Vegan Aquafaba Meringues
If you’re looking for a long ode to aquafaba, I’d recommend you check out our article on aquafaba which covers the magic of this miraculous bean juice and all the different ways you can use it.
One of the first things that people like to make when exploring aquafaba is meringues. There’s entire Facebook groups dedicated to it, and there’s undoubtedly something extremely satisfying about whipping up some bean juice and making giant, crunchy, sugary cookies(?).It feels out-of-this-world cool. The process is so fun and fascinating that it actually made me feel like a better and more confident cook! So, break out your fancy chef’s hat and make this amazing desert from just a few ingredients—one of which used to be food waste!
One thing that I’d like to acknowledge in this piece is that most if not all recipes that utilize aquafaba require a mixer. I had to borrowed a KitchenAid Stand Mixer from my brother, who inherited it from my grandmother. Using it, I was able to whip up these meringues without having to make the expensive investment myself. You can use a handheld mixer to get similar results, but honestly, unless you have energizer bunnies for arms it is nearly impossible to whip this completely by hand. Mixers can be expensive and unless you’re an avid baker you might not use them enough to make them worth the investment. Get to know a neighbor and borrow if you can!
Check out the recipe below!
Yield : 20 meringues
Ingredients
1 15 oz. can of chickpeas (yields ¾ cup aquafaba)
½ teaspoon Cream of Tartar (really essential for success texture-wise!)
⅔ cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract.
You can use almond or other flavoring for different flavored meringues if you’d like! You could also add food coloring for a special theme… I stuck with the classics for this first iteration.
Preparation:
Heat oven to 250 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Drain the chickpeas, saving the bean liquid (aquafaba). Save the chickpeas for another use (beet hummus anyone?!)
Note: if you saved aquafaba in the fridge, bring it out and let it warm up to room temperature before whipping. Trust me this will lead to better whipping!
Pour liquid into a large bowl. Add cream of tartar. Please don’t leave the cream of tartar out, your meringues will melt in the oven and you will be sad.
Beat on high speed with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form, about 15 minutes.
Add sugar, 1 heaping teaspoon at a time while whisking.
Whisk until the mixture is glossy, then add vanilla extract.
Use a tablespoon to scoop the aquafaba mixture into mounds on the baking sheets (you can also use a piping bag if you have it and are feeling fancy). You should be able to fit around 20 meringues per sheet.
Bake for 1.5 hours, or until the meringues are dry and firm to the touch (they may still be a little “sticky” but they should be firm. If they start to brown, they are burning and you should take them out ASAP! Learn from my mistakes with this one).
Let meringues cool and enjoy!
These lumps of sugary goodness will keep in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
