I love baking and what I love the most is the experimenting part. I prepare a recipe any number of times but once I get it right I never try it again. Because experimenting is what excites me. As I love eggless baking a lot, there are so may experiments going on in my kitchen daily. Sometime I like to think myself as a researcher who is exploring all the egg substitute possibilities. I have succeeded in substituting whole eggs in recipes but when it comes to egg whites, it is always a mystery. Whipping the egg whites to stiff peaks could never be replicated until a month back.
Yes, I found an vegan alternative to egg whites and I was surprised with the results. If you are following my blog, you will know about the recipes about which I am referring. The water used to cook chickpeas some how acts just like egg whites and whips beautifully, makes delicious mousse, ice cream, meringue, macroons and what not. There is a group dedicated to using the chick pea brine in all types of bakes known as Vegan Meringue – Hits and Misses and recently I became part of that group. I should say that I felt so happy when I whipped my first meringue with the chickpea brine aka aquafaba. Most of the members in the group use the brine which comes in tinned chickpeas. But we don’t get tinned chickpeas here. So what can be the alternative? After some browsing, I saw that it can be made at home. But preparing it to the correct consistency is what matters. Otherwise it is the best alternative to the shop bought ones as it doesn’t have any preservatives or salt and is made in a clean environment.
Update: After this post, I have been asked so many times about the consistency of aquafaba. To show you, I had to take a video. Please go through the video to find out about the perfect consistency. If you like the video, please subscribe to my YouTube channel.
Ever since I posted the egg free Meringue and Egg Free IMBC, I have been getting so many messages and mails about the consistency of the aquafaba. So I thought why not write a post about it so that any one who is trying it will have a good start? I made a batch with 1 1/2 cups of dried chickpeas and got a little less than 1/2 cup of aquafaba/ chick pea brine. You can also make it in bulk and store in refrigerator or freeze it in ice cube tray and then store the cubes in a ziplock in freezer. It works fine any way. You can even whip the cool aquafaba and by the time it reaches stiff peaks, it will be at room temperature. You can try any egg white based recipe using aquafaba and you will get good results. ANd so many were asking about the chickpea smell in that brine. Do not worry at all. It looks like egg white, it feels like egg white and while baking it smells like egg white. Only thing is that it doesn’t have eggs! Isn’t it incredible? After preparing the IMBC, when I was tasting it, I felt guilty that I was eating eggs!! It was the illusion I got with aquafaba. So don’t hesitate to try it. We have been wasting this water for years when we make chole masala or any other dish we use chickpeas. So here after do not throw it away. Just make a cake or meringue and indulge! Happy baking!!!
Soak 1 1/2 cups of chickpeas overnight.
Wash and pressure cook with water just above the chickpea level. Cook for 10-15 minutes. Once you open the cooker, the water would be below the chickpea level and will not be visible.
Drain the water. It will be brownish liquid and will become thick once cool. IF it doesn’t become thick, boil it for 5 minutes.
The consistency after cooling must be like thick buttermilk. You need to try once or twice to get the exact consistency. I think this can help you start your aqafaba adventures.
Hi Gayathri,
Thanks for this recipe, I will try it soon. Can I use this as eggwhite replacement for savoury dishes like spinach soufle.
Shilpa, haven’t tried it yet. Am still at researching stage. Will share if I try..
Surely a very helpful one… I will bookmark this and try it ASAP!!! Appreciate all your research Gayathri!!
Your blog is superb…..so many substitutes for egg….thank you so much
Hi Gayathri,
I have a couple of queries:
1. When pressure cooking should we do it on high flame or low flame for 10-15 min? Should we allow the cooker ‘whistles’?
2. If the tinned version available in other countries has salt and this homemade version doesn’t then won’t that affect the bake?
3. Do you have a pavlova recipe with this aquafaba?
Thanks in advance.
Hi Sowmya, after first whistle, keep it on low flame and cook for fifteen minutes. Salt doesn’t affect the taste. And I haven’t tried pavlova yet.
Hi Gayathri,
this sounds terrific! The whole concept of making vegetarian macarons… wooow I’m excited!
However, a question about this recipe: do you think I could boil the chickpeas in a regular pan instead of pressure cooking them? Will it impact the resulting liquid? Thanks in advance for your answer!
You can boil the chickpeas, but it will take a lot of time. But the end result is the same..
Glad to see this method as I never buy canned beans. My chickpeas are usually cooked in the pressure for about seven minutes. Ten to fifteen minutes seems long. Is there a reason for cooking them that long to get the brine thick enough?
we prefer softer chickpeas and so I cook it for a long time. I have never tried to cook for 7 minutes. I think cooking it for a long time results in thicker brine..
I usually pressure cook my chickpeas for about seven minutes. Will the chick peas be too soft for other uses?
We prefer softer chickpeas at home and so this much time.
Sounds great, gayathri.U have given us a substitute of egg.Lot of vegetarian people enjoys.Thanks a lot.I will definitely try &then reply u back.
Wow Gayatri
I m ur fan mam
Do you trow away the soaking water? I assume that it contains the same stuff and could maybe be used as well. Have you tried not soaking at all?
I have tried cooking with the soaking water, but was not satisfied with the result. And I haven’t tried making it without soaking.
Hello Gayathri,
I tried many times with home made aquafaba, but it forms only soft peaks!
I can not reach stiff peaks stage? Why? I am living in Ooty, Tamil nadu, India.Is that could be a reason that in a tropical nation like India aquafaba won’t work as it works in amagical way in the western countries? I used a hand held electric egg beater , what type of beater will give results?Only a stand mixer with high speed which I see in the youtube used in the western nations?Please clear my doubts and help!Thanks in advance!(I am also in the Vegan meringues-hits and misses group, but not able to succeed in any of my attempt, what todo? Help!)
Hi Savitha, the only reason for not getting stiff peaks is the aquafaba may be watery. Reduce it by boiling and then try beating it. I don’t think the climate is the problem for you. Use a good electric beater for beating it. I have used my Philips so far with great results. You don’t need a stand mixer for that. I hope it clears your doubts..
Hey came across your site. Very well written and wonderful recipes. I had a question. Do you know if replacing aquafaba for the eggwhites will work in any traditionall vanilla cake recipe which call for so many eggwhites.
Thank you Sharanya. Substituting aquafaba for egg white doesn’t always work. You need to add some substitute for the strength the egg gives to the cake.
Hello, I am eager to try aquafaba, but I don’t have pressure cooker. Can I cook the chickpeas in a normal cooker? (For a.longer time of course…)
Yes, you can cook the chickpeas in a pan until the peas are cooked until soft.
Hi! Thank you for this! How much aquafaba equals one egg white?
2 tbs of aquafaba.
Can i use it instead of egg white for making oxygen cocktail? please reply
I am sorry, I have no idea about oxygen cocktail. But I have read that bartenders use aquafaba for cocktails based on egg whites and I am sure you can use it.
Here 1and 1/2 cup chickpeas means how much in grams? And how many egg whites are equal to 1/2 cup aquafaba?
It is about 250 gm. 2 tbs of aquafaba is used instead of 1 egg white. So four egg whites are substituted with 1/2 cup of aquafaba.
Hi ! Gayatri ..
You have given nice information regarding aquafaba.What are the other uses of it ? Can I use it to make bread ?
Ranjita
Yes Ranjita, you an use it in breads, cookies, pancakes etc..
Can the aguafaba from chick peas be made without a pressure cooker, i.e., just regular cooking?
Yes, but it takes a lot of time..
Hello Gayathri,
What a fantastic discovery for me to find your site 🙂 Well done (if you don’t mind me saying so), with helping others with your talent and interests. I will definitely be experimenting with your recipes. I am absolutely terrible at keeping in contact or continuing on any given path of interest but I hope to improve on those issues with baking. I am coeliac/ celiac and intolerant to gluten and oats avenin so have started experimenting with different flours. Egg yolks are also not good for me although I love them 🙁
May your life be filled with the happiness you share with others.
Hi again Gayathri,
I wander if you have any baking recipes for chick peas as the main ingredient?
I suppose I should check your recipes first before asking the question :/
Thanks
I have so many recipes using chickpeas. Just type out chickpeas in search box. You will find the recipes using them. Happy cooking!!
Hi. I have a query. How much aquafaba equals to one whole egg? Thanks.
3 tbs
Thank you Gayathri
Never used eggs, so please request you to share how much aquafaba to be used for said consistency.
Substitute 3 tbs of aquafaba instead of an egg.
Hi gayathri. I tried to make these meringue kisses and got everything right till the stiff peaks. I inverted the bowl and the peaks remained. However the moment I added 1 tsp sugar it lost all the texture and became runny. No amount of whipping could make it reach stiff peaks again. What could’ve gone wrong.
Did you use lemon juice or vinegar to stabilise it. Aquafaba is too sensitive. You need to do this again. Add sugar in smaller quantities while beating.
Yes, I did use vinegar for stabilising as mentioned in recipe. I got really nice stiff peaks. It’s a mystery why it became runny with 1 tsp sugar.
It has happened with me and I have never figured out why. I usually chuck it and start new. That is why I always write that aquafaba is sensitive.
hello,
i have a question, can we make aquafaba with brown chana? because thats only thing i have right now with me
I have seen people making it with any kind of beans, but haven’t personally tried it.
Hi Gayathri!
Thanks for all your recipes. I had soaked channa for 2 days and forgot about it. When I tried to wash it, the water was so very gooey and slimy – no smell though. Can I still use it as aquafaba, if yes, should I boil and cool it first?
The soaked water is not aquafaba. You need to pressure cook the channa and that water is what we call as aquafaba. Wash the channa nicely and remove all the gooey water out of it. Add fresh water and cook.