Effect of Aquafaba and Almond Milk on the Quality of Gluten-Free Vegan Pancakes: Nutritional and Sensory Evaluation

The rising prevalence of celiac disease, gluten sensitivity, and vegan dietary preferences has increased the demand for gluten-free and plant-based foods. This study investigates the potential of aquafaba, a chickpea cooking by-product, as an egg substitute, combined with almond, coconut, and buckwheat flours to develop gluten-free vegan pancake formulations. Aquafaba was optimized for foaming and emulsifying properties under specific conditions (30 min cooking at 70-80 kPa, 110-115 °C, with a 1:1 chickpea-to-water ratio). Four pancake formulations, including gluten containing pancake (GCP), gluten-containing vegan (GCVP) gluten-free pancake (GFP) and gluten-free vegan pancake (GFVP) were evaluated for physicochemical, nutritional, sensory, and textural properties. The GFVP formulation, containing 10.5% almond, 4% coconut, and 15% buckwheat flours, exhibited 14.38% fat, 8.8% protein, 4.01% ash, and 5.29 g/100 g dietary fiber. These values were significantly higher than GCVP, which had 0.24% fat, 7.75% protein, 2.39% ash, and 0.72 g/100 g dietary fiber. Texture analysis showed that gluten-containing pancakes had superior cohesiveness (0.75) and springiness (0.85), while GFVP demonstrated softer properties with cohesiveness at 0.55 and hardness at 2.7 N. Sensory evaluation revealed high consumer acceptability for GFVP, with competitive scores for flavor and overall preference. Using aquafaba and alternative flours allowed the development of gluten-free, vegan, and sugar-free pancakes with desirable nutritional and sensory attributes. These results highlight aquafaba's potential in creating sustainable, functional foods tailored to diverse dietary needs. The findings contribute to the advancement of functional, health-focused food development.