If you’ve had meringues, you know they are incredibly airy, sweet, and that they taste heavenly. In this article, we’ll show you how to make vegan aquafaba meringues using leftover bean or chickpea water.
Aquafaba meringues are the delightful vegan version of regular meringue, which is traditionally made using egg whites and sugar. The vegan recipe we’re about to show you obviously doesn’t involve eggs, but still offers you that light and sugary taste that you might be craving by now.
What is Aquafaba?
Aquafaba is the liquid that you’re left with after cooking chickpeas or beans. Because of the starches and proteins it contains, aquafaba can be whipped to the point where you get a really stiff foam. This makes it an excellent replacement for egg whites. So, not only can you use it to make a variety of vegan baked goods, including meringues, but you can also save the bean water that would otherwise go to waste.
Note: When processing bean water, always make sure that the water has been boiled. Do not use the water left over from soaking beans or chickpeas, because it contains high amounts of phytic acid, the toxin contained in raw legumes.
How to Make Aquafaba Meringues
Ingredients
- 100 ml chickpea water (cooked or pre-cooked from a can)
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar baking powder
- 1/2 tsp carob bean gum (or another thickener)
- a pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract (optional)
Preparing the beans
If you are using chickpeas or dried beans, you need to plan ahead. First, you need to make sure you give the beans or chickpeas enough time to soak and cook. Here’s also a more detailed guide on how to cook and soak dried chickpeas. Of course, if you’re using canned chickpeas, less prepping time is needed.
In case you were wondering: cooking beans without soaking them ahead of time is possible, but this requires more energy and you need to watch them for a longer period of time while they are cooking.
Also, remember to plan a meal that you can use the soaked legumes for. If you’re looking for something simple but tasty, we can recommend this Easy Falafel Recipe.
Instructions:
After you’ve prepared the bean or chickpea water, you can make aquafaba.
Mix
- 100 ml (about half a cup) chickpea water
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar baking powder
- 1/2 tsp carob bean gum (or any other thickener)
- a pinch of salt
Beat the ingredients thoroughly using an electrical whisk.
Next, you can start making the aquafaba meringues:
- Line a tray with parchment paper.
- Once the aquafaba is ready, slowly add in the sugar while continuing to whip the foam. It works best if you add the sugar one tablespoon at a time.
- If you like, you can also add the vanilla now.
- Once the foam is glossy and stiff, you can use a piping bag to form little meringue drops (reusable piping bags and tips are available on Amazon**). Pipe the meringues directly onto the baking tray. If you don’t have a piping bag, you can use a spoon instead.
- Place the tray in the oven and let the meringues bake for around two hours at 250 degrees F.
Kept in an airtight container, your aquafaba meringues will last for at least one week.
Tip: For a different flavor, add some cocoa powder or a squeeze of lemon juice while you’re whipping the foam. You can also sprinkle some cocoa powder on top of the baked meringues.
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