So, you’ve opened a can of chickpeas and the first thing you do is send that gooey liquid down the drain. Nooooooooooooo! Press pause, save that stuff. It’s called aquafaba and it’s Aqua-Fab-U-Lous!!!
Aquafaba is the thick liquid you get from cooking legumes, such as chickpeas, in water for an extended period of time. If you’re new to the wonderful world of aquafaba, stick to what you strain from canned chickpeas, since it’s nice and thick. Once you get the hang of it, you can use what you make yourself from cooking chickpeas at home, since you’ll have a better idea of the consistency that’ll get you the desired results.
Aquafaba can replace egg whites in a recipe, as well as whole eggs in baked goods. Two Tbsp unwhipped aquafaba is the equivalent of one egg white, and 3 Tbsp equals a whole egg.
Folks say you can also use the liquid from white northern beans or black beans, but for the fluffy lift you’re looking for in whipped aquafaba creations like meringues, or baked goods like muffins, chickpeas are your go-to.
When you’re ready to measure the aquafaba a recipe calls for, vigorously shake the unopened can of chickpeas. Drain chickpeas through a fine-mesh strainer over a bowl; reserve beans for another use. Whisk aquafaba and then measure. The starches in the aquafaba settle in the can and need to be agitated to ensure they’re evenly distributed.
If you’re going to whip it into foam, add 1/8 tsp cream of tartar for the aquafaba in a 15-oz can of chickpeas. It’ll help the foam whip up faster and stay fluffy longer.
Store aquafaba in a sealed mason jar in the fridge where it’ll last for up to a week. You can also freeze it up to three months. Measure it into 1 Tbsp portions into an ice cube tray, and just thaw out and use those little “nuggets ‘o gold” in place of eggs. Easy peasy, and you’ve now effectively made something outta nothing!
Ingredients
- 3 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
- 1 ½ Tbsp coconut oil
- 3 Tbsp maple syrup
- 1 ½ Tbsp aquafaba
- Pinch sea salt
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 Tbsp arrowroot starch
Directions
- Preheat oven to 375°. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Add coconut to food processor. Blend about one minute or more, just until coconut flakes start clumping together. When you squeeze some together, it should stick together kind of like wet sand.
- Add coconut oil, maple syrup, aquafaba, salt and vanilla and mix 20 seconds to combine. Add arrowroot starch and pulse to combine until a wet dough has formed.
- Scoop into 1 ½ Tbsp mounds, gently transfer to parchment-lined baking sheet with room between each cookie.
- Bake 13-15 minutes, until tops are lightly golden brown and bottoms a little darker golden brown…careful not to burn the bottoms! They’ll puff a little while cooking.
- Cool on pan 10 minutes, then transfer to a plate/cooling rack to cool completely. Best served at room temp.