How to make Aquafaba

Written by Deborah Reyes
      

Aquafaba is the latest vegan egg-replacer trend used in vegan baking.

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I love French macaroons. As a baker, I learned that a typical macaroon recipe consisted of meringue (a mixture of well-beaten egg whites and sugar) mixed with almond flour. In my attempts to find a vegan macaroon recipe, I never imagined there would be a single ingredient that could mimic the same qualities as a meringue made with egg whites.

With a simple search for the perfect vegan macaroon recipe, I discovered Aquafaba or “water bean.” I have used several vegan substitutes for eggs in the past such as flaxseed or egg replacer in baked products, but I’ve never seen something quite like this before. In 2015, an American software engineer named Goose Wohlt, in the search for the ultra-egg replacer, discovered that chickpea brine, when whipped, had all the properties of egg whites. He then invented the name “aquafaba”, based on the Latin words for “water” and “bean.”

Who would have thought that something as simple and inexpensive as the water we end up throwing out from our canned beans would be the most accessible, easy, and convenient vegan egg replacer? This liquid can replace eggs in a meringue including Pavlova, mousse, baked Alaska, buttercream, and more! Because it has a similar consistency to egg whites, this liquid can be whipped up with sugar to form a delicate cloudy-like glossy meringue that can be used in baking recipes.

      

Want to give it a try? The ratio is 3:1. You will need about 3 tablespoons of aquafaba to replace one egg white.

      

Aquafaba is not only another excellent vegan egg replacer to add to your ingredient swaps but it is also an easy alternative because it is both accessible and inexpensive. Try the experiment yourself and start with this basic vegan meringue recipe adapted from www.One Green Planet.org.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup aquafaba, the brine from a can of chickpeas
    NOTE: One 15 oz. can of chickpeas can yields approximately ¾ cup.
  • 1/2 cup vegan cane sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preparation

  1. Place all ingredients into the bowl of a stand mixer.
  2. Attach the wire whip and whip until stiff peaks form.

I like to use the Aquafaba as “marshmallow fluff” on top of tarts to give it a decorative touch. If using a hand mixer, blend high for about 10 minutes, or until stiff peaks form.