aquafaba

noun

aqua·​fa·​ba ˌä-kwə-ˈfä-bə How to pronounce aquafaba (audio)
: the liquid that results when beans are cooked in water

Note: Aquafaba is used especially in vegan cooking as an egg white substitute.

As the experiments continue, novices are advised to use three tablespoons of aquafaba to equal one egg. The bean juice seems to work equally well whether it comes from a can or from a fresh batch of homemade cooked beans, and it can be frozen for later use. Although most any beans will do, including black, kidney and soy, chickpeas (a.k.a. garbanzo beans) tend to be the preferred variety for their milder, less "beany" flavor.Kristen Hartke
Whatever the reason, aquafaba delivers. Dump a can of chickpea water into a mixer, and it froths instantly, like bubbles in a bath, and whips into stiff, glossy peaks. It retains a slight beany aroma in the bowl, but that disappears when cooked. There is no residual flavor, and few calories.Jane Black

Examples of aquafaba in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web There’s also the addition of aquafaba for a velvety texture. Aly Walansky, Forbes, 1 Mar. 2024 Sometimes eggs are great for binding (like flaxseed, psyllium husk or starches), whereas other times they’re needed to leaven the dough (like aquafaba or baking soda). Charlotte Druckman, Washington Post, 8 Feb. 2024 The egg whites in this mezcal blackberry sour create a nice fluffy texture, but if eggs aren’t your thing, whip up some aquafaba instead — the vegan-friendly ingredient adds the same lightness when shaken with the other ingredients. Lanford Beard, Peoplemag, 2 Dec. 2023 Along with opening a new sit-down location, Boneshaker quietly pivoted to become an all-vegan shop in 2019, swapping out eggs and butter for aquafaba or chickpea water, oil, and margarine. Vivian Song, Robb Report, 4 Oct. 2023 Use about two tablespoons of aquafaba per egg white. Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 24 Aug. 2023 Add the chocolate, cocoa powder, vanilla, orange zest, coconut oil, and 2 tablespoons of the aquafaba. Beth Segal, cleveland, 11 Mar. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'aquafaba.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin aqua "water" + faba "fava bean" — more at island entry 1, fava bean

First Known Use

2015, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of aquafaba was in 2015

Dictionary Entries Near aquafaba

Cite this Entry

“Aquafaba.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aquafaba. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!