Aquafaba: how to make it, whip it and where it falls short

Published 2026-10-21, updated 2026-10-21

Aquafaba is the cloudy liquid left in a can of chickpeas, or the water left after cooking chickpeas at home. It contains a mix of proteins and starches that, when whisked, behaves surprisingly like egg white: it foams, holds peaks and can be baked into meringue. It is not a perfect copy, and knowing its limits saves wasted batches. This guide covers where to get it, how to whip it, which bakes it suits and what goes wrong.

Where aquafaba comes from

The easiest source is a can of chickpeas. Drain the chickpeas over a bowl and keep the liquid. A standard can usually gives somewhere around half a cup to three quarters of a cup (roughly 120 to 180 ml), though brands vary a lot. Use the chickpeas in another dish.

Choose cans with no added salt or sugar where you can, because salt will season sweet bakes, and salt levels vary by brand. Check the label for a short ingredient list: chickpeas, water and perhaps a little salt.

Liquid from cooking dried chickpeas works too, but it varies much more. If it is thin and watery, it will not whip well. Simmer it gently in an open pan to concentrate it, and cool it fully before using. A good aquafaba is about as thick and slippery as raw egg white, and it should drip slowly from a spoon. Liquid from other cooked white beans also foams, though results vary by bean.

How much replaces an egg

Aquafaba as an egg replacer
Replaces	Amount of aquafaba	Note
1 whole egg	3 tablespoons (45 ml)	Used as a binder in cakes, brownies, cookies. No need to whip.
1 egg white	2 tablespoons (30 ml)	Used for meringue, mousse, macaron-style bakes and toppings.

For binding in cakes and cookies, simply whisk the aquafaba briefly with a fork or whisk until a little frothy, then add it where the egg would go. For foam-based recipes, whip it properly as described below.

How to whip aquafaba

Start with a clean, dry, grease-free bowl. Glass or metal is better than plastic, which can hold on to oily residue. Even a trace of fat or oil stops a foam forming.
Pour in the aquafaba, cold or at room temperature. Add a small pinch of cream of tartar or a few drops of lemon juice, if you have them. Acid helps the foam stay stable.
Whisk with an electric mixer, hand-held or stand. A hand whisk is rarely strong enough. Begin on medium speed, then increase it as the liquid turns foamy and white.
Keep going until the foam holds a peak when you lift the whisk. Expect this to take several minutes, often 5 to 10 and sometimes longer. It is slower than egg white, so be patient.
Add sugar gradually, a spoonful at a time, once the foam reaches soft peaks. Whip for a minute between additions. Fine (caster) sugar dissolves more easily than coarse.
Stop when the foam is glossy, stiff and holds its shape. Test by turning the bowl upside down. If nothing moves, it is ready. Fold it gently into other ingredients, since stirring hard knocks out the air.

Add flavours (vanilla, cocoa, lemon zest) at the end. Anything oily, such as nut butter, chocolate or coconut milk, can deflate the foam if mixed in vigorously. Fold them in gently or use a small amount.

Making meringues and toppings

Aquafaba meringue is baked low and slow, the same idea as egg-white meringue. A typical oven setting is around 110 C (230 F), for roughly 1 to 2 hours depending on size. The meringue is done when it feels dry and lifts easily from the paper. Then switch the oven off and leave the meringue inside to cool, since sudden cooling can cause cracks.

Pipe or spoon the foam straight after whipping, because it loses volume as it stands. Use baking paper rather than a greased tray. Aquafaba meringues are often a little chewier and less crisp than egg-white ones, and they can taste faintly of chickpea if the can liquid is strong. Vanilla, cocoa or citrus zest all mask it well.

For uncooked uses such as mousse or whipped topping, fold the foam into melted and cooled chocolate or fruit puree, then chill until set. Use stabilisers such as agar in the recipe if you need a firm set.

Where aquafaba works and where it does not

Matching aquafaba to the bake
Bake	Works?	Notes
Meringues, pavlova	Yes	A dry day helps. Bake low and slow.
Mousse, whipped toppings	Yes	Fold gently, chill well, and eat soon since the foam softens over time.
Brownies and cookies as binder	Yes	3 tablespoons per egg, with no whipping needed.
Fluffy pancakes and waffles	Yes	Whip the aquafaba and fold it in last for lift.
Vegan mayonnaise	Yes	Aquafaba helps oil and acid blend into a thick sauce. Use a recipe designed for it.
Macarons	Sometimes	Fiddly and sensitive to humidity. Use a recipe written for aquafaba.
Sponge, angel food, souffle	Rarely	These need strong egg structure. Choose a recipe designed to be egg-free instead.
Custard, quiche, curd	No	Egg proteins set these by heat, and aquafaba does not.

Common problems and fixes

It will not whip: the liquid may be too thin, or the bowl is not clean. Simmer thin liquid to reduce it, cool it and try again in a freshly washed bowl.
It whips, then collapses: the liquid was thin, a trace of fat got in, or sugar was added too early. Reduce thin liquid, use a freshly washed bowl, and add sugar only after soft peaks, a little at a time.
The meringue weeps or is sticky: it is under-baked or the room is humid. Bake a little longer and store in an airtight tin once fully cool.
The bake tastes of chickpea: use stronger flavours, or choose a different brand of chickpeas next time.
A mousse is runny: chill longer, or use less liquid ingredients. Aquafaba foam is less stable than egg white.
The foam deflates when folded: fold in gently, with a spatula, in two or three additions.

Storage and allergy notes

Keep unused aquafaba in a sealed container in the fridge and use it within a few days. For longer storage, measure it in tablespoons and freeze it in a tray or small containers, then thaw it in the fridge before use. Whipped foam does not keep, so make it just before you need it.

Chickpeas are a legume, and some people are allergic to them or to other legumes. Aquafaba is not suitable for those people. Chickpeas are naturally gluten-free, but canned products can be made in facilities that handle gluten, so look for a gluten-free label if you bake for someone with coeliac disease. For specific medical advice, ask a doctor or dietitian. For gluten-free bake basics, see the gluten-free flour blends guide.

What this guide is based on

Using 3 tablespoons of aquafaba per whole egg and 2 tablespoons per egg white is the commonly published rule of thumb, shared with the egg substitutes guide. It is general cooking knowledge, not a result from our own test baking.
That aquafaba contains proteins and starches that foam when whisked, that grease stops a foam forming, and that acid helps stabilise it, is general food-science knowledge.
The yield of liquid per can, the whipping time, and the low-and-slow meringue oven setting are approximate, widely published figures. Cans, mixers and ovens vary, so treat them as starting points. None of these figures come from our own testing.
Allergy and coeliac statements are general. Read ingredient labels and ask a doctor or dietitian about your own needs.