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chickpea brine aquafaba recipe

11 Vegan Aquafaba Recipes: Cooking with Chickpea Brine

If you’ve opened a can of chickpeas, you’ve probably seen some liquid inside. This liquid is called aquafaba. It sits within canned chickpeas or other kinds of canned beans.

Aquafaba is basically “bean water.” You can incorporate this brine with other ingredients without getting or tasting the bean flavor in your meal. Chickpea water is also perfect if you’re allergic to eggs or on a vegan diet.

What are the Health Benefits of Aquafaba?

Aquafaba can help bind other ingredients and become a substitute for eggs, making it ideal for those with egg allergies or on specific diet plans like vegan and egg-free diets. The liquid contains several nutrients found in chickpeas, including:

  • B vitamins
  • Folate
  • Iron
  • Phosphorus
  • Healthy fats, like linoleic and oleic acids

How Can You Make Aquafaba?

Are you thinking about cooking meals with chickpea brine? Here are a few ways on how you can cook meals using chickpea brine for creamy dishes:

  1. Pour the aquafaba out of a can of chickpeas or get it after cooking the beans. Make sure to set the liquid aside.
  2. Pour your chickpea water into a big mixing bowl.
  3. Whip the liquid with an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer.
  4. If you’re using a stand mixer, make sure it has a wire whip or balloon whisk attachment or better aeration.
  5. For small amounts of aquafaba, an electric hand mixer and a small bowl are all you need.

Keep in mind that aquafaba can form semi-stiff peaks once you’ve whipped it for three to six minutes. The thickness of your bean water depends on the equipment you use for whipping. That said, don’t rush and keep mixing the brine until you see firm peaks.

11 Vegan Aquafaba Recipes to Try 

Now that you’ve got your aquafaba ready, it’s time to make a nutritious meal. Let’s look at some chickpea water recipes that are worth a try.

Daily Meals & Snacks

Veggie Fried Rice

Ingredients
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
  • ½ teaspoon Chinese spice
  • Chili flakes
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 5 tablespoons aquafaba and ½ teaspoon miso, mixed
  • 1 portion of any protein-rich food (tofu, broad beans, peas, etc.)
  • 2-3 portions of vegetables
  • 1 portion of cooked rice
  • Fresh coriander or lime wedges (optional)
Directions
  1. Chop your vegetables and protein-rich food into wedges, cubes, or something similar.
  2. Pour the sesame oil into a heated frying pan.
  3. Add your vegetables and protein, and fry them until the protein is cooked and the vegetables are slightly burnt.
  4. Add the garlic, Chinese spice, and chili flakes, and stir-fry for one minute.
  5. Put in the rice, aquafaba and miso mix, and soy sauce.
  6. Cook everything on low heat for five minutes.
  7. Serve the fried rice in bowls. You can also add fresh coriander or lime wedges to the dish.

Gluten-Free Bread

Ingredients

Yeast

  • 1 ½ cup warm water
  • 3 tablespoons honey
  • 2 ½ teaspoons dry active yeast

Chickpea brine whip

  • ¼ cup aquafaba
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar

Dry mix

  • 3 cups of gluten-free flour
  • ½ teaspoon xanthan gum
  • 4 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon salt

Wet mix

  • ¼ cup olive oil
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
Instructions

Preparing the mixtures

  1. Put 1 ½ cup of warm water in a measuring cup.
  2. Mix the water with honey, then add the yeast.
  3. Set the mixture aside and let it sit for 10 minutes.
  4. Pour your bean water and cream of tartar into a mixing bowl.
  5. Whip the aquafaba and cream of tartar with a stand mixer until you can see firm peaks. Scoop the fluff from the mixture and set it aside once you’re done.
  6. Put gluten-free flour, xanthan gum, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl and mix them while you whip the aquafaba.

Mixing all ingredients

  1. Pour the proofed yeast into your stand mixer bowl.
  2. Add the dry mix ingredients.
  3. Slowly whip the yeast and the dry mix ingredients with your stand mixer’s paddle attachment. Add oil and apple cider vinegar while you whip the mixture.
  4. Whisk the dough at medium-high speed for two to three minutes.
  5. Once you get a smooth dough, stop mixing and add the aquafaba fluff.
  6. Gently whip the dough at a low speed until it’s well-combined.

Baking the bread

  1. Preheat your oven to 375°F.
  2. Spray or grease a 9 x 5 loaf pan.
  3. Scrape the dough into your loaf pan with a spatula and place plastic wrap over it.
  4. Place your pan on your stove and let the mixture rise for 20 to 30 minutes.
  5. Bake the dough for about 50 to 60 minutes.
  6. Check if your bread is fully baked before taking it out of the oven.
  7. Remove the loaf pan and let the bread cool for one to two minutes.
  8. Make sure the bread has completely cooled before slicing it.

Pierogi (Polish Dumplings) with Coconut Bacon

Ingredients

For the filling:

  • 600 grams cooked potatoes
  • 1 cup vegan ricotta
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt
  • 3 medium white onions, diced finely
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • Freshly grated nutmeg (optional)

For the dough:

  • 500 grams (4 cups) flour
  • 240 ml (1 cup) hot water
  • 60 ml (¼ cup) reduced aquafaba
  • 1 ½ teaspoon level sea salt
  • 30 ml (2 tablespoons) olive oil

For the coconut bacon:

  • 1 ½ cup raw coconut flakes, loosely packed
  • 2 teaspoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • ½ teaspoon liquid smoke
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions

Cooking the filling

  1. Heat the olive oil in a medium pan.
  2. Gently fry the diced onions until they’re translucent and lightly caramelized.
  3. Mash cooked potatoes with a potato ricer.
  4. Put mashed potatoes, vegan ricotta, and ½ cup of sauteed onions in a bowl, then mix them together.
  5. Season with salt, pepper, and lemon juice. You can also add some nutmeg to taste.
  6. Mix the ingredients and seasoning well, then set it aside.

Preparing the dough

  1. Put flour and salt in a mixing bowl, then mix both ingredients.
  2. Pour ¼ cup aquafaba and two tablespoons of olive oil into the mixture and mix well.
  3. Add a cup of hot water, then mix with a wooden spoon.
  4. Once your dough is ready, knead it with your hands for around 5 to 10 minutes.
  5. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes after kneading.
  6. Get ⅙ of soft dough and use a rolling pin to spread it.
  7. Make circles from the dough with a cookie cutter or an upside-down glass.
  8. Put a heaped teaspoon of filling at the center of each circle.
  9. Fold each circle in half and use your fingers to stick the edges together.
  10. See if your dumplings are sealed completely.
  11. Place the finished dumplings on a lightly floured surface and put a damp kitchen towel over them.
  12. Repeat the previous steps until you’ve made enough dumplings.
  13. Boil water in a medium pot.
  14. Put ten dumplings in the pot and cook them for five minutes.
  15. Heat what’s left of your sauteed onions, then season it with salt and pepper. Add them to your dumplings once they’re ready.
  16. Remove the dumplings with a slotted spoon after cooking and serve them on a clean plate.

Preparing the coconut bacon

  1. Preheat your oven to 210°F.
  2. Place baking paper on your baking tray.
  3. Mix olive oil, maple syrup, liquid smoke, and soy sauce in a bowl.
  4. Cover coconut flakes with your marinade.
  5. Marinate the flakes for 10 to 20 minutes.
  6. Place the marinated coconut flakes on your baking tray. Leave some space between the flakes.
  7. Bake the flakes for around 15 to 20 minutes.

Dips, Sauces, & Spreads

Hummus With Chili Oil

Ingredients

For the hummus:

  • ½ cup (120 ml) refrigerated aquafaba
  • 250 grams (1 ¼ cup) dry chickpeas (3 cups cooked), soaked overnight
  • 4 tablespoons (¼ cup) lemon juice
  • ¾ to 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • 1-2 garlic cloves, pressed
  • ⅓ cup tahini, hulled
  • ¼ cup (60 ml., approximately) refrigerated water

For the chili oil:

  • ½ cup olive oil
  • 2 to 3 tablespoons hot chili flakes
  • ¼ teaspoon salt (optional)
Instructions
  1. Rinse your chickpeas and put them in a big pot.
  2. Boil and simmer the chickpeas for about 75 to 90 minutes.
  3. Gently boil a ½ cup of olive oil, then remove it from your stove.
  4. Mix chili flakes, salt (optional), and hot oil together.
  5. Use a slotted spoon to remove cooked chickpeas, then rinse them with cold water.
  6. Rub a chickpea between your hands and give the skin a gentle peel.
  7. In an upright blender, pour a ½ cup of refrigerated water or aquafaba, ½ chickpeas, tahini, and lemon juice. Add cold liquid as you blend it.
  8. Add the rest of your chickpeas once you get a smooth and somewhat runny mixture, then blend.
  9. Add salt, garlic, and cumin to the mixture.
  10. Blend the mixture again to make it smooth and well-seasoned.
  11. Get some chili oil, toasted or pita bread, pickles, olives, and other food to serve along with your hummus.

Dairy-free Butter

Ingredients
  • Aquafaba
  • Coconut oil
  • Unsaturated oil
Instructions
  1. Get bean water and whip it in a container.
  2. Slowly pour oil into the aquafaba, then blend it in the mixture. Make sure the oil doesn’t appear within the whipped liquid.
  3. Store the mixture in the refrigerator until firm.

Vegan Mayonnaise with Aquafaba

Ingredients
  • 2 medium cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  • 3 tablespoons aquafaba
  • 12 whole chickpeas
  • ½ cup (120 ml) vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup (60 ml) extra-virgin oil
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
  1. Get a tall container and pour garlic, lemon juice, mustard, aquafaba, and chickpeas in it.
  2. Mix the ingredients above with an immersion blender at high speed. Add vegetable oil as you blend.
  3. Once you get a smooth and creamy mixture, scoop it with a spatula and put it in a bowl. Whip the mixture while slowly adding olive oil.
  4. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Vegan Pesto

Ingredients
  • 4 cups fresh basil, tightly packed
  • 2 cups fresh spinach
  • ⅓ cup pine nuts
  • ½ cup nutritional yeast
  • ¼ to ⅓ cup aquafaba
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • Fresh cracked pepper
  • 1 teaspoon salt (optional)
Instructions
  1. Lightly heat pine nuts for around three minutes or until they’re golden brown.
  2. Put the roasted pine nuts, basil, and spinach in a food processor to blend them together.
  3. Pour nutritional yeast, garlic, lemon juice, and black pepper into the mixture.
  4. Slowly pour the aquafaba into the food processor while blending.
  5. Add the finished pesto to pasta dishes or roasted vegetables.

Ranch Dressing

Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup aquafaba
  • 1 clove of garlic
  • 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon wholegrain mustard
  • 1 teaspoon dried dill
  • ½ teaspoon dried parsley
  • A pinch of salt
  • ½ cup of vegetable, canola, or neutral-flavored oil
Instructions
  1. Pour aquafaba in an immersion blender-safe cup.
  2. Whip the liquid with an immersion blender for about a minute.
  3. Add garlic, mustard, dill, parsley, and salt, then blend.
  4. Slowly pour oil down the side of the cup as you mix the other ingredients.
  5. Blend the mixture again for approximately one minute.
  6. Store the dressing in your refrigerator once it’s done for use in dips, salads, and other dishes.

Desserts

Vegan Pancakes

Ingredients

Dry pancake mix

  • Approximately 2 cups (280 grams) all-purpose flour
  • 2 teaspoons (8 grams) baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon (3 grams) baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon (4 grams) Kosher salt

Other ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons (60 ml) aquafaba
  • 4 tablespoons (60 grams) sugar
  • 1 ⅔ cup (400 ml) almond, rice, or soy milk
  • ¼ cup (600 ml) vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
  • 2 teaspoons (10 ml) cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
  • Vegan butter substitute and maple syrup for serving
Instructions
  1. Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a big bowl to make the pancake mix.
  2. Pour aquafaba and sugar in a stand mixer bowl.
  3. Set the mixer at high speed and whip both ingredients together until you see firm peaks.
  4. Then, mix the almond milk, vegetable oil, vanilla extract, lemon zest, and vinegar in a bowl.
  5. Add the dry mix and use a spatula to combine it with the wet mixture.
  6. Add aquafaba into the dry-wet mixture.
  7. Set your stove to medium heat and warm up a skillet or griddle at that temperature for five minutes.
  8. Grease your skillet or griddle with vegan butter or oil. Use a paper towel for this step.
  9. Set your stove to low heat.
  10. Put four pancakes in your skillet with a ¼ dry measure, then cook them for about three minutes.
  11. Flip the pancakes and cook for three more minutes.
  12. Serve the pancakes or let them cool.
  13. Serve pancakes with vegan butter and maple syrup.

Vegan Meringue

Ingredients
  • Aquafaba from 1 can of unsalted chickpeas
  • ½ teaspoon cream of tartar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Set your oven to 200°F.
  2. Place parchment paper over two baking sheets and set them aside.
  3. Pour aquafaba into a mixing bowl.
  4. Set your mixer on high speed and whip aquafaba for 3 to 4 minutes or until you see soft to medium peaks.
  5. Pour the cream of tartar and mix it with the chickpea brine.
  6. Put granulated sugar and vanilla extract in a small bowl, then mix. Pour aquafaba as you beat the mixture.
  7. Get a piping bag or a plastic bag and fill it with the meringue and pipe it on your baking sheets.
  8. Bake the meringues for two hours.
  9. After baking, turn off your oven and keep the meringues inside. You can wait an extra hour or until the next day before serving.

Aquafaba Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients
  • 1 cup (180 grams) chocolate chips
  • ¾ cup (180 ml) aquafaba
  • ¾ teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
  1. Put chocolate chips in a bowl and heat them in the microwave for 30 seconds.
  2. Take the bowl out of your microwave, then stir the chocolate until it’s melted and smooth.
  3. Let the melted chocolate cool.
  4. Put aquafaba and apple cider vinegar in a bowl and whip both with your mixer. Set the mixer at high speed before mixing.
  5. Pour vanilla extract once you see soft peaks, then whip until the mixture forms firm peaks.
  6. Add the cooled chocolate and mix until you get a thick mixture.
  7. Serve your aquafaba chocolate mousse in bowls or put it in the refrigerator.
  8. Add your favorite toppings to the mousse.

Vegan Macarons

Ingredients

For the macaron shells:

  • 200 grams icing (powdered) sugar
  • 200 grams ground almonds
  • 150 grams aquafaba
  • 200 grams caster sugar
  • ⅕ cup (50 ml) water
  • ⅛ teaspoon coloring paste

For the filling:

  • 2 medium ripe avocados
  • 4 to 5 tablespoons agave nectar
  • 1 tablespoon coconut oil
  • ½ tablespoon melted coconut oil
  • ½ tablespoon vanilla extract or paste
  • 4 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
Instructions

Making the macaron shells

  1. Pour aquafaba into a saucepan.
  2. Simmer the liquid over medium-low heat until it decreases to about half of its amount.
  3. Let the reduced aquafaba cool after simmering.
  4. Get a large bowl and put sifted ground almonds and icing sugar in it.
  5. Mix half of the aquafaba with the almonds and sugar to form a paste.
  6. Put caster sugar and water in a saucepan.
  7. Pour the rest of the chickpea brine into a stand mixer bowl.
  8. Boil the caster sugar until it reaches 110°C (230°F). 
  9. Mix the bean water at high speed.
  10. Wait until the sugar reaches 117°C (242°F). Slowly pour it down the side of your mixing bowl while whipping the aquafaba.
  11. Mix the liquid at the highest speed for eight to ten minutes.
  12. Let the mixture cool, then mix coloring paste into it.
  13. Combine almond paste to your meringue mixture.
  14. Put parchment paper on four baking trays.
  15. Fill your piping bag with the batter and pipe it on the parchment. Don’t forget to leave some space between the rounds.
  16. Tap your baking trays against your worktop. Do so carefully yet forcefully.
  17. Let the trays dry for an hour or longer.
  18. Set your oven’s temperature to 120°C (250°F), then bake the shells for 25 to 30 minutes.
  19. Let the shells cool after baking.
  20. Place the shells on a cooling tray and let them sit overnight or chill in the refrigerator.

Making the filling

  1. Mix all the ingredients for the macaron filling with a blender or food processor.
  2. Check if the mixture is sweet.
  3. Fill your piping bag with the filling and store it in the refrigerator.
  4. Match your macaron shells, then put filling around the edges and inside the shells.
  5. Press the shells against each other.
  6. Serve macarons right away or put them inside the refrigerator.

Nourish Your Body with a Healthy Diet

Healthy eating helps you maintain strong muscles and bones and reduces your risk of serious medical conditions. Finding the right diet is essential if you want to reach your health goals.If you’re recovering from an injury or thinking about how you can manage a chronic condition, LifeClinic is here to help. Start your journey to a healthier lifestyle at any of our locations today.

Dr. Reza Alizadeh

Dr. Reza is the visionary behind LifeClinic. His leadership is the foundation for the patient and team member experience, and overall direction of the LifeClinic. As the creator of IMJT, Dr. Reza continues to be the primary teacher on this technique.

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