Aquafaba from Chickpeas
Chickpea brine prepared for cocktail use — a vegan replacement for egg whites in whiskey sours, pisco sours, gin fizzes, and any frothy cocktail.
Aquafaba is the starchy liquid produced when chickpeas cook in water, and it works as a near-perfect plant-based substitute for egg white in classic frothy cocktails. Because chickpeas contain many of the same proteins and starches that let egg whites stabilize foam, aquafaba shakes up into the same silky head at the top of a sour and leaves virtually no chickpea flavor behind. This recipe covers both the fast canned version and the homemade-from-dried preparation that skilled bartenders prefer for its cleaner taste and higher protein content.
- 1 wholechickpeas(15-oz can with liquid reserved — or 1 cup dried chickpeas plus water if making from scratch)
- 4 cupswater(only if starting from dried chickpeas)
- 1 pinchkosher salt(only if starting from dried chickpeas)
- 1For the quick canned method, open a fifteen-ounce can of unsalted or low-sodium chickpeas and strain it through a fine mesh sieve over a bowl, capturing every drop of liquid.
- 2Save the drained chickpeas for hummus, salads, or roasting; they are the by-product of this recipe, not the goal.
- 3For a thicker, more egg-white-like consistency, transfer the strained liquid to a small saucepan over medium heat and simmer gently for eight to ten minutes until it reduces by about one-third.
- 4For the homemade method, soak one cup of dried chickpeas in plenty of cool water overnight, or for at least twelve hours.
- 5Drain and rinse the soaked chickpeas, place them in a saucepan with four cups of fresh water and a pinch of salt, bring to a boil, then reduce to a bare simmer for forty minutes until the chickpeas are tender.
- 6Strain the cooking liquid into a clean glass jar, pressing gently on the chickpeas to extract any clinging aquafaba.
- 7Let the aquafaba cool completely to room temperature before refrigerating; as it chills it will thicken naturally to a consistency close to raw egg white.
- 8Use one and a half tablespoons of aquafaba per egg white in any sour or fizz recipe, always dry shaking first to build foam before adding ice.
Store aquafaba in a clean glass jar with a tight lid in the refrigerator for up to five days. For longer storage, freeze it in ice cube trays, transfer the cubes to a sealed freezer bag, and keep for up to three months; thaw overnight in the refrigerator before using. Discard if the liquid develops a sour smell, visible mold, or noticeable separation that does not recombine with gentle stirring. Keep refrigerated.
Use canned chickpeas packed in water without seasonings, because flavored brines carry additional salt, sugar, or garlic that can alter the finished cocktail. Reducing the liquid by roughly one-third on the stove concentrates the proteins and starches, producing a noticeably thicker foam — this step matters most in drinks like the Ramos Gin Fizz where extended foam is the whole point. Always dry shake aquafaba cocktails for at least fifteen to twenty seconds before adding ice; introducing ice too early chills the proteins and limits their ability to unfold and trap air. Shake aquafaba drinks longer than equivalent egg-white drinks, because the foam builds more slowly at first. Most tasters cannot detect any chickpea flavor in a finished cocktail, but a tiny amount of bitters added to the dry shake covers any trace savory note.
Aquafaba entered modern cooking and cocktails thanks to two complementary discoveries: French chef Joel Roessel documented in late 2014 that chickpea cooking liquid could whip like egg whites and act as an emulsifier, and Indiana software engineer Goose Wohlt coined the term aquafaba in 2015 while experimenting with vegan meringues. The word combines the Latin for water and bean. It entered bar programs in 2016, with bartender Keith Corwin at Thelonious Bar in Berlin among the first to use it in a vegan whiskey sour. Bacardi ambassador Areina Thomas named aquafaba one of the defining cocktail trends of 2017, and it has since become the default egg-white substitute in craft cocktail bars serving vegan guests or customers concerned about raw egg safety.
Flavor the aquafaba before shaking with a few drops of orange flower water, rose water, or vanilla extract to add a subtle floral or sweet note that works especially well in gin fizzes and pisco sours. For a richer body in the finished drink, combine aquafaba with a quarter teaspoon of xanthan gum per half cup of liquid; this stabilizes the foam for longer service at parties. Aquafaba from home-cooked dried chickpeas tends to taste cleaner than canned, because it skips the added sodium chloride of commercial packing brine. For batch cocktail service, freeze aquafaba in half-ounce portions for drop-in use as the party progresses. Bitters-flavored aquafaba from the bottle's last drops of liquid adds subtle complexity when used as a foam topper.
Contains chickpea-derived proteins. Avoid if serving guests with chickpea or legume allergies, which are rare but do occur. Naturally vegan, gluten-free when using certified gluten-free canned chickpeas, and free of all major allergens besides legumes.