How to Use Aquafaba in Baking
How to use aquafaba in baking is one of the most common questions from chefs and product developers. Aquafaba’s unique foaming, binding, and moisture-retention properties make it a powerful functional ingredient in modern patisserie and bakery applications.
This guide explains how to replace eggs with aquafaba in cakes, cookies, doughs, and aerated structures, with practical techniques and formulation tips for professional use.
Understanding Aquafaba in Baking
Aquafaba behaves similarly to egg whites because it contains soluble proteins and polysaccharides that trap air when whipped and stabilize emulsions during baking. It also contains starches and soluble fibres that bind water and help control moisture migration in finished products.
In baking, aquafaba can provide three key functions:
- Aeration: Whips into foams that create volume and lightness
- Binding: Improves cohesion and structure in doughs and batters
- Moisture retention: Slows drying and prolongs softness
These properties allow aquafaba to replace whole eggs or egg whites in many traditional bakery recipes.
Replacing Eggs with Aquafaba
Here are standard equivalences for recipe development:
- 45 g aquafaba ≈ 1 whole egg
- 30 g aquafaba ≈ 1 egg white
These values are a starting point. Because aquafaba has a higher water content than eggs, you may need to slightly reduce other liquids in the recipe or increase dry ingredients to maintain the same batter consistency.
When replacing only egg whites (e.g. in aquafaba macarons or aquafaba meringues), no further adjustments are usually needed.
Whipping Techniques
For aerated applications, proper whipping technique is essential.
Best practices:
- Use chilled aquafaba (4–6 °C) to maximise foam volume
- Whip at high speed until soft peaks form, then add stabilisers (cream of tartar, citric acid, or sugar)
- Continue whipping to firm peaks if required
- Fold gently into batters to avoid deflation
Aquafaba foams are less stable than egg white foams, so incorporating them promptly is key to preserving volume.
Incorporating Aquafaba into Batters and Doughs
Aquafaba can be added directly as a liquid to cakes, muffins, cookies, or enriched doughs.
Tips for successful integration:
- Mix aquafaba with sugar before incorporating into fat-rich batters for more stable emulsions
- In yeast doughs, add aquafaba with the liquids to improve softness and shelf life
- In high-sugar batters, whip aquafaba with part of the sugar to create structure before combining with fats
These steps help improve texture and maintain volume during baking.
Hydration and Water Activity Considerations
Because aquafaba introduces additional water, be mindful of hydration ratios and water activity when reformulating existing products:
- Reduce added water or milk slightly to keep batter consistency stable
- Bake fully to avoid underbaked centres
- Monitor shelf life and microbial stability if adjusting moisture levels
These considerations are especially important in industrial-scale production where shelf life and uniformity are critical.
Example Applications
- Sponge cakes and génoises for aeration and softness
- Cookies for binding and structure
- Enriched doughs (brioche, sweet rolls) for softness and shelf life
- Meringues and macarons for pure aeration
- Brownies and muffins for moisture retention
Explore our collection of aquafaba recipes to see these techniques in practice.
Key Takeaways
- Aquafaba can fully replace eggs in many baked goods
- Provides aeration, binding, and moisture retention
- Requires minor hydration adjustments when used in place of whole eggs
- Whip when replacing egg whites, or add directly for binding/moisture
- Enables clean-label, egg-free bakery formulations without compromising quality
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