Two Ingredient Edible Sensory Foam

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Like most parents of toddlers, I’m always trying to come up with ways to keep my toddler busy and entertained. We’ve all heard of the benefits of sensory play and the importance of letting kids be messy. This project fits the bill. It’s super quick and easy to do with only two ingredients!

My son is still young, and puts everything in his mouth. Anything I do sensory wise with him has to be taste safe. That means playing with shaving cream is out. A while back I ran across the idea of “painting” with whipped cream.  Thinking about this one day I thought hmmmm…. I don’t have any whipped cream on hand, but I have a can of chickpeas! If you don’t know where I’m going here, the drained liquid in chickpeas (known as aquafaba) is used in vegan recipes as an egg replacer and can be used to make vegan whipped cream! Leaving out the fat and sugar, it makes a fantastic edible foam that is perfect for play.

I recommend using the bathtub or a baby pool outside for this as it is bit messy. Clean up doesn’t take long though, just rinse away with water. Have fun and hide small toys in the foam or add some cups, utensils, or paintbrushes to add to the sensory experience!

A Little Science

  • Aquafaba is still a bit of a mystery in the science world. Its amazing properties didn’t really come to light until a few years ago. It is the result of soaking and cooking legumes
  • Aquafaba is composed of polysaccharides (starch), sucrose (sugar), proteins, and saponins. Saponins are a compound with the ability to create a soap-like foam.
  • Like eggs, it can act as a binder and can also whip into a foam, trapping air and giving structure.
  • Cream of tartar is a powdered form of tartaric acid (potassium hydrogen tartrate) and is a biproduct of fermenting grapes. Adding it to the aquafaba creates a stronger foam that won’t deflate as fast.

Two Ingredient Edible Foam

Aquafaba and cream of tartar come together to make a stable, edible foam that is perfect for sensory play!
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Prep Time 10 minutes

Equipment

  • Electric Mixer

Ingredients
  

  • 2 cans Unsalted Chickpeas (Garbanzo Beans) Drained, reserving liquid
  • 1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
  • 5-10 drops Food Coloring (Optional)

Instructions
 

  • Drain chickpeas, reserving liquid in a large mixing bowl.
  • Add cream of tartar to mixing bowl.
  • Beat on high speed with electric mixer until stiff peaks form. This will take 5 to 10 minutes depending on your mixer.
  • If adding food coloring, separate foam into individual bowls. Add food coloring and gently stir in.
Keyword aqufaba, chickpeas, foam, play, sensory