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What Is Aquafaba and How Do You Use It?

Date
Mar, 24, 2022

Have you ever heard of aquafaba? Odds are that most of us have been throwing it away, not knowing that it is the one of the best vegan ingredients. So what is aquafaba and how do you use it?

I’m talking about the liquid in a can of chickpeas.

What Is Aquafaba and How Do You Use It?

This starchy liquid is a great binder. The magic is that, when whipped, it creates a foam. Aquafaba is, therefore, able to trap air and give items structure while delivering a fluffy crumb and lift, just as egg whites do.

So, in vegan cooking it’s an important ingredient for making airy meringues and mayo without any eggs. Aquafaba works great instead of eggs and egg whites wherever needed — pancakes, waffles, mayonnaise, meringues, cakes — you name it. In general, the rule of thumb is 1 Tbsp. for one egg yolk, 2 Tbsp. for one egg white, and 3 Tbsp. for one whole egg. Canned chickpea liquid works best for some reason, but I have made aquafaba from cooked dried chickpeas: you just have to make sure the liquid is thick. 

Whipping aquafaba takes a long time, about 3-6 minutes. The trick is to use a hand or stand mixer! Whisking it by hand takes quite a long time, and the result may not be as good. 

I like making crepes for my kids, who like both sweet and savory (not at the same time). I fill the sweet ones with vegan Nutella or jam and fruit. For the savory ones, I use cheese, tofu, spinach, sriracha mayo and anything else that might seem yummy. These crepes also can be filled, rolled up and baked in an oven dish in a F400 oven for 10 minutes. For a warm, crispy cheese meal, sprinkle some cheese all over them before baking. 

Vegan Butter

Aquafaba vegan butter
  • 3 tablespoons aquafaba
  • 1 1/2 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • Pinch salt, to taste
  • ½ cup refined coconut oil, melted
  • 1 tablespoon avocado oil
  • 1 tsp nutritional yeast
  1. Combine the coconut and avocado oil together in a small measuring jug, for ease of pouring.
  2. Place the aquafaba, vinegar, nutritional yeast and salt in a small, narrow bowl. Begin to blend it using a stick blender or use a food processor
  3. Slowly drizzle in the oil, a very small quantity at a time, with blender running continuously. The mixture will start out liquidy, but will eventually thicken and resemble mayonnaise. Add more salt if needed
  4. Pour mixture into a small, clean jar or container and refrigerate uncovered until firm. Once the butter is firm, seal the container and use within a week,

Here are some other recipes and uses for aquafaba:

Pavlova

Lemon bars

Meringues

Lemon meringue pie

Mousse

Nougat 

Fudge

Mayo

Buttercream

Marshmallow

Brownies

Macarons

Mozzarella cheese

Butter

Aioli

Gluten-free waffles

Gluten-free pumpkin rolls 

Gluten-free corn bread

For more stable food recipes that you can make at home check our this post

Fredrika Syren

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