Learn how to make vegan meringue using chickpeas! I’m sharing two methods and all my tips and tricks to guarantee you have success.
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Pin ItThere are a few ways to make vegan meringue. Some people use potato protein, some use dry aquafaba powder, and others use canned chickpea water.
In the last few months, I’ve been experimenting with dry aquafaba and canned chickpea water. It has been a humbling experience, and I’ve learned a lot!
Now, I’m confident enough to deliver a simple, easy-to-make vegan meringue to you.
Why you’ll love this vegan meringue recipe
It turns out it’s quite magical to make vegan meringue! (I’ve been wondering who and how they discovered you can actually whip chickpea water into a fluffy meringue?!)
- Simple – Four basic ingredients are all you need.
- Flavor – The end result is light, sweet meringue bites that taste just as good as my original meringue recipe.
- Dietary needs – Unlike traditional meringue, this recipe is completely vegan and gluten-free, making it a great option when serving a crowd.
With my tips and tricks, you’ll be making vegan meringue like a pro in no time!
Surprising Difference
Through many experiments and testing, I’ve learned that aquafaba meringue is sensitive to heat. So, you need to bake aquafaba meringue at a lower heat compared to regular meringue.
Key Ingredient Notes
- Aquafaba – You can make this recipe with either dry aquafaba or canned chickpea aquafaba. Both work great! If using canned aquafaba, note that one 15-ounce can of chickpeas yields 225ml or one scant cup of liquid. So, when you reduce it by half, you’ll end up with about 110ml of concentrated aquafaba.
- Granulated sugar sweetens and helps stabilize the meringue. I don’t recommend using any other types of sugar for this recipe!
- Cream of tartar helps aquafaba foam better by loosening up the proteins and forming stronger foam. It makes the bubbles more stable, improves volume, and gives you a smoother, glossier meringue.
- Salt – Just a pinch balances the sweetness and rounds the flavor.
What is Aquafaba?
Aquafaba is the liquid that comes from cooked beans and is usually used to refer to the liquid that comes from chickpeas. While many people discard it, it’s a great substitute for eggs and dairy in vegan baking.
You may see two types of aquafaba referred to in recipes – dry aquafaba and canned chickpea aquafaba. Canned aquafaba is more common as it’s convenient and easy to use, but both work for this recipe.
Fun fact: aquafaba smells like miso or broth, which took me by surprise the first time I ever encountered it!
Dry aquafaba
Dry aquafaba, or aquafaba powder, is the dried version of aquabafa that comes from chickpeas. It’s made by soaking and cooking dried chickpeas and then separating and drying the liquid. In addition, dry aquafaba tends to have a slightly stronger bean taste.
Canned chickpea aquafaba
This is the liquid that comes in a can of cooked chickpeas or garbanzo beans. All you have to do is drain the beans, and it’s ready to use. I take it a step further and reduce it by half to concentrate the liquid for a stronger meringue. Canned aquafaba tends to have a milder bean flavor but is saltier than dried varieties.
How to make vegan meringue
As mentioned, I’ve tested this vegan meringue recipe using both dry aquafaba and canned chickpea aquafaba. Both work equally well.
Preheat the oven to 200°F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
1. Prepare aquafaba
Method #1: Dry Aquafaba
- Whisk the powder and water in a small bowl until smooth. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to fully dissolve.
Easy measuring
1 tablespoon aquafaba powder = 1g
Aquafaba powder is light and staticky. And it’s hard to weigh it with accuracy unless you have a special scale with 0.01g precision.
Method #2: Canned Chickpea Aquafaba
- Drain the chickpea water into a small saucepan.
- Simmer over medium heat for about 20 minutes or until it is reduced by half.
- Then, set it aside to cool completely.
2. Whip the Meringue
- Weigh out 100g of aquafaba.
- Combine the aquafaba, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a mixing bowl.
- Beat the meringue with a hand mixer (or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment) on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form. This takes about 15 minutes!
3. Shape and Bake
- Scoop dollops of meringue about ¼ cup in size, and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Turn off the heat, and leave the oven door ajar.
- Cool completely in the oven, and enjoy!
Tips for Success
- Aquafaba meringue is sensitive to heat. That’s why it’s important to bake the meringue at as low a temperature as possible.
- When rehydrating dry aquafaba powder, use room-temperature water.
- Choose an unsalted can of chickpeas if you can. Or, omit the salt if using salted can of chickpea water.
- Reducing the canned chickpea water concentrates the proteins and starches, which improves its ability to whip into stiff peaks. This makes the vegan meringue more stable, with better texture and structure.
- If you reduce the aquafaba too much and it becomes too thick or gel-like, you can easily fix it by adding a little water back. Add water in small amounts, about 1 teaspoon at a time, until it reaches the consistency of raw egg whites, slightly viscous but still pourable.
Storing Tips
Vegan meringue is best served right away. However, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
They will keep fresh at room temperature as long as the temperature is not hot or humid. If it is, transfer them to the fridge immediately to help them hold their shape.
I do not recommend freezing this recipe! The meringue will deflate and become runny and all around unpleasant to eat once thawed.
FAQs
Cream of tartar is a crucial ingredient for creating a stable vegan meringue. The acid helps denature the proteins in the aquafaba. Without it, the meringue won’t be as stable and will collapse easily.
For this recipe, I use 100g of sugar for every 100g of aquafaba.
If your aquafaba isn’t forming stiff peaks, it might be because it’s too watery, you’re not using a stand mixer, or you aren’t whipping long enough. It typically takes about 15 minutes. As long as you’re patient, the aquafaba should whip up nicely!
More Helpful Kitchen Guides
How to Make Vegan Meringue
Ingredients
For aquafaba:
Method #1:
- 10 tablespoons (10 g) aquafaba powder Note 1
- 90 g water room temperature
Method #2:
- 1 (16 oz) can chickpeas Note 2
For meringue:
- 100 g aquafaba
- 100 g granulated sugar
- ¼ teaspoon cream of tartar
- ¼ teaspoon salt
Instructions
To prepare the aquafaba:
- Method #1: Whisk aquafaba powder and water until smooth in a small bowl. Let it sit for 5-10 minutes to fully dissolve the aquafaba powder.
- Method #2: Drain the chickpea water into a small saucepan. Simmer the liquid over medium heat until it reduces by half, 20-25 minutes. Cool completely.
To make the meringue:
- Preheat the oven to 200°F (94°C). Line 2 baking sheets with parchment papers.
- Weigh out 100g of aquafaba.
- Combine aquafaba, sugar, cream of tartar, and salt in a mixing bowl with whisk attachment.
- Beat the meringue on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form, about 15 minutes.
- Scoop dollops of meringue (about ¼ cup) and arrange them on the prepared baking sheets.
- Bake for 1 hour. Turn off the heat and leave the oven door ajar. Cool the meringue in the oven.
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Tips & Notes
– Vegan meringue is best served right away. However, if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. They will keep fresh at room temperature as long as the temperature is not hot or humid. If it is, transfer them to the fridge immediately to help them hold their shape.
– I do not recommend freezing this recipe! The meringue will deflate and become runny and all around unpleasant to eat once thawed.
Nutrition
