Equipment
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 100 g plain flour
- 50 g chickpea flour
- 5 g baking powder
- 3 g fine sea salt
Wet Ingredients
- 120 ml aquafaba, room temperature
- 200 ml unsweetened soy milk, room temperature
- 5 ml apple cider vinegar
Cooking Fat
- 60 ml sunflower oil
Nutrition (per serving)
Method
Sift the plain flour, chickpea flour, baking powder, and fine sea salt together into a large mixing bowl to ensure there are no clumps.
In a separate measuring jug, whisk the aquafaba vigorously until it becomes very frothy and slightly opaque, which takes about 2 minutes.
Whisk the room temperature soy milk and apple cider vinegar into the frothy aquafaba until well combined.
Gradually pour the wet mixture into the sifted dry ingredients, whisking continuously to form a smooth, lump-free batter.
Transfer the batter back into the measuring jug and let it rest at room temperature. This hydrates the starches and relaxes the gluten.
Preheat the oven to 220°C (430°F) while the batter rests.
Divide the sunflower oil evenly among the 12 holes of the muffin tin, allocating approximately 5ml per hole.
Place the oiled tin into the preheated oven at 220°C (430°F) until the oil is shimmering and smoking hot.
Carefully remove the hot tin from the oven. Working very quickly, pour the rested batter into the hot oil, filling each hole about halfway. The batter should sizzle immediately.
Return the tin to the oven immediately. Bake undisturbed at 220°C (430°F) until the puddings are deeply golden, puffed, and crisp. Do not open the oven door during baking.
Remove the baked puddings from the oven and transfer them immediately to a wire cooling rack to prevent the bottoms from steaming and becoming soggy.
Chef's Notes
- Soy milk is highly recommended over almond or oat milk here; its higher natural protein content effectively mimics the structural role of eggs, capturing steam for a taller rise.
- The combination of chickpea flour and aquafaba perfectly mimics both the yolk and white of an egg, yielding the golden color, savory flavor, and essential air-trapping capability.
- If you want to prepare ahead, you can make the batter the night before and store it in the refrigerator. Just be sure to give it a good whisk and let it come to room temperature before baking.
- For the highest rise, ensure your oven is entirely up to temperature before the oil goes in. An oven thermometer is invaluable here, as many domestic ovens run 10-20 degrees cooler than indicated.
Storage
Refrigerator: 2 days — Best eaten fresh immediately after baking to retain crispness, but can be refrigerated in an airtight container.
Freezer: 1 month — Freeze completely cooled puddings in a single layer before transferring to a freezer bag.
Reheating: Reheat from fresh or frozen in a 200C oven for 5 minutes until hot and crisp again.
