Vegan Meringue Made From Aquafaba

Have you heard about aquafaba? You probably have since it’s one of the latest buzz words in the vegan world. Last year in Germany, I sat with a fellow veggie-lover friend from Spain who told me about how chickpea brine is now used as an egg-white replacement. 

It took about six months for me to actually try if this aquafaba stuff works. And well, after one hell of an arm workout of holding an egg beater between 20 to 25 minutes, I vouch that chickpea water turns into something white and fluffy.

Aqua is Latin for water and faba is Latin for bean. There are many methods to making the fluffy white stuff, but you can use the water from chickpeas or white beans. 

White beans have less of a bean flavor than chickpeas. Like traditional meringues that use egg whites, sugar is a part of the recipe. Some aquafaba recipes use up to one cup of sugar.

White beans have less of a bean flavor than chickpeas. Like traditional meringues that use egg whites, sugar is a part of the recipe. Some aquafaba recipes use up to one cup of sugar. 

To kill the bean flavor, I recommend using vanilla and lemon in replacement of a ton of sugar. The immediate flavor will be nice and sweet with a beany after tone. Since this recipe is all about chemistry, I used an egg beater as the way the air flows through the ingredients is important. Alternatively, you can use a mixer.

As you see in the picture above, the fluffy white stuff will be baked to make the meringue. However, I was curious if this could replace whipped cream. Whatever I did not use for the meringue I left in the refrigerator. After 36 hours, the aqaufaba lost its tone and became porous with the liquid sitting at the bottom. So if you use the mixture as a pie topping, be sure to serve and eat it immediately. 

Additionally, you try cream of tartar to stabilize the mixture even further; however, I used lemon juice as a substitute for cream of tartar. 1.5 tsp of lemon juice is the substitute for ½ tsp of cream of tartar. 

Vegan Meringue made with Aquafaba
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: approx. 90-120 minutes

Ingredients:
1 cup of brine from a can of chickpeas (or white beans)
½ cup + 1 tbsp cane sugar
3 tsp vanilla
3 tsp lemon juice

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 200 degrees. Place the chickpea brine in a bowl or mixer. 

*Now, I gradually added the ingredients starting w/ 1/3 cup of sugar + 1 tsp of vanilla and lemon juice as I egg-beated the mixture. But you can add all the ingredients at once.*

Begin beating the mixture with egg beaters set on a medium speed. This will take between 20 to 25 minutes. You’ll notice the mixture will become foamy then frothy before it turns white. You want to beat the mixture until it peaks at the top. To check this, take the stand-still egg beater and place it into the aquafaba. Pull the egg beater out of the mixture. If the aquafaba stands at a peak, the mixture is ready. If it droops to the side, continue to beat for several minutes. 

Line a baking pan with parchment paper. I used a Ziploc bag and filled it with the mixture. Cut a small hole from the lower right side of the Ziploc. This will replace a piping bag. Squeeze the mixture forming circles as you move the bag in a clockwise circle. Keep about 2-3 inches between each circle. 

Bake at 200-degrees for up to 2 hours. The meringues should be hard to touch and maintain form. It will further harden once cooled. 
Store in an airtight container. 

Have you tried aquafaba yet? If so, are there any tips you recommend?

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