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Aquafaba, that viscous liquid you see when you open a can of chickpeas, makes a great vegan substitute for eggs in baked goods—and if you're out of canned chickpeas, you can create homemade aquafaba with this recipe.

Aquafaba’s unique composition of starches and proteins—which results from soaking and cooking the beans—makes it useful for thickening, binding, emulsifying, and foaming. Try it in French toast, waffles, frittatas, and more. The liquid in canned or boxed chickpeas has the ideal consistency, but you can also make your own. To get the right viscosity, the chickpeas should be soaked overnight and then cooked in their soaking water. Soaking releases the necessary enzymes to give the liquid its viscosity.

By Darshana Thacker Wendel,

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Ingredients

  • 1½ cups dried chickpeas, rinsed
  • 4 cups water

Instructions

  • Rinse the chickpeas, transfer them to a large pot, and cover with fresh water. Let it stand overnight.
  • In the morning, check the level of the soaking water: If the chickpeas aren’t completely submerged, add just enough water to cover them.
  • If using the stovetop method, place the pot over high heat, bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the beans are tender when squeezed.
  • If using a stovetop pressure cooker, transfer the chickpeas and their soaking water to the pressure cooker, and cook under pressure for 7 to 10 minutes, then let it stand for 10 to 15 minutes for the pressure to be released before opening the cooker.
  • If using an electric pressure cooker, follow the manufacturer’s instructions for soaked beans.
  • Once the beans are cooked, use a strainer or fine sieve to strain the aquafaba into a large liquid measuring cup, and let it cool. If the aquafaba is the correct consistency, you will have about ¾ cup to 1 cup. If you have more liquid than that, you will need to cook the liquid down to the right consistency. Transfer the liquid to a small pan, bring it to a boil, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes until you have ¾ cup to 1 cup. (Conversely, if you have less than ¾ cup cooled aquafaba, you’ve probably cooked it down too much; in that case, bring it back to boil, add some water to dilute it, and stop cooking when you have the right amount.)

    Storage tip:  Homemade aquafaba will keep in a Mason jar in the refrigerator for two to three days. You can also freeze it in convenient ¼-cup or ½-cup portions for up to two months. (Don’t forget to rinse and drain the chickpeas, and refrigerate or freeze them until ready to use.)

Comments (13)

(5 from 4 votes)

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Patricia

Why do we need to rinse and drain the chickpeas, if we will eat the aquafaba?!

Brenda Roark

Is it possible to can the aquafaba from the pressure canned chickpeas to preserve it longer?

Megan Edwards

Hi Brenda, While we haven't tried it ourselves, we don't see why not! If you're an experienced canner then it should be just fine. Let us know how it goes!

Alan

Finally a website that actually gives clear instructions how to make home-made aquafaba, much thanks and gratitude to Forks Over Knifes (FOK)... I'm currently on a salt restricted diet and the canned chickpeas have quite a bit of Sodium so I need zo make my own... Will be using to make low salt - low fat Mayo... Thanks again FOK for helping me and others to be healthy...

Darla

I cannot eat chick peas. Can you get aquafaba from other beans or lentils?

Megan Edwards

Hi Darla! While we haven't tried this ourselves, it's possible to use the liquid from a can of Great White Northern beans or cannellini beans in place of chickpea aquafaba. Let us know how it goes!

Maggie Wood

I can chickpeas. Can I use the liquid from the canning process to make aquafaba?

Luyanda

I will try this one

Kathleen

Is it safe to can aquafaba?

Samantha Brown

Is there a way to do this if you don't have a pressure cooker? Thanks in advance!

Penni Lopez

Looks like they updated the recipe to show stovetop directions

Shilpa

Will surely try the rcp

Vardhini Srinivasan

Thank you soo much..... Been searching an easy recipe...loved it and my cookies came out very well...

About the Author

Headshot of Darshana Thacker

About the Author

Darshana Thacker Wendel

Darshana Thacker Wendel is a whole-food, plant-based chef and former culinary projects manager for Forks Over Knives. A graduate of the Natural Gourmet Institute, she is the author of Forks Over Knives: Flavor! She created the recipes for Forks Over Knives Family and was a lead recipe contributor to the New York Times bestseller The Forks Over Knives Plan. Her recipes have been published in The Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease Cookbook, Forks Over Knives—The Cookbook, Forks Over Knives: The Plant-Based Way to Health, and LA Yoga magazine online. Visit DarshanasKitchen.com and follow her on Instagram for more.
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