Aquafaba comes in two forms: liquid, ready to pour from a carton, and powder, which you mix with water before use. Liquid aquafaba is already at the right strength and whips straight away. Powder is shelf-stable and compact, but you have to reconstitute it first, and the water-to-powder ratio has to be right or the foam suffers.
This guide breaks down the difference between the two, so you can pick the one that fits how you bake.
Plant Whip liquid aquafaba. Open the carton and pour, no mixing required.
In This Guide
Ready to pour. Whips straight from the carton.
Mix with water first. Ratio has to be right.
3 tbsp = 1 whole egg · 2 tbsp = 1 egg white
Egg-free and 100% plant-based
The Quick Answer
If you want the least amount of work and the most consistent result, choose liquid aquafaba. It is already at the right concentration, so you open the carton, pour what you need, and whip. There is no mixing step and no ratio to get wrong.
Powdered aquafaba makes sense in one situation: when you need something compact and shelf-stable for a long time and you do not mind reconstituting it before every use. You add water, stir, wait for it to hydrate, and hope you measured correctly.
For most home bakers, the deciding factor is simple. Liquid removes a step. Powder adds one.
Plant Whip is the only liquid aquafaba widely available in the US. Until now, most packaged aquafaba on US shelves came as powder. Plant Whip comes ready to pour in a shelf-stable carton, so you get the convenience of a packaged product without the reconstituting step.
Liquid vs Powder: Side by Side
| Liquid Aquafaba | Powdered Aquafaba | |
|---|---|---|
| Prep before use | None. Pour and whip. | Mix with water, wait to hydrate. |
| Getting the strength right | Already at the right concentration. | Depends on your water-to-powder ratio. |
| Room for error | Low. Nothing to measure or mix. | Higher. Too much or too little water changes the result. |
| Shelf life (unopened) | Shelf-stable until opened. | Long, when kept dry. |
| Storage space | Carton in the pantry. | Compact pouch or tub. |
| Ready when you are | Yes. Open and pour. | No. Reconstitute first. |
What Is Aquafaba Powder?
Powdered aquafaba is aquafaba that has had the water removed, leaving a dry powder made mostly of the proteins and starches that make aquafaba foam. To use it, you add water back in and stir until it hydrates, which recreates a liquid you can whip.
The appeal is real. Powder takes up little space, keeps for a long time when stored dry, and ships light. If those are your priorities, powder does the job.
The catch with powder
The trade-off is the mixing step. You have to reconstitute powder before every use, and the amount of water matters. Add too little and the foam is thick and hard to work with. Add too much and it can turn watery and refuse to hold stiff peaks. It is one more variable between you and a finished bake, and it is a common reason a batch does not turn out.
Several bakers have told us the same thing: they like aquafaba, but they do not like the extra step and the guesswork that comes with powder. That is the gap liquid fills.
What Is Liquid Aquafaba?
Liquid aquafaba whips to stiff peaks with no reconstituting step.
Liquid aquafaba is the ready-to-use form. It is already at the concentration you need, so there is nothing to mix. You pour it straight from the carton and whip it, exactly the way you would use liquid egg whites.
You can make liquid aquafaba yourself by draining and reducing the liquid from canned chickpeas, but that takes six to eight cans to fill one carton's worth, leaves you with cans of chickpeas you did not want, and the strength changes from can to can. A packaged liquid like Plant Whip skips all of that.
Why Plant Whip whips consistently
Canned chickpea liquid varies in concentration from brand to brand and can to can, which is why one batch gives you perfect peaks and the next gives you watery foam. Plant Whip is made to a consistent strength, so it behaves the same way every time you open a carton. You get the same result this week as you did last week.
The conversion is the same for both forms. Whether you use liquid or reconstituted powder, the ratio is 3 tablespoons for a whole egg and 2 tablespoons for an egg white. For the full breakdown, see our aquafaba to egg conversion guide.
Skip the mixing step.
Plant Whip is ready to pour and whips to stiff peaks every time. No reconstituting, no ratio to guess, no failed batches.
Use code TRYWHIP10 for 10% off your first order.
Shop Plant Whip →Which One Should You Choose?
Choose liquid aquafaba if you want to:
- Open and pour with no mixing step
- Get the same concentration every time
- Avoid measuring a water-to-powder ratio
- Whip straight away without waiting for anything to hydrate
Choose powdered aquafaba if you want to:
- Store it dry for a very long time
- Keep it as compact as possible
- Trade a little convenience for shelf space
For most people baking meringues, pavlovas, macarons, mousses, or whipping up cocktail foam at home, liquid is the simpler path. It removes the two things most likely to go wrong: the mixing and the measuring.
How to Store Aquafaba
You do not have to use a whole carton at once. Here is how to store Plant Whip liquid aquafaba:
| Form | Storage Method | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Plant Whip (unopened) | Pantry, shelf-stable | Until best-by date |
| Plant Whip (opened) | Refrigerator | 7 days |
| Frozen cubes | Ice cube tray, then freezer bag | Up to 3 months |
| Whipped aquafaba | Use immediately | Does not store |
Freezing instructions
Pour unwhipped Plant Whip into ice cube trays, filling each compartment about three-quarters full. Freeze until solid, then transfer the cubes to a resealable bag and label with the date.
Each cube is roughly 1 tablespoon. When a recipe calls for aquafaba, thaw the cubes at room temperature and whip as usual.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is liquid or powdered aquafaba better?
It depends on what you want. Liquid aquafaba is ready to pour and already at the right strength, so there is no mixing and less room for error. Powdered aquafaba is more compact and shelf-stable but has to be reconstituted with the correct amount of water before every use. For most home bakers, liquid is the simpler choice.
Can you buy liquid aquafaba ready-made?
Yes. Plant Whip is the only liquid aquafaba widely available in the US. It comes in a shelf-stable carton, ready to pour, so you do not have to drain cans of chickpeas or reconstitute a powder.
Does powdered aquafaba work as well as liquid?
Reconstituted powder can whip well when the water-to-powder ratio is right. The challenge is getting that ratio right every time. Liquid aquafaba is already at the correct concentration, so it removes that variable entirely.
What is the conversion for aquafaba to eggs?
The ratio is the same for both liquid and reconstituted powder: 3 tablespoons of aquafaba replaces 1 whole egg, and 2 tablespoons replaces 1 egg white.
Where can I buy aquafaba?
Plant Whip liquid aquafaba is available at plantwhipfoods.com with free shipping to all 50 states. One carton replaces about 20 eggs. For more options, see our guide on where to buy aquafaba.
One carton of Plant Whip replaces about 20 eggs.
Two ingredients: chickpea extract and water. Ready to pour, no reconstituting. Free shipping to all 50 states.
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