Whipped chickpea aquafaba as a fat replacer in ice cream: Effect on sensory and physicochemical properties

Whipped chickpea aquafaba (WAF) exhibits foaming, emulsifying, and gelling properties, making it a potential ingredient for replacing cream in ice cream formulations. The aim of this study was to use WAF in combination with whey protein isolate (WPI) to produce low-fat coffee ice cream with 50% (L50) and 80% (L80) milk cream replacement. The melting rate, color, texture, volatile compounds, and sensory attributes were analyzed to explore the physical, chemical, and sensory properties of the low-fat ice creams compared to their full-fat counterparts. Fat substitute performance varied based on cream replacement levels, with L50 1:0 (WAF:WPI) and L80 1:0 achieving 25% and 40% reductions in calorie content, respectively. The foaming properties of aquafaba resulted in an increased overrun, particularly in formulations where the cream reduction was 50%. While the 80% replacement showed higher intensity of "hardness," "brown color," and "melting" sensory descriptors, the 50% cream-replaced ice cream showed only slight differences compared to the full-fat version, like a higher perception of ice crystals. The combination of WAF and WPI in ice cream provides sensory properties and releases pyrazines, responsible for the coffee aroma, similar to full-fat ice cream. The 1:1 WAF:WPI mixture for 50% cream reduction provided a suitable cream replacement, as this formulation resulted in ice cream that was not identified as different from the full-fat control ice cream in the triangle test. PRACTICAL APPLICATION: This study demonstrates that whipped aquafaba, a by-product of chickpea processing, can be effectively used to reduce the fat content in ice cream without compromising sensory quality. In addition to promoting the development of healthier low-fat ice creams, this approach also contributes to food industry sustainability by reusing a commonly discarded by-product.