What the heck is aquafaba? (2024)

FAQs

What the heck is aquafaba? ›

The word "aquafaba" comes from the Latin terms "water" and "beans". It is the thick liquid that is left over from canned chickpeas.

Aquafaba is an egg replacement usually made from chickpea water. Some people also use soybean water or water from other neutral-tasting beans. Not only is it a healthy alternative to eggs, but it is also vegan-friendly. Aquafaba was discovered by accident, and it has made a huge difference in the vegan community.

Although the exact science behind why aquafaba works so well as an egg replacement is unknown, it may have to do with its combination of starches and small amounts of protein. It is most commonly used as a replacement for egg whites, but it can also be used as a stand-in for whole eggs and egg yolks.

Eggs are a good source of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, while aquafaba does not offer any significant nutritional value. Eggs typically have 77 calories, 6 grams of protein, and 5 grams of fat, while aquafaba is extremely low in calories, protein, and fat.

As a general guideline, you can use aquafaba to replace one or two eggs in recipes for baked goods such as cookies, cakes, and muffins. Use 3 tablespoons of aquafaba per egg. These yummy Vegan Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies are made with aquafaba.

How long does aquafaba last? Store unwhipped aquafaba in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Freeze aquafaba for 3 months. For ease, consider freezing it in tablespoons in an ice cube tray.

You will need to defrost the Aquafaba overnight in the refrigerator before using. Always smell your Aquafaba before using it. It will smell like spoiled beans (not pleasant) if it is no longer good. Toss it if this is the case.

A: The liquid from all canned beans shares the basic quality that makes aquafaba so cool — as an egg-white substitute, particularly. But the chickpea version seems to be the mildest-tasting (which is helpful for desserts, of course) and the most stable for those purposes.

Is aquafaba healthy though? While it's not loaded with nutrients, it's super low in calories and doesn't contain additives or any ingredients that aren't favorable when it comes to our health.

Aquafaba Drawbacks

Needless to say, bean water is saturated with oligosaccharides. Saponins, the part of aquafaba that is responsible for the egg white-like texture and foaming, are a toxic steroid derivatives that disrupt red blood cells. They may even contribute to development of leaky gut by damaging the gut wall.

Is aquafaba full of lectins? ›

What about lectins, phytates/phytic acid, phytohemagglutinin, gas, etc? Aquafaba by definition is made from beans that have been heat treated > 100C, and chickpeas have the least amount of lectins and phytates. If you're worried, use canned or home cooked chickpeas and avoid the other beans.

Aquafaba also may not be a good choice for everyone, as it contains “oligosaccharides, which are sugars that the body can't digest until they reach the colon,” Miller explains. This can result in bloating and gas for some people, especially those with irritable bowel syndrome.

Our Aquafaba is made for baking and cooking so we don't recommend drinking it straight from the carton! However, it's 100% safe to eat uncooked if you can't resist licking the spoon before your mix goes in the oven…

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.

While aquafaba might have a mild chickpea flavor, it's almost flavorless when used as an ingredient. Combining it with other ingredients like sugar or vanilla further masks the beany taste.

That's why several mixologists have been incorporating aquafaba—the liquid from cooked beans (namely chickpeas or garbanzo beans)—in co*cktails instead of egg white. The plant starches and proteins in the chickpea brine can be whisked or shaken up to create a frothy, foamy texture.