--- title: "Aquafaba: what it means in cooking — Tiny Plates" description: "Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. It whips like egg white and replaces eggs in vegan meringues, mousses, mayonnaise and baking." url: "https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/aquafaba" --- # Aquafaba Aquafaba is the liquid from a can of chickpeas. It whips like egg white and replaces eggs in vegan meringues, mousses, mayonnaise and baking. Also called Chickpea water, Chickpea brine. Aquafaba is the cloudy liquid in a can of [chickpeas](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chickpea), or the liquid left after cooking dried ones. It holds starch and protein from the beans, so it foams and whips much like egg white. It is the standard egg replacement in vegan baking and for anyone with an [egg allergy](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/egg-allergy). ## How to do it 1. Drain a can of chickpeas through a sieve into a bowl. A 400 g (14 oz) can gives about 120 ml (½ cup). 2. If it is thin and watery, simmer it until it has reduced by about a third, then chill it. It should be about as thick as raw egg white. 3. Whip it in a clean, grease-free bowl with ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar per 120 ml. It takes longer than egg white, often 5 to 10 minutes with an electric mixer. 4. For [meringue](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/meringue), add sugar a spoonful at a time once it is foamy, and keep whipping to [stiff peaks](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/stiff-peaks). As a rough guide, 3 tablespoons of aquafaba replaces one whole egg, and 2 tablespoons replaces one egg white. ## How to tell it is done Whipped aquafaba is bright white and glossy. At stiff peaks, the tip stands up when you lift the whisk and the bowl can be tipped without the foam sliding. ## How to store it Keep it in a closed jar in the fridge for 3 to 4 days, or freeze it in ice cube trays. One standard cube is about 2 tablespoons. ## Common mistakes * Using liquid from salted or flavored chickpeas. Choose unsalted or low-salt, unflavored chickpeas, or the meringue tastes salty or of beans. * Baking aquafaba meringues too hot. They need a low oven, about 100°C (210°F), for 1½ to 2 hours, then cool in the switched-off oven. * Expecting it to set like egg in quiche or custard. It foams and binds, but it does not firm up when heated the way egg protein does. ## In recipes Recipes use aquafaba for vegan [mayonnaise](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mayonnaise), chocolate mousse, macarons, cocktails that call for egg white, and as a binder in cookies and burgers. ## Recipes that use it 1 recipe from the sites we collect. * [![](https://minimalistbaker.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/Vegan-Gluten-Free-Pumpkin-Roll-SQUARE.jpg)Vegan Gluten-Free Pumpkin Rollminimalistbaker.com · 540 min](https://minimalistbaker.com/vegan-gluten-free-pumpkin-roll/) ## Related terms * [ChickpeaChickpeas are round, nutty legumes used in hummus, curries and salads. In the US they are also garbanzo beans, in India chana, in Italy ceci.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/chickpea) * [MeringueMeringue is egg whites whipped with sugar into a glossy foam, baked crisp or used soft on pies. Here are the French, Swiss and Italian methods and fixes.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/meringue) * [Stiff peaksStiff peaks are when whipped egg whites or cream stand straight up off the whisk without bending. Here is how to reach the stage without overwhipping.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/stiff-peaks) * [Egg allergyAn egg allergy is a reaction to proteins in egg white or yolk. Eggs hide in fresh pasta, mayonnaise, glazes and baked goods, so read every label.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/egg-allergy) * [VeganVegan food contains no animal products at all, so no meat, fish, dairy, eggs or honey, and none of the hidden ones such as gelatin, whey or fish sauce.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/vegan) * [MayonnaiseMayonnaise is a thick, cold sauce made by whisking oil into egg yolk with lemon or vinegar. It takes five minutes by hand and is the base of many dips.](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/mayonnaise) [More in pantry ingredients](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary/category/pantry-ingredients)[Every term from A to Z](https://www.tinyplates.dev/glossary)