or getting too warm. As you can see from my photos, my veganaise is anything but thin and watery. If you try again, and the emulsion breaks, put the mayo into the fridge to chill, then re-blend, adding a little more oil. Stop blending as soon as it's thick. Good luck! xx
DDleo
Hey thanks. Didnt have chilled oil, nor colder chickpea water as I was using a different recipe. So I tried it that way. From your Veganese recipe... 🙁 Still watery frothy, not creamy in any sense of the word. After mixing, the liquid is still cool. Is there something I am supposed to be doing that Im not with the aquafaba the water from the can of chickpea, I just use it from there. Is there some special thing Im not doing? 4th attempt at a frothy watery mayo. Im about to give up and just use eggs 🙁 Im also using avocado oil, not sure if that is the issue, even though there are brands that use it in there mayo. Frustrated. I will put what I made into the fridge for a while and try later. But the liquid is still cool even after I mixed it. We shall see.
Nico
Honestly, David, I'm really at a loss.... unless the problem lies with your AF. If you've followed my veganaise recipe exactly, you shouldn't be having these problems. I've never used avocado oil for mayo but I don't imagine it would cause this kind of problem. As you can see from my photos, my veganaise is really thick and creamy. I am so sorry you're still having problems. Have you tried yet, with everything chilled? xx
Alice
How thick should the aquafaba be? Should it still be like water, or thicker?
Nico
It can be either, Alice; the longer you leave the beans or chickpeas in it, the thicker it will become. If you don't have time to wait, you can reduce it over a high heat, until it thickens. xx
Alice
Thank you! I just tried making faba butter w some runny aquafaba that wasn't reduced. Will see how it is.
It only needed 3 tbsp, so I still have a lot, about 3 cups. Could it be frozen well as-is?
Nico
Hi Alice,
Yes, AF is fine to freeze, although you may find you'll need to reduce it once it's thawed out. How did you get on with the butter? xx
Alice
I tried making the butter twice. The second time, I whipped the aquafaba more before adding oil, so it looks better emulsified. It's not spreadable and seems to melt at room temperature, so I keep it in the fridge, where it gets somewhat hard. it tastes okay though.
Nico
That's interesting, thanks for letting me know. xx
Alice
Hi Nico, wanna add I boiled the chickpeas for about 45 min because I soaked them beforehand. Would that affect quality of the aquafaba?
Nico
Nope, it'll be fine! xx
Aden
I've made aquafaba from chickpeas in my slow cooker several times now, the timing isn't that crucial because they're not going to burn, not enough moisture escapes for them to burn dry and you can't overcook them - if they're too mushy, that's perfect for humus! I generally go for about 8 hours on a low setting. One thing I'm not sure of, and I came here to find out, is that it seems that soaking them results in a watery aquafaba that needs boiling down, but without doing that it is the right consistency. Does anyone else have more info on this? I haven't done it enough times to get a firm answer but I'll keep trying...
Nico
I've boiled chickpeas dry, Aden! Ha ha!
I honestly haven't noticed any difference between soaking the chickpeas first or not - the AF seems to be consistent. Same when I cook them in a slow cooker. I borrowed an Instant Pot last year to see what all the fuss was about, and that did result in slightly thicker AF... but I may have used less water, I can't be certain. (I didn't rush out to buy an IP - I wasn't that impressed!). By far the best way to get thicker AF, I've found, is to simply store it in the fridge with some cooked bean/chickpeas in the container. It soon thickens up! xx
Rebecca
This is amazing to know, thank you, thank you, thank you!
Nico
Oh, you are very welcome, Rebecca! I really need to update that photo though - it's a bit pants! LOL! xx