Every time you dump chickpea water down the drain, you’re basically throwing away liquid gold. Seriously. The leftover liquid in a can of chickpeas, aquafaba was once considered waste, but it’s a useful tool for creating delicious dairy- and egg-free recipes. When you whip it, it fluffs up like whipped cream, and that’s just the beginning.

Some of the easiest aquafaba recipes include condiments like vegan mayo or butter. It also works as substitute for eggs as the binding ingredient in baked goods like brownies. And you can even use it to make a vegan omelette.

If you want to see what all the hype is about, save that chickpea water for these creative aquafaba recipes. You know what they say: waste not, want not.

The best healthy aquafaba recipes to try

1. FUDGY VEGAN BROWNIES

Using aquafaba in your brownie mix instead of eggs makes them perfectly fudgy.

2. HOMEMADE VEGAN RAVIOLI

Aquafaba is the secret ingredient in this recipe for egg-free dough used to make ravioli. When mixed with flour, chickpea water makes everything stick together.

3. AQUAFABA FRENCH TOAST CASSEROLE

Tossing your bread in an aquafaba mixture before baking makes your French toast fluffy and delicious.

4. Best-ever vegan omelet

Vegan omelets are totally possible with the help of aquafaba. They help create an egg-like liquid when mixed with a handful of other ingredients, like nutritional yeast and turmeric.

5. One-hour vegan cinnamon rolls

Aquafaba is the key to adding moisture to these vegan cinnamon rolls. It also helps make them rise quicker.

6. Broccoli tots with curry ketchup

Aquafaba is what makes these extra-comforting broccoli tots stick together. The end result is crispy perfection.

7. Vegan strawberry cheesecake

Creamy cheesecake, coming right up. Using aquafaba, cashews, and agar-agar results in a dish you won’t believe is dairy-free.

8. VEGAN BEET BURGERS

Veggie burgers tend to fall apart easily—but not if you use aquafaba, which acts as a binder. (They’ll never get crumbly on the grill ever again.)

9. Aquafaba granola

Yep, aquafaba works great in granola, too. In this case, it helps the granola crisp up without having to use added oil.

10. AQUAFABA CASHEW MOZZARELLA

Vegan cheeses are often expensive, but it’s pretty easy to make your own at home. This recipe uses a mix of cashews and aquafaba to create a creamy mix you can spread onto crackers.

11. CHOCOLATE AQUAFABA MOUSSE

It’s hard to believe, but this mousse gets its fluffy texture from whipped aquafaba. Add in some chocolate and you’re good to go.

These are the benefits of chickpeas you should know about: