Replaces egg whites

Aquafaba: how to use chickpea water instead of eggs

Quick answer

1 whole egg
3 tbsp aquafaba
1 egg white
2 tbsp aquafaba
1 egg yolk
about 1 tbsp aquafaba
One 15 oz can
gives about 1 cup of liquid, enough for 5 to 8 eggs

Aquafaba is the liquid in a can of chickpeas, the one most people pour down the sink. It carries enough starch and protein from the beans to foam, bind and hold oil the way egg whites do. That makes it the only plant swap that whips into real meringue.

Getting good aquafaba

Use the liquid from a can of chickpeas, ideally unsalted. Good aquafaba looks like a loose egg white: slightly thick and a little cloudy. If yours is thin and watery, simmer it until it has reduced by a quarter to a half, then cool it completely before whipping. The same works for the liquid from chickpeas you cook yourself.

How much to use

Recipe calls for Aquafaba
1 whole egg 3 tbsp
1 egg white 2 tbsp
1 egg yolk about 1 tbsp
Whipping, per 2 tbsp aquafaba 1/8 tsp cream of tartar

Meringues

Whip the aquafaba with cream of tartar, add the sugar slowly, and pipe or spoon the meringue onto lined trays. Bake low, at about 95 to 120 °C (200 to 250 °F), for about 1.5 to 2 hours, until the meringues lift off the paper. Then switch the oven off and leave them inside to dry as it cools. They keep crisp in an airtight tin.

Other uses

In cakes and cookies you do not need to whip it: stir 3 tablespoons per egg into the batter. For a creamy sauce or vegan mayo, aquafaba holds oil in an emulsion. For other egg jobs, see all the egg substitutes.

How to whip aquafaba to stiff peaks

You need: aquafaba from a can of chickpeas, cream of tartar, sugar (for meringue).

  1. Drain the can over a bowl and keep the liquid. If it is thin and watery, simmer it until it has reduced by a quarter to a half, then let it cool completely.
  2. Put the aquafaba in a clean, grease-free bowl. Add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar for every 2 tbsp of aquafaba.
  3. Whip with a stand or hand mixer on high. It turns foamy, then white, then holds soft peaks.
  4. For meringue, add the sugar a spoonful at a time once it is foamy, and keep whipping.
  5. Stop when the peaks stand up straight. This usually takes 5 to 10 minutes, longer than egg whites.

When it works and when it fails

Works well

  • Meringues, pavlova and macarons
  • Mousse and whipped toppings
  • Cakes, cookies and brownies as a whole egg replacer
  • Mayonnaise and other emulsions

Fails or disappoints

  • Thin, watery liquid will not whip until you reduce it
  • Any trace of oil or fat in the bowl stops it from foaming
  • Liquid from salted chickpeas tastes salty in desserts
  • Baked meringues turn sticky in humid air; store them airtight

Questions

What is aquafaba?

It is the cooking liquid of chickpeas, the liquid you pour off a can. Starch and protein from the beans let it foam and bind like egg whites.

How much aquafaba replaces one egg?

3 tablespoons for a whole egg, 2 tablespoons for an egg white and about 1 tablespoon for a yolk.

Does aquafaba taste like chickpeas?

A little when raw, but the taste disappears once it is whipped with sugar or baked.

How long does aquafaba keep?

About 4 to 7 days in a closed jar in the fridge. Freeze it in an ice cube tray for a few months. Whipped aquafaba starts to deflate after about a day.

Who discovered aquafaba?

Joël Roessel found in late 2014 that the liquid foams; in 2015 an online group of vegan bakers named it aquafaba, a name credited to Goose Wohlt.

Sources

Ratios and temperatures were checked against these pages on 2026-10-10. Where they disagreed, we give the range.

Written with AI help, in our own words. Cooking advice, not health advice. Last checked 2026-10-10.