Characterization of Physicochemical Properties, Bioactivities, and Sensory Attributes of Sea Buckthorn–Fava Bean Composite Instant Powder: Spray-Drying Versus Freeze-Drying Coupled with Carriers

Foods and beverages with health benefits have become increasingly popular with consumers, and fruits and legumes are considered good sources of nutrients. In this study, sea buckthorn and fava bean were used as the main raw materials to prepare sea buckthorn-fava bean composite instant powder (S-FCP). Different drying methods (spray-drying (SD) and freeze-drying (FD)) combined with carriers (maltodextrin (MD) and inulin (INU)) were involved to investigate their effects on physicochemical properties, functional properties, and sensory attributes of instant powder. The results showed that FD better protected the color of the S-FCP and produced particles possessing more porous structures compared to SD; FD-INU (freeze-dried-inulin) had the shortest dissolution time and the largest solubility. In addition, FD-INU had the highest total phenolic and total flavonoid contents and the strongest antioxidant capacity, and FD-INU had better overall organoleptic properties and hypoglycemic potential. Therefore, FD and the use of INU as a carrier are more suitable for the production of the S-FCP. This work provides a promising approach for developing a high-valued instant powder beverage composed of sea-buckthorn/broad bean, which also contributes to the development of the functional food industry.