Vegan Aquafaba Mayonnaise
The water from the chickpea can replaces the egg yolk, and it emulsifies just as reliably.
- Preparation
- 10 min
- Cook/bake time
- –
- Total
- 10 min
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 205 kcal
- Servings
- 8 servings
The water from the chickpea can replaces the egg yolk, and it emulsifies just as reliably. Aquafaba sounds like a trick, but it is physics: the proteins and saponins released from the chickpeas act as emulsifiers and foaming agents. Three tablespoons bind 200 ml of oil into a mayonnaise that no one will recognize as vegan.
Why this works
When cooking chickpeas, proteins and saponins transfer into the cooking water. Both are surface-active, meaning they are molecules with a water-loving and a fat-loving end, which is exactly the property that makes lecithin in egg yolk an emulsifier. This is why aquafaba can stabilize oil in water, and it is also why it can be whipped up like egg whites. The difference to the egg lies in the quantity: aquafaba is significantly more diluted, which is why three tablespoons are needed for 200 ml of oil, whereas one egg yolk can handle 250 ml. Because the emulsion is somewhat more fragile, the immersion blender helps more here than the whisk: it creates very fine oil droplets, and the finer the droplets, the more stable the emulsion.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Measure the aquafaba
Drain the water from a can of chickpeas and measure out three tablespoons. It should be slightly viscous and form threads when stirred; if it is very thin, boil it down briefly to a third and let it cool. The chickpeas themselves are not needed.
- 2
Mix the base
Put the aquafaba, mustard, lemon juice and salt into a tall, narrow container that is just as wide as the immersion blender. The shape is more important here than usual: in a wide bowl, the blender will not find the interface between water and oil.
- 3
Pour the oil over and blend
Pour all the oil over it, and it will float on top, which is correct. Place the immersion blender on the bottom, turn it on and leave it at the bottom for ten seconds. The mixture will turn white from the bottom. Only then slowly pull the blender upwards until everything is emulsified.
- 4
Season to taste
Season to taste with salt, pepper and lemon. The mayonnaise is still soft right after blending and will become significantly firmer in the fridge within an hour, so it is better to have it too soft now than too firm.
Our best tips
- A tall, narrow container. The immersion blender must be able to stand on the bottom, otherwise the emulsion will not start.
- Pour all the oil over at once, not drop by drop. With the immersion blender method, this is exactly right, as the blender works its way from the bottom to the top.
- Aquafaba must be slightly viscous. If it is very watery, boil it down briefly to a third and let it cool.
Tasty variations
Vegan Aioli
Add two grated garlic cloves to the base and replace a quarter of the oil with olive oil. More olive oil makes the mayonnaise bitter because the blade releases its bitter compounds.
Chipotle Mayo
Stir in one teaspoon of chipotle in adobo and half a teaspoon of smoked paprika powder. Goes well with burgers, fries and everything from the air fryer.
Nutrition facts
| Calories | 205 kcal |
|---|---|
| Protein | 0 g |
| Carbohydrates | 0 g |
| – of which sugar | 0 g |
| Fat | 23 g |
| Fiber | 0 g |
Where the 205 kcal come from
per serving
Calculated from the ingredients – how we do it
We add up reference values for every ingredient and divide by the number of servings. These assumptions are baked in:
- Reference values per 100 g – for the raw ingredient, exactly as listed.
- Tinned goods count at drained weight, bone-in meat at purchase weight: you eat about 70 per cent of a chicken thigh and leave the rest.
- Water evaporates as you cook. The energy stays in the pot, the weight does not – so the figure is per serving, not per 100 g of finished dish.
- Anything listed without a quantity – “salt and pepper” – is not counted.
A guide value, not a lab measurement: no two onions weigh the same, and fat content varies from pack to pack.
Frequently asked questions
Does any chickpea water work?
The one from the can is the most reliable because it is boiled down in a standardized way. Home-cooked chickpea water also works, but it must be boiled down to be significantly thicker. Salty canned water is not a problem, just add less salt then.
My mayo stays liquid.
Usually it is the container: too wide, and the blender does not catch the interface. Transferring it to a narrow glass and blending again from the bottom almost always saves it. The second cause is too thin aquafaba, in which case add another teaspoon of mustard.
How long does it keep?
One week in the fridge, which is longer than a mayonnaise with raw egg. This is exactly its second advantage besides the vegan aspect, and it is therefore also safe for pregnant women and immunocompromised people.
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